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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Brain training games claim to improve your memory, attention, and reasoning skills. Some even say they help prevent the onset of dementia. Problem is, they don’t really work.
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This demonstrates why we need more than just a single study before coming to a conclusion. One of my complaints about some videos on other TH-cam science channels is that they often announce the findings of a new recent study as if it is a major revelation. Actual science requires many different studies over a long period of time before we start to develop confidence in the results. And even then, the conclusions are never final.
What I meant was that doing many different studies typically requires long periods of time. It would be interesting to see if there is a maximum speed limit to how fast science can progress. For example, could an alien civilization go from the stone age to nuclear technology in less than a single Earth year?
Basically the problem with all science journalism
It's interesting to note that science does not have a mechanism for proving something true, in fact that's seen more as a fallacy. Instead, true science (pardon me mr True Scotsman I'm just passing through) focuses on coming up with a guess, and then asking "how can I prove myself wrong". Single studies come and go, a breaking news discovery is worthy of only one thing: repeated attempts to find flaws with it. If it can survive that, then and only then does it deserve respect.
+Florian Riederer: Ditto.
Other science channels? DNews?
During high school, I've observed that after going through intense math training during the vacation season (5 hours of problem solving a day for 30 days), my memory and cognitive skills were drastically better. It came to a point where I never had to take down notes in class but I could still remember everything the teacher wrote down. When I entered college, however, I didn't use math a lot so my cognitive skills became dull but my brain did get better at other things.
So, at least in your case, the key to improve is intensive training, the long hours, and enough amount of practice. Thanks for sharing this experience by the way.
what kind of math training did you do
That was High school
isn't it confounded by age?
I was thinking the same thing this days so I thought of doing math to return my brain to work as it was
"This episode of SciShow is sponsored by our friends at Lumosity"
+Che8t so tru ^^^^
+Che8t where?
+Che8t last year everything was, I suspected snake oil at the time.
+Che8t hahaha
+Che8t What video was it? I must find this... lol
That placebo effect is really interesting. They believed they were going to be smarter, so they got smarter.
Says a lot about what a positive attitude can accomplish.
Do you not realize, that your brain is a muscle, all muscles can be worked out
...but you can train your dragon right? Right?!
+boy638 only if you can find it
+boy638 according to the movies, yes
but we need to try
+boy638 nope! you have to brain your train first!
+boy638 I know I can't, it absolutely refuses to stay in it's cage! I've gotten four indecent exposure charges already, I swear it's an uncontrollable monster!
+boy638 No but you can drain it.
i thought i was being all sly secretly playing lumosity to be a smarter person. time to delete the app
Haha same...
More like Lumoshity
I just used the free trials
+ChillsandThrills me too
+Neha That's smart.
I can easily brain my train.
lmao...
I wish i had a train 🚝💦💦
i have the do? do you are the one who is the is? reality hmmm????
@@NOLBADE yes
Exactly. Can u Sea in the Swim then. Thats the next lvl
Lumosity lied to me
Lumoshity
+Golden Waffles Yup.
+Golden Waffles That's how Sean Connery would pronounce it.
my fallen brother embrace me.
you can "train" your brain, it's called LEARNING if you want to improve your brain learn a skill, learn a langugage, learn a instrument, study mathematics, study philosophy, learn art, learn music, etc..
i found im a very weak learner but its still one of the best things that ever happened to me,you need to first figure out how to do things correctly and then keep practising,having a teacher one to one really helped me with driving anyway ,i learnt nothing in school but now want to learn for life after having some amazing revelations in my life in regard to learning,i think thr shud be special education for weak learners to reach your potential i really do ,when you have that first real success in learning at anything youve caught the learning bug like me for life
Yup, learning French, doesn't mean you can suddenly understand Japanese, but your brain is healthier after learning a new language and that will help you toward your next language of choice. Or anything for that matter.
