A pen and a piece of paper. That’s what a British study has concluded, saying that the $40 Nintendo DS game is no better at keeping your brain “in shape” than doing a crossword puzzle, playing Sudoku or watching a documentary. (I recommend The Ascent of Money—it saves you from having to read the piece-of-junk book.) Now your children can’t pull this ol’ “but it’s educational!” gag on you, parents.

The crux: Brain Age (and its ilk) claim to improve blood flow to the brain, thereby improving “practical intelligence.” I don’t know, with more oxygenated blood sloshing about up there you’re in a better position.

The study says that Brain Age doesn’t, as Nintendo’s ads claim, rejuvenate grey cells. So there.

In other words, Brain Age is no more effective in preventing your brain from becoming mush than playing hangman with your neighbor on the prairie.

Photo: Flickr