Q: Statistics show that you are best at doing this when you’re 31 yo? A: PLAYING CHESS Someone looked at a bunch of scientific studies, and came up with a list of random things, and the age when you’re BEST at them. At least statistically. Here are the ten we thought were interesting . . . Learning a new language. Your ability to do it peaks when you’re around 7 or 8. Remembering people’s names . . . 22 years old. Finding someone to marry . . . 26 years old. Running a marathon . . . 28 years old. Playing chess . . . 31 years old. Remembering people’s faces . . . also 31 years old. Winning a Nobel Prize . . . 40 years old. That’s when the average winner has done it. Making your peak salary at work . . . 39 years old for women, and 48 for men. Doing math in your head . . . believe it or not, around 50 years old.