Old Man, Pick Up That Mandolin

“Although research shows the brain loses about 5 percent of its volume per decade after age 40, scientific findings suggest that picking up a new skill—like learning a musical instrument—can help preserve brain function well into our golden years.

“The antidote to age-related cognitive decline, scientists agree, is neuroplasticity—the brain’s lifelong ability to rewire itself in response to new experiences. “When we learn something new, we’re literally building new neurons and pathways,” [one cognitive scientist] says. She likens it to finding a new route to work when your usual one is closed.”

— “Your brain shrinks after 40. Learning a musical instrument can reverse it,” National Geographic