Americans test mental skills for popular Chinese game show ‘The Brain’

World Today

It’s called ‘The Brain’. It’s a popular Chinese reality game show in which competitors try to solve very difficult puzzles or challenges. Among the current contestants is a 20-year-old memory expert from the U.S. state of Colorado who’s been preparing intensively for this opportunity.

CCTV America’s Hendrik Sybrandy filed this report from Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Highlights:

  • Chemical engineering student Johnny Briones just may have a leg up on his college classmates, and his memory is his advantage.
  • Johnny once memorized a deck of cards in just 60 seconds, faster than any American ever.
  • The 20-year-old Grandmaster of Memory  (actual title) will have his power of recall tested on ‘The Brain’, a Chinese T.V. show where contestants are asked to do things like solve two Rubik’s Cubes underwater.
  • Briones has only been taking mental tests like these for a few years. He wanted to strengthen his mind the way pushups strengthen the body.
  • Briones attaches images like Big Bird to each item he’s trying to remember. Each card is assigned a location in his house. His memory training often lasts until 4 in the morning.
  • Briones is part of a U.S. team that’s competing on ‘The Brain’.