Findings from a recent study revealed that test subjects that played one of several genres of games on their smartphones experienced improved cognitive function. Interestingly, players of action games saw the greatest improvements.
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This was originally published on the Scientific American guest blog on February 5th How much does environment influence intelligence? Several years ago University of Virginia Professor Eric Turkheimer demonstrated that […]
Arriving in Dutch theaters next month, “AFP” involves viewers in the action by delivering story content to their phones during the movie.
Overheard cell phone conversations are far more distracting than overheard conversations between two or more people, according to a new study involving volunteers and simple word puzzles.
One of the best things I read this week was a piece by Vaughan Bell in the Guardian entitled, “Our Brains, and How They’re Not as Simple as We Think.” […]
Created by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley, the earphones herald a future in which graphene speakers could revolutionize the listening experience.
A Norwegian research organization is working on clothing that will monitor the health of its wearers as they work on oil rigs and other places that experience life-threatening cold.
Here are 9 ways to change your behavior so you can be more productive.
While Michael Bloomberg’s plan to limit the sale of large sodas was shot down by a judge, Big Think Chief Economist Daniel Altman tackles the economic ideas behind this plan. […]
So the University of Colorado has hired my friend Steve Hayward to be a visiting professor in conservative thought and policy. Some alum’ funded the position because he believed that students […]
Higgs is Confirmed After a Higgs-like particle was detected last summer by CERN scientists, that particle has now been confirmed to be the real deal. Read more here. Sex in […]
The Beam is a remote presence device that bridges the gap between in-person attendance and videoconferencing. It was one of the hits at this year’s South by Southwest trade show.
Researchers have figured out a way to “print” ultrathin electronic devices directly onto human skin. They can be used to monitor patient health for up to two weeks before flaking off.
Available for sale later this year, the FairPhone is made of conflict-free materials in factories with high labor standards. It has an easily-accessible interior and is completely recyclable.
There are some familiar facts and a few surprises in David McCandless’s fascinating new graphic, a visualization of how people died during the 20th century: (For a larger copy, click here.) After finding […]
Ellen Galinsky expects that Yahoo will learn “they’re going to have to provide some flexibility,” flexibility that is well managed.
It’s the closest star system found in almost a century, and will hopefully serve as “an excellent hunting ground for planets” and a possible destination for a future manned mission.
Here’s the best idea you’ll hear today that you will also wish you thought of yourself. Just as Internet users contribute their ‘cognitive surplus’ to build sites like Wikipedia, international […]
One of the most talked-about parenting paradigms of the past decade – “helicopter-parenting” – has just taken another direct hit. There have already been early signs of a backlash against overparenting, but now […]
US Forest Service researcher David Nowak is heading up a project that calculates, among other things, the amount of carbon stored, the amount of particulates removed, and its effect on a city’s heating and cooling costs.
As the eyes of the Catholic world (and beyond) remain glued to the chimney of the Sistine Chapel (shown above) for the white smoke indicating the election of a new […]
Scientists are hoping that some of 3,000-plus possible exoplanets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission have moons that exist outside a circumplanetary “habitable edge.”
Not quite yet…but a new study provides proof that global warming is extending the growing season in the upper Northern Hemisphere, making some areas greener than they have been in (literally) ages.
It could mean an end to rising energy costs caused in part by the almost-complete shutdown of the country’s nuclear energy program. However, its effects on the environment are still unknown.
How could we be so clueless about the wealth gap that defines our society?
The 5 Point Cafe, located near the Space Needle as well as Amazon headquarters, may be the first business to bar the augmented reality device from its premises…and it probably won’t be the only one.
Observing the Roman Empire crumble from North Africa in the fifth century, St Augustine of Hippo decided that while waging war against fellow Christians was sinful, throwing up arms against […]
A publishing CEO urged his industry peers to bring literary authors and software developers together to create something better than ebooks, which he said were “a boring format that just comes straight out of normal books.”
Writer Mathew Ingram attempts to dissect a controversial New York Times blog post about the best ways to communicate with others outside of face-to-face conversations.
The days leading up to the start of the papal election process offer yet another demonstration of technology’s power in bringing millions of people together.