Tag: Science
News Tweet Analysis Reveals Controversial Pokémon Cull Has Fans Evenly Split
Hard Pokéscience using AI, language processing and bar charts
Update: It appears that we misinterpreted this data in our original story, specifically the ‘sentiment’ analysis. After reviewing the findings again, the zero value tweets that display “no emotion at all” appear to include the #BringBackNationalPokedex example itself, which we...
Random Turns Out Mario Kart Might Make You A Better Driver In Real Life
Just don't thow any bananas skins, please!
Gamers rejoice - a recent study has revealed that playing action videogames can improve your real life driving skills. New York University Shanghai participants were trained by playing Mario Kart, using a steering-wheel controller to drive a go-kart on a track. The data showed that by playing Mario Kart the...
Weirdness A Dragon Punch Would Take Your Head Clean Off, Says Science
These Street Fighters are clearly quite tough
Street Fighter's Dragon Punch - or Shoryuken - is one of the most iconic moves in fighting game history. A rising uppercut which propels your opponent into the air, it's handy for dealing with mid-air attacks and knocking your rival off-balance, and in the right hands, is a deadly weapon which can turn...
Weirdness F-Zero-Style Recharge Strips Are Coming To UK Roads
YOU'VE GOT BOOST POWER
The battery life of electric cars could be increased by the use of special recharging strips on roads which use electromagnetic fields to transfer energy to the vehicle while it's in motion. UK-based Highways England is currently testing the technology and will soon begin an 18-month trial to ascertain the viability of the...
News Short Bursts Of Tetris Can Help To Control Certain Cravings, Claims Science
Games are good for you
A three minute block-busting blast on Tetris can curb the desire for food, alcohol and cigarettes, a team of researchers is claiming. A team of psychologists from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology conducted an experiment to monitor the impact of playing Tetris on a group of 31 participants aged...
News Science Museum in Tokyo Aiming for Super Effective Education With The Pokémon Lab
Disclaimer may clarify that no real Pokémon are featured
Here's another event to file under the "wish I was in Japan" category, as Pokémon fans within travelling distance of Tokyo could potentially learn a little about science and also have fun with one of their favourite franchises. From 8th May onwards, The Pokémon Lab exhibit at the Miraikan...
News Mario Runs From Left To Right Because Our Brains Prefer It That Way
Trust Luigi to pick the wrong direction
Mario - like pretty much every other 2D platform star - runs from left to right. That's just the natural order of things, and has been since the platforming genre began decades ago. However, Mario's direction isn't just a stylistic choice; apparently, our brains prefer left to right movement. Lancaster...
Don't watch the Zelda video if you're squeamish
We all know that video games are pure fantasy, and that they should rarely be considered accurate representations of reality. Even so, it's fascinating to consider how popular franchises would fare if they were governed by the proper laws of the universe. If you've ever wondered what games would be...
News New Study Finds No Connection Between Video Game Violence And Its Real-World Equivalent
Report suggests violent games actually curb real-world crime
Whenever violence raises its ugly head there is the understandable desire to find a scapegoat, and over the entire course of human history this has often been the entertainment media. In the '50s it was music, in the '70s it was horror movies and from the '80s onwards, the blame has been...
Weirdness New Scientific Research Reveals The Horrifying Impact Of Texting On Mario Kart Drivers
Don't text and handle red shells, kids
As we all know, texting behind the wheel isn't a wise move — it has caused countless accidents on roads all over the world, and you should never, ever do it. Ever. However, less is known about the effect texting has on road safety in Mario Kart. Thankfully, some pioneering scientists (in reality nine adults...
News UK Study Finds No Link Between Video Games And Behavioural Problems In Children
11,000 youngsters accessed in scientific research
A study by The University of Glasgow of around 11,000 children has found that no connection exists between playing video games at an early age and problems with behaviour later on in life. Researchers asked mothers to note the amount of time their children played games and to report on any issues...
News Academic Study Finds That Playing Games Can Increase Brain Matter
The desire to play could also have an effect
If you had to grow up with always listening to the admonishment that video games would “rot your brain,” you may find some satisfaction in more evidence pointing toward the contrary. A study conducted by Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charité University Medicine St...
News Nintendo "Didn't Know What To Do" With The Wii Vitality Sensor
Neuro-technology professor gives his take on the vapourware heart monitor
The Wii Vitality Sensor was announced in 2009 but has never seen the light of day — and Professor Roger Quy thinks he knows why. Speaking at the recent NeuroGaming Conference in San Francisco, Quy passed his own opinions on why the strange peripheral never made its way to...
News Research Discovers That Old Timers Are Far Happier If They Game
Video games are good for you after all
It's not just surgeons who benefit from a spot of video gaming - old people do, too. A newly published academic study has concluded that older people are happier and gained a higher level of well-being through frequently playing computer games — even if only for short spells at a time. Researchers at the...
News Another Study Claims Playing Wii Can Benefit Surgeons
An hour a day keeps the doctor away
Way back in 2008, while most of the world was getting to grips with the wonder of the Nintendo Wii, a group of researchers was looking into how the system could help with important medical procedures. That's right, a US study discovered that surgeons performed their duties much more effectively and efficiently...
News Evidence Indicates Wii Fit Is Beneficial For Children With Movement Difficulties
Some positive press attention for gaming, for a change
A UK-based pilot study has uncovered evidence that using Wii Fit could aid the development of children with movement difficulties. The study is a collaboration between Sussex Community NHS Trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust and academics at Goldsmiths, University of London and Oxford...