Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Sep 27, 2013)

Commuter Science



What is the link between the following countries?



Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Liechtenstein

Madagascar

Slovenia



Czechoslovakia also shared this link, although neither the Czech Republic nor Slovakia do individually.





Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (Sep 27, 2013)

Greek Mythology IV - Persephone

How well do you know this character from Greek mythology?



Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Vocabulary : Dangling Participle

A participle is a verb that is used as an adjective. For example, "The crying baby was hungry." In this case the participle 'crying' is modifying 'baby'.



A dangling participle is one in which it is ambiguous what is being modified. For example: "Driving home last night, a biker almost smashed into me." In this sentence it is unclear who was driving home last night. Was it me or the biker? Dangling participles can be fixed by rearranging the sentence to make it clear what is being modified. For example: "As I was diving home last night, a biker almost smashed into me." Or, "A biker almost smashed into me as I was driving home last night."



Although they are often used in spoken English, dangling participles are not considered to be proper grammar and should be avoided when writing.

Creativity : Bug List

Many creative people like inventing or improving upon things, but it is often hard to discover what needs to be invented or improved. Here are three common ways that you can discover these unmet needs.



1. Interview or observe your target consumer. For example, you might talk to a bunch of teachers to see if they have any problems that you could solve.

2. Imagine yourself in their shoes. For example, you might pretend that you are a teacher and see if you can find any unmet needs.

3. Use yourself as the consumer and keep track of your own personal unmet needs.



Whichever method you use, a great way to discover unmet needs is to keep a bug list. Any time that you notice something that takes too much time, is complicated, or seems inconvenient to your consumer, write it down on your list. You can then refer to your bug list later to see if it sparks any ideas for inventions or improvements.

Memory : Phonetic Mnemonic Word List

Here are some words for the first 100 numbers in the Phonetic Mnemonic System. You don't necessarily need to memorize these, but if you plan to use the phonetic system, it would be a good idea to review them and practice making words from numbers and vice versa.

1. head 2. honey 3. ham 4. hair 5. whale 6. jaw 7. oak 8. hoof 9. pie 10. dice 11. tattoo 12. tin 13. thumb 14. tire 15. tail 16. dish 17. duck 18. TV 19. tape 20. nose 21. window 22. onion 23. gnome 24. winner 25. nail

26. notch 27. neck 28. knife 29. nap 30. mouse 31. meadow 32. moon 33. mom 34. hammer 35. mill 36. match 37. hammock 38. movie 39. mop 40. rose 41. heart 42. horn 43. harem 44. warrior 45. railway 46. ridge 47. rug 48. roof 49. rabbi 50. lasso

51. lady 52. lion 53. lamb 54. lorry 55. lolly 56. lodge 57. lake 58. wolf 59. lobby 60. cheese 61. jet 62. chain 63. gym 64. chair 65. jewel 66. judge 67. sheik 68. shave 69. ship 70. kiss 71. cat 72. gun 73. gum 74. car 75. coal

76. cage 77. cook 78. coffee 79. cab 80. office 81. photo 82. phone 83. foam 84. fur 85. veil 86. fish 87. fog 88. fife 89. VIP 90. base 91. boot 92. piano 93. bomb 94. bar 95. pillow 96. peach 97. book 98. beef 99. puppy 100. disease

The Saturday Quiz: Try our weekly brain teaser - The Independent

The Saturday Quiz: Try our weekly brain teaser The Independent 1. The two factions created by the 1904 split in the Russian revolutionary movement were the Bolsheviks and who? 2. Pat Clifton is a children's TV character better known as who? 3. Saudi Arabia is the country with the biggest oil reserve in the world.

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'Puzzle and Dragons' Guide - Spend As Little Real Money As Possible - Touch Arcade

Touch Arcade

'Puzzle and Dragons' Guide - Spend As Little Real Money As Possible Touch Arcade Puzzle & Dragons is a huge game with a ton of deep mechanics, both in the preparation phase of play and in the actual execution. Making a complete guide is well beyond the scope of one article, so I'm going to do something of a beginner's guide here.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRBn-UOOb1jByS5Tpl6691TfiuhwSrLBTg_zkK_sSOd5PW1NjxZpyX_dP2E

To Avoid Fights, Mice Sing to the Clouds

Deep in the cloud forests of Central America, two species of singing mice put on a high-pitched opera to mark their territory.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/to-avoid-fights-mice-sing-to-the-clouds-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Don't Check Out Mentally. Play These Brain Games - WFMY News 2

WFMY News 2

Don't Check Out Mentally. Play These Brain Games WFMY News 2 When it comes to staying sharp you might think of doing puzzles and word games. And while educational play is good, it isn't the only mind sharpening tool. . UCLA Researchers found healthy eating, not smoking and exercising regularly all linked to ...

