Myth-busting: As you get older your mind deteriorates, tell that to the man who just got his PhD at 82

"Cognitive fitness" is defined as the results of the overall functioning of brain processes such as comprehension, decision-making, problem-solving, learning and retention of knowledge. Most interesting are the capacities of abstraction, generalization, and meta-cognition (thinking about thinking) – which all aid in the ability to assess our environment, solve problems creatively, and act decisively.

Roderick Gilkey and Clint Kilts claimed in Harvard Business Review—"Cognitive fitness is a state of optimized ability to remember, learn, plan, and adapt that is enhanced by certain attitudes, lifestyle choices, and exercises. The more cognitively fit you are, the better you will be able to make decisions, solve problems, and deal with stress and change."

Evidence of very strong mental ability in later life can be seen in the likes of Arthur C Clarke who at 90 was still giving advice on the future, David Attenborough (85) continues to produce excellent books and TV programs and Noam Chomsky (82) is one of the most quoted intellectuals alive today and is quickly approaching his 200th book publication.

Also joining the list of brilliant octogenarian is 82-year-old Moreshwar Abhyankar. He has a string of degrees and diplomas to his credit, including a masters in arts, business administration, LLB, MMS and diplomas in journalism and social work.

It took Abhyankar nine years to complete the PhD on the subject 'Impact of training interventions on the development and competencies of employees in private sector units in Pune'.

Abhyankar, who retired in 1988, chose this particular topic for his thesis because of his teaching experience of over 50 years.

"During my experience in training and teaching, I often wondered if the training programmes designed and conducted by the companies helped these employees at practical level."

More on Abhyankar Times of India

Arthur C. Clarke

David Attenborough

Noam Chomsky

Feel free to list any other 80+ year old minds in the comments.