Free Online Resources Designed to Make You Smarter
Posted January 24th, 2009 by adminEveryone knows that it is hard to find good things that are truly free. To find something that is free and could make you smarter at the same time, well, that’s a real trick. But don’t give up - there are a few websites out there that provide free mind games. Actual experts, who want to help boost your IQ and make you smarter, have designed these games. The science magazine Discover has a great site with three free brain building mini games.
The site behind these games is lumosity.com. It claims to give your brain a workout in just 10 minutes a day. However, the website also is quick to point out that our brains slow down as we grow older, the process that can start as early as the tender age of 30.
You can try three sample games that are really challenging. One is Moneycomb, which forces players to remember where differently valued coins are placed on a grid game. At the lower levels, it’s fairly easy. However, if you want a high score, this memory game becomes very demanding.
The second free game is called Speed Match and it is quite fun. In some ways the game couldn’t be any simpler: You watch different objects as they appear on the screen, and then answer one simple “yes” or “no” question. That question and the core of the game is this:- “is this object the same as the last one?” You are judged on accuracy and speed. With some practice, it is possible to build up both.
The last game is Word Bubbles. It gives you three random letters and then awards points for the number of words you can spell in an allotted time using these letters. The concept behind these games is that of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself based on new experiences, bolstering the process of learning, memory, and adaptation of newly acquired knowledge.
At Lumosity.com, there are many other brain training games that are available for a nominal subscription of $6 per month. The additional categories include: attention, focus, language, visual perception, fluid intelligence, stress, reaction time, spatial reasoning, problem solving and “general health.” If the three free trial games that cover the categories of language, processing speed, and memory are any indication, then Lumosity might be worth playing – at any age.
Hello, Charly.
I’d like to add a brain training program to your list. Mind Sparke Brain Fitness Pro uses the only brain training method that has been proven by independent research to improve problem solving skills (fluid intelligence), and we already have customers who’ve increased their IQ scores and scores on standardized tests.
Susanne Jaeggi and Martin Buschkuehl’s study on Improving Fluid Intelligence by Training Working Memory (PNAS April 2008) recorded increases in fluid intelligence and short term memory of more than 40% after just 19 days.
Martin Walker
http://www.mindsparke.com
Effective, Affordable Brain Fitness Software
Comment by Martin Walker — January 25, 2009 @ 6:13 am
Charly,
My company also produces Brain Fitness Games/Programs
We offer a collection of fun, scientifically-based Brain Games that provide a balanced workout across the 5 Major Brain Areas: Memory, Concentration, Language, Visual & Spatial, and Executive Functions (Logic & Reasoning). Each of the games offers multiple activities that target a broad range of mental stimulation.
Comment by Rachel — March 25, 2009 @ 11:26 am
Does anyone know of any research that has been done with elementary or high school students in terms of using these, “brain games” to improve academic test results? I wonder if students had ten minutes or so each day to use these games at school if it would lead to increased assessment scores.
Comment by April — March 31, 2009 @ 6:16 pm
I think this is a very timely topic, as the boomers age. I see more and more people working on Sudoku games during down time at work and on public transit.
I’d also be curious to know to what extent the games mentioned above benefit younger people.
Thanks for the link.
Comment by Ricardo — April 3, 2009 @ 7:41 am
A few months ago Nintendo released a game with a similar, maybe identical, concept called ‘Brain Age’ for its hand held DS system. It received fairly warm reviews and I believe a few new iterations have come out since then, along with language tutorials and even a sort of demonstrative cook book. I’m quite interested in seeing how luminosity’s games compare.
Comment by maculate — April 3, 2009 @ 4:09 pm
I’ve always loved brain games like these and am constantly looking for them online. I’m glad to see that there are sites that actually have them available for free. I look at the games as being fun and don’t think that they might be helping me. They’re very much like logic puzzles and I enjoy those as well.
Comment by skatss — April 9, 2009 @ 9:21 am
I’ve just signed up for the 7 day free trail, and the site really is good! Very well put together, with an aesthetic that falls somewhere between orisinal and brain age. Highly recommended, thanks Charly!
Comment by maculate — April 10, 2009 @ 8:38 pm
I have trouble with mind games. Maybe I just need a little brain exercise to keep me going. The fact that I am a little bit weak on logic makes me a prime beneficiary from this site.
Comment by elfenliedagain — June 24, 2009 @ 1:24 pm