Tetris can block cravings, new study reveals

[Panich52]

Tetris can block cravings, new study reveals

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150813101535.htm

Playing Tetris on a smarthphone for as little as three minutes can weaken cravings for drugs, food and activities by as much as one-fifth, new research shows. In the first test of its kind to study people in natural settings outside of a laboratory, participants were monitored for levels of craving and prompted to play the block-shifting puzzle game at random intervals during the day.

[Xipe Totec]

1. Someday we will bypass all of these crude secondary delivery methods and stick a wire in our brains

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

3. Spider Robinson wrote a very good story about that, "God Is An Iron". He called it "wireheading".

The title comes from a bit in the story:

"God is an iron," I said. "Did you know that?"

I turned to look at her and she was staring. She laughed experimentally, stopped when I failed to join in. "And I'm a pair of pants with a hole scorched through the ass?"

"If a person who indulges in gluttony is a glutton, and a person who commits a felony is a felon, then God is an iron. Or else He's the dumbest designer that ever lived."

[Xipe Totec]

6. Larry Niven Also

In Larry Niven's Known Space stories, a wirehead is someone who has been fitted with an electronic brain implant (called a "droud" in the stories) to stimulate the pleasure centres of their brain. In the Known Space universe, wireheading is the most addictive habit known (Louis Wu is the only given example of a recovered addict), and wireheads usually die from neglecting themselves in favour of the ceaseless pleasure. Wireheading is so powerful and easy that it becomes an evolutionary pressure, selecting against that portion of Known Space humanity without self-control.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirehead_(science_fiction)

[snagglepuss]

14. sounds interesting. will put Larry Niven on my must read list.

[awoke_in_2003]

11. I hope I am dead before that day. nt

[Xipe Totec]

12. Don't worry; if not before then soon after. nt

[Xipe Totec]

16. Just saw a story and remembered this thread: The Orgasmatron - Strange Tale of a Pleasure Implant

This month, news outlets worldwide issued breathless reports of a wondrous implant that causes orgasms at the touch of a button. The Orgasmatron, patented by Dr Stuart Meloy, is a small box wired to the spine that can send out waves of pleasure signals whenever the user desires. Dig a little deeper though, and it turns out this technology has a strange and fascinating backstory.



http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140321-orgasms-at-the-push-of-a-button

[jonno99]

2. Wow - that explains everything - I love Tetris!

Now - what can I use to curb my cravings for Tetris?

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

4. Drugs, perhaps? n/t

[TlalocW]

5. Candy Crush?

TlalocW

[progressoid]

7. I'm going to have ask you to go ahead and come back in a couple minutes....

[jonno99]

8. Chuckles - I run mine using DosBox...nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. what if u play Tetris on a puter/laptop/tablet instead of a smart phon?

or play Bubble Shooter or any other similar game?


ooops...gotta go...just got a craving to play Cubis.

[MisterP]

10. not if you read the translated words to Korobeiniki *blush*

[Helen Borg]

13. Unfortunately, it's another hyped study.

First, anything that distracts you from your cravings is likely to do the same.
Second, these same authors have conducted a bunch of other studies with Tetris, often finding no effects. Of course, you won't see these studies published.
Third, it is likely that one will see a craving rebound effect. Lower craving levels while you play Tetris, followed by enhanced craving levels after that.
Fourth, would playing Tetris help with a Tetris addiction?

[PJMcK]

15. Video games give me the munchies (n/m)