In celebration of a quarter-century of Science Times, the paper ruminates on the 25 questions currently driving science, while Alan Lightman ponders the motivations that fuel scientists. I’m not sure if the likes of Stephen Hawking are really contemplating Atlantis, but there’s some intriguing stuff here.
Category: The Brain
Death of the Party.
More good news on the gaming tip – Apparently, gamers aren’t only more spatially aware, they’re social multitaskers, too. All this validation for gamers is going to end up getting me in trouble…the last thing I need right now is another Civ binge.
Better Living through Death.
Meant to blog this last week but forgot: FPS games increase brainpower. Experienced players of these games are 30 percent to 50 percent better than nonplayers at taking in everything that happens around them…They identify objects in their peripheral vision, perceiving numerous objects without having to count them, switch attention rapidly and track many items at once. Glad to hear my endless logged hours of Day of Defeat have not gone to waste. And considering I rented Enter the Matrix over the weekend and spent an unhealthy amount of time beating it, I must be operating on a Zen plane right now.
Six Card Monte.
His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth and flesh… Want to be unnerved? Check out this ESP experiment, via Mermaniac. I must admit it had me quite distraught for awhile there.
Force Calm.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mindkiller. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over and through me. And when it is gone I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”