The Wisdom of the Old (Fish)

Monterey Bay Aquarium sardines (Stanford photo)

European researchers have discovered that older fish have knowledge that is essential to the survival of the entire school:

removal of the older fish tended to damage the collective memory of the group and prevented the school from migrating at all. In the real world, that would mean that if fishermen catch the older fish that hold the memories of where to go when it's time to migrate, the rest of the school won't know what to do, and likely as a result, will die without even trying.

The temptation to extrapolate this finding onto humanity is irresistible, because it implies that we older members of the tribe possess crucial wisdom.

Listen when I'm talking, whippersnappers!

(H/T Tyler Cowen)