What's New

Oct 27, Swanson Vitamins - FACT SHEET

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:25:16 GMT

Swanson Vitamins sells discount vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Before you buy, see this fact sheet for actual customer comments and company details.

Oct 26, Glassez - Free Brain Game

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:39:07 GMT

Glassez trains spatial orientation and logical reasoning skills. Play free now!

Oct 9, Gold Miner - Free Brain Game

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:16:56 GMT

Gold Miner helps train your visual perception, concentration, and reaction time. Play free now!

Oct 8, Cube Field - Free Brain Game

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:13:57 GMT

Cube Field trains visual perception and reaction time. Play free now!

Oct 7, Penguin Diner - Free Brain Game

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:43:01 GMT

Penguin Diner trains reaction time and task switching brain skills. Play free now!

Oct 1, Quix - Free Brain Game

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:15:30 GMT

Quix is a free brain game that trains reaction time and visual perception. Play free now!

Sep 28, Map Making - Test Your Memory with Geography

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:39:21 GMT

Map Making trains your memory as you learn where states in different countries are located. Play free now!

Sep 23, KenKen - Free Brain Training Puzzle Game

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:17:27 GMT

KenKen is a math and logic puzzle similar to Sudoku but with math operators added. Play free now!

Sep 20, ADD / ADHD

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:43:01 GMT

ADD / ADHD is a condition that affection concentration, learning, and memory. Learn natural ways to combat this disease.

Sep 10, Wooden Path - Free Puzzle Game

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:54:18 GMT

Wooden Path is a fun puzzle game with great graphics. Train your logical thinking, spatial orientation, and concentration. Play free now!

Sep 10, Neon Maze - Free Brain Game

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:02:23 GMT

Neon Maze is a colorful maze game with extra rules thrown in to train your logical thinking skills. Play free now!

Sep 10, Hexiom - Free Brain Game

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:24:49 GMT

Hexiom trains logical reasoning and concentration. Play free now!

Sep 9, Symptoms of Dementia

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:04:08 GMT

The symptoms of dementia include memory loss, disorientation, language difficulties, and more. Learn to recognize the signs.

Sep 4, Sushi-Go-Round - Free Brain Game

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:17:29 GMT

Sushi Go Round trains your short-term memory and concentration. Play free now!

Sep 4, Penguin Push - Free Brain Game

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:32 GMT

Penguin Push trains visualization, pattern recognition, and mental speed. Play free now!

Sep 2, Epsilon - Sci-Fi / Space Brain Game

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:33:58 GMT

Epsilon is a puzzle game with a scientific space/wormhole them. Play free now!

Aug 27, Mind Cards brain training game

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:46:09 GMT

Mind Cards is a challenging brain game that tests your reaction time to simple mental tests. Play free now!

Aug 27, Dementia, a Leading Cause of Memory Loss

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:00:48 GMT

Age-related dementia is a leading cause memory loss. Learn what you can do to fight it.

May 20, Free Brain Game - Patchworkz

Wed, 20 May 2009 17:56:32 GMT

Patchworks trains spatial orientation and pattern recognition. Play free now!

May 2, Free Brain Game - Wordz

Sat, 02 May 2009 22:16:19 GMT

Wordz trains verbal fluency and spatial orientation skills. Play free now!

Apr 5, Free Brain Game - Memory Test

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:07:28 GMT

Memory Test helps train your short-term memory. Play free now!

Mar 1, Free Brain Game - Muse Lock

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:57:46 GMT

Muse Lock trains problem solving and logical reasoning. Use logic and clues to escape from your prison. Play free now!

Feb 28, Free Brain Game - Math Mountain

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:40:42 GMT

Math Mountain trains numerical reasoning and quick thinking. Play free now!

Feb 26, Free Brain Game - Puzzle Freak 2

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:06:53 GMT

Puzzle Freak 2 strengthens analytical thinking and problem solving skills. Play free now!

Feb 24, Free Brain Game - Math Attack

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:44:57 GMT

Math Attack trains numerical reasoning and quick thinking. Play free now!

Dec 30, Free Brain Game - Hex-7

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:16:52 GMT

Hex-7 is a cool puzzle game that trains concentration and logical reasoning. Play free now!

Dec 12, Free Brain Game - Hare and Hounds

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:17:54 GMT

Hare and Hounds is a cool puzzle game that trains concentration and logical reasoning. Play free now!

Nov 13, Fun Brain Games

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:22:31 GMT

Fun brain games are more fun than boring brain games. Check out my Top 10 favorite brain games. Always free!

Nov 13, Hard Brain Teasers

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:16:47 GMT

These hard brain teasers aren't for the faint of heart. But if you think you're pretty smart, give them a try!

Oct 2, New Brain Game: Flash Chess 3D

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:06:50 GMT

Flash Chess 3D is great for building concentration, memory, and strategy ability. Play free now!

