Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Sep 05, 2013)

Happy Words



I have listed the following as Happy Words. What is it about these words that suggests that they are "Happy"?



Semicircle

Mesdemoiselles

Postmillennial

Assimilate

Snowmobile

Superfamilies





There are two hints. The second might give it away too easily so it is a few lines down the page!





Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (Sep 05, 2013)

Weird Al - "White and Nerdy"

"White & Nerdy" is the first single from "Weird Al" Yankovic's album, "Straight Outta Lynwood".



Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Proscribe

pro-scribe



verb :: To outlaw; to exile; to denounce and condemn; to prohibit



"The game about to be played has tacit rules, since television shows, like every social milieu in which discourse circulates, allow certain things to be said and proscribe others." --Pierre Bourdieu

Creativity : Conceptual Blockbusting

"Conceptual Blockbusting - A Guide to Better Ideas" is a book by James L. Adams, a professor from Stanford University. It is one of the most popular books on creativity and is packed with exercises and ideas for stretching your mind and overcoming mental blocks.



See this book at Amazon.com

Memory : Picture = 1000 Words

The phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" means that you can describe something by producing a picture just as well as by using a bunch of words. A single picture is able to convey a wealth of information.



There is some research evidence that visual images are remembered differently than verbal material in the mind. For example, it is much quicker to read the word "shoe" off a page than it is to look at a picture of one and say the word "shoe." Also, in many research tests, the mind has been shown to have a much larger memory for pictures than words. In other words, if you are shown 20 pictures and 20 words, you are much more likely to remember the pictures.



This fact is an important reason why many mnemonics rely on making mental visualizations. Since images are easier to recall, using a visualization of a word will help you remember it better. Additionally, visualizing a word will encode it into your visual memory as well as your verbal memory, which doubles your chances of keeping it in your brain.

Wasteland 2 Demo Footage Revealed - Inside Mac Games

Wasteland 2 Demo Footage Revealed Inside Mac Games Jigsaw Boom 3 from 8 Floor Games is now available to download and purchase at Mac Game Store. The jigsaw puzzle based title challenges players to assemble puzzles as quickly as possible. The game features a variety of images and game settings.

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Toxic Gas First Used in Syria 1,700 Years Ago

Persian soldiers chocked to death advancing Romans using a mixture of bitumen and sulfur. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/toxic-gas-brought-death-in-syria-more-than-1700-years-ago-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Phoenix 'UFO' Revealed as NASA Experiment

A strange UFO sighted over Phoenix earlier this week turned out to be a NASA-related craft. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/ufo-over-phoenix-identified-as-nasa-balloon-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Designing levels... - GameDev.net

Designing levels... GameDev.net Hello, I had an idea for a flash game, basically it's a puzzle game that's tile-based. Each level has a finish that you must get to, but to get to it you need to place tiles that are given to you. I have a prototype going and it's not really a code ...

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Wear Hot Pants, Bike Faster?

They worked at the Olympics, where the British team won eight gold cycling medals. Now research explains why. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/adventure/outdoor-activities/britain-olympic-cycling-hot-pants-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

DNews: Why It's So Easy to Ignore Your Girlfriend

Have you ever been accused of unintentionally ignoring your boyfriend or girlfriend? Well, don't take the blame: It's science's fault! Anthony explains.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/videos/why-its-so-easy-to-ignore-your-girlfriend-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

DNews: How Sarin Gas Works

In Damascus last month, more than 1,400 people died in a sarin gas attack believed to have been carried out by the Syrian government. Laci explains what this deadly nerve agent is and how it works.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/videos/how-sarin-gas-works-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

This Game's Beautiful Infographic Puzzles Will Mess With Your Head - Kotaku

This Game's Beautiful Infographic Puzzles Will Mess With Your Head Kotaku Oh, look: a side-scroller. You know what to do, right? Just run to the right and hop onto that elevated platform to get to the next screen. Wait. What's happening? It's getting taller as you move closer to it? Why? WTF? This isn't how things are ...

