The Journal
Short pieces on word strategy, focus, and the habits of sharp minds.
Why a daily puzzle is the best five minutes of your morning
Why a daily puzzle makes a good morning habit: a small, finished task, a fixed time, and no pressure. Here is how to build one that lasts.
How to find the nine-letter word in under two minutes
How to find the nine-letter word in a word grid: spot endings like -ING and -ED, start from the center tile, and shuffle. A worked example inside.
The suffixes that unlock almost every grid
The word endings that help most with a nine-letter word puzzle: -ING, -ED, -ER, -LY, -NESS and more, with examples and how to spot them in your grid.
What word puzzles can and can't do for your brain
Do word puzzles improve brain function? Here is what the 2019 Exeter study, the ACTIVE trial, and an FTC settlement show, and what they do not.
The science of streaks, and why missing one day is fine
What habit research says about streaks: forming a habit takes weeks, and missing one day did not materially affect it. How to keep a daily puzzle going.