Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Oct 03, 2013)

G, D, S, B, H, S...



What is the next letter in this fairy tale sequence?



G, D, S, B, H, S, ??





Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (Oct 03, 2013)

"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2006)

"Laugh. Cry. Share the pants."



Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Slake

slake



verb :: To allay; to quench; to extinguish; to satisfy one's thirst.

verb :: To go out; to become extinct; to slacken; to become relaxed.



"My first act on coming to this water was, of course, to slake my thirst." --Wells, H.G.

Creativity : Groupthink

"Groupthink" is a term used to describe a process whereby a group can make bad decisions even though each individual in the group may realize that the result is going to be bad.



People have a strong need to feel accepted in a group. Whenever an individual participates in a group, it causes the other participants to react in some way. People want to be liked, so they tend to participate in a way that gains them acceptance. One way to gain acceptance is to be very agreeable and not rock the boat. When a bad or bland idea is introduced, very few people may challenge it. If nobody proposes a better idea, groupthink can result.



Proposing a creative idea that differs from the group exposes the person and puts them in a vulnerable position. Nobody wants to fail in front of their peers or superiors. As a result, wild ideas are frequently self-censored or toned down to a level that is easily assimilated by the group. Unless there is a process that encourages wild ideas, they will seldom be introduced and groupthink can result.



Groupthink can also occur if an idea comes from higher up in the corporate ladder. Nobody wants to disagree with their boss, even if they know that the boss's idea will fail.



Brainstorming is a process that encourages wild ideas. This is one way to avoid groupthink.

Memory : Eidetic Imagery

Eidetic imagery is the ability to retain an accurate visual image of a complex scene or pattern shortly after looking at it. The scene can then be described in detail for a short time. Eidetic imagery is a trait possessed by about 5% of children. The ability to form eidetic images is very rare past adolescence.



To produce an eidetic image, a person must study a scene for some time and must actively concentrate on this scene to retain it in memory. These images fade quickly when the attention is diverted to something else. Naming or identifying parts of the scene tend to interrupt the ability to form an eidetic image. Thus it is very difficult to form an eidetic memory of text.



Sometimes eidetic imagery is called photographic memory. This term is not exactly accurate because this type of memory is not formed like a photograph; eidetic images can be fragmentary and are not necessarily more accurate than normal memories. Additionally, photographic memory is a learned skill rather than a trait you are born with. For example, some people demonstrate impressive memory abilities, with feats like memorizing the number pi out to thousands of digits. Sometimes these people are described as having photographic memories. In reality, photographic memory is simply the successful application of effective memory techniques. In that respect, photographic memory is a learned skill that you can eventually acquire.

Syria to U.N.: We Are Fighting Cannibals

Syria's foreign minister, in a speech to the United Nations, claimed that his government is battling cannibals. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/history/syria-to-u-n-we-are-fighting-cannibals-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

New Species Found in 'Tropical Eden': Photos

A mountainous region of southeastern Suriname, which some believe has the world's most beautiful and pristine forest, is home to 60 new-found species.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/new-species-found-in-tropical-rainforest-pictures-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Review: “Papers, Please:” Cheap, Fun and Original - University Press

University Press

Review: “Papers, Please:” Cheap, Fun and Original University Press “Papers, Please” is a puzzle game, but it also features a rather engaging story told through interactions with characters and the environment that is the hallmark of the platform's point-and-click adventure games famous in the 90′s. The game was ...

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEkFlAU397cOr894CzoaFShYx6FgnaczlYA85SqNF0BfiizpZ6aEqMAgc

Modern Mourning: New Ways We Honor Our Dead

As traditional rituals fade away, we're finding new ways to mourn -- from online memorials to tattoos.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/life/new-ways-we-honor-the-dead-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Cat On A Diet – Like A Bunch Of Games You've Already Played [Review] - Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac

Cat On A Diet – Like A Bunch Of Games You've Already Played [Review] Cult of Mac The Living Room, for example, has 24 puzzles, which doesn't seem like a lot until you get stuck because you have to finish them in order. If the developers insist on making us beat all of them before moving on, it might have been useful to unlock all ...

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQA4uNQbHehgPtB2HVSdDIFK8KM4IzEFms3Sia2nRbVxecjSJ0TtGWMmVmI

DNews: Does Being Messy Make You More Creative?

Is messiness a sign of disorganization or creative genius? Admitted clutter-creator Anthony explains new research that shows a link between disorder and creativity.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/videos/does-being-messy-make-you-more-creative-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Epic Supervolcanoes May Have Decimated Mars

The surface of ancient Mars may have been rocked repeatedly by giant supervolcanoes, which unleashed colossal and explosive eruptions that forever changed the face of the Red Planet.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/super-volcano-mars-explosion-history-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

10,000 Walruses Gather on Shore as Ice Retreats

Government scientists spy a massive walrus gathering in northwest Alaska. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/10000-walruses-gather-on-shore-as-ice-retreats-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Wear An Atomic Clock On Your Wrist

For the chronically late, there won't be any excuses if they own this watch. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/wear-an-atomic-clock-on-your-wrist-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Mars Orbiter Spies Lackluster Comet ISON

Scientists managing the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have released their first observations of the incoming Comet ISON. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-orbiter-spies-comet-ison-closing-in-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Jellyfish Shut Down Swedish Nuclear Reactor

A giant swarm of jellyfish takes on a nuclear reactor in Sweden. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/jellyfish-shut-down-swedish-nuclear-reactor-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

More Remains Found at Costa Concordia Wreck

More human remains have been discovered in the search for two lost victims of the Italian cruise ship disaster. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/history/more-remains-found-at-costa-concordia-wreck-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Monster Desert Telescope Construction Complete: Photos

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is complete after Europe delivered its final antenna to the 66-dish Chile-based project.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/alma-antenna-mega