I think a major factor for alzhiemers and dementia is retiring. if you go your whole life exercising your brain to learn and constantly use it on a daily basis for problem solving skills on the job then suddenly stop and stay at home watching price is right and Wheel of Fortune then that's the equivalent of stopping your 30 year exercise regimen; you will eventually get lazy and fat and your muscle will deteriorate. people need to stay active. activity is life
Learn how to play a musical instument, it's the best way to train the brain and keeping it healthy. Seriously, doing this has major benefits in all aspects of life.
but...but I hate music:(
Learning to draw is actually better...
Amen to that
+LemonWedge123 but...but....I hate drawing:(
Tyler Toon Get a better outlook
Ahhh. Drat. To be honest this makes me really sad. I was hoping to find easy ways to help my parents' minds stay healthier as they age, and I feel like I'm back to square 1.
In addition to learning new languages, I've heard that learning a musical instrument and avid reading helps.
Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it!
+Megan Rivera Reading books, physical exercise, new novel experiences(which includes learning new languages, playing musical instruments, or abstract algebra), and coffee/tea in moderation are shown to strengthen the mind's cognitive abilities and keep it from decline. Try talking your parent into making these into habits.
+Megan Rivera And also travelling!
+Megan Rivera I think that anything that stimulates the brain such as hobbies and interests help a lot. Many people, once they retire, tend to sort of switch off. They have few interests and can end up sat at home watching a lot of tv. If you look at actors for example. Many carry on working until well past retirement age and I'm convinced that this helps them remain fit and active. Both mentally and physically.
as someone who really DID train his mind effectively this conclusion is right on the money. It's literally the only way to insure improved performance. Educate yourself in the most broad fashion and do it a lot. Also keep a little bit of focus on Math and Philosophy. For these two aren't things to learn but things to practice which is why they help a lot more. Eat well, sleep well, live well and keep your stress level low. Good Luck!
Explain which things do i learn exactly then?
@@mantoduoanything you find interesting
For a long time, I thought there were ways to make myself smarter and so I tried them all. One of them was brain games which I could find online for free.. but after about two years of practising, I noticed I was still as bad an employee as I was a student. That's when I concluded I was perhaps too dumb to realise I was too dumb to do anything about elevating my intellect.
You train your brain on a specific thing you want it to learn. Keeping and re-reading a diary (or video blogging) can help re-memorizing one's memories if one happens to forget them (ie: the neural net that held them died).
I was always taught: practice makes Permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect permanent. - Basically if you learn and practice something wrong, you will always do it wrong. Best lesson I've learned in high school
Brain training games might not but science TH-cam channels still work right?
/wink wink
You're brain is only storing information which is not exactly training your brain...
+jisus luvs u
/wink wink
+Aaron Reichert A quote from Vsauce, I forgot who the quote was originally from. (ironic)
"I don't remember all the meals I have eaten, nevertheless they have made me"
I may not remember everything I watch on youtube science video's, but those fragments of knowledge can form into larger things that can be remembered.
EG, brain training games are full of shit.
"Brain training" is not equally to "educational"
Lumaro
Do you people not know the meaning of /wink wink?
If the adult brain wasn't flexible I'd essentially be a high functioning vegetable. A car wreck split my skull and scrambled my brain. I had to relearn how to learn and had to figure out ways to get through mental pathways that were either broken or heavily mired in debris. If it was broken I hit a brick wall trying to think of something, I would know it existed, and that it correlated to other things in my brain but I could not get to it unless I figured out a way to get someone else to say it, then I'd have to concentrate to make sure the new pathway stayed. For example the concept of February, I could not get to it no matter how I tried, I finally got my father to say it by me prompting him with "after January". If the pathway was mired with debris it became like trying to walk while up to your neck in tar, sure it was possible and I could feel I was making slow progress, but it was usually easier and faster to just go around, in other words find a different correlation to the thing I was attempting to think of. For example eggs for breakfast, in trying to think of it as food I got mired down so I went around by instead thinking where baby chickens come from that can be turned in to breakfast. Both examples were real common place things I had to reestablish in my brain. Oh, and there are random gaps in my memories now too, like information I have zero recollection of ever happening, even after someone proves it did happen. So yeah thank God for adult brain flexibility.
But is getting more education not also a form of brain training?