Oct 2, New Brain Game: Spiderman 2 - Web of Words

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:00:55 GMT

Spiderman 2 - Web of Words trains your processing speed and verbal fluency. Play free now!

Sep 28, New Proof that Brain Games Work

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:34:44 GMT

A new study from Scotland provides the first independent, academic evidence that brain games such as Lumosity and Nintendo's Brain Age can increase educational performance. In this study, over 600 students in 32 schools across Scotland played Brain Age for 20 minutes every day at the beginning of class. Researchers found that by the end of the study these students had experienced an improvement in their math scores, concentration, and behavior. And it wasn't just a small improvement, either. The groups who played the brain game improved 50 more than the control groups who did not play the game! The time they took to complete their exams dropped as well, double the amount of the control groups. Brain games won't turn you into a genius. But mounting evidence suggests that regularly playing these games can significantly improve your concentration, memory, reaction time, perception, and other mental abilities. To read more about the fascinating Scotland study, click here.

Sep 9, Your Hidden Memory Power

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:39:14 GMT

A new study implies that we all have a potentially amazing memory. In the experiment, people were shown thousands of pictures over a five-hour time period. When they were tested on their memory of the pictures, they remembered 90 of what they had seen! The researchers concluded that most of us have an excellent memory for visual images. (Yet more evidence why the Memory Systems discussed on my website are so powerful.) The other factors that influenced the success of the participants were attention and motivation. Attention is how intently you focus on the material. Motivation helps keep your energy and desire to be attentive at a high level. To motivate the participants, the researchers offered a small cash prize to whoever could remember the most pictures. Motivated by the desire to win the prize money, the participants were very attentive to the images. So what are the lessons here for improving your memory?

Use visualization whenever possible.
Focus intently on the material you want to remember.
Set up a motivating rewards system for your own memory performance.

To read more about this fascinating study, check out the LiveScience article Humans Have Astonishing Memories, Study Finds.

Aug 22, New Fish Oil Study

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:16:13 GMT

A new study out of South Africa supports earlier findings that a daily dose of fish oil can improve learning and memory. The authors of the study found that the Omega-3 in fish oil helped improve "verbal learning, memory, and spelling ability" in the study participants, a group of school-aged children. Not only were the children "able to retain information better", but they also had fewer sick days. For more details, check out this short article:
Fish Oil Linked to Kids' Spelling Skills You can add fish oil to your own diet in one of three ways:

Eat "fatty" fish such as salmon two or three meals per week.
Take fish oil pills. These are available anywhere vitamins are sold.
Take fish oil liquid, such as Carlson's brand. This is the most concentrated form of fish oil and is what I personally use.

Aug 15, An Apple a Day ....

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:58:58 GMT

According to the old saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". As it turns out, that apple might also keep memory loss away. As we age, the cells in our nervous system accumulate more and more damage from "free radicals". Although harmful, free radicals are produced naturally in the body over time. Free radicals cause oxidative damage to our cells, which makes our cells work less efficiently. In particular, oxidative damage to your brain cells can contribute to loss of memory. The challenge is to protect your body against oxidative damage and reverse it if possible. That's where apples and other foods that contain "anti-oxidants" come into play. One study at the University of Massachusetts reveals that eating apples can help provide this anti-oxidant protection. Dr. Thomas Shea, one of the researchers, says "This new study suggests that eating and drinking apples and apple juice, in conjunction with a balanced diet, can protect the brain from the effects of oxidative stress." So eat an apple or two a day - they're good for you and will help keep your memory strong as you age. To read more about the study, click here.

Aug 4, Fish Meals Are Better than Fish Oil

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:09:16 GMT

Eating fish helps your brain more than taking fish oil capsules or herbal supplements. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon can improve your memory and concentration. That is an established fact. But a new study reveals that if you want the most benefit, you need to actually eat the fish, not just take fish oil pills. Making the effort to include more fatty fish in your diet is a really smart move. The authors of the study recommend eating fatty fish such as salmon or sardines at least two meals per week. Don't worry; despite being called "fatty fish", these fish won't make you fat. Rather, the fatty oils in the fish help the cells in your brain and nervous system work more efficiently.

May 27, Eat Black Beans for Brain Power

Tue, 27 May 2008 17:38:56 GMT

A health article in today's Yahoo! News points out that black beans are an especially powerful brain food: "All beans are good for your heart, but none can boost your brain power like black beans. Thats because theyre full of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that have been shown to improve brain function. A daily half-cup serving provides 8 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber, and is low in calories and free of saturated fat. SUBSTITUTES: Peas, lentils, and pinto, kidney, fava, and lima beans. FIT IT IN: Wrap black beans in a breakfast burrito; use both black beans and kidney beans in your chili; puree 1 cup black beans with 2 Tbsp olive oil and roasted garlic for a healthy dip; add favas, limas, or peas to pasta dishes." So try and work black beans into at least one meal a day to help keep your brain working at its best.

May 2, Memory Training Increases Intelligence (!)

