“Working memory” is the third brain system which is vulnerable to the effects of ageing. Working memory is the brain’s “blackboard”, where we juggle from moment to moment the things we have to keep in mind when solving problems, planning tasks and generally organising our day-to-day life. Absent-mindedness occurs at all ages because of imperfections in the working memory system – so, for instance, you may continually lose your glasses, or find yourself walking into a room of your house only to lira that you cannot remember what you came for.