There may be SOME validity to the advertisement. It’s really not the brightest idea to assume that what we know now about human development is the know all, end all on the subject. We could discover something relatively soon that flips the entire idea of human intelligence on it’s head. It has happened before.
There is substantial proof that stimulating your brain via challenging puzzles and riddles DOES offer some relief to those suffering from Alzheimer and burgeoning senility. I’m not a psychologist, and I do not pretend to be one, but I hope I live in a world where people who work to better themselves get to see the result of that effort. I HOPE that people who don’t exercise get fat, I HOPE that people who study and comprehend information become “smarter/learned.” I HOPE that people who work to maintain their body and their mind get to hold on to life and lucidness at least a little bit longer than the rest of us. You get what you pay for, use it or lose it, no pain no gain; whatever stupid euphemism you want; I hope they’re all true.
So while the ad may or may not be true; I think that the message it’s trying to portray is a little bit self aggrandizing, I think it is a sound one.

I’m going to only focus on the science of the brain as I understand certain aspects of it. Correct any falsehood I spew, as you are wont to do anyways.

It was bold in my opinion to say “Doing math does not create new brain tissue or generate new cells. ”

Bold yet correct. Though only to a point. Doing something you already know how to do doesn’t help build new neural pathways. If someone were trying to crack some fundamental block in their understanding of math, or some of its components, then that person would be creating new pathways as those discoveries were made. Those first few trail and error attempts to use the new pathways would be the building we would require to stave of the effects of aging.

Learning new languages is considered to be one of the best ways to rapidly create new neural activity and new pathways.

When you are less than 8 months old your brain is producing new pathways faster than at any other time in your life. The speed of development slows down until age 1.5-2, and then it drops again at age 4. At age 8 it pretty much slows down to a trickle, and it is at this point when we have to motivate ourselves to learn.

Researchers have shown that learning new languages is one of the ways in which someone of any age can accomplish rapid neural growth. Otherwise by the time we are 20 our brains have already ran out of ‘juice’and have moved on to idling on ‘drink’.

Even the elderly can do this if motivated to do so.

So why should we be motivated to do so?

Scientists have also shown links to the fact that the more active your brain, and the more active neural pathways it has, the more power it has to drive your immune system. Meaning that you live longer healthier lives, just by improving your brain.

“There are so many benefits to playing games already that it confuses me as to why Nintendo feels they need to lie in order to attract new gamers.”

Video games are already making and and keeping our brains fit in their current designs and applications.

I would add though that in this case like with math, the learning and growth is done primarily early in the exposure to a new control scheme or mechanic/rule.

I guess in a nutshell I’m saying that “My Spanish Coach” is making people smarter than Brain Age. Though I have to admit that the first few times you play the games/activities within Brain Age your brain is becoming stronger.

One thing to remember too is: though people’s brains may become fitter through learning, fitter brains don’t equal ‘smarter’people.

cheers,