As far as the writers of the TV series "MacGyver" were concerned in the late '80s, a bar of chocolate could stop a sulfuric acid leak -- and as it turns out, they were right. Sometimes, the easiest solutions are right in front of us, with simple tools and uncomplicated methods.
Despite our desire for ease, studies show that in the long run, we may be able to make ourselves smarter by doing things the hard way. What researchers have found is that every time we learn a new skill, solve a problem or complete a task that needed to be thought through (for example, planning your route rather than relying on your GPS mapping program to do it for you), you're boosting your working memory.
