Be better at math: Running causes neurogenesis in spatial reasoning region. | Hacker News Reader

Be better at math: Running causes neurogenesis in spatial reasoning region.

highiqpro.com

96 pointsjonmrodriguez25 comments

As mentioned below, BrainWorkshop(http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/) is an open source version of the software, and they offer usage statistics if anyone's interested: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoDHizcNs2tWdDd...

Sidenote 1: Turing was a world-class runner. Not data, just interesting.

Sidenote 2: This page appears to be as much a product advertisement as news/research.

Spatial reasoning is indeed correlated to mathematical talent, but from this study you cannot really conclude that running == better math. In any case, one more datum to the tons of evidence showing that exercise is good for you :-)

I see some combination involving running, a double-n-back program, a GPS receiver and goggles with a head up display yielding some iteractive think-while-you-run training regime.

Achievement unlocked: used the program for 100 hours without being run over by a car.

TIL people will fork out good money to play the n-back tasks we torture people with in the scanner.

Makes me wonder what other tasks could be monetised this way. I guess anything designed to generate cognitive load would be a candidate.

The researchers behind this have pretty solid backgrounds: http://www.highiqpro.com/high-iq-pro/high-iq-pro-expertise

Here's a study on improving fluid intellience from Jaeggi and Buschkuehl (two of the people on their team): http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2008/04/25/0801268105.full...

Does anyone here have any experience actually using this?

You can experiment yourself. There is an open source implementation of the tool, written in Python: http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/

At least it will definitely help you with short term memory and focus.

Is brain workshop open source alternative to High IQ Pro? Or are they unrelated?

http://www.gwern.net/DNB%20FAQ

For the skeptics, http://www.gwern.net/DNB%20FAQ#criticism

Just read your post - very detailed and informative, thanks so much for sharing.

I highly recommend "Moonwalking With Einstein" by Joshua Foer about his experiences training alongside memory championship competitors. Also, working memory tends to be domain-specific and there's little transfer as you mention, see K. Anders Ericsson: http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/ericsson/ericsson.exp.perf.ht...

Really enjoyed your post though, shooting you an email now...

I like their quotes at the bottom about the cognitive benefits of running.

One from a Nobel prize winning phsyicist... the other from Alanis Morissette.

You could say that it's ironic.

Ever think of running for office? You're quite the pun-dit.

;)

So it's not clear from the article if it's specifically running or any sort of spatial exercise like playing a sport or even swimming.

Running on a treadmill (i.e. exertion) or running out in the open (i.e. actively using spatial reasoning not to hit things)?

Rats for sure were running indoor.

The running mice clocked up an average of 15 miles (24km) a day!

I like the idea of this study but that's an awful lot of running. What if a human had to run a marathon every day to see this benefit?

Maybe someone will find that running in Call of Duty has the same effect.

See the companion article: http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2012/02/mismeasure-of...

The software claims to replicate the physiological effects of running. If a person combined a consistent exercise regime with this software training, will he/she turn into a genius?

This means I'm not going to get better at math, doesn't it?

Couldn't it just be because you have to do some spatial reasoning to navigate terrain at speed?

That is to say, where is the link to math?

If that were true, shouldn't we see even more dramatic boosts to Gf from playing FPS video games or something?

(Or it could be that this is consistent with the long line of research showing benefits to aerobic training...)

I would argue that it takes a lot more spatial reasoning to balance over uneven terrain by manipulating many-jointed arms and legs then to wasd your way around a map that's mostly smooth.

And yet, there's plenty of research showing spatial memory improvements through video games. Funny how that works out - high level navigational skills can be improved by deliberate practice and tasks of adaptive difficulty, whereas engaging in ordinary tasks honed by eons of evolution don't much affect it?

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