Does doing crossword puzzles really help form new neural connections?
956564
Anytime you learn anything new you form synaptic connections.  The brain changes as a result of experience and having more synaptic connections protects against Alzheimer's.  I listed a Web MD article that summarizes studies on the subject--including doing crossword puzzles.
189980
It's like each clue is a piece of the whole picture, only revealing part of the scenario.\nonce u clue in more n more, the picture takes shape and u can solve the mystery. Just like a Jigsaw puzzle.
481828
actually it is very possible. many parts of the brain are yet to be discovered. did you know that the way a single person thinks of an out come can directly affect the object or thing that he or she is thinking of. there has been many studies and all have come to our suprise as true the mind can extend out. its your subconsiousnes. the inner mind
974984
When they use them instead of their brains-ie copying word for word from them rather than finding info then putting it together to learn something- then NO!\nIf they are looking things up and absorbing all the knowledge they are finding then YES!\nSorry, no definitive answer.
340626
As frequently as possible. Your brain learns from repitition (not duration as much)
450185
Your brain isn't firing randomly. Its a heuristic system, just like evolution.
955995
Something is missing. Your brain maybe?
212259
the brain is capable of processing 400,000 bits of information a second,we process 2000 what does that tell you?consciously trying to solve two difficult problems at once is unlikely.Good Luck
127244
The brain doesn't store information on ordered cards like a library catalogue.  It has an area where the idea of the noun is encoded, with connections to things relating to that noun; an area where the idea of an adjective is encoded, with connections to the areas that relate to the ideas behind that adjective (such as regions in the visual cortex or auditory cortex etc. that relate to the sensory information that forms the basis of the adjective); and connections between the two areas that facilitates the use of a given adjective for a given noun, mediated by connections that control grammatcal structures in language.
460028
I suggest you just learn as much as you can. period. Do different types of puzzles and brain exercises. Learn languages. Meditate. Study martial arts. Take up a sport.
10093
Over everything else, our brains are pattern recoginition machines.  They are very, very good at filling in blanks -- even if they shouldn't.  The usefulness of this comes when coupled with our reasoning ability to figure out if things are important illusions, i.e. if the sabre-toothed tiger went around that side of the rock, he didn't just disappear, he's probably also coming out on the other side... but he can't see me right now either.
777281
Yes and no. When we are first born, the human brain is the biggest part of the body. We literally have personalities the second we get out of the womb. Technically, we only use about 5 percent of our total brain capacity, so we know where we are, but what is keeping us here is what is known as stimulus overload, where we have soaked so much up that we cant get any more. (That is why cramming for a test/ exam is bad for you) The other thing is that the blood cells can only transport so much O2 (oxygen), so if we could increase O2 absorption efficency, then we could open up more possibilities. Assuming of course we can overcome stimulus overload. And yes, for the first few years we are growing connections to neurons exponentially. But when we get to about 20, they stop growing and start going the other way. So if we can increase O2 absorption, maintain connections, and overcome stimulus overload, then we can start unlocking our mind. Further more, it has been postulated that the human mind can store about 200 terabytes of info! (1 terabyte equals one thousand gigabytes)
562413
That for me is a completely limiting prospect. And plus it is a completely generalized statement to say that only one part of the brain is responsible for a complex notion as creativity. However pop psychology likes to believe that emotions and creativity comes from the right hemisphere, but again with not enough support. I prefer the saying that the sum of all parts is not equal the whole, for the brain has a very complex physiology that not one part produces a separate effect but rather a group of parts at the same time.
732437
anything you do that causes your brain to be strategic is good for you especailly as people get older. whether its crossword puzzles or video games, your brain is connecting new neurons. this is said to help prevent or slow down the process of alzheimers disease.
696598
Actually, this is a misunderstood myth.\n\nIt sources from 2 misunderstandings.  First, we never use 100% of our brain at the same time (i.e. different activities stimulate different neurons at different times).  And, second, a good portion of our brain (perhaps 60-80%) are connections.  Think of it like an airport hub system, where the hubs allow people to connect to the more remote places where fewer people travel.\n\nAlso, just to back this up from a logic perspective, it really would make very little sense evolutionary wise that 90% of the brain would be wasted. And, in fact, through evolution, our brains have been getting larger, not smaller.\n\nFurthermore, when there are some people who are able to recover from serious brain injuries, it is more driven by new connections being formed, rather than new brain cells being created.\n\nHope that helps explain things.
90367
I have an older uncle who recently picked up Sudoku.  He says he thinks it has helped sharpen his mind.  He's about 60 years  old.
841987
Yes, this is very interesting. This was discovered at Cambridge University, it is because the human mind reads each word as a whole, instead of each individual letter. That is why we can still read it. Neat huh?