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTZ-tEj6sV9PdL0cDxX4V4_u20IdHoa3v6iE3vplPLISurhyukoOtQnW1k

Angel Columns Optical Illusion

via Mighty Optical Illusions http://www.moillusions.com/2013/09/angel-columns-optical-illusion.html

Here is a new set of columns featuring negative-spaces that form an interesting optical illusion. Photo was taken at the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany, where the columns were originally created by David Barker in 1989 for Exploratorium (the San Francisco museum of science, art, and perception). The columns are truly unique, featuring spaces between them that resembles human figures. It’s not the first time we feature such illusion, but it’s certainly most effective among the bunch!

Human Remains Found Near Costa Concordia Wreck

Divers are searching for two lost victims of the cruise ship disaster. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/history/human-remains-found-near-costa-concordia-wreck-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Mt. McKinley's New Height: Still Growing

Even though cartographers have a shorter height evaluation for Mount McKinley, the mountain is still growing. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/mt-mckinley-new-height-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Water Discovery Is Good News for Mars Colonists

The discovery of water in the soils of Mars bodes well for potential future settlers, but don't pack your bags quite yet.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-water-discovery-human-mission-resource-curiosity-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

This Scoop of Mars Soil is Two Percent Water

By now, we probably all know that there was once significant quantities of water on the Martian surface and, although the red planet is bone dry by terrestrial standards, water persists as ice just below the surface to this day. … Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/this-scoop-of-mars-soil-is-two-percent-water-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

DNews: Water Found on Mars ... FOR REAL!

The Mars rover Curiosity just found out that Martian soil is 2 percent water! Anthony tells us what that means for the age-old question of whether life once existed on Mars and what it means for future human colonists on the red planet.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/videos/water-found-on-mars-for-real-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Tidal Body Clocks Found in 2 Marine Animals

Researchers have found coastal animals that seem to be equipped with a separate clock to track time via the tides.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/tidal-body-clocks-found-in-animals-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Top Eight Puzzle Mobile Games - MMORPG News

Top Eight Puzzle Mobile Games MMORPG News Want to solve your favorite puzzles on-the-go? we've pulled together a list of free puzzle games for iphone, ipad and android that won't cost you a cent. Don't miss out on them. #1. 4 Pics 1 Song · 4 Pics 1 Song gives you the pictures, you guess the song!

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Diet of Easter Islanders Revealed: Rats!

A surprising lack of seafood found in the peoples' diet.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/diet-of-easter-islanders-revealed-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Space Radar Could Help Find Buried Victims

Advanced radar can detect a living person 30 feet below crushed materials.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/space-radar-could-help-find-buried-victims-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Ultra-Wide Angle Lens Fits In Tiny Package

A new way to make a wide-angle lens could lead to an 85-megapixel imager the size of a walnut. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/ultra-wide-angle-lens-fits-in-tiny-package-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Man Controls Bionic Leg with Thoughts

Zac Vawter is the first amputee with a thought-controlled bionic leg.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/biotechnology/man-controls-bionic-leg-thoughts-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

DNews: Animals Get Drunk, Too

Just like humans, sometimes animals need a drink after a tough day. And, believe it or not, mother nature meets that need. From squirrels to monkeys, Laci Green shows us the animals that like to get a little tipsy from time to time.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/videos/animals-get-drunk-too-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Can Get-Away Reform a Cranky Gorilla?

A 23-year-old gorilla that likes humans but is annoyed by other gorillas has a 50-50 chance of being reformed.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/zoo-animals/cranky-gorilla-retreat-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Causes of Pakistan's New Island Revealed

The powerful earthquake that hit Pakistan on Tuesday struck along one of the most hazardous tectonic plate boundaries in the world.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/rocks-fossils/what-caused-pakistan-earthquake-island-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Earth Had Oxygen Much Earlier Than Thought

Oxygen may have filled Earth's atmosphere hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/rocks-fossils/earth-had-oxygen-earlier-130926.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Humans Not off the Hook for Megafauna Extinction

The debate flares up again as to whether humans wiped out the giant beasts of the last Ice Age. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/did-humans-kill-the-megafauna-13092.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Lost Echo Review - God is a Geek

God is a Geek

Lost Echo Review God is a Geek The beautifully designed locations do mean that most are quite small, and thus the puzzles aren't particularly difficult, as there is generally only a limited number of items to interact with. None of the puzzles in the game became frustrating, but a ...

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