How many times today did you walk into a room and forget why you were there, pick up the phone only to forget who you wanted to call, take a half hour to find where you put your car keys?

If you’re of a certain age — that being the middle one — more than once, no doubt. And no doubt when one of the above happened you took it as further proof that your brain continues its rapid descent into the abyss. Well, Ha! You’re wrong!

This according to a new book by New York Times science writer Barbara Strauch which reports that while it may seem like your brain is slipping, it is in fact getting better. In “The Secret Life of The Grown-up Brain” Strauch reports all sorts of good news for folks in the 40-65 age range. The brain may shrink a little in spots, but we don’t lose anywhere near the 30 percent of brain cells we were once thought to lose (in fact, middle-agers are actually capable of growing new brain cells). Cognitive skills improve with age, and there are things you can do to actually grow the brain — like exercise and listen to Rush Limbaugh!

Listen to this interview with Strauch on this morning’s edition of NPR’s Morning Edition.

And while you’ve got the headphones on, give a listen to a short interview from this afternoon’s The World radio show with Katie Spotz. Not that you shouldn’t feel good about that charity fun run you did last weekend, but Katie’s most recent exploit definitely redefines the notion of sweating for a good cause. (Spoiler alert: She rowed a boat 3,038 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to raise money and awareness for clean drinking water worldwide.)

Give a listen here.