# Does Luminosity.com work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250 "2013-09-19T19:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/1 "2013-09-19T19:13:51Z")
I keep seeing these adds on youtube and I was curious if there is any strong correlation between their exercises and improved mental abilities? Is there anything special about their exercises versus doing crosswords or sudoku puzzles? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/2 "2013-09-19T23:19:16Z")
It’s [Lumosity](http://www.lumosity.com/). ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/3 "2013-09-20T00:22:19Z")
My bad. Sounds like they need better branding. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/4 "2013-09-20T04:18:41Z")
> [@sweeteviljesus](#): > > I keep seeing these adds on youtube and I was curious if there is any strong correlation between their exercises and improved mental abilities? Is there anything special about their exercises versus doing crosswords or sudoku puzzles? > > Thanks, > Rob You don’t become attractive using lumosity. You become attractive using all the the beauty products and treatments , and learing the cultured accent, and having someone animate fancy ‘smart looking’ stuff around your head while you talk. Actually lumosity can have the opposite effect, as you can become addicted to computer games… as they distract you from the more complicated REAL WORLD… ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/5 "2013-09-20T09:01:16Z")
I believe there is a correlation between mental and physical activity and [lessening](http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=2195) the impact of dementia and alzheimers. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/6 "2013-09-20T11:02:11Z")
When I first saw their ads on TV months ago, I looked into the site because it seemed like a neat idea. I was completely turned off when I couldn’t find their prices anywhere. I just went back to look again and it looks like you need to make an account in order to see how much the service will cost you. I find that annoying, so I’m not likely to use the site. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/7 "2013-09-20T12:15:03Z")
I don’t have a cite, but I am pretty sure that I have read that research on these sorts of “brain games” has shown that they do no lasting good whatsoever. You temporarily get better at doing the sorts of puzzles you have been practicing, but that is really about it. It is basically quackery. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/8 "2013-09-20T12:29:02Z")
From MD-Health > [@](#): > > [Is Lumosity Effective?](http://www.md-health.com/Does-Lumosity-Work.html)There are several scientific studies that lead scientists to believe that the brain training activities at Lumosity do have an effect on the brain. A study at the University of Michigan found that adults that used brain training games for a regular amount of time saw an improvement in test scores for dual attention asks and memory games in multiple tests. A similar study at Brown University also saw adults exceeding expectations in brain performance after using brain training games to aid in their work. These programs were found to boost the working memory which helps users keep track of tasks they are currently performing. > > The thing to remember when analyzing these results is that they came from laboratory conditions. These adults used Lumosity games for hours every day for several months. Users that do not work on a similar schedule will not see these types of results. There is a great deal of evidence that supports the idea that brain training games can help grow and develop the mind, but not necessarily any evidence that Lumosity and the brain training games available here are more effective than other training games that are on the market elsewhere. In general, keeping the mind active and challenging your mind to learn more advanced tasks and ways of thinking are healthy and can help you perform tasks more effectively, and if Lumosity helps you accomplish this, then it can be seen as a positive asset. [BUT, there’s this great article: Why “Brain Training” doesn’t work (EDITED FOR CONCISION)](http://thestochasticman.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/why-brain-training-doesnt-work/): > [@](#): > > Lumosity have been mentioned a lot in connection with this report, as it is their very own Michael Scanlon who offered a rebuttal to their findings. “We would never say Lumosity is proven to improve day-to-day living, but there is more and more evidence it does. We have actually conducted our own clinical trials to measure effectiveness of the product”, he said using his own mouth. > > …Dig deeper and you will find this small internal study which appears to back up the companies’ claims that their games will makes you smarter. Except that it’s flawed to hell and back (which is presumably why it’s unpublished in any decent scientific journal). They took around 20 people and split them into two groups; one that performed simple visual and memory tests without playing their games (the so-called ‘control group’) and another which did whilst playing Lumosity games in between. So what went wrong? > > 1. Few participants. 2) Lack of a decent control. 3) Cooked results. So while the first site is of the opinion: “Meh, it couldn’t hurt, really.” The second site is “well, it hasn’t been proven in any scientific meaning and you could be just throwing money away”. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/9 "2013-09-20T17:12:23Z")
I _hate_ the constant commercials on the TV. Makes it not work for me. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/10 "2013-09-20T18:48:33Z")
[Here’s an article](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/technology/a-multitasking-video-game-makes-old-brains-act-younger.html) about a different game tested in research and found to be effective. (Not for sale yet.) ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-luminosity-com-work/669250/11 "2013-09-20T20:48:15Z")
There’s no doubt in my mind that the RIGHT games would definitely improve cognitive function in all _sorts_ of areas. I’m waiting to jump on the bandwagon until AFTER there’s some good evidence that Lumosity (or whoever else gets into this) has some games that clearly, definitely work. I definitely have high hopes for this field, though. I just don’t think it’s quite there, YET.