Tetris Improves Your Brain

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Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday September 1, 2009 @01:52AM from the sing-the-music-honey dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Playing Tetris increases the density of the cortex and improves the efficiency of some parts of the brain, according to researchers investigating video games and other complex spatial tasks." Unfortunately, storing a half million copies of the song negates any practical functional gains beyond loading your trunk very efficiently.

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srsly?! by Anonymous Coward · 2009-09-01 01:56 · Score: 4, Funny

You mean if i keep playing a game i will get better at it?! This is madness...
1. Re:srsly?! by MickyTheIdiot · 2009-09-01 02:17 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Madness? This is SLASHDOT.
Re:Elektronorgtechnica Bias -- Any Video Game Real by ta+bu+shi+da+yu · 2009-09-01 01:59 · Score: 4, Funny

Indeed. This Science Experiment brought to you by Nintendo.

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The Song by flynt · 2009-09-01 02:00 · Score: 4, Funny

Da Da-Da-Da Da Da Da, Da Da, Da Da, Da Da Da, Dah-Dah-Dah,
Duh,Duh,Duh, Da-Da-Da, Dah Dah, Dum Doo, Dee Dee, Dah Do De Doo.
Dahhh Dahh, Dahhhh Dahhh, Dahhh Dahhh, Dahhhhhh
Dahhh Dahh, Dooooo Dahhhh, Dum Do Deeee Dahhhhhhh,
Repeat!
1. Re:The Song by Hognoxious · 2009-09-01 02:25 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  My brain has version control, you insensitive clod!!!!
  
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  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Tetris Helps... by kylben · 2009-09-01 02:32 · Score: 4, Funny

... me pack the car for vacation.

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Insightful and funny are really the same thing, except one has a punch line.
Plasticity Makes Perfect by sonnejw0 · 2009-09-01 02:32 · Score: 3, Funny

This is simply how the brain works. You perform a task repeatedly and the neurons that are firing become more efficient and form a stronger connection, project more axons and dendrites, and generally do what they're supposed to.

Basically they did an MRI scan of girls before the study, then scanned them again after they had played Tetris for three months and their brain showed increased density rostral to the central sulcus, which is the region responsible for complex movements of the fingers and hands (based on the rough rendering at the top of TFA). ... Great. More money being spend on useless research. We all already know the brain adapts and improves itself. How about a study on drugs to increase that improvement, say while I'm study for my Neuroanatomy gross lab.

Where do I go to get funding to do stupid stuff like this? I have an MR machine, I have 3-months to kick back and travel the world giving 10 minute seminars while my research subjects regulate themselves. Please, someone tell me what I must do.
Re:Blockout! by doti · 2009-09-01 02:41 · Score: 3, Funny

Oh man!
I played that for hours and hours a day.
Really improved my skills to fit a LOT of luggage in the car.

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factor 966971: 966971
Thanks, Captiain Obvious! by doti · 2009-09-01 02:43 · Score: 3, Funny

Next:
"Exercising Improves Your Body"
News at 11.

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factor 966971: 966971
Of course it increases brain density! by GameboyRMH · 2009-09-01 02:52 · Score: 4, Funny

Playing tetris causes your brain to pack its neurons together more tightly!

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"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
In Soviet Russia... by Chysn · 2009-09-01 03:13 · Score: 3, Funny

...you improve Tetris's brain.

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