Anyone who has ever begged their parents for a videogame system knows the standard lines of appeal (“You don't want me to have inferior hand-eye coordination, do you?”). Now kids can argue that some games may make them smarter. That's the promise of Nintendo's Brain Age, which claims to “help t百家樂賺錢，rain your memory and keep your mind sharp” through reading exercises, math puzzles, and other mental gymnastics. After diligent effort, p改善脂肪肝，layers routinely see their “brain age” plu妹妹et from, say, a sluggish 60 to a taut 30.
But the improved performance may not be a sign of wit-sharpening. Many users start with little gaming experience, so it's not surprising that their scores improve—a phenomenon known as the practice effect. Sadly, there's no evidence that in-game gains translate to the real world.