Buzz
While your peak physical performance might be a thing of the past, mental agility can improve with consistent practice. For those transitioning from strength to intellect, a variety of contests cater to sharpening and showcasing cognitive skills. Explore some of these events—and discover training tools available in the floss store.
1. THE MEMORIAD
Taking place every four years, much like the Olympics, the Memoriad is an international event focused on memory, mental math, and speed reading. Participants compete in challenges such as recalling the sequence of a shuffled deck of cards, summing rapidly displayed numbers, and identifying the correct weekday for any given date between 1600 and 2100. No calculators or smartphones are allowed. Winners in each category receive gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Add excitement to your memory practice with this distinctive Frank Lloyd Wright Designs Memory Game.
2. LOLLAPUZZOOLA
While it might be quieter than the Lollapalooza music festival, Lollapuzzoola is a summer crossword competition in New York City, ranking as the second-largest event of its kind in the U.S. Participants are divided into four categories (two skill-based, one for beginners, and one for teams), with scoring based on both speed and precision. Be cautious—each incorrect letter costs 10 points, so using a pencil might be wise.
Prepare for this challenge with Mytour's exclusive crossword puzzle book.
3. THE MOMATH MASTERS TOURNAMENT
This spring, the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City held the MoMath Masters Tournament. The evening featured a mix of cocktails and challenges across three categories: Gardner Greats (featuring problems from math writer Martin Gardner), Math Pulse, and Math Classics. Here’s one of the questions:
In Lewis Carroll’s tale, Alice finds herself in the Forest of Forgetfulness, unable to recall the day of the week. She encounters the Lion and the Unicorn. The Lion lies on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, while the Unicorn lies on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Both creatures tell the truth on other days. "Yesterday was one of my lying days," the Lion claims. "Yesterday was one of my lying days too," the Unicorn adds. Alice deduces the current day. What day is it?
If you can solve this, you’re sharper than I am. I’d love to hear more about those cocktails, though.
In Einstein's Riddle, philosopher and mathematician Jeremy Stangroom compiles a fascinating collection of historical riddles and paradoxes, presented in an engaging and visually stunning format—this book is a standout.
4. THE PUN-OFFS
Since 1977, Austin, Texas, has hosted the O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships annually (O. Henry, the famed short story author of "The Gift of the Magi," inspired the event). Contestants compete in two divisions: Punniest of Show, featuring 90 seconds of pre-written material, and Punslingers, a rapid-fire duel where the last punster standing wins. It’s no coincidence that pun and fun sound alike.
Hone your punning skills—and discover the history of wordplay and how the author clinched the Punslingers title in 1995—in The Pun Also Rises.
5. THE DECAMENTATHLON
Designed for the Mind Sports Olympiad, the Decamentathlon is a mental counterpart to the traditional decathlon, famously won by Bruce Jenner in 1976. While excelling here won’t land you on a Wheaties box or a reality show, it will prove your intellectual prowess. This four-hour challenge comprises 10 disciplines: Backgammon, Chess, creative thinking, Checkers/Draughts, Go, intelligence, Mastermind, memory, mental calculations, and Othello (Reversi). Dedicated participants can also tackle the Pentamind, a shorter version with rotating categories.
To excel in this competition, your cognitive abilities need sharpening—try practicing with the Whole Brain Game.
6. THE USA MEMORY CHAMPIONSHIP
Established in 1997 by a businessman aiming to demonstrate that mental strength improves with age, the USA Memory Championship attracts participants who proudly call themselves “Mental Athletes.” The events challenge competitors to memorize names and faces, the order of a shuffled deck of cards, an unpublished poem, and a list of 200 words. Let’s hope the organizers stock plenty of Gatorade for these brainpower battles.
Journalist Joshua Foer dedicated a year to memory training while researching his book, Moonwalking With Einstein, and preparing for this championship.
7. THE WORLD PUZZLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
This global event spans three days, featuring both team and individual puzzle challenges. Participants tackle a 13-part puzzle booklet over the first two days, with the top performers advancing to individual playoffs on the final day. Organized by the World Puzzle Federation, the event also oversees the World Sudoku Championships.
Sharpen your puzzle-solving abilities with Mytour's Book of Logic Puzzles.
8. THE MENTAL CALCULATION WORLD CUP
Biennially, math enthusiasts convene to showcase their prowess in solving problems rooted in fundamental arithmetic. The 2012 event in Germany saw Naofumi Ogasawara from Japan set a world record by summing 10 sets of 10-digit numbers in just 3 minutes and 11 seconds. Truly the Usain Bolt of mathematics.
Prepare for this challenge by refining your mental arithmetic with Secrets of Mental Math.
9. THE NATIONAL ADULT SPELLING BEE
As the Scripps National Spelling Bee cements its status as America’s premier mental sport, adults are joining the fray: The National Adult Spelling Bee has been a staple in Long Beach, Calif., since 2006. After four years of participation, an Alabama French professor clinched the 2013 title by correctly spelling “quincunx.” The runner-up stumbled on “tourbillion” in the 26th round.
Hmmm, not sure how to assist with this one—perhaps reading more is the key. Consider diving into Mytour: The Book—Only The Greatest Lists In The History of Listory.
10. PUZZLEHUNTS
This scavenger hunt for puzzle enthusiasts requires teams to locate hidden puzzles and solve them, with each solution often leading to the next challenge. Popular among tech-savvy groups, Puzzlehunts are annual events at places like MIT, which this year hosted its longest hunt yet—73 hours and over 150 puzzles! Puzzles range from anagrams to cryptograms and beyond, with some even designed to have no solution, though organizers assure this is rare. It’s all about keeping participants on their toes.
Kickstart your cognitive training with this IQ Test Kit. Use the practice questions to prepare, complete the test, and mail your answers in the provided postage-paid envelope. Receive your personalized certificate and results within 28 days!
Main image provided by Flickr user TrishaLyn.
