Jul
18
Can Sudoku Make You Smarter?
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Brain Games like Sudoku are becoming more and more popular. The main reason most people play them is not an attempt to make themselves smarter, but because they are fun to do, and can actually be very relaxing. There are all different types of brain games, some sold as expensive electronic interactive games, others available to play freely on the web, and some, that do not require computer intelligence, can be found in newspapers, magazines and dedicated puzzle volumes.
Whether brain games, and in particular Sudoku, make you smarter, is an interesting question. The traditional brain game, which for years has been a ubiquitous presence in newspapers, is the crossword puzzle. These word exercises can clearly have an obvious positive effect on your intelligence if you do them regularly. They can improve your vocabulary, and improve your understanding of a word`s meaning and usage. However, unless you have a good general knowledge and vocabulary in the first place, the crossword puzzle can be completely impenetrable to you. Sudoku is quite different. Firstly, it requires no prior knowledge to play. Although it may at first appear to be an horrifically complex maths problem, it is in reality merely a problem that can be solved by arranging the numbers and no arithmetic is required for success. Indeed, no knowledge is required to successfully complete a Sudoku puzzle, except the few basic rules. Read more