The author reviews cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on the status of intelligence in the aging, and finds conflicting conclusions: (1) intelligence does decline as persons grow older; (2) only some aspects decline while others improve; and (3) intelligence does not decline. Certain factors are adduced to suggest that such argument-counterargument may characterize the research in the future, though there are signs that research designs may be refined. It is argued that research must focus on improved descriptions of the abilities which constitute the essence of intelligence in the most active years of adulthood and it is suggested that some of these abilities will indicate a form of independent, creative thinking that is not well-assessed by existing tests designed for youth. Two more fruitful trends are discussed which follow from efforts to rethink the idea that time is not a cause and that age is a dependent, rather than an independent, variable. (TL)