We are better at processing information that those born a century ago.
But like them, our cognitive capacity still begins to stagnate around the age of 35.
What could this mean for productivity and labour markets?
Researchers analyzed thousands of chess games between 1890 and 2014.
Chess is cognitively demanding.
The study tracked player performance over an entire career and efficiency of chess moves over the 125 years.
Cognitive performance initially increased steadily, but plateaued at around age 35.
On average, players born closer to the 21st century played more efficiently indicating higher cognitive ability compared to those born earlier.
Maybe the presence and growth of digital technology means more cognitive development for today's generation compared to previous ones.
Generally speaking, we are getting more productive, and doing more cognitively demanding tasks due to rapid innovation.
But, aging remains a key challenge for global economy.
Original article:
Original study:
Life cycle patterns of cognitive performance over the long run