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Brain Teaser: Going in Circles

Maybe you use the phrase “going in circles” to describe how you feel when you can’t find your keys or you’re juggling too many tasks at once. But this puzzle will have you going in circles to focus and sharpen your mind.

Word games like this can help you exercise the main parts of the brain that handle language and speech tasks. These areas are also commonly affected by dementia and help you to:

  • Articulate concepts
  • Process written and spoken language
  • Link words with ideas

But that’s not all: when you play word games like this one, you’re actually exercising your entire brain. That’s right: scientists have found that your brain essentially contains a giant “dictionary” with pockets of words that are stored in different areas. In fact, distinct parts of the brain “light up” depending on which word you’re thinking about or using at the moment.

Scientists have even been able to create an “atlas” that shows where different words are stored across the brain. So, while you’re working on this brain teaser, you never know which parts of your brain may get involved. (That depends on which words you find here.)

In this brain teaser, you’ll have to think about two different letters you’d insert into each circle to create two different eight-letter words. It’s challenging because you have to figure out whether the word goes clockwise or counterclockwise — it could be either way.

Did you try the “Going in Circles” word game? If so, please comment to share what words you came up with and how challenging (or easy) this game was for you. Extra points if you can find out where these two words are stored in the brain.

Do you find word games help to keep your brain sharp? If so, we’d love to know what other kinds of word games you play regularly.

Extra Mile:

View Comments (109)

  • I was looking through some of your blog posts on this site and I believe this website is rattling instructive! Retain posting.

  • I couldn't immediate get these and soon lost patience. But I love Sudoku and can spend hours working the puzzles. Does that make me a numbers person? Interesting!

  • I came up with magazine and campaign also. Only, for no apparent reason I started with the circle on the right first. Also, It seemed easier to find the one with the missing vowels. And, I got a little nauseated looking in right circles and switching to left going circles a couple of times on, the word magazine.

  • Don’t see how people got cinemas out of it, but oh well lol. I got magazine and campaign quickly. Just lucky I guess lol.

  • The words are Magazine & Campaign . The only problem is You don't tell us how to insert the correct letters and everything I tried failed. Some instructions would have been helpful
    Lila

  • I didn’t get the first word, but I did get campaign immediately. Thanks for the brain teaser!

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