I have noticed however, you can predict fairly well, that the older people get the less likely they will be open to testing the waters for new ideas....

As an "old fart", I call it experience and it's a great teacher.
I've seen way too many sales reps pushing the newest "must have" piece of gear that doesn't even last a year in the marketplace because it's a piece of crap.
I'm always open to new ideas but I also spend a lot more time researching things than believing marketing BS.
Check out the age of some of the forum "youngsters" in the What do you look like? (2010) thread and see if you still think that's true.

...and just assume things are going to stay like they've always been.

If I thought that, I'd be long retired.
I started editing on 1/2" Sony reel-to-reel machines in the early 70's.
There have been just a "few" changes over the years and I embrace each and every one with the same passion I always have.
With the purchase of new gear at my workplace, I've been thrown into the world of HD and am loving the new opportunities it offers.

If I had to speculate as to why I would say it's related to conserving energy and not wanting to expend more than absolutely necessary or something along those lines.

I call it working smarter :)
My back thanks me too.

Which is, of course, not an issue when younger.

Feel free to work all the 18 hour days you want for no extra money.
Been there, done that, have better things to do with my time these days.

Mike

@rs170a - to expound a little bit more on my point. As someone that is 38 year old, I consider myself to fit the middle aged category. I catch myself on occasion doing exactly what I described, and what you just described. That is, not trying something because it seems like it's not worth the effort. Sometimes it is because I think I know the outcome (hence not worth the effort), or sometimes because I have better things to do. When I look at where I've been, where I am, and look at others to see where I might end up, the observation I stated before seems accurate.

It still holds true that the older one gets, the less likely they will ask a question that they may have asked earlier in life, even though logically there are plenty of reasons that could change the outcome to provide a different answer than before.

I think it's one of the reasons that companies like Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, etc. are created more often by young people than old people. Young people play a game of hit or miss much more often than older people who want to only make hits. And therefore young people more often hit on something never been tried before.

All of that to say that it is mostly related to asking questions. All kinds. Not just questions that you already know can be answered.

Not by Sony but I hope to see more about mobile video transmission.
.

...the older one gets, the less likely they will ask a question that they may have asked earlier in life, even though logically there are plenty of reasons that could change the outcome to provide a different answer than before.

i find i'm asking a lot fewer questions the older i get, but that's because i've learnt which questions to ask, how to ask them, and not being surprised no one can answer them....