Researchers from Memorial University of Newfoundland set out to explore how age and familiarity with music affect our ability to remember melodies. Their findings paint an encouraging picture for music lovers of all ages: when it comes to recognizing musical themes, older adults performed just as well as their younger counterparts.

This discovery challenges some long-held assumptions about aging and memory. While it’s true that certain cognitive skills tend to decline as we get older, this study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, indicates that our ability to recognize and remember music might be more resilient than previously thought. Is the musical mind immune to cognitive decline? (studyfinds.org)