Memory Maze Challenge

Playing certain video games for hours can improve memory for details, ability to navigate space in video games, and can make certain parts of the brain bigger.

To test theories on how exploring digital worlds can change our brains in ways that improve our ability to navigate the real world.

The hippocampus.

To test memory in a real-world setting

To improve spatial memory and navigation

By relying on the angles and turns of the white walls at eye level

Michael successfully completed the sequence of items in reverse order

The hippocampus is involved in rapidly forming new arbitrary associations and helps us remember details.

The study showed that playing 3D video games improved test scores related to spatial memory, while the control groups did not see the same improvement.

Brain scans to observe changes in the structural side of the hippocampus, and navigating through a real-world space.

The object recognition memory test taps into the hippocampus by testing memory for details and slight changes. The virtual water maze tests spatial memory by requiring the participant to locate a hidden platform based on the shapes of the mountains.

Socrates was concerned that writing would create forgetfulness and make people rely on external written characters instead of their own memories.

Yes, Socrates' concern about writing proved to be true as written language did fundamentally change our brains.

One of the defining characteristics of being human is that the boundary of our body and mind extends beyond ourselves.

The subjects anthropomorphized the bugs and developed emotional attachment to them.

They described her as a little erratic, but calming down when picked up.

They described him as having a lot of energy and his behavior depending on who's holding him.

The subjects felt attached to the bugs and did not want to harm them.

To determine if recalling various details of the maze served him well

He continued to recall various details of the maze, which seemed to serve him well

To determine whether any physical changes had occurred

Michael's memory improved by ten points, which is equivalent to 20 years' worth of aging effects

Establish their individual baselines and compare any changes in their performance against the experimental group's performance.

The anthropomorphic effect refers to the emotional connection humans can feel towards robots. It can be increased by giving the robot movement, a name, and a personal backstory.

Talkspace allows adult users to text therapists for advice, providing anonymity, a stigma-free environment, simplicity, affordability, and the ability to send messages at any time.

The study found that giving robots movement, a name, and a personal backstory tends to increase the anthropomorphic effect, which can lead to an emotional connection with humans.

The purpose of having a control group in an experiment is to establish a baseline for comparison and determine the effects of the independent variable by comparing it to the control group.

Technology can affect the empathy and social circuits of our brains by influencing our comfort level in relating to machines rather than people. We may feel more comfortable talking to and sharing personal information with machines.

Talkspace is a mental healthcare startup that allows adult users to text therapists for advice. Users pay a weekly fee and can send messages at any time, providing anonymous, stigma-free, simple, affordable, and comfortable therapy.

Giving a robot movement, a name, and a personal backstory can increase its anthropomorphic effect by creating a sense of familiarity, relatability, and emotional connection with humans.