Whatever the case, those cases are distinct from Alzheimer's
Does chess prevent alzheimer's disease?
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Very interesting topic! I don`t know WHY but this theme discusse in America often. I am biologist-microbiologist of soil and I think that main reason of this disease is change of normal microflora of organisms. Microorganisms create toxic substenses which destroy our brain!We have different point on this problem but this is not contrary " Common laws / principle of Ecology" principle of "recurrent explanation". This is very good!
Sep 30, 2014
0
#44
rowsweep hat geschrieben:
paul morphy went crazy
Oh really? I don't think so. Unless you regard opening a lawyer's practice as crazy. Which arguably it may be.
Pillsbury went crazy too.
Irontiger wrote:
Darth_Algar wrote:
Aetheldred wrote:
Statistics show no professional chess player has ever suffered from Alzheimer.
Small sample sizes mean nothing.
It is rather a reversion of cause and consequence.
No professional chess player was seriously mentally deficient, either.
No **** sherlock, he was a professional chess player.
nimzovitch used to do handstands while playing chess
not sure if you can classify that as being cray -yay-yay-yay-yay- zy
Sep 30, 2014
0
#49
I really don't know about some of the comments that are being made. Excercising any part of your body only really statistically prevents and or hinders a condition but then every person is different. so sure, excerising ones mind with a game such as chess can statistically prevent and or hinder a condition like Alzheimer's because you are keeping certain neural connects active. The problem with diease is it is not decerning so sooner or later if you have factors in your body, family history or enviroment diease can and will strike now matter how much you try and prevent it. On this subject, in my country not far from where I live where had a young lad of 32 who excerised on a daily basis, looked after himself and his body. Fall over dead ironically excerising at his local gym.
As for crazy people in our game. I think that it is a bit of a given and I am not talking about champions either. You only have to attend a local chess club to see some form of craziness in action. Every chess club has got a player (good or bad) with some form or another of dellusion of grandeur. Look on internet forums, there are fair few crazy people there. Champions do not hold any sort licence on losing their minds.
Xilmi wrote:
Sounds great until you run in to cases like my mother-in-law, a near lifelong vegetarian who still got it.
At 70 there's also a time when you worry about
Balzheimer’s!
Here are 150 mental activities. Perhaps they can help prevent the disease:
1. Read a book
2. Take a walk
3. Play a musical instrument
4. Knit
5. Clean your closets
6. Research your genealogy
7. Cook a gourmet dinner
8. Write an article for your local newspaper
9. Go take some pictures
10. Clean the mildew in your bathroom
11. Start writing that book you've been planning
12. Plan a garden
13. Plant a garden
14. Play with a pet
15. Read to a child
16. Visit someone in an old folks' home
17. Watch a news special on TV
18. Set up a family budget
19. Make a web site
20. Take up archery
21. Exercise
22. Go to an online recovery meeting
23. Surf the internet
24. Call your mom
25. Learn a foreign language
26. Write a poem
27. Play golf
28. Take a bubble bath
29. Draw
30. Teach a parakeet to whistle
31. Take a nap
32. Listen to music
33. Paint
34. Clean your desk
35. Start a stamp collection
36. Go window shopping
37. Browse in a book store
38. Go to an art gallery
39. Go for a drive
40. Paint a room
41. Watch the clouds go by
42. Play darts
43. Do target shooting
44. Do home repairs
45. Clean your garage
46. Sort your photographs
47. Make a scrapbook
48. Climb a tree
49. Plant a tree
50. Make marmalade
51. Make a list of things to do
52. Write a letter to the editor
53. Volunteer somewhere
54. Take a hike
55. Take a college class
56. Try yoga
57. Meditate
58. Get a massage
59. Make fruit smoothies
60. Bake cookies
61. Do a crossword puzzle
62. Go to the gym
63. Plant a color bowl
64. Sharpen your pruning tools
65. Change your engine oil
66. Sew
67. Groom your dog
68. Go see a play
69. Write a sonnet
70. Sort your recipes
71. Play solitaire
72. Go bird watching
73. Write a letter to a friend
74. Read a poetry book
75. Repot your houseplants
76. Go to a movie
77. Mow your lawn
78. Put up (or take down) your Christmas lights
79. Make pickles
80. Go jogging
81. Watch sitcoms
82. Plan menus for a diet
83. Do a jigsaw puzzle
84. Play chess
85. Write a country-western song
86. Watch a video
87. Go for a bike ride
88. Plant an herb garden
89. Start an online journal
90. Dye your hair
91. Go to a restaurant
92. Lift weights
93. Bake some bread
94. Learn a martial art
95. Polish the furniture
96. Make a flower arrangement
97. Read the newspaper
98. Start some seeds
99. Sort your magazines
100. Do some laundry.
111. Take a nature walk
112. Play with your kids
113. Volunteer at a homeless shelter
114. Volunteer at a school
115. Pick up garbage in a park
116. Tickle your kids
117. Play basketball
118. Volunteer at an animal shelter
119. Read to a child or pet
120. Sign up for obedience training with your dog
121. Take a walk and pick up litter you see on the way
122. Spend time at the library
123. Sort all your digital photos and make an album to print for holiday gifts to family.
124. Help your kid organize his closet.
125. Figure out the melody and chords to your current favorite tune on the piano.
126. Practice your holiday cookie recipes
127. Make crackers from scratch (that one didn't go so well).
128. Make tortillas from scratch (better).
129. Reread a book you haven't read for years.
130. Tango
131. Learn about someone else’s religion.
132. Reread one of your college textbooks.
133. Key out a wildflower.
134. Do your nails.
135. Do word puzzles.
136. Play a board game.
137. Burn CD’s of some of your favorite music for a friend.
138. Plant a bonsai.
139. Play Mad Libs.
140. Speak only in heroic couplets for an hour.
141. Read poetry online.
142. Ride a stationary bicycle.
143. Set up a domino topple.
144. Play backgammon.
145. Build a house of cards
146. Make an entry in Wikipedia.
147. Read a world almanac.
148. Publish a family newsletter.
149. Throw cards at a hat.
150. Go to bed.
Sep 30, 2014
0
#53
You'll sometimes see an article noting that Alzheimer's is virtually non-existant with top chess players, therefore chess must prevent Alzhemier's. Personally, I have my doubts. The folks I know who developed Alzheimer's weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, if you catch my drift, and never had the mental faculties to become reasonably good chessplayers. If you have a strong, active mind, you can probably learn to play chess well, if that is your ambition. However, if that is not your ambition, it won't increase the likelihood that you develop Alzheimer's - you still have that active mind, and that is why you are a low risk for the disease.
This reminds me of the argument given by many who advocate teaching chess or music in the schools: the kids who play chess or a musical instrument are smarter on average, therefore chess or music makes kids smarter. Again, I have my doubts. The reason for the correlation is that the the dumb kids never could learn chess or a musical instrument in the first place, so you won't find any dumb kids in the band or on the chess team.
Not anyone gets it. Maybe it is genetic or linked to unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking.
Note of caution: correlation does not imply causality.
rowsweep wrote:
Not anyone gets it. Maybe it is genetic or linked to unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking.
If that were the case (drinking and smoking) then half the chess playing world would have it, especially older generations.
Darth_Algar wrote:
rowsweep wrote:
Not anyone gets it. Maybe it is genetic or linked to unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking.
If that were the case (drinking and smoking) then half the chess playing world would have it, especially older generations.
I haven't given my point of view yet. I agree with you. I want to believe but some data are just too vague. Plus, there's a powerful reason behind all these arguments: money.
The case I know best, because I worked teaching chess and promoting chess, is the one in Spain:
Chess is slowly but surely getting implemented in schools and retirement homes. This means more jobs beause more teachers are required, which is good, but don't forget the lionshare the clubs providing/training these teachers get. More chess players affiliated, more money, etc.
Health people aren't sick. Ditto with healthly chess players.
That's hardly a breathtaking conclusion, and nearly a tautology.
All the rest is mostly speculation, some of it quite wild-eyed.
Oct 1, 2014
0
#59
mariamed wrote:
Very interesting topic! I don`t know WHY but this theme discusse in America often. I am biologist-microbiologist of soil and I think that main reason of this disease is change of normal microflora of organisms. Microorganisms create toxic substenses which destroy our brain!We have different point on this problem but this is not contrary " Common laws / principle of Ecology" principle of "recurrent explanation". This is very good!
very fine point chessmate. what are we eating since the introduction of pesticides, herbicides, mined fertilizers ? is it a good idea to feed GMO corn to animals that for ages have lived on grass ? how about radiation not only from Fukushima, Chernobyl, 3 Mile Island, but from 1000's of radiation centers around the planet for the "treatment" of disease? according to a source that installs and repairs these devices they suffer from neglect and abuse of their human caretakers, not to mention the disposal of the high level radioactive waste from them. and how about waste from the weapons and energy production? what remaining amount of soil on the planet is "bio-dynamic", alive, well ? what percentage of beneficial micro-nutriants exist in our soil and intestines ? how does this affect our overall well being and specifically relating to this forum topic, brain functioning ? thankyou chessmate and for all the posts on this topic. i sure as heck hope chess prevents dementia, i fear there is a lot more heading our way.
Oct 1, 2014
0
#60
I play chess because it's fun, unless I lose a lot, which detracts from its entertainment value, but not by much.
I ride bicycles because it's fun, unless I have an accident.
I believe both of those activities will keep the old squash youthful and robust, but if they didn't I'd probably do them anyway.
Now get off my lawn. Seriously.
It's different when you live and breathe chess. We feel like we do because we think about/play chess for 4-5 hours a day, maybe up to 10 for some of us. But imagine thinking about chess all 16 hours you're awake, and then dreaming about it for the remaining 8... Not to mention those guys also had real pressure upon their success, where our only pressure (for the most of us) is only from ourselves.
I think I'd go crazy as well.