Its getting your memory part active not your cognitive and problem solving part. So the more you try to do something the better you get at it.
@@NamasteDeva Most "education" is rote memorization.
Do you you have any thoughts about using associative memory?
I had a stroke at 21 and see a psychologist that specializes in high functioning stroke victims and she has me play lumosity (and other games). While she isn't concerned with my brain in 60 years, she does think that there is a benefit to me playing those games. Now, I know that this isn't exactly a common circumstance or what the games were intended for, but these games are very similar to the tasks that are used to assist stroke victims so that is good I guess. Plus, hopefully these games could help us learn more about our brains in the future.
I trained myself long ago to remember specific strings of numbers and to automatically assess change in my head at a glance. They became invaluable later in my current job because those skills translated into my current workplace, and I'm known for them. It's my specific niche, because while actively being willing to commit that sort of stuff to memory is a huge bother to many, it isn't to me because the payoff is worth it...I'm not stopping constantly during work to look up that information; it's already memorized and thus, at my fingertips.
Doesn't translate everywhere, though...I'm terrible at names and verbal directions (visually, I have no problems; I can follow a map with ease and remember directions via visual landmarks with no problems).
Can you elaborate more on how you did that?
The training I ment
I believe that constant learning and continuous challenge is key to improving and maintaining a healthy brain. Learn to read music learn to play An instrument learn a new language read scientific papers learn to do ready said papers critically. Read a dictionary anything that you may find difficult and when it becomes easier switch to something els that you find hard to do. Mentally tiring and exhausting but it works
I think that I've learned some good skills from video games, if not the ones specifically marketed for brain training. For example, I've honed my logical thinking by playing Phoenix Wright, improved my reflexes by playing fast-action games, and even RuneScape taught me to be patient and steady when doing tedious, repetitive tasks.
Do a video about that weird blue thing in the sky over LA on saturday
That's the normal color of sky, is the smog there really that bad?
+Sam Faeh are there other videos of missile tests that look like that to compare it to? im skeptical of the test missile claim.
+Flin Dangle look up a Minotaur middle night launch, looks very similar, but I still am skeptical
+iRecordRandomVids missile*
+Ethun they already did the government just doesn't want you to see it. :0
Thanks SciShow, that's very helpful.
i've found that my problem-solving abilities improve when i've recently programmed or studied calculus.
Glad to see that no amount of effort will help me get over my general stupidity.
Placebo effect is good, but sometimes brain training can help other skills like you mentioned. Some games helped me improve peripheral vision or scanning skills which translated to reading faster, and just being more alert in general. I think being alert with a positive attitude can stimulate your senses helping you get smarter, although the games themselves won't necessarily result in improvement for you if you rely solely on them...it's more of how you can carry those skills over yourself with a positive attitude that counts.
If you can imagine everything you're doing as a game then it's gonna work much better lol
Life is so complex that it can be a frustrating game without clear objectives though, so I understand why this video has the message of the games not really working overall.
That's why it's good to do many many things to hit your brain at all sorts of angles.
I find elevate has some real specific real world benefits. The math and reading exercises, spelling etc.. It's great
THANK YOU for exposing this money spinning scam! Just like other 'health' industries that don't work effectively and try to blame the customer for not 'trying hard enough' or 'doing it wrong'. Love the doco's The Men Who Made Us Fat.
SUCH INTELLIGENCE IN SUCH A BAD ASS FORM!!!!
I love what Hank did to his hair. You can really feel the passion.
The mistake is in searching for one solution to improve your brain efficiency. Everything we do is important. Eating, exercising, being interest in what we doing, being interest in others, seeking to be slightly but often out of your confort zone, just to name a few. Everything count.
Watching SciShow works!
a Scishow on "Life Support" and on different levels would be great. Different states of "vegetablism" could be different. I hope you read this one.
Kudos for citing your sources.
