This Puzzle-Solving Moment Can 'Almost Double' Your Memory

Person solving Rubik's cubeA 2023 Australian paper found that puzzles like crosswords, cards, and chess may decrease dementia risk among those over 70. And though remembering the rules of a once-familiar game might be tough for those suffering cognitive decline, a 2013 French study suggests that playing board games is linked to better cognitive ability among dementia patients.Now, a new study published in the journal Nature Communications has linked the insight that solving puzzles can create to another “powerful” memory effect.Researchers from Duke, Humboldt, and Hamburg Universities found that the “aha!” moment might carry unique benefits.“Eureka” moments might be uniquely memorableThe scientists asked participants to solve puzzles called Mooney images while their brains were being monitored by an MRI system. These show black-and-white images of everyday scenes that your brain can take a little while to reconfigure into an understandable mental picture. They wanted to know whether the way in which people came to find a solution to their puzzles affected how well they remembered the answer.Participants were asked whether they gradually worked their way up the the satisfying moment, too, or if it came to them in a flash. Those who had a sudden “aha!” moment remembered the answer far better than those who got there more slowly, even five days later. “During these moments of insight, the brain reorganises how it sees the image,” the study’s first author, Maxi Becker, said in a statement. “The different regions communicate with each other more efficiently.” Meanwhile, in the same statement, the study’s co-author, Roberto Cabeza, a professor of psychology and neuroscience, said: “If you have an ‘aha!’ moment while learning something, it almost doubles your memory.“There are few memory effects that are as powerful as this.” Does this mean solving puzzles will improve my memory long-term?This (small) study didn’t seek to prove that.It just showed that of all the insights you can achieve when solving puzzles, sudden flashes of realisation seemed to stick with us the longest. Still, Becker told IFLScience, “The effect of insight on memory is striking and has meaningful implications for how we understand and support human learning.“This points to the value of learning experiences that promote insight – such as encouraging students to generate solutions, grapple with ambiguity, or engage in ways that spark ‘aha’ moments. Such approaches may not only improve retention but also foster deeper, more conceptual understanding.” As this study suggests, when the penny drops, your memory may rise.Related...More Menopause Symptoms May Predict This 1 Change To Your Memory Later In LifeExercising Exactly This Many Minutes A Day May Improve Your MemoryWhat Makes A 'Core Memory'?

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