SURF YOURSELF SMART

We’ve heard it time and time again: the Internet makes you dumb. Social critics the world over wring their hands in distress at the brain melting power of the World Wide Web. Even Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing took a swipe at the Internet during her Nobel lecture, cautioning young people not to get caught up in its “inanities”.

At NetGuide however, we believe that the Internet is what you make it, so here we present what we think are seven great ways to increase your brain power online.

Listen to lectures: There are hundreds of university Web sites that stream audio (and sometimes video) of their lectures. Every conceivable topic is covered and you can listen to an entire semester’s worth of material over the course of a month’s morning commute.  While you don’t end up with a degree at the end of it, neither do you end up with a bill for $40,000. See tinyurl.com/ldcj8b, tinyurl.com/pdcsts, tinyurl.com/2xg9z6

Mental training games: They say that your mind is like a muscle – if you don’t train it, it gets weak. If you are feeling weak-brained, have a crack at some online puzzles. From the ego-boostingly simple to the maddeningly difficult, you’re sure to find something that challenges the synapses online. puzz.com, www.gamesforthebrain.com, www.mochimedia.com/games/loops-of-zen

Arts and Letters Daily: When you’ve had enough of reality television and talkback radio, a little culture can do wonders for the soul and the mind. Get your fill of ideas and opinion at the award-winning site Arts and Letters Daily (www.aldaily.com) If science and technology is more your thing, check out its sister site, www.scitechdaily.com

Wikipedia: If you haven’t yet caught on to Wikipedia, now is the time. With over 13 million articles, Wikipedia is a great way to spend an afternoon becoming an expert on a favourite subject, and discovering fields of knowledge that you never knew existed. en.wikipedia.org

Play video games: More and more studies are coming out that say playing video games is actually good for your brain. If you’re still sceptical, try this online version of Simon Says – the best test of short-term memory yet invented: www.neave.com/games/simon

Audio books: Everyone’s got a list of great books they’ve always meant to read, but few of us ever find the time to read them. Enter the audio book. There are plenty of sites offering downloads of the classics (though sometimes of varying quality) in mp3 form for your listening pleasure. Discover Thoreau’s Walden, rediscover Aesop’s Fables or check out the complete works of Dickens. Some sites charge for the privilege of listening, but there’s really no need to pay. Look around until you find a free version. Here is a good place to start:  freeclassicaudiobooks.com

Listen to Mozart: There’s something called the Mozart Effect – the idea is that, for some reason or other, listening to Mozart increases your IQ. Whether it actually works is still a matter for debate, but nevertheless, the music is still darn good. listen.grooveshark.com