You probably already know that Sudoku is a great game that  keeps your brain ticking. Sudoku consists of a puzzle game based upon a 9-by-9 grid that’s partially filled with numbers.

The objective is to fill the empty spaces of the grid with single digit numbers so that the same digit does not appear twice on any horizontal or vertical line.

Additionally, the same number should not appear twice in any of nine 3-by-3 mini grids on the screen. Sudoku began its gentle attack on us all around 2004 and many versions can now be found in countless national newspapers the world over.

Sudoku addicts are as obsessed with their puzzles as 1980s teenagers were fixated on their infuriating Rubik’s cube. Just like the Rubik’s cube, Sudoku gives your brain a jolly good work-out.

In fact, scientists say that solving them depends on neural pathways that even the most powerful computers are unable to replicate.

Researchers say that by studying how various individuals solve the puzzles, we might soon be able to develop more intelligent and brain-like computers. Professor John Hopfield of Princeton University is currently researching the unique brain processes we use when playing Sudoku.

To crack Sudoku our brains use a unique set of neural pathways known as associative memory, Hopfield says, which enables us to discover a pattern from a partial clue. Although computers can store vast amounts of information and process it at impressive speed, they aren’t yet capable of sophisticated associative memory.

Hopfield provides an algorithm of associative memory in his paper, which he says could be implemented in silicon chips.

If you’d like to try your hand at Sudoku, at sites like Free Printable Sudoku you’ll find the best print sudoku puzzles.