In the article I linked to above, learning is defined as “the ability to acquire new knowledge or skills through instruction or experience. Memory is the process by which that knowledge is retained over time.”
We need to be excited about what it is we learn. Our brains are wired to remember things that get our adrenaline going.
Noise is counterproductive when it comes to learning. This includes external noise and internal noise. A place with people chattering, email popping up, phones ringing and countless interruptions is not a good place for learning. In other words many office spaces are not good places for learning.
It's important to make a distinction between "noise" and "information" so we don't end up thinking the only way to learn is to be in a sound-proof room. A conversation you are involved in can involve learning, a conversation going on around you most likely does not provide you with much in the way of learning and probably interferes with whatever you were trying to learn to begin with - which is why libraries have those "please be quiet" signs.
Related to noise is the idea that any learning requires focus. If we can't quiet our internal and external noise, our ability to focus suffers. Meditation and relaxation techniques can help.
It's also useful to consider the impact of internal or external noise on simple memory vs. the impact on tasks that require special attention e.g. learning. Noise has very little impact on simple memory, but it does impact our ability to focus and thereby learn.
Letting my mind wander from one tidbit to another (internal noise), or being near people having a loud conversation (external noise), doesn't prevent me from remembering my phone number, name, address etc. (simple memory), but it does interfere with my ability to learn, since we know learning requires focus.
There's a definite "use it or lose it" phenomena associated with the ability to learn. To keep sharp we need to challenge our brains with difficult and new tasks. One of the key points was that as people age they tend to consider themselves as experts - knowing what they need to know, rather than taking on the "beginners mind" and learning something new.
Physical activity is critical to retaining brain function so we can continue to learn, retain our memory and remain vital interesting human beings.
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