Even chess experts perform worse when air quality is lower, suggesting a negative effect on cognition

Here’s something else chess players need to keep in check: air pollution.

That’s the bottom line of a newly published study co-authored by an MIT researcher, showing that chess players perform objectively worse and make more suboptimal moves, as measured by a computerized analysis of their games, when there is more fine particulate matter in the air.

More specifically, given a modest increase in fine particulate matter, the probability that chess players will make an error increases by 2.1 percentage points, and the magnitude of those errors increases by 10.8%. In this setting, at least, cleaner air leads to clearer heads and sharper thinking.

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The researchers also found that when air pollution was worse, the chess players performed even more poorly when under time constraints. The tournament rules mandated that 40 moves had to be made within 110 minutes; for moves 31–40 in all the matches, an air pollution increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter led to an increased probability of error of 3.2%, with the magnitude of those errors increasing by 17.3%.

more…

Be like me

If you are sat behind a vehicle belching out smoke – report them. Google report a smoking vehicle.

When I’m sat behind someone pumping black smoke into my face …..

wookiemeister said:

Be like me

If you are sat behind a vehicle belching out smoke – report them. Google report a smoking vehicle.

When I’m sat behind someone pumping black smoke into my face …..

Life on Earth may not exist without black smokers

I want to see how air temperature affects chess playing.

Colder temperature aids concentration.
Warmer temperature aids relaxation.

Both are necessary for top level chess playing.

mollwollfumble said:

I want to see how air temperature affects chess playing.

Colder temperature aids concentration.
Warmer temperature aids relaxation.

Both are necessary for top level chess playing.

Something along the lines of when temp becomes ubiquitous within a range of (each person is slightly different) 23°-29° depending on humidity and pressure ?

Tau.Neutrino said:

Even chess experts perform worse when air quality is lower, suggesting a negative effect on cognition

Here’s something else chess players need to keep in check: air pollution.

players perform objectively worse and make more suboptimal moves, as measured by a computerized analysis of their games, when there is more fine particulate matter in the air.

cleaner air leads to clearer heads and sharper thinking.

an air pollution increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter led to an increased probability of error of 3.2%, with the magnitude of those errors increasing by 17.3%.

fuck all right yous’ve convinced us, we’ll have to take our P2 off* to match yousr level

we knew we was geniuses before but yousall think that’s just because we keep the P2 on and the dirty stuff out

well fine even without clean air we’ll still be more genius than yous just watch this

*: actually fuck no we’re keeping our safety precautions on thank you very much

SCIENCE said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Even chess experts perform worse when air quality is lower, suggesting a negative effect on cognition

Here’s something else chess players need to keep in check: air pollution.

players perform objectively worse and make more suboptimal moves, as measured by a computerized analysis of their games, when there is more fine particulate matter in the air.

cleaner air leads to clearer heads and sharper thinking.

an air pollution increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter led to an increased probability of error of 3.2%, with the magnitude of those errors increasing by 17.3%.

fuck all right yous’ve convinced us, we’ll have to take our P2 off* to match yousr level

we knew we was geniuses before but yousall think that’s just because we keep the P2 on and the dirty stuff out

well fine even without clean air we’ll still be more genius than yous just watch this

*: actually fuck no we’re keeping our safety precautions on thank you very much

Cheezus. I think you have made your point but it isn’t about the mask. It is about the air itself.

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Even chess experts perform worse when air quality is lower, suggesting a negative effect on cognition

Here’s something else chess players need to keep in check: air pollution.

players perform objectively worse and make more suboptimal moves, as measured by a computerized analysis of their games, when there is more fine particulate matter in the air.

cleaner air leads to clearer heads and sharper thinking.

an air pollution increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter led to an increased probability of error of 3.2%, with the magnitude of those errors increasing by 17.3%.

fuck all right yous’ve convinced us, we’ll have to take our P2 off* to match yousr level

we knew we was geniuses before but yousall think that’s just because we keep the P2 on and the dirty stuff out

well fine even without clean air we’ll still be more genius than yous just watch this

*: actually fuck no we’re keeping our safety precautions on thank you very much

Cheezus. I think you have made your point but it isn’t about the mask. It is about the air itself.

does P2 allow for clean air

SCIENCE said:

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

fuck all right yous’ve convinced us, we’ll have to take our P2 off* to match yousr level

we knew we was geniuses before but yousall think that’s just because we keep the P2 on and the dirty stuff out

well fine even without clean air we’ll still be more genius than yous just watch this

*: actually fuck no we’re keeping our safety precautions on thank you very much

Cheezus. I think you have made your point but it isn’t about the mask. It is about the air itself.

does P2 allow for clean air

If the air is clean, that’s all it is going to have to deal with.

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

roughbarked said:

Cheezus. I think you have made your point but it isn’t about the mask. It is about the air itself.

does P2 allow for clean air

If the air is clean, that’s all it is going to have to deal with.

so the correct solution to win your chess game is to puff away at a cigarette, but make sure that you’re only breathing in through the filter