Lumosity

proplayer44

New member
Aug 2, 2011
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Hey what do you all think of this Lumosity site? Do you think its just a gimmick or do you think it has the ability to increase memory/ brain power or decrease chances of Alzheimer's or dementia.

I'm thinking of joining and thought some IMers might have a valuable option regarding it.
 


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It's like exercising your muscles at the gym, doing crossword puzzles or sudoku.

There is always a benefit. Whether or not it actually prevents alzheimer's is far from certain.
 
I've read a recent study that showed that puzzles and "brain exercises" in general don't have a measurable positive effect on intelligence, brain health and other benefits they're often praised for. Makes sense to me... I've never been a fan of them.
 
It's mostly gimmicks. The only game that has any study backing it is the dual n-back training, but even that study has a lot of criticisms.

If you want to be a better programmer, program more and practice more languages.

If you want to be better at math, practice math.

If you want to be better at critical thinking, practice.. and so on.

You don't need to pay for some service for any of this, and there won't be a one-size-fits all solution to making your smarter across the board. (At least, not at the moment..)
 
I've read a recent study that showed that puzzles and "brain exercises" in general don't have a measurable positive effect on intelligence, brain health and other benefits they're often praised for. Makes sense to me... I've never been a fan of them.

This. Sadly.

The term brain fitness reflects a hypothesis that cognitive abilities can be maintained or improved by exercising the brain, in analogy to the way physical fitness is improved by exercising the body. Although there is strong evidence that aspects of brain structure remain plastic throughout life, and that high levels of mental activity are associated with reduced risks of age-related dementia, scientific support for the concept of "brain fitness" is limited. The term is virtually never used in the scientific literature, but is commonly used in the context of self-help books and commercial products.[1] It first came into play in the 1980s, and appeared in the titles of self-help books in 1989[2] and 1990.[3]

Source:
Brain fitness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The problem here is two-fold:

1. It is hard to measure the effects of these exercises in normal "everyday" life.
2. You CAN measure improvements in these, very specific tasks.

As for "getting rid of Alzheimer" - try to be curious. Truly curious about the world. Learn new things instead of doing crosswords or Nintendo braintraining games.

If you want to improve some nice areas of everyday functioning, though, Shooters might be a very good way to do so.

Daphne Bavelier: Your brain on video games | Video on TED.com
(She is a bad talker, but great content)


Basically, realistic shooters improve visual attention, tracking of objects in the 3D space around you (including the mental space, i.e. things you can not see, but calculate where they are), visual acuity, etc...

See also:
COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENT: Video games, particularly high-action, shoot-em-up games, have been shown to improve cognitive function. A game with an immersive environment, which closely resembles real life scenarios, causes the player to concentrate more on the game, and in turn, boosts cognitive functions.

First-person shooter fantasy games have not shown the same cognitive improvements as first-person shooter games more aligned with reality. (SOURCE: Unitec: Study in Auckland. Certificate, Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate - Unitec)

And I am out.

::emp::
 
Thanks for all the responses. I think that settles it. I won't join. Maybe I'll get back into Call of Duty instead. I just have lost interest in video games as I've gotten older.

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If you really want to exercise your brain try doing shit with your opposite hand, it fucking toasts your brain and reconnects you to the fundamentals of a skill (throwing a football, shooting a basketball, etc.).

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWl9W0kg6j4"]Hand-Eye Coordination Exercises By Hammer Man Lavery - YouTube[/ame] - p.s. his book is fantastic.
 
Fucking Pandora won't shut up about it. I don't know, but I can't stand this bitch:
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I feel like their angle is targeting these "conservative" "mature" "I'm kind of pretty, but looks don't matter" half hipster vegan bitches that are into these healthy fads.

I can't tell if I'm being narcissistic or realistic.
 
I have never tried the product, but I've been on they're mailing list for awhile. They know how to sell and I usually get at least 1-2 emails a week from them. I like to look at they're copy writing sometimes
 
If you really want to exercise your brain try doing shit with your opposite hand, it fucking toasts your brain and reconnects you to the fundamentals of a skill (throwing a football, shooting a basketball, etc.).

Hand-Eye Coordination Exercises By Hammer Man Lavery - YouTube - p.s. his book is fantastic.

"I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous"

I like taking a tennis ball and playing hand ball with it up against a brick wall without it touching the ground. The groves between the bricks constantly make it bounce back at unexpected angles. Using the palm and backs of both hands alternately. You have to be pretty quick to keep it going. Playing this game regular since I was a kid. Keeps the reflexes and hand-eye coordination sharp.