

Dual N-Back Training for Intelligence - Jasber
http://www.soakyourhead.com/

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davidhollander
If anyone is looking for an open source python version that doesn't require
silverlight:

<http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/>

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bumbledraven
Dual N-back is also available for free online at <http://cognitivefun.net>
(under Tests -> Memory) along with other well-known psychological tasks,
including visual/auditory reaction time test, Eriksen flanker test, Stroop
test, various flavors of the digit span test, paced serial addition test, and
more.

~~~
bloch
Cognitivefun also has a multimodal n-back, where you can customize most
aspects of the test (sounds, images, speed run, double or triple n-back,
number of trials):

<http://cognitivefun.net/test/24>

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erikmork
Hi! I'm the author of soak your head. We worked with the researchers to follow
the scientific paper as closely as possible. Feel free to use the app (the
source is open and available on the site). In addition, we already have the
application in the Windows Phone 7 marketplace, and it's on its way to the iOS
app store.

~~~
toisanji
what is your contact info, I would like to contact you.

~~~
erikmork
<http://silverbaylabs.org/contact.html>

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notJim
Wow, I did this, and went through the following stages:

1\. What am I supposed to do?

2\. Oh okay. Wow, this is really hard.

3\. Focus focus focus tunnel vision mode

4\. Now I am really good at this.

5\. My brain is tired and I am no longer good at this at all.

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oakenshield
Here is a pretty nice (and informative) article based on the research behind
the Dual N-back game.

[http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=you-
can-i...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=you-can-increase-
your-intelligence-2011-03-07)

~~~
bloch
And a good faq: <http://www.gwern.net/N-back%20FAQ>

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emef
"In the study performed by Susanne M. Jaeggi et. al., study subjects practiced
the dual n-back test for about 20 minutes a day for up to 19 days. At the end
of that time, the subjects were shown to have increased intelligences (as
measured by gF)."

An improvement in intelligence that becomes apparent after only 19 days
_smells_ too good to be true. Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely someone that
practices IQ test problems will appear to be more intelligent the next time
they are evaluated. It seems like something like that might be what they're
seeing here, but I don't know enough about this training to say that.

~~~
ajkessler
The effects are test-independent. That was sort of the point of the study. You
will certainly get better at the dual-n-back game, but the gains apply
elsewhere, not just to game itself. It has much to do (they think) with the
interconnectedness of fluid intelligence and working memory.

I wrote about this fairly in depth here: <http://www.ajkesslerblog.com/how-to-
get-smarter/>

~~~
emef
Interesting, so the idea is that your short-term/working memory is indicative
of your fluid intelligence? Then increasing your working memory increases your
intelligence.

Seems reasonable enough.

~~~
ajkessler
It would definitely make sense (the more you can hold in memory at one time,
the faster you could learn stuff), but I don't think they've actually
concluded that's how it works. They are clearly related though.

Another hypothesis is that working memory and fluid intelligence both utilize
the same neural paths/network, so an increase in one benefits the other.

The study itself is linked in my article above if you're interested in reading
it. It's pretty interesting stuff.

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tocomment
Can anyone reccomend a good iPhone or android version?

~~~
ArcticCelt
Android : Brain N-Back

[https://market.android.com/details?id=phuc.entertainment.dua...](https://market.android.com/details?id=phuc.entertainment.dualnback&feature=search_result)
It's well done with good features and free (I am using it since couple of
weeks). I think it's a port of this open source project:
<http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/>

~~~
tocomment
Cool beans! Thanks for helping out.

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gfodor
I found it incredibly frustrating that for whatever reason the author decided
to have A for location and L for audio. Perhaps this is a bug?

~~~
oscardelben
It's the same as in other dual n back games

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Bdennyw
IQ boost for the iPhone is free and soon to be open sourced.
<http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iq-boost/id286574399?mt=8>

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adriano_f
Another one here, which I like because it remembers your 'N' and lets you
advance only when you're ready.

<http://www.brainboffin.com/>

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palguay
Wow , I am also working on a html version of this game. I have got a
reasonable version and hope to release it soon

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ballard
Even if the results are difficult to quantify, anything challenging has fun
value.

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tocomment
In the paper didthe difficulty increase automatically? How did that work?

~~~
gwern
It did increase automatically - the adaptiveness is a major part of the
novelty - and it worked basically promoting you when you scored high (like
>=80%) and likewise demoting you an N level. If you're curious, Brain Workshop
has a Jaeggi mode where it uses the same scoring and promotion criteria.

