The Brainy Way to Game

Of all the forms of life that have flourished on this planet over its 4 billion years, human beings are undoubtedly the most intelligent of the bunch. Dinosaurs were big, mean and nasty creatures, dominant for millions of years, but they couldn't read this article.

We needed our intelligence long ago, when everyday problem-solving was truly a matter of life or death. We Homo sapiens, the "thinking man", evolved to use our brains, and eventually outlasted our Neanderthal cousins thanks to an uncanny ability to plan for survival and adapt to our surroundings, instead of simply changing with them and dying out.

We're still an extremely intelligent bunch, although not all of us choose to tap into our solution-oriented grey matter unless it suits us. Ours is a life of convenience compared with the struggles of centuries past. But that doesn't mean we can't access our evolutionary gift whenever we need it.

A few among us have helped cure diseases like polio, put man on the moon and create the Information Superhighway. The advancement of our culture is the culmination of great thinkers sharing their gift with the world. Others among us like to give the old brain a workout with puzzle games like sudoku, or by calculating the odds in online blackjack.

Gambling games and sudoku may seem like distant strangers at first glance, but there's a link between the way puzzle games and games of chance work. At least our minds see them in the same light, even if technically the two aren't similar.

The way we approach brain games like Sudoku and chess is the way our ancestors approached life many, many years ago. It was all about plotting a course. The idea of "instant gratification" didn't exist.

When we're at the grocery store today, we think about the next meal and maybe a week's worth of food. Back then, you hunted to store food for the winter, to make clothing from animal hide, and to give yourself the best chance of making it through the long haul.

Believe it or not, that's the instinct you tap into when you play a game like sudoku. Your brain is working on the big picture, how to solve the 9x9 square, and not simply on the immediate problem at hand.

Forward thinking, recollection, problem solving and deep focus are all part of a very special process that only human beings are capable of.

And although the games are not the same on paper, our brains go through a similar process when we play roulette and other casino games. We think about previous numbers, numbers to come, bet amounts, game odds and other factors that shape our decision in a matter of seconds.

Once you learn the basics of casino games and other games of chance, something like online slots becomes automatic. Your brain can process hundreds of pieces of information in an instant. You may not always realise it, but your body's supercomputer is running in there, helping you toward the correct decision.

The biggest difference, obviously, is the chance factor. Even though your brain processes information the same way, sudoku is a winnable game, whereas games of chance can still end in a loss even if you make all the right moves.

So the next time you're playing one of these games, stop for a minute and think about the wonder going on inside you, even though you're not necessarily aware of it.

When we set the bar for intelligence at Einstein or Hawking level, 99% of us fall short. But when we realise that humans are the only known beings capable of this kind of brain activity, it's really an amazing thing.