Tetris turned 25 last week, woo! It could totally rent a car now without being charged an exorbitant fee! Being a Tetris master myself (personal record of 198 lines, thank you very much), this was a truly touching milestone. And for all the children of the 80s out there, I still play Tetris on my ORIGINAL Nintendo system. Yeah, that’s right. I’m hard core.
In any event, if it’s possible to let my geek flag fly even more at this point, let me note that Tetris, aside from being completely fun and one of the few ways I have achieved Mihály Csíkszentmihályi‘s concept of flow, has been inordinately involved in psychological studies over the years.
Scientists say it can reduce flashbacks associated with Post Trumatic Stress Disorder. And it’s helped shed all kinds of light on how learning takes place while we sleep. Let’s be honest, who among us hasn’t had a Tetris Dream. Wikipedia even has an entry on the so-called Tetris Effect.
Google even got in on the action with a homepage doodle to celebrate the big anniversary. Happy Birthday, Tetris!
