Does Cubing Help Your Brain?

Johnny said:
Cubing does not help your brain. It is a completely useless activity. Then again, so are most other hobbies.
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I also disagree with your statement because my split second reaction times are much faster now. However, I think that that's about it...
 
Cubing does help the brain for sure. I have a interesting brain disorder called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC), basically I'm missing a piece of my brain; the center piece that connect both the left and right hemisphere. However there are 2 types of it, partial is missing parts of it (P-ACC), complete is missing all of it (C-ACC). I have (C-ACC). The doctors would think that those with C-ACC would have more issues, its reversed, P-ACC has more issues. The 1989 movie "Rain Man" is all about my disorder, however they say it's Autism. They say this because of lack of knowledge to the public's current knowledge of it back then. The movie also played Hollywood in it. The movie is inspired by someone I've met and he is incapable of doing math. The movie had him do math and he really can't. For me however I can solve a Rubik's Cube in an average of 35 seconds and I have a passion for math. I feel that I can improve my speed but I also feel that my disorder is setting me slightly back (no big deal as I'm happy). There is a big spectrum of what people can and can't do whom have my disorder. Also this disorder effects me in many ways such as: delayed reaction time, low muscle tone, learning disabilities, social delay, and more. With cubing, I've improved in many ways with the help of cubing. 6 years ago before cubing I was struggling in school, I could not study well, I did not care as much. I also had a 2.82 GPA with getting a modified diploma and I needed to pass required tests to graduate with a standard diploma. I managed it after I picked up the cubing hobby and successfully graduated with a 3.20 GPA and a standard diploma. I am going to be featured in a Rubk's Cube documentary called "Behind the Cube," my segement is all about the brain and my disorder. If you were at USA Nationals 2014 and saw a film crew, that was them. I was interviewed then and they are wanting to film more of me. There is still a small chance, about 10% that thay may cut me out of the film, yeat they like my life's story.
 
It may not have increased my brain power, but it definitely increased my will to learn. Recently I started getting that awesome feeling you get when you solve a cube-- get this-- while doing math! The whole cognitive stimulation thing, I guess. I just got a lot more into math and the whole learning process. It also improved my critical thinking skills.
 
Sam Richard said:
Cubing does help the brain for sure. I have a interesting brain disorder called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC), basically I'm missing a piece of my brain; the center piece that connect both the left and right hemisphere. However there are 2 types of it, partial is missing parts of it (P-ACC), complete is missing all of it (C-ACC). I have (C-ACC). The doctors would think that those with C-ACC would have more issues, its reversed, P-ACC has more issues. The 1989 movie "Rain Man" is all about my disorder, however they say it's Autism. They say this because of lack of knowledge to the public's current knowledge of it back then. The movie also played Hollywood in it. The movie is inspired by someone I've met and he is incapable of doing math. The movie had him do math and he really can't. For me however I can solve a Rubik's Cube in an average of 35 seconds and I have a passion for math. I feel that I can improve my speed but I also feel that my disorder is setting me slightly back (no big deal as I'm happy). There is a big spectrum of what people can and can't do whom have my disorder. Also this disorder effects me in many ways such as: delayed reaction time, low muscle tone, learning disabilities, social delay, and more. With cubing, I've improved in many ways with the help of cubing. 6 years ago before cubing I was struggling in school, I could not study well, I did not care as much. I also had a 2.82 GPA with getting a modified diploma and I needed to pass required tests to graduate with a standard diploma. I managed it after I picked up the cubing hobby and successfully graduated with a 3.20 GPA and a standard diploma. I am going to be featured in a Rubk's Cube documentary called "Behind the Cube," my segement is all about the brain and my disorder. If you were at USA Nationals 2014 and saw a film crew, that was them. I was interviewed then and they are wanting to film more of me. There is still a small chance, about 10% that thay may cut me out of the film, yeat they like my life's story.
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Good for you man! Good luck with it all!

ps, Rain Man's an awesome film!
 
