More Purple Means More Planning Shown here are the areas of one person’s brain changes from age 14 to age 25. The frontal cortex (purple) demonstrated many changes in particular parts, as did the areas for processing speech (green and blue)—a crucial aspect of young adult learning. Areas for visual processing (yellow) showed less change. Researchers now know that brains mature in many ways between adolescence and adulthood; scientists are not yet sure of the cognitive implications.

ELIZABETH R. SOWELL ET AL., FROM NATURE NEUROSCIENCE