If we look at normal aging of our brains as just cognitive decline, we are really missing the boat. That comment from one of the authors of a new study from the University of Arizona challenges the traditional view of the aging brain. It argues that the aging brain is not declining, it’s adapting—explaining why older adults are especially well-suited to teaching, mentoring and other roles that allow them to share accumulated knowledge with young generations. The article in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science suggests late life cognition is a natural phase of human development--one that prioritizes wisdom over details. The authors say natural adaptive aging does not include Alzheimer’s which is an actual disease—not normal aging.