What makes puzzles fun 智力游戏乐趣多

不论是拼图、谜语、数独还是纵横字迷，它们都各有各的乐趣。那到底是什么让这些智力游戏趣味横生？一个引人入胜的智力游戏有哪些特点？本期节目围绕智力游戏的乐趣展开讨论。

词汇：puzzles 智力游戏

Throughout history, people have been attracted to puzzles, from Ancient Greek riddles to brain-teasing video games, people have tried to solve problems for fun. But what is it about these conundrums that makes us enjoy them?

It could be that the desire to find a solution is wired into us. A study has shown that when people complete anagrams, it can stimulate¹ the reward centre in the brain. One of the researchers behind the study, Yongtaek Oh, suggests that problem-solving ability provides an evolutionary² advantage – it can help us survive! It's clear that this 'aha' moment is very enjoyable, but it's not just completing a puzzle that people enjoy.

David Shariatmadari highlights that solving the best puzzles requires a combination of luck and skill. He points out that the element of chance makes it more open to a wide range of people, while the need for skill gives players a feeling that they are in control. This also helps to provide a balance between being something challenging and something achievable. Michael Vilensky, a psychologist at Ohio State University, tells us that puzzles offer us a situation that we can control and resolve, which can be satisfying when compared with other life challenges. Other experts, such as therapist Elizabeth Hinkel, argue that by requiring concentration, puzzles can provide mindful moments away from the stresses of everyday life. Puzzles can also have a social aspect, whether that's making it easy to share your scorecard on social media, or the fact that people are keen to help each other find clues and come up with the answer.

Puzzles and fun may even be dependent on each other, researchers at Drexel University have suggested. When looking at brain images, they found that some people preparing to do a puzzle showed activity associated with positive moods and that these people were better able to come up with solutions. They also found that subjects performed better on puzzles if they had seen a funny video beforehand³.

词汇表

riddle 谜语
brain-teasing 考验脑力的
solve 解决
problem 问题，难题
conundrum 谜语，难题
solution 解决方法，答案
anagram （游戏）同字母异序词
problem-solving 解决问题的
'aha' moment 顿悟时刻
complete 完成（谜语），解开（谜题）
luck 运气
skill 技能，技巧
element of chance 碰运气的成分
player 玩家
challenging 有挑战性的
achievable （谜语）可完成的，可解开的
resolve 解决
concentration 专注力，注意力集中
mindful 聚精会神的，注意的
scorecard 记分卡
clue （谜语、游戏、问题答案的）提示
come up with 想出
answer 答案，解法