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Brain Workout

Challenging puzzles to sharpen your mind, improve your memory, and keep your brain fit.

Cognition
Analogical Reasoning Puzzles

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on June 3, 2023

"Smiles is to happiness as tears are to sadness" reveals our analogical thinking process. Exploring analogy puzzles demonstrates the unfolding of analogies.

"Smiles is to happiness as tears are to sadness" reveals our analogical thinking process. Exploring analogy puzzles demonstrates the unfolding of analogies.

Cognition
Box Puzzles and Logical Consistency

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on March 10, 2023

Logical consistency, an important notion for promoting critical (logical) thinking, can be exemplified by a particular type of puzzle.

Logical consistency, an important notion for promoting critical (logical) thinking, can be exemplified by a particular type of puzzle.

Laughter
Mystery Word Riddles

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on September 5, 2022

Is life problematic? As the ancients knew, relief from life's problems can come about by solving riddles and mysteries. The puzzles presented here might help.

Is life problematic? As the ancients knew, relief from life's problems can come about by solving riddles and mysteries. The puzzles presented here might help.

Play
Minimal Pair Puzzles and Word Meaning

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on June 7, 2022

Have you ever considered how we differentiate words as meaning-bearing entities? Minimal pair puzzles reveal how we do so, according to a fundamental principle of linguistics.

Have you ever considered how we differentiate words as meaning-bearing entities? Minimal pair puzzles reveal how we do so, according to a fundamental principle of linguistics.

Deception
Why Puzzles Become Popular

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on March 8, 2022

Wordle is just the latest puzzle craze, made possible by the internet. But puzzle crazes have always surfaced, especially in times of distress, as a means of escapism.

Wordle is just the latest puzzle craze, made possible by the internet. But puzzle crazes have always surfaced, especially in times of distress, as a means of escapism.

Play
Wordplay and the Mind: 10 Illustrative Puzzles

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on January 6, 2022

We rarely realize what word puzzles imply psychologically. These 10 puzzles will illustrate the link between words and the mind in a ludic way.

We rarely realize what word puzzles imply psychologically. These 10 puzzles will illustrate the link between words and the mind in a ludic way.

Psychology
What Is the Eureka Effect?

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on January 20, 2021

The sudden insight we get when solving a puzzle is called the Eureka effect. These puzzles will help you experience it directly.

The sudden insight we get when solving a puzzle is called the Eureka effect. These puzzles will help you experience it directly.

Deception
What Is a Logical Paradox?

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on October 27, 2020

Paradoxes are fascinating logical conundrums, different from typical problems and puzzles because they have no concrete solution. They challenge linear-logical thinking.

Paradoxes are fascinating logical conundrums, different from typical problems and puzzles because they have no concrete solution. They challenge linear-logical thinking.

Deception
What Is a Logic Puzzle?

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on September 6, 2020

Logic helps us understand things in particular ways. But what is logic? Solving logic puzzles is one way to examine this mental faculty.

Logic helps us understand things in particular ways. But what is logic? Solving logic puzzles is one way to examine this mental faculty.

Cognition
Sideways Logic

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on March 3, 2020

Thinking in an unorthodox fashion helps broaden the mind. Lateral thinking puzzles are designed to achieve this.

Thinking in an unorthodox fashion helps broaden the mind. Lateral thinking puzzles are designed to achieve this.

Cognition
Who's the Tallest?

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on December 10, 2019

Figuring out how things or people can be organized in a given way is an exercise in visual thinking. These 10 puzzles will allow you to engage in this kind of thinking.

Figuring out how things or people can be organized in a given way is an exercise in visual thinking. These 10 puzzles will allow you to engage in this kind of thinking.

Deception
Gotcha Puzzles

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on September 24, 2019

Puzzle that intentionally tend to deceives us will sharpen our ability to see through deception. These ten puzzles, called gotcha puzzles, show how this might unfold.

Puzzle that intentionally tend to deceives us will sharpen our ability to see through deception. These ten puzzles, called gotcha puzzles, show how this might unfold.

Cognition
The Challenge of Knights and Knaves Puzzles

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on July 7, 2019

Puzzles in logical thinking are true head-scratchers. A classic in this area is the Knights and Knaves puzzle, which will challenge everyone's logical skills.

Puzzles in logical thinking are true head-scratchers. A classic in this area is the Knights and Knaves puzzle, which will challenge everyone's logical skills.

Alcoholism
The Puzzle Wizardry of Sam Loyd

Marcel Danesi Ph.D. on April 2, 2019

Some of the most challenging puzzles ever devised were those of the American engineer Sam Loyd. Five of his puzzles are provided to exemplify his puzzle wizardry.

Some of the most challenging puzzles ever devised were those of the American engineer Sam Loyd. Five of his puzzles are provided to exemplify his puzzle wizardry.