The brain – a work in progress
Cognitive science is the study of the brain mechanisms responsible for an individual's thoughts, moods, decisions, and actions. Cognition refers to everything that takes place in an individual's brain that helps him understand the world around him. To accomplish such an understanding involves mental processes such as concentration, memory, conceptualization, creativity, and emotions.
In his book The New Brain,Dr. Richard Restak uses the term "plasticity of the new brain" to refer to the capacity of the brain to transform itself. This is an incredibly exciting notion, and one that has endless positive ramifications.
Until recently, it was generally believed that the brain's plasticity peaked out at young adulthood, if not earlier. But researchers now believe the brain is subject to transformation throughout life, which is why Restak appropriately refers to it as a "lifetime work in progress."