But it would be helpful if you guys included a word or two about which one is which.
my grandmother had a brain aneurysm, well technically 2 of them. 1 before I was born and the 2nd one was during hurricane Andrew in Louisiana it took 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, but my grandfather never stopped CPR. she made a full recovery....sorta, she eventually was able to do everything normal people can but her brain's wiring was messed up bad, but as she was recovering you could see how the brain was doing this and what path it choose. her speech was rewired through thought. and as she aged it started to get worse. say she is talking to you and says you need to go outside and wash the truck. well if she was thinking of something else but whatever it was started with t that word came out instead. sometimes if she's describing something she'd just stop talking because it couldn't come out she knew what she was trying to say but she said it just won't come out, she would get so angry too. but as she aged more of what she was thinking would come out instead of what she was talking about and she never noticed. also she lived to be 84 and still did everything for herself and could even drive until she was about 75 when she started having mild seizures.
We need more people like this guy.
I'm 28 and I have a pretty good vocabulary. But for years and years I've had a very strong mental block on the word *"proprietary."* So recently I sat myself down to work on remembering it. I looked up the etymology for the word and it comes from "property." I said it out loud for about a minute. "property, proprietary. property, proprietary."
The next day, I thought _'what was the word I couldn't remember? Has to do with... property....... property...proprietary!'_
The next day, my thought process was _'What was the word I couldn't remember? property. proprietary!'_
Next day, I couldn't believe it. _'What was the word I coul'_ -- "Proprietary!"
I said it out loud (without even meaning to) before I could finish my thought.
I think a longitudinal study should be done to see if frequent mind games like these or even something like Sudoku could keep your brain working longer because all they seem to belaying is that it doesn't increase brain function and it doesn't sound like any of the studies were done over a very long period of time
be saying*
Well i know while i was active in brain games I feel that i was affected by having a more positive attitude from all the "learning and training" I did. Placebo is amazing.
While I agree 100% with this video, it is possible to enhance cognitive performance if you learn and apply new strategies on tasks. For instance, memorization using visual imagery could improve your overall memory performance on daily life tasks. But that's not how most "brain training" games work.
Exactly. The problem is not on the principle, which shows to be valid from what we know about people who's transferred their abilities to other tasks (such as SC2 or chess pros) but on the principle on which these pseudo-braintraining games work, that's the unvalid part.
Ahah, I have to stop my lumosity program and focus on my nipple exercices and my brain will be healthier. Thank you SciShow
So essentially to get better at a certain task/skill, just do that certain task/skill. Sounds simple enough to me. Makes sense too. The brain still learns. It's just not in the form of a game - unless it is the game you want to get better at. ;)
So naturally after watching this i've playes several brain 'training' games
I FUCCCKEN KNEW IT !!!!, IN YOUR FACES, FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE .
My cognitive psychology prof showed us a graph that found cognitive training games to only be effective for people between 60 and 75 years of age in doing anything to boost cognition.
I am an awkward idiot forever... Excuse me while I find a noose ;_;
DID I JUST WASTE £30 BUY THE APP? FUCK!
but.. but... i "wanna keep getting smarter with" you guys.
Im supporting you enough by having ads on
Great video
I've had memory problems all my life, but one thing I've done to help is to use multiple senses to help out. For example, if I say something out loud, I will more likely and more easily remember it--this is how I've learned to put the toilet lid down quietly when I'm done so as not to wake anybody, and how I've learned to close my dresser drawer when I'm done with it so it's not a hazard. (However, this doesn't seem to work as well when I'm reading a textbook, mainly because textbooks sometimes drone on and on and, well, I quit.) I don't know if this type of thing would make a good experiment, but it would be something other individuals can try if they have trouble remembering stuff.
Here's my tip: read a book. Read many books! Read ALL the books! The more complex, the better! Hell, you might even learn something!
Do a video on the phonetic-number method
+Blk380 Had no idea something so useful existed, this is an amazing neural pathway to discover!
+Blk380 And the method of loci.
iVulgarThrust yea its pretty neat
Can you do a follow-up video about the effects of differrent foods on the brain?
For me, the best type of "brain training" is watching scishow ;)
Can you please do a video on whether it is true or not that our diet differ with blood group. Thank you
They should try those studies with more complex games like console or PC games. Touching a dot on a screen doesn't require a lot of thought.
