Blog Posts by Tracy Miller

brain powerMerl Reagle has words on the brain. The 62-year-old master crossword puzzle creator--who also starred in the 2006 crossword puzzle documentary Wordplay and had a cameo as himself on an episode of The Simpsons--is the type of person who likes to spout off anagrams in casual conversation.

"I've always found it funny that 'schoolmaster' anagrams into 'the classroom,' " he says. "And have you ever noticed that 'racecar' is the same in forwards and reverse?" He then informed us that there is only one other word that can be made from "Prevention" that uses all four vowels. (The answer, if you're curious, is "pioneer.")

Consider this, doing word games regularly has been shown to promote the kind of brain growth that strengthens memory and concentration, as well as helping keep dementia and Alzheimer's at bay.

"When we expose our brains to something that's new and difficult, the cortex reacts," says Paul Nussbaum, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist at the University of