The Neuroscience of Chess

What goes on inside the minds of some of the best chess players when thinking about what move to play next? Memory and numerical intelligence may play a key role, but studies suggest that brainwaves do not reveal an “a-ha” moment when solving puzzles. 

Rather, mastery of chess is a blend of intuition and relentless practice, something which science is not yet able to fully explain. 

This Harvard study created a breakthrough three-dimensional human brain cell model that successfully replicated two key features of Alzheimer's disease for the first time. Using specially modified human neural stem cells grown in a gel-like environment, they generated both amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles– the hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s. The study showed that blocking amyloid-beta production reduced both plaques and tangles, providing important validation for a leading theory about Alzheimer's development.