"practise paying your bills doesn't sound like a fun game" as a 16 year old who has no idea how to pay bills YES IT DOES! TEACH ME!
You're 16 and have no idea? What??
Cool show I always learn a lot from this show
So stay healthy and focus on specific task that I won't to be able to be better at? That sounds good. Thanks :)
3:43
its not more education that helps prevent dementia
its simply more social interaction (and well most education focuses on that so u r somewhat right)
I'm surprised how this information doesn't seem more obvious to people. Doing a task over and over only makes you better at that task and more efficient at similar task. I guess when you really want to believe something intuition and common sense aren't recognized more
Where does one go for follow-up help to learn how to stimulate a specific area of the brain after brain surgery?
The transfer has been demonstrated in the Impact study (in 2009). Here you go guys: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4169294/
IMPACT was: Multisite randomized controlled double-blind trial with two treatment groups.
So we conclude that:
"The magnitude of the effect sizes suggests that the results are clinically significant."
Thanks for this video! I knew luminosity was to good to be true. And then they rip you off for some basic games a 4th grader could make. I hope this gets around so people know they are wasting their money on these programs.
I trained myself to draw using the right side of my brain. This has induced an effect that is very similar to the eidetic memory that most seek.
well, it also depends on how you play the game and which game you play, don't you think so? to give a dual example, playing monster hunter is a stressful task, there's a giant dragon without a health bar that tries his best (and i mean, it's really hard at the latest stages of the game) to kill you. which means you're going to get faster at reacting to their movements while you keep finding times to hit the monster until dies. what does this improves? reflexes are greatedly improved, who didn't hit a glass out of a table by accident? well, nowadays i have enough reflexes to grab the glass before falling more than 10 cms. and also playing this game with friends makes the "need" of having them alive (dying 3 times makes you lose), so when someone gets a brutal hit you usually heal them as fast as you can and then asks how, and why he/she was hit. well, what's with that? well, last week a guy that was driving while having a phone call hit a skater and even before the guy in the car get out of the car i've already phoned an ambulance. which -at least for me- this kind of game is useful for life, since it increases my speed to react and my skills to analyse and get the proper solution in complex or urgent situations.
nice
good video and good presenter
This particular brain exercising game “nonu amazing only” (Google it) amuses me significantly! They`re extremely challenging and I wish taking part in these games help improve my ability to remember and focus. I never thought that my whole family will engage in this game too and sometimes, we take part in the game altogether utilizing just one phone!
Nice vid - it's great you go deeper into the topic than most of youtubers do (or even some TED speakers). It's nice to learn something new.
Time to create "Time to Practice Paying Bills" game :D
This brain training game “nonu amazing only” (Google it) specifically regain concentration and memory, also mental advancement. First, this app is enjoyable! I was able to find out the challenging parts and find out where I`ve got an edge. I really appreciate utilizing this game to help myself progress and have some fun.
Nice jacket. Heater broken in the studio?
I play a lot of Pikmin 3 (Game based on strategising 100 workers while having a time limit). And I find myself running in my house and counting hours and chores to save time.
So, that's mean I'm condemned to be dumb all my life without any way to change that ? :(
Duh, okay then ._.
+Alex Werner (Callanan) stupidity is a relatively low measurement of common sense and learning ability. You can always improve your knowledge, and through that, your techniques and efficiency(speed) to teach yourself by witness. ...You can teach yourself to act smarter. nobody will know the difference ;3
*****
doing nothing is a choice and sometimes a valuable one. willful ignorance is not so stupid in a place where you have more to learn than you could ever gain in a lifetime
Feel better now? They're whipping your ass with inspiration.
+Alex Werner (Callanan)
You need to differentiate between intelligence and education. If you are not the most intellectually gifted, than it's roughly more or less going to stay that way for the rest of your life (training might help,but will not do wonders (and ignoring the fact that this ability declines with age in any individual)), but this doesn't mean that you'll be unable to at least acquire a decent education, as that's something that can be trained (although it might be harder for you to do so, than for someone a lot more intelligent). Or to make it short: if you are an imbecile, that's not going to change, but you can be a quite highly educated imbecile if you want to. So your IQ can't be changed a lot as an adult, but if it's low you can cover that be education to maintain self-esteem and face in public (actually, that's what a lot of people do).
