Saturday, June 18, 2011

Connections [3]

You have already done Connections [1] and Connections [2]; now, try Connections [3] as follows!

Look at the following image for 2 minutes; keep in mind how the shapes are connected (note that how many connecting lines exist in the image):



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Now, read the following news to spend some time:

Brain training computer games ‘can improve your child’s grades within weeks’


By DAVID DERBYSHIRE
Last updated at 1:51 PM on 14th June 2011


Brain training computer games can improve children's grades within weeks, scientists have found.

A study showed that video puzzles designed to exercise a child's 'working memory' boosted reasoning and problem solving skills for at least three months.

The findings are the latest to show that giving the grey matter a daily work out can sharpen wits and intelligence.

Brain training video games have been heavily promoted by computer company Nintendo in the last few years as a way of stimulating the mind and improving IQ.

However, some studies have challenged whether the games - which test memory, recall and mental problem solving - do any good.

The new research, by psychologists at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, tested the effects of brain training on 62 school children with an average age of eight and nine.

Half the children were given a daily 15-minute work-out using a selection of video games that tested working memory - the brain's ability to 'hold' information while it solves a problem.

Examples of working memory in action range from following a teacher's instructions to drawing on past experience to answer questions at job interviews.

It has an impact on every aspect of how the brain works.

In one test, the children were shown a picture of a lily pond and the image of a frog that appeared for three seconds at any one of six locations.

The youngsters had to press a key every time the frog was at the same location it occupied a given number of times before - and another key if it was in a different location.

The rest of the children used the time to test their general knowledge and vocabulary, the researchers report in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Even three months after the training ended, the students given the brain training did better on tests of abstract reasoning and problem solving, they found.

Dr Susanne Jaeggi, who led the study, said: 'The current findings add to the literature demonstrating that brain training works, and that transfer effects may even persist over time.'

However, the effectiveness of brain training varied hugely from one child to another, and is not guaranteed to work for all youngsters, they found.

Two years ago a study at Stirling University found that simple brain training games intended to boost working memory improve grades within a matter of weeks. Some students benefitted so much they shot from the bottom to the top of the class.

However, other commercially available programmes failed to help children, they found.


Sourcehttp://www.dailymail.co.ukBrain training computer games ‘can improve your child’s grades within weeks’.



Without looking at the previous image, connect the following shapes as they are connected in the above image:




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