Can't solve a riddle? The answer might lie in knowing what doesn't work
Ever get stuck trying to solve a puzzle?
You look for a pattern, or a rule, and you just can't spot it. So you back up and start over.
That's your brain recognizing that your current strategy isn't working, and that you need a new way to solve the problem, according to new research from the University of Washington. With the help of about 200 puzzle-takers, a computer model and functional MRI (fMRI) images, researchers have learned more about the processes of reasoning and decision-making, pinpointing the brain pathway that springs into action when problem-solving goes south.
"There are two fundamental ways your brain can steer you through life -- toward things that are good, or away from things that aren't working out," said END
You look for a pattern, or a rule, and you just can't spot it. So you back up and start over.
That's your brain recognizing that your current strategy isn't working, and that you need a new way to solve the problem, according to new research from the University of Washington. With the help of about 200 puzzle-takers, a computer model and functional MRI (fMRI) images, researchers have learned more about the processes of reasoning and decision-making, pinpointing the brain pathway that springs into action when problem-solving goes south.
"There are two fundamental ways your brain can steer you through life -- toward things that are good, or away from things that aren't working out," said END