Thursday, September 27, 2012

Mindful Problem Solving


 The Playful Brain: The Surprising Science of How Puzzles Improve Your Mind

I am reading a fascinating book, The Playful Brain  that explains the surprising science of how puzzles improve your mind.  It was written by Richard Restak, M.D. and Scott Kim.


This is your brain on puzzles.
Everyone knows that puzzles can improve your brain function. Now a leading neurosurgeon and a noted puzzle designer team up to reveal the fascinating science behind it. Packed with illuminating insights and dozens of puzzles, this is both a lively book of popular science and an engaging set of exercises in developing a wide array of thinking and memory skills.





 Over the next week, I will be posting fun puzzles to try to solve.  Tomorrow will have the answers to these puzzles.


1.  This puzzle exercises your ability to think about numbers and arithmetic

Put the digits 0-9 in the ten square boxes to make a correct sum.  Three numbers have already been placed for you.

                                   ____   8         9

                    +            ____   4      ____
                        _________________
      
                        ____ ____ ____ ____

Arrange the other numbers; 1,5,6,0,2,7 and 3 on the other 7 lines to make a correct sum.


2.  PigPen

This puzzle challenges you to arrange objects in space according to rules.

Draw 3 straight lines to separate the seven pigs (x's)   into seven separate pens.


                                                                               XXX
              
                                   XXX
                                                                                                XXX


                                                                        XXX
                               XXX

                                                                                                 XXX
                                                                    XXX



3.  This puzzle exercises your ability to think about numbers and arithmetic.

Jack just rolled three dice.  When you multiply7 the three top numbers together, you get a result that is twice as large as when you add the three numbers together.  What three numbers did Jack roll?  There is more than one  correct answer.

                                                   stock photo : Gambling dices isolated on white backgroundstock photo : One horizontal blue foot print against a white background
 HAVE FUN!




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