As new synapses are formed, the brain becomes more tightly networked. The mature brain has trillions of synapses forming neural networks of extraordinary complexity. This complexity allows for much greater intellectual power and sophistication. Although children have an advantage over adults in their ability to take in and retain new information, adults maintain a profound advantage over children in their ability to process complex information. Thus, while children’s brains may be “little sponges”, adult brains permit much greater understanding of the world around them.