Fifty is the new 42, scientists have concluded, after discovering that the brains of middle-aged people are getting sharper and "younger" to keep up with the demands of modern technology. People over 50 are scoring increasingly better on tests of cognitive function and researchers believe it is because of the increased mental stimulation of computers and mobile phones.The average person now needs to remember 10 passwords a day to access work computers, open e-mails, use internet banking, pay bills online or log on to social media networks.Once they have logged on they are often confronted with an array of commands and options, requiring increased decision-making.A population study of people over 50 in England found that the test scores of people today were the same or better than the results of those up to eight years younger, who were tested six years ago.Researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria also analysed population surveys in Germany from 2006 and 2012, which measured brain processing speed, physical fitness and mental health.Although physical and mental health declined over the six-year period, the cognitive test stores increased significantly."We think that these divergent results can be explained by changing lifestyles," says IIASA world population programme researcher Dr Nadia Steiber."Life has become cognitively more demanding, with increasing use of communication and information technology also by older people, and people working longer in intellectually demanding jobs."Valeria Bordone, a researcher at IIASA, added: "On average, test scores of people aged 50-plus today correspond to test scores from people four to eight years younger.The studies provide confirmation of the "Flynn effect" - a trend of rising performance in standard IQ tests from generation to generation. But the academics say changes in education levels explain only part of the effect...