Cognitive decline as you age is not inevitable — but whether you keep your edge depends almost entirely on what you do right now. Host Michael Easter sits down with Dr. Tommy Wood, a neuroscientist and performance consultant  who works with Formula 1 teams. His book, The Stimulated Mind, changed how Michael thinks about staying mentally sharp. They get into why sleep may be the most important factor in preventing cognitive decline, why retirement may be the most dangerous thing you can do to your brain, and the science behind "super agers" who keep their 50s brains into their 80s. Then they confront the question of A.I.: is it quietly making us dumber? They also cover the surprising exercise that beats the gym for your mind: dancing. And finally, they explain why you should be willing to suck when trying new things.Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.