[keefe]

I think it's time for this meme about engineering being a young man's game to die. There are plenty of events in the olympics with good competitors in their 30s and early 40s. The point being that we certainly haven't aged out of any physical requirements once we hit our 40s. Sure, I have a little less energy in my 30s than in my 40s, but overall I am more productive and make fewer mistakes.

I do agree that keeping skill levels up across a long career is difficult. Maybe these memes come up because it's a convenient excuse not to put the effort in? It's very easy to get complacent if you are smart, get things done and have a comfortable home life. We have to train to get that brass ring, to stretch the analogy ;)