Early experience has a powerful and lasting influence on how the brain develops. The physical and chemical conditions that encourage the building of a strong, adaptive brain architecture are present early in life. As brains age, a number of changes lock in the ways information is processed, making it more difficult for the brain to change to other ways of dealing with information. Maintaining plasticity--keeping the brain open to change--takes energy, and this energy is finite. The right kinds of early experiences make the best use of this energy for the benefit of both individuals and society. [The interviewer for this report was Marcy Ray.]