tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post3158796292216106880..comments2023-12-28T02:11:22.501+00:00Comments on The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog: DG VIII: CelebrityTom Chivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-20879514819645565072014-06-19T13:17:34.079+01:002014-06-19T13:17:34.079+01:00Paul,
No I don’t think our views are entirely opp...Paul,<br /><br />No I don’t think our views are entirely opposed either. Nor are mine and Ciamarra’s for that matter.<br /><br />It’s the bit where we go beyond want’s reasonable to say that worries me. If we’re not careful we end up like another bunch of homeopaths.<br /><br /><br />Matt,<br /><br />I’m prepared to believe chess is different. Whether it’s special or not is another thing.<br /><br />Clearly chess is different to other games. That’s why we can’t simply lump it together with 'board games' and 'cards' as a category of activity. Is the 'difference’ that playing chess gives particularly useful in protecting against dementia? Maybe. Maybe not. Even if it is, it better than other activities that are of a different category (dancing, eating well or not being poor for instance)?<br /><br />A longer response coming in some future post.<br /><br /><br /><br />Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-31571674237384270512014-06-18T22:03:25.797+01:002014-06-18T22:03:25.797+01:00Jonathan - just playing devil's advocate but o...Jonathan - just playing devil's advocate but on your c) is it absolutely certain that chess isn't special? Of course, there's no scientific proof that it is, and I'd be surprised if it was - but one could (and many do) make an argument that it's quite different (in terms of pattern recognition in particular) than other similar pursuits which could plausibly make it 'better'?Matt Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13885091955173203114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-37331771576872205212014-06-18T21:55:43.699+01:002014-06-18T21:55:43.699+01:00Thanks for the response Jonathan.
I'm interes...Thanks for the response Jonathan.<br /><br />I'm interested in what we can fairly say to promote chess, if we believe it is a good thing. <br /><br />I don't agree with everything you say, but I don't think our positions are opposed.<br /><br />Paul CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-79538408544830416122014-06-18T21:48:32.351+01:002014-06-18T21:48:32.351+01:00@Andrew:
Perhaps we can encourage our readers to h...@Andrew:<br />Perhaps we can encourage our readers to have a go?Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-20031298079044983152014-06-18T21:12:41.338+01:002014-06-18T21:12:41.338+01:00Thanks for your comment Paul.
That there is an as...Thanks for your comment Paul.<br /><br />That there is an association between certain types of behaviour - of the kind you mention - and a lower likelihood of developing dementia is not in dispute. The question of one of cause.<br /><br />I would absolutely agree that providing opportunities for older people to play - and learn - chess is A Good Thing. What I’m less keen on is<br />(a) making baseless claims<br />(b) making vague claims (what does 'beneficial’ mean? how? in what way?)<br />(c) implying that chess is somehow special. It isn’t.<br /><br /><br />I don’t think 'foolish' is an entirely appropriate word, by the way. That implies a 'mistake' which I don’t think is correct.<br /><br />I’ll leave that one for another day, though.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-54967100107426666802014-06-18T20:21:13.112+01:002014-06-18T20:21:13.112+01:00I'm puzzled by the quote on "brain traini...I'm puzzled by the quote on "brain training". It is in quotes, so presumably refers to Ryuta Kawashima inspired games and not things like chess.<br /><br />The dementia fact sheet also says: "Research suggests that people who take part in mental activities (such as reading, learning and doing puzzles) are less likely to develop dementia compared with those who do not engage in these activities."<br /><br />I think chess can reasonably claim to be a mental activity of that type. I found the Foresight report on Mental Capital and Wellbeing encouraging in this respect, I don't think we need a research paper on chess to be comfortable promoting chess as beneficial.<br /><br />Obviously some of the individuals named in the article have said foolish things, but I worry the reaction is an over-correction.<br /><br />Paul C<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-59761331300732827062014-06-18T11:37:45.784+01:002014-06-18T11:37:45.784+01:00I want to make some joke like the following:
What...I want to make some joke like the following:<br /><br />What's the difference between Tom Cruise and Garry Kasparov? One of them is a former top gun who will do any sort of publicity stunt to stay in the news, while the other is a Scientologist.<br /><br />But it doesn't come off quite right. Maybe you can punch it up a bit.Andrew Gelmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02715992780769751789noreply@blogger.com