At University of California Irvine, researchers are using games to test theories about how the human mind works. Dr. Gregory Dane Clemenson and his colleagues, Dr. Caden M. Henningfield and Dr. Craig E. L. Stark, recently completed one such study on how Minecraft can be used to improve memory through playing in a rich environment.
Source: N4G PC Interview: Dr. Clemenson of UCI on how Minecraft can improve memory