Fri, 02 May 2008 22:54:06 GMT

A new study shows that a certain type of memory training actually makes you smarter! The study, published March 18, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concludes that regularly training "working memory" - the kind of memory used to remember telephone numbers - can actually increase fluid intelligence beyond what you are born with genetically. Fluid intelligence is the kind you use to solve problems when presented with insufficient information or new situations. This type of intelligence is highly correlated with economic and professional success. To learn more, check out the article Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower in today's New York Times. To read an abstract of the actual research study, check out Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory. The Best Part: You can start training your working memory right now, scientifically, for free! Just sign up for the Lumosity brain training service. Lumosity is the brain training system that I personally use every day. The cost is $6.60 per month, but you can try it free for two weeks to see whether it fits your lifestyle. Honestly, I think you're crazy not to at least try Lumosity. Who doesn't want to be more intelligent and have a better memory?! My prediction: One day (in a generation or two, maybe), daily training sessions with services like Lumosity will be required in the schools of countries that want to give their citizens a competitive intellectual advantage.

Apr 7, Teen Binge Drinking Destroys Memory

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:16:32 GMT

If you are a teenager or the parent of one, beware! A new study shows that teen binge drinking can permanently destroy memory cells. It was already known that binge drinking of alcohol can wipe out memories of past events (which is bad enough!). But now it appears that binge drinking also destroys "prospective memory". This is the kind of memory you use to remember future tasks, such as the items on your to-do list. Keep this in mind the next time you decide to go out and "party". The effects can stay with you for a lifetime. Click here for the full article.

Mar 9, Santos Wins Best Memory in U.S.

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:22:15 GMT

Yesterday, Chester Santos of San Francisco won the title of "Best Memory in the U.S." He clinched the trophy by correctly recally the exact order of a deck of 52 shuffled cards after looking at them for only five minutes. Here's the full article: Software engineer is top U.S. mental athlete. So what's his secret? Santos uses mental images to remember each card. Plus, he practices his technique a few hours each night. To see this technique in action, check out this excellent YouTube video: World memory champion Andi Bell's card technique. In this video, memory expert Andi Bell memorizes the order of 10 shuffled decks in 20 minutes. That's 520 cards. Wow! The important thing to realize is that anyone - including YOU - can use techniques like this to build a better memory. As Tony Dottino, founder of the U.S. Memory Championships, says, "People are deathly afraid of losing their memories, but if you practice and use the right techniques, you can develop your memory at any age." So if you feel your memory is not as strong as it should be, do something about it!

Feb 28, New Way to Memorize the 11 Planets

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:50:01 GMT

In case you haven't heard, astronomers have added a couple of "dwarf planets" to the solar system. Plus, Pluto got a demotion. So now there are 11 planets instead of 9. This means school children everywhere (along with the rest of us) need a new way to memorize the names of the planets. As a child, you may have learned a mnemonic like "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" (the first letter of each word reminding you of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto). Sorry to say, that one and others like it don't work anymore. Fortunately, a little girl in Great Falls, Montana named Maryn Smith has come up with one we call all use now:

My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants

This new mnemonic will help us remember that the new order of the solar system is Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres (dwarf planet), Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (now a dwarf planet), and Eris (dwarf planet). Good to know! Click the link below for more about Maryn's gift to us.

Jan 30, Memorize Like a Monk

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:16:42 GMT

Just by coincidence, I recently came across an intriguing memory technique used by Tibetan monks. Apparently, monks in the lamaseries of Tibet are required to memorized a lot of scripture and other information as part of their training. In his book, The Third Eye, T. Lobsang Rampa describes the memory technique they were taught to use:

A method of memory training had been evolved throughout the centuries. We imagined that we were in a room lined with thousands and thousands of drawers. Each drawer was clearly labelled, and the writing on all the labels could be read with ease from where we stood. Every fact we were told had to be classified, and we were instructed to imagine that we opened the appropriate drawer and put the fact inside. We had to visualize it very clearly as we did it, visualize the 'fact' and the exact location of the 'drawer'. With a little practice it was amazingly easy to - in imagination - enter the room, open the correct drawer, and extract the fact required as well as all related facts.

I guess you could call this the "Memory Drawer" technique. Sounds like a powerful method! Anyone who needs to memorize a lot of facts (students, etc.) might want to give this a try.

Jan 7, Naps May Boost Memory

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:26:04 GMT

New research indicates that a 90-minute power nap during the day can enhance long-term memory. A recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience showed that when one group was allowed to take a 90-minute nap during the afternoon, the participant's memories were greatly improved compared to the group that did not take a nap. Ah, if I only had time for a daily siesta! Many employers have not bought in to the power nap idea. My old company in Houston laughed at a co-worker of mine who suggested the idea a few years ago. However, some companies do recognize the benefits of the daily nap, including Nike. Who knows, maybe the nap will catch on. If your schedule allows a daily nap, try it for a week or two and let me know whether your memory has improved.