Buzz
10. More Connections, More Intelligence
9. Boosted Memory Skills
8. Rewired Mindset
Reason: Social Interaction Shapes Your Brain
Collaborating with others to solve problems isn’t unique to humans, but researchers suggest that we do it far more than any other species, which could be one reason our brains have evolved to be larger. This process is ongoing. A research team from Dublin Trinity College modeled the neural pathways of two individuals who had to decide whether to collaborate or tackle a problem alone. They discovered that cooperation prompted the brain to form new pathways as it considered the actions of the other person. This led to brain growth, accommodating a broader range of possible outcomes.
7. Optimistic Emotions
Reason: Positive Emotions Boost Your Creativity
In another study, physicians were shown positive imagery before diagnosing a case of liver disease. The doctors who viewed the images with a positive mindset arrived at their conclusions faster, demonstrated greater creativity in their reasoning, and were more effective at synthesizing the case information.
6. Adorable Animals
Reason: Adorable Animals Enhance Your Focus
The study divided students into different groups: one group played the game Operation, while another group was tasked with finding a particular number in a long sequence of digits. Some participants were shown images of baby animals, others saw adult animals, and the remaining group was shown pictures of food.
The findings: students who viewed pictures of kittens and puppies performed forty-four percent better than those who saw nothing at all. The groups that viewed images of food and adult animals showed no improvement in performance.
5. Writing Proficiency
4. Reading Comprehension
3. Analytical Thinking
But don’t stress—it could actually be great for your brain. Research suggests that playing video games—especially puzzle-based ones—helps you develop problem-solving skills by presenting situations that reward your brain for practicing critical thinking.
2. Crystallized Intelligence
Cultural intelligence, political intelligence, social intelligence—these don’t directly relate to how your brain functions mechanically. However, they combine to form a broader understanding of the world, known as crystallized intelligence. Humans are thought to have two kinds of intelligence: fluid and crystallized. Fluid refers to the ability to solve problems and reason logically, while crystallized is your knowledge base, including your vocabulary, awareness of history, and understanding of current events.
1. Enhanced Reasoning Skills
Reason: Debates Strengthen Your Logical Reasoning Abilities
One key concept in argumentation theory is that engaging in debate forces individuals to think in abstract terms, allowing them to construct a logical and persuasive dialogue. It's not merely about recalling the right words from memory—it's about shaping the context of those words to align with the structure of your argument.
While real-life arguments often devolve into petty exchanges like 'You're an idiot!' 'No, you are!' the opportunity to reflect on your argument in an online setting gives you the time to plan, strategize, and follow through. This process requires reasoning and critical thinking skills.