+Frank Schneider If you get yourself into a very disposed learning mode, much like when you were a baby or infant, i'm pretty sure you can get far or catch up with the "intelligent". 10-30 IQ increase doesn't seem too far-fetched. Stimulate that brain..... Anyways, back to work!
I've also seen a study that shows that normal video games (the study used Portal 2) have the exact same effect as supposed brain training games... whatever effect that is.
I think these games have so much appeal, cuz they quick and easy way to feel good about our own brains. Real life isn't so easy. Learning a new language is hard, learning a musical instrument is hard, coding a mobile app is hard, building a shed is hard, cooking is hard. And yes, paying your bills and doing your own taxes can also be hard. Overcoming hard things makes you smarter, not memorizing patterns.
Surely one of the most delusional ideas behind improving your intellect is that people assume they will just naturally get better at things if their intelligence were to increase. The way you use your brain plays a huge role in what it is actually capable of doing. So few people actually just stop and think. The key to making yourself smarter is knowing how to use your brain, and that is surely something you can practice.
Its weird that they say because just games, problem solving games, have been linked to a lot of beneficial effects on the brain. So, I would imagine that they would also have some effects.
have you ever done a video about meditation? I think it would be very interesting, there are now several studies about the effects of meditation in the brain.
YES! THANK YOU!!
After their annoying ads I decided to give it a chance to Elevate and I paid the Pro version for the astronomical amount of 19 USD per year. And my conclusion was... the app is actually pretty cool.
Games are not going be make you Einstein but they’re pretty good to keep you active. The calculation games are really useful. What I find interesting is that most people hate brain games, and consider any type of development as a waste of time.
This mind exercising game “nonu amazing only” (Google it) amuses me significantly! My focus and memory could boost by taking part in these games since they`re very tricky. I never thought that my entire family will enjoy this game as well and in some cases, we take part in the game altogether using just one phone!
Not seeing hank made me shocked 😂 im so used to seeing hank all the time 😂 but glad to see someone else narrates too 😄😊
Thank you
This brain training game “nonu amazing only” (Google it) especially regain concentration and memory, also intellectual progress. First, this app is satisfying! I was able to uncover the challenging parts and find out where I have an advantage. I seriously appreciate making use of this game to help myself progress and have fun.
It sounds like we need to look into the placebo effect some more.
When Scishow asks a question in their title, you almost for sure know the answer is NO or Ehhhh not sure yet
SciShow is my brain training! :)
I think that the overall rule of thumb is: 1st studies don't mean anything until a cross study comes about.
How about Elevate? The app isn't really "games" but it's more of a type of practice with math and language... I'm terrible at math. However, I've been improving quite well - I get the answers much faster now. I usually get 2-4 answers wrong but now I can get it perfect or just 1 answer wrong. It translated into normal math, too, because that's all it is.
And now I go to delete all my brain training apps...
Well I noticed some people mentioned Lumosity in the comments and thinking about it made me do this question: what about the studies that DO show some increase in mental capacities after performing such brain games? Lumosity is one of them: at least the ads claimed it was empirically demonstrated that using it correctly improved the cognitive abilities of its users - and that when doing other tasks, not "the game themselves". Isn't that supposed to be a counter-evidence to what was claimed in the video?
Thank You!!!!!!!!!!
Hey what about, things like puzzles, chess and or but not limited to strategy games ??
You said Mario Kart and showed a xbox 360 controller. Your training me to realizes mistakes.
Now I have the scientific proof that there's nothing to be done, I can go on with my mediocre activities without actually feeling I could something better instead.
This brain training game “nonu amazing only” (Google it) is fantastic for people who would like to improve the efficiency of their human brain. I was training my brain through this game a lot lately and I find it extremely effective, specifically in recalling things.