The Great Brain Experiment

Are you faster or more attentive than other people? Can you remember more or make better choices? Time to test your brain and find out!

Be part of a unique scientific experiment by playing games on your phone. Neuroscientists at University College London have 'gamified' their research, creating a quirky, fun app which turns neuroscience experiments into games. Each time you play you'll be contributing data to a huge scientific experiment, taking part in research that could previously only be conducted on small groups of volunteers in the lab. The Great Brain Experiment will look at memory, impulsivity, how we take risks, and how well the mind’s eye can see. It will allow the researchers to explore questions that are normally impossible to ask.

Dr Rick Adams, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, says: “We wanted something that shows people what neuroscience is really about. It’s not all brains in jars or men in white coats. It’s actually trying to answer questions all of us are interested in, like ‘What makes me happy?’. We hope that people enjoy our app, tell their friends and help us answer some important scientific questions along the way.”

The free app has been developed for Brain Awareness Week 2013 (11-17th March 2013) and is being supported by the Wellcome Trust.