You just
knew all that
Tetris playing you did
as a kid yesterday was good for you, huh? A new study published by the big thinkers at Mind Research Network has found that "practicing Tetris" can actually improve brain efficiency and lead to a thicker cortex in other areas of the tabula rasa. In short, the study was done in order to show that the brain can change with stimulation, and that "a challenging visuospatial task has an impact on the structure of the cortex." Of course, this is far from the first published report to use the
quarter century-old title as its testing tool, but it's certainly one of the best for getting your mum and pop to believe gaming really is good for the gord. Hit up the read links below for all the details -- you know they'll be firing off questions when you hit 'em with
this.
[Image courtesy of
BumpyBrains]
Read - Tetris study [PDF]
Read - Press release
posted September 1st 2009 10:44AM
Nintendo games make people intelligent.
Playstation/xbox games make people stupid.
FPS gamers have bigger penises.
I love hitmen. No matter what you do to them, you don't feel bad.
You do realize that Tetris was originally written by a Russian for the Elektronika 60 and that it was later ported to a multitude of platforms, right? The game didn't make an appearance on any Nintendo console until 5 years after its release.
So, no, it's not a "Nintendo game", much though you'd like to think it is.
To argue the other way, I'd like to see how the Mario series stacks up against, say, Echochrome or Braid in the "mind-expanding" department.
It is pretty much a proven fact that Super Mario, Zelda, Super Mario Kart are 10x better for the brain than Grand Theft Auto or Resident Evil for example.
99% of Tetris games were played on Nintendo platforms. Tetris sold 70 million copies on Game Boy. No matter if the game was invented by some guy.
I am speaking about gaming philosophy of both first and third party titles. Nintendo is pure genious, Playstation and Xbox are moronic.
Tetris Tips:
- During the first 1/2 hour of playing try to think of other things and just play the game.
- Never depend on lines, if your just not getting one and building up a tower, just go ahead and use something else, it will probably help
- Try to always get reds/greens out of your reserve, not a problem to put them in your reserve, but don't keep them there, keep yellows and blues.
- [New Tetris only] Try to avoid going for super blocks, just go for them if you see one coming in the next 3.
Note: I was just playing tetris for like 3 hours the other day and thought up all these tips.
@tiptup
here, add another one:
-Engage in an intelligent conversation with a friend while playing tetris
i do this several times, it also improves you're concentration as well as logical thinking.
(btw, being serious with the tip, not sarcastic hehe)
on another note, play the game only using 4 line clears starting from level 20, WHILE doing the above tip.
Don't FPS games improve reaction time?
And don't stragety games improve logical thinking (much like chess)?
and i'm fairly certain ALL videogames improve hand-eye coordination.
"pure genious" just made my day. :D:D:D
So if i play tetris i won't go bald... good to know.
this is bull. I'm great at tetris and have no hair left!
I too lack hair, I call BS.
I think they assuming that with increased blood flow, hair would be less likely to fall out. But thats rather fictional
Better hair... not more hair. How nice is what's left? :D
i was good at tetris... im starting to lose my hair and the remaining hair is thinning and 20% gray, and im 28.
then again, when i was good at tetris i was 10 and had a wonderful head of hair.... hmmmmm
Well, naturally you have to play tetris AND get out in the sun.
....pale skin and usually obese.
Wait, Coco is not obese.
And the logic behind that is?
^^^
reply to Charbax
I think this comment system makes people stupid.
i have proof this isnt true.
my dad plays tetris, but he doesnt have good hair, also he has bad taste in shoes!!
It's a pain in the ass when you need a long piece so you can knock off four lines but what shows up instead? Thatunwel come L shape... Bastard.
i knew those hours pretending to pray in the back row of church while playing Tetris vs a friend were not in vain!
That's not how you spell gourd.
"good for the gord"?
I think you need to play more Tetris. It's "gourd".
I play a lot of Tetris and I still have bad dandruff. :(
If you are good at tetris you're supposed to be smart enough to go and get some Head and Shoulders.
Epic pic!
Hmm... the Conclusion section of the study states (word for word):
These data indicate that structural and functional brain changes after practice do not necessarily occur in the same location, at least on the levels assessed with these MRI methods.
In the press release, Dr. Jung states: "...it could be an explanation for why previous studies have shown that mental practice increases brain efficiency. More gray matter in an area could mean that the area would not need to work as hard during Tetris play."
This is a far cry from what the engadget article states: A new study published by the big thinkers at Mind Research Network HAS FOUND THAT "practicing Tetris" can actually improve brain efficiency and lead to a thicker cortex in other areas of the tabula rasa.
Sorry to be a Buzz Killington, but the study and the press release are only speculating. This article is making a significantly stronger connection between data and conclusion.
-Cbab
Inaccurate reporting, on Engadget? Perish the thought!
yeah u right dude thats why Iove Braintris!
For a second I thought you guys had me excited about an alternative cure to balding. Guess I'll keep taking my finasteride...
What's really amazing is that people will read articles like this and believe them.
Don't know about you, but I want that front picture as an actual game. Really.
Umm.. Tabula Rasa... That means 'blank slate', and while the phrase is often used in the nature vs nurture debate it is in no way a synonym for 'brain'. You should probably try to avoid using words when you don't know what they mean.
I was going to post this, but I wasn't sure if maybe tabula rasa had some other, brain-related meaning.
Indeed!
See http://www.google.com.au/search?q=define%3A+tabula+rasa for the full list of meanings (and episodes of tv shows that use it as a title :P)
[QUOTE]gaming really is good for the gord...[/QUOTE]
yet it impairs one's ability to use a spellchecker.
This Darren fellow obviously doesn't play Tetris.
This Darren fellow obviously doesn't play Tetris.
Dont read too far into this as its only pure speculation, but I wonder if this concept would give any credibility to the idea that violent games would incline the player to violent acts. Maybe violent games add to whatever cortexes would be involved in such activity. Either way, I love me some violent games.
Actually my friend makes a research on this type of stuff, like guitar hero and dance dance revolution helps older people to memorize new things in new parts of the brain and improve their reaction times. this includes alzheimer patients. ;\
I used to play a fair bit of Tetris in my toddlerhood and boyhood and my hair's fabulous. Bitches LOVE my hair. It's all thick and soft too. :D
I hate tetris.
Electronic Cigarettes
I could of told you guys this years ago.
This is really awesome news for me. I have been pretty much playing Tetris everyday for the past 2 years and if I had a video of it, I would also have the 5th best score ever (original GB Tetris that is). Thank you science for proving something that I have been doing is awesome for me :D!
I would keep two facts about this study in mind. First, this study was funded by the company that holds exclusive rights to Tetris (p. 10). Second, it involved only girls aged 12-15. That said, I can buy that this study might be unbiased in its procedure or findings and that the same effect could be seen in guys, babies, or old people.
guess I should play more Tetris...
I used to play a bunch. Its all a had. A handheld LED toy that had this and snake. that was the bomb
Of course it couldl be that people with a certain brain config could be more attracted by and stimulated by Tetris. So when scanning Tetris players and finding they have a more developed area in the cortex you should ask which came first Tetris or big brains?
Umm... nope. It's a randomised control trial, so this is not a possibility.