Simpleology Blog

Well-Trained Brain. Want to be as smart as Albert Einstein? You have a good shot at it if you tease your mind with brainy puzzlers for a few minutes each day.

Like most people, I've always thought that geniuses are born--not made. But guess what? That may not necessarily be the case.

In "Cross-Training Your Brain to Maintain Its Strength," Washington Post columnist Leslie Walker writes, "Brain fitness programs and games--such as Suduko, crosswords, and even selected electronic games--can improve your brain's speed and memory."

Worried that you won't have time for such a brainy exercise? Relax. As Walker reveals, you'll benefit more by doing these games a little bit every day. Experts recommend that you set aside at least 15 minutes each day to tickle your gray matter.

To start off this habit, try answering the puzzlers below. (No peeking at the answers, please!) These mind-empowering puzzlers are from Dr. Abbie F. Salny, former supervisory psychologist for Mensa in the US and co-author of The Mensa Think Smart Book.

Ready? Your 15 minutes start now...

1. Only one other word can be made from all the letters in the word "directions." Can you figure out what it is?

2. Stu made some snacks. To share the snacks with Sue and Shelley, he divided the snacks into three parts. Then he, Sue, and Shelly ate half of their snacks. Shelly proceeded to eat one fourth of what was left of her snacks. Sue ate three fourths of what she had left. Stu ate one eighth of his. Sue had two snacks left. How many snacks did Stu make in the first place?

3. Billy and Bob--twin brothers who are their parents' only children--went to visit their mother's only sister in law's only son's only daughter. What is her relationship to the twins?

How did you do in the quiz?

I'm afraid I didn't ace it. In fact, I barely got two right. I spent most of the 15 minutes wondering how on earth Stu could let Sue out-eat him. Go figure. Stories--even if they come as part of a Math problem--always get my attention. I guess this means my brain needs to go to boot camp.

Answers: (1) The word is "discretion." (2) The answer is 48. Sue had two left, which was one quarter, so she had eight. That was half of her original total of 16. Sixteen times three equals 48. (3) She is their cousin's daughter, so she is their second cousin.

Credits: Photo by Oren Jack Turner, Princeton, N.J., courtesy of the US Library of Congress.