Cubing has helped my brain at all, as far as I can tell. I've been cubing for a few years, and I'm at 15 sec avg. I haven't even finished my OLLs.
It hasn't made me smarter, I can't solve problems easier, I can'e do math better.

To me, cubing is second nature, I can solve algorithms without thinking, because it is muscle memory now.

But, now that I think about it, it has made it easier to memorize things. When I started cubing, it would take me like a whole day to memorize an algorithm and put it into muscle memory.
Now, I've gotten to the point where I can look at an algorithm, do it a few times, and boom, it's in my muscle memory. I don't know how that helps out my brain or everyday activities, but there is one example of how it's actually changed me, that I never thought about.
 
ElectricDoodie said:
But, now that I think about it, it has made it easier to memorize things. When I started cubing, it would take me like a whole day to memorize an algorithm and put it into muscle memory.
Now, I've gotten to the point where I can look at an algorithm, do it a few times, and boom, it's in my muscle memory. I don't know how that helps out my brain or everyday activities, but there is one example of how it's actually changed me, that I never thought about.
Click to expand...
I noticed the same thing, when I first picked up the cube I struggled 1,5 day learning 5 algortihm to solve the cube. Now depending on wether I find it flowing or not, I sometimes just have to repeat them 10 times. (When I'm in the mood of learning them only)
 
It would be interesting to me if they gave MRI's (or whatever is most relevent), to some top speedcubers and then compared it to non-cubers to see if there is a difference. Especially when they are seeing cubes, or cubes with impossible patterns on them etc.
 
I think cubing can help you see problems in different ways. It doesn't make you necessarily more intelligent but I feel like it definitely helps visualizing certain projects and puzzles better than those who don't cube. At least for me anyway.
 
Sam Richard said:
Cubing does help the brain for sure. I have a interesting brain disorder called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC), basically I'm missing a piece of my brain; the center piece that connect both the left and right hemisphere. However there are 2 types of it, partial is missing parts of it (P-ACC), complete is missing all of it (C-ACC). I have (C-ACC). The doctors would think that those with C-ACC would have more issues, its reversed, P-ACC has more issues. The 1989 movie "Rain Man" is all about my disorder, however they say it's Autism. They say this because of lack of knowledge to the public's current knowledge of it back then. The movie also played Hollywood in it. The movie is inspired by someone I've met and he is incapable of doing math. The movie had him do math and he really can't. For me however I can solve a Rubik's Cube in an average of 35 seconds and I have a passion for math. I feel that I can improve my speed but I also feel that my disorder is setting me slightly back (no big deal as I'm happy). There is a big spectrum of what people can and can't do whom have my disorder. Also this disorder effects me in many ways such as: delayed reaction time, low muscle tone, learning disabilities, social delay, and more. With cubing, I've improved in many ways with the help of cubing. 6 years ago before cubing I was struggling in school, I could not study well, I did not care as much. I also had a 2.82 GPA with getting a modified diploma and I needed to pass required tests to graduate with a standard diploma. I managed it after I picked up the cubing hobby and successfully graduated with a 3.20 GPA and a standard diploma. I am going to be featured in a Rubk's Cube documentary called "Behind the Cube," my segement is all about the brain and my disorder. If you were at USA Nationals 2014 and saw a film crew, that was them. I was interviewed then and they are wanting to film more of me. There is still a small chance, about 10% that thay may cut me out of the film, yeat they like my life's story.
Click to expand...
That is truly inspiring dude! Keep up the good work! Also, if they do make the film, could you make a thread about it because I would definitely be interested in seeing it.
 
I think that there are three main ways cubing helps your brain:

1. Muscle memory - being a pianist having good muscle memory is extremely important to me, and cubing improves my muscle memory even further because of how I need to learn so many algorithms and store them in my brain.

2. Reflexes - simple enough to understand. You need to be able to maintain a good look-a-head throughout your solve which means you depend on your reflex skills very much. (Also, it will prepare your reflexes for the time your friend attempts to kill you by tossing a knife at you.)

3. Spatial thinking - during a solve, especially during the planning of the cross, you depend on spatial skills to sort stuff out in a methodical way.

I don't really think cubing helps too much with intelligence, problem solving, or creativity, but cubing definitely helps your brain in the three ways stated above. But that's just my opinion and someone will prove me wrong sooner or later.

Rainbow Flash
 
Last edited:
Sam Richard said:
Cubing does help the brain for sure. I have a interesting brain disorder called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC), basically I'm missing a piece of my brain; the center piece that connect both the left and right hemisphere. However there are 2 types of it, partial is missing parts of it (P-ACC), complete is missing all of it (C-ACC). I have (C-ACC). The doctors would think that those with C-ACC would have more issues, its reversed, P-ACC has more issues. The 1989 movie "Rain Man" is all about my disorder, however they say it's Autism. They say this because of lack of knowledge to the public's current knowledge of it back then. The movie also played Hollywood in it. The movie is inspired by someone I've met and he is incapable of doing math. The movie had him do math and he really can't. For me however I can solve a Rubik's Cube in an average of 35 seconds and I have a passion for math. I feel that I can improve my speed but I also feel that my disorder is setting me slightly back (no big deal as I'm happy). There is a big spectrum of what people can and can't do whom have my disorder. Also this disorder effects me in many ways such as: delayed reaction time, low muscle tone, learning disabilities, social delay, and more. With cubing, I've improved in many ways with the help of cubing. 6 years ago before cubing I was struggling in school, I could not study well, I did not care as much. I also had a 2.82 GPA with getting a modified diploma and I needed to pass required tests to graduate with a standard diploma. I managed it after I picked up the cubing hobby and successfully graduated with a 3.20 GPA and a standard diploma. I am going to be featured in a Rubk's Cube documentary called "Behind the Cube," my segement is all about the brain and my disorder. If you were at USA Nationals 2014 and saw a film crew, that was them. I was interviewed then and they are wanting to film more of me. There is still a small chance, about 10% that thay may cut me out of the film, yeat they like my life's story.
Click to expand...

This is really interesting to read - I too am guilty of believing that Kim Peek was just severely autistic and being unaware of his ACC (despite having researched him as part of my course). I hope they include you in the film! I'd love to hear your story on screen :)
 
people cannot generally work out how to solve a rubiks cube but as soon as they learn how to do it they soon find faster ways of doing a particular part without help, so therefore knowing how the cube works helps your ability to work on other puzzles, i can also memorize things easier, it took me 2 months when i got taught how to solve the rubiks cube, i have recently learned the simplest version of the frudrich method (youcandothcube.com) with a few PLL algorithims in 1 week, my times have gone down from 45 seconds to 40 seconds on average
 
confusedcuber said:
It would be interesting to me if they gave MRI's (or whatever is most relevent), to some top speedcubers and then compared it to non-cubers to see if there is a difference. Especially when they are seeing cubes, or cubes with impossible patterns on them etc.
Click to expand...

With my disorder as stated above, I might do that someday. As I get tested for the researchers to see my improvement and or standard abilities they have me in an MRI and give me varities of tests. I was to slow at solving a Rubik's Cube last time I was in the MRI machine. Now I'm fast enough at a 30 second average, I'll be able to do it. What I need to do it is a cube with no metal, that includes the small washers, screws and springs.
 
Sam Richard said:
With my disorder as stated above, I might do that someday. As I get tested for the researchers to see my improvement and or standard abilities they have me in an MRI and give me varities of tests. I was to slow at solving a Rubik's Cube last time I was in the MRI machine. Now I'm fast enough at a 30 second average, I'll be able to do it. What I need to do it is a cube with no metal, that includes the small washers, screws and springs.
Click to expand...

Is the Gans III free of metal perhaps? Otherwise I'm not sure I've heard of one.
 
Cubing has helped me learn how to focus on something before I initiate it. Other than that I can honestly say cubing has done nothing for me intellectually other than become an addiction :P
 
Disclaimer: I haven't read the thread.

A psych major I know told me that "brain training" like cubing will help you get better at cubing, but not other brain activities. My personal experience seems to confirm this.
 
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