In a recent study conducted at the University of Hamburg, juggling was used as a learning task to compare brain plasticity (the changing of the brain that occurs during learning) between young and old people. The study found that similar brain growth is found in both young and old people, showing that learning new tasks can be accomplished regardless of how old you are. (You can teach an old dog new tricks!)
I've been juggling outside in Dragon Park and Centennial Park a lot this summer. Quite often, kids will come up to us and want to learn to juggle. Less often will adults try to learn, perhaps because they think they are too old to learn. I've always said that anyone can learn to juggle, and this study supports this claim. If you see any of us juggling around town, we're always willing to teach!*
*The views expressed in this blog post are only of the author :)
From The Journal of Neuroscience: Training-Induced Brain Structure Changes in the Elderly (full text requires subscription)
From News 2 (WKRN - ABC): Aging Brain Can Learn New Tricks
