“Brain Training” games don’t work

At last there is the evidence that brain training games don’t boost brain power. (BBC report)

When doing radio interviews, the most common question I am asked is how good are these electronic games recently promoted to improve brain function.  My reply is always the same…doing lots of sudoku puzzles simply makes you good at doing sudoku.  There is no wider neurological benefit which can be applied to other tasks.

If you want to train your brain, you need to Read more

Theta brainwaves essential for memory

From Reuters:

“Scientists find how relaxed minds remember better.

Stronger and more lasting memories are likely to be formed when a person is relaxed and the memory-related neurons in the brain fire in sync with certain brain waves, scientists said on Wednesday….

…Synchronization in the brain is influenced by “theta waves” which are associated with relaxation, daydreaming and drowsiness, but also with learning and memory formation, the scientists explained in the study in the journal Nature.”

Accessing the theta brainwave is an integral part of the memory training I provide.  Memory techniques on their own are not enough. During both the memorisation and recall process, you need to increase theta brainwave activity and get both hemispheres balanced.

This research reinforces that The Brain Training Company is teaching cutting edge techniques.

You can only develop a really powerful memory with integrated brainwave training.  See the popular Mind Maximiser training course for more information on this subject.  Here you learn the techniques of memory and how to control your brainwave activity.

Have you tried a memory  training system or attended a course?  Did you learn how to access the theta state on demand and have this shown to you on an EEG system?

On a separate yet related matter, did you know that you need to be able to access a high-alpha state for speed reading?  So for effective learning skills, it is critical to be able to shift between the high-alpha and theta brainwave states (as well as other elements taught in the training course).

What happens in an actor’s brain?

This is a fascinating article from the BBC.  It looks at what an actor’s brain is doing during a performance.

——

By Nick Higham
Today programme

Original article here with additional video and images.

For an actor, the performance conditions weren’t exactly ideal: flat on her back in a large machine, under strict instructions to lie as still as possible, speaking in short bursts interspersed with the shrill sound of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner.

But last week Fiona Shaw, one of Britain’s leading actresses – who has in her time played everything from the tragic heroine Medea to Shakespeare’s Richard II – volunteered in the cause of science to spend an hour having her brain scanned while “acting”.

Professor Sophie Scott of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London wanted to know what happens physically in an actor’s head when they pretend to be someone else.

She hoped that scanning Fiona’s brain in action would be able to tell us.

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2009 World Memory Championships – TV coverage

Channel 4 News:

CBS Network:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

2009 World Memory Championships – the result

The 2009 World Memory Championships have finished.  It was an exciting three days of competition, with some new world records being set and great performances from many new names.  Here are the results:

1 Ben Pridmore
2 Johannes Mallow
3 Simon Reinhard
4 Dr. Gunther Karsten
5 Wang Feng
6 Su Ruiqiao
7 Cornelia Beddies
8 Boris Konrad
9 Guo Chuanwei
10 Yuan Wenkui

Congratulations to Ben Pridmore for successfully defending his 2008 title.  Dorothea Seitz is the Junior World Champion.  It has been announced that next year the World Memory Championships will be held in China.

Interview with World Memory Champion

The current World Memory Champion, Ben Pridmore, is interviewed as he attempts to retain his title at the 2009 World Memory Championships.

To follow all of the posts related to the 2009 World Memory Championships, please click on this tag link link I have created to group all the posts together:

http://www.thebraintrainingcompany.com/tag/wmc2009/

If you would like to train your memory, then the Mind Maximizer course is for you.

WMC 2009 – New World Record: Abstract Images

Dr. Gunther Carsten has just set the first new World Record of the 2009 World Memory Championships…

Event: Abstract Images
Record: 318 Abstract Images in 15 minutes

During the World Memory Championships there are a series of events testing different memory skills.  Some involve memorising numbers, playing cards, numbers, events or names and faces.  This event was memorising abstract images.  Competitors are given 15 minutes to memorise as many of the provided abstract images as possible.  They then have 45 minutes to recall them.

Gunther managed to correctly memorise 318 abstract images in the 15 minutes.

This is a great start to the World Memory Championships and puts Gunther into first place at this stage.

To follow all of the posts related to the 2009 World Memory Championships, please click on this tag link link I have created to group all the posts together:

http://www.thebraintrainingcompany.com/tag/wmc2009/

If you would like to train your memory, then the Mind Maximizer course is for you.

Memory World Record: Speed Cards

As the 2009 World Memory Championships are currently underway, I thought it would be fun to see just how good the competitors are…

Memorising a single deck of cards in the fastest time:

In July 2009, Ben Pridmore became the first person to memorise a deck of cards in under 30 seconds (26.28 seconds).  In August 2009 he broke that record again to set an astounding time of 24.97 seconds.

To put that into context, here is a brief explanation…

1. You are giving a single deck of shuffled cards.
2. Against the clock, you look through the cards, with the clock stopping when you put the cards face down (that establishes your time)
3. To test that you memorised the order of the cards, you are then given a new deck of cards.  You have to place these cards in the order of the deck you just memorised.
4. The judge / arbiter then checks your original, memorised deck, against the pack you have just placed in the memorised order
5. If you get this correct, your original memorisation time (step 2) is approved.

Makes sense?

Well with that in mind (no pun intended) have a look at this video of Ben Pridmore setting the World Record.  And no, it is not speeded up in any way.  Yes, he is scanning the cards that quickly!

Would you like to learn how to improve your memory?  Then take a look at the Mind Maximiser course.

World Memory Championships 2009

The World Memory Championships for 2009 have started today. It is being held in London and has the largest prize purse in the history of the event – $92,000.  It us running from Thursday 12th November through to Saturday 14th November.

My friend and business associate, Dominic O’Brien, is at the event as one of the event organisers.  Dominic has been World Memory Champion eight times and now dedicates himself to helping others improve their memory.  Dominic will be giving me news during the event, which I will post here.

The official website for the event is here:  World Memory Championships

To follow all of the posts related to the 2009 World Memory Championships, please click on this tag link link I have created to group all the posts together:

http://www.thebraintrainingcompany.com/tag/wmc2009/

If you would like to train your memory, then the Mind Maximizer course is for you.