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Kid-Made Device Targets Dogs' Separation Anxiety

Thirteen-year-old finds a way to keep pets in touch with owners who are away.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/pets/device-may-calm-dogs-separation-anxiety-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Mysterious Amazon Web Tower Baffles Scientists

Strange sightings and new species abound in the Peruvian amazon, including a strange web-like structure that no scientist has been able to yet identify.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/mysterious-amazon-web-baffles-scientists-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Video Games Keep Older Brains Younger

Video games can help keep older minds sharp. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/video-games-make-your-brain-younger-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Yelling at Teens Linked to Bad Behavior

Parents commonly shout, yell or even swear at their teenagers, but this discipline strategy may actually increase their child's risk for behavioral problems.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/the-more-teens-are-yelled-at-the-worse-they-behave-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Smart Syringe Sticks It To Blood-borne Disease

The ABC syringe uses an intelligent ink that turns red when exposed to carbon dioxide, alerting doctors of potential contamination. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/smart-syringe-sticks-it-to-blood-borne-disease-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Seismic Signatures Signal Giant Landslide Alarm

A landslide in a remote part of Alaska was detected first by a new seismic signature method, then confirmed by satellites. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/weather-extreme-events/giant-landslide-in-alaska-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Saturn's Monster Storm Dug Up Deep Ices

A planet-wide storm on Saturn reveals the first evidence of water ice.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/saturn-storm-deep-ice-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Famous Faces of Syrian Ancestry: Photos

Syria as a country may be foreign and far away, but there are some famous Americans of Syrian ancestry familiar to anyone in this country.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/life/syrian-americans-famous-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Bid Shadowed by Fukushima

The battered nuclear plant at Fukushima, where radioactive water is leaking into the ocean, hangs over Tokyo's bid for the 2020 Olympic Games.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/tokyo-2020-olympic-bid-shadowed-by-fukushima-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

If you like The Room, you may love... - Pocket Gamer

Pocket Gamer

If you like The Room, you may love... Pocket Gamer ... an engaging, but understated narrative. So, just like how you find out more about the mysterious null element as you open panels and drawers in The Room, you'll untangle the vague details of Year Walk's unsettling story as you solve the game's puzzles.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRB7cJFtbCkBKxbQGK-KssCsfAQmZv1TMgm8AEk3Yx1qrl-We31pYTndQX_

Mystery Alignment of Planetary Nebulae Discovered

Astronomers have discovered something weird in the Milky Way's galactic bulge -- a population of planetary nebula are all mysteriously pointing in the same direction.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/weird-planetary-nebula-alignment-discovery-hubble-eso-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

American Chicken: What Labels Won't Tell You

Processed chicken joined the long list of products OK-ed for import to the United States from China, last Friday. Concerns over health standards in Chinese food processing plants have consumer watchdogs crying foul. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/some-american-chicken-labels-should-read-processed-in-china-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Eye-Phone Set to Revolutionize Eye Care

A smartphone and an app can easily and accurately diagnose ailments including glaucoma, cataracts, myopia and long-sightedness.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/apps/eye-phone-revolutionize-eye-care-kenya-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

DNews: Why Squid Are Terror Monsters of the Sea

Elliott Morgan from SourceFed comes back to DNews and talks with Anthony about just how terrifying (and awesome) squid and octopi are.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/videos/why-squid-are-terror-monsters-of-the-sea-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Hubble's Beautiful Butterfly Nebulae: Photos

Dive into some stunning examples of bipolar planetary nebulae as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/hubble-bipolar-nebula-pictures-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Meet The Skyscraper That Melts Cars

A curved building in London aimed a powerful beam of light at nearby vehicles. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/meet-the-skyscraper-that-melts-cars-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Family Finds $300,000 in Gold Off Florida Coast

A Florida treasure-hunting family struck it rich over the weekend when they discovered an estimated $300,000 worth of Spanish gold coins and chains.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/family-finds-300000-gold-treasure-off-coast-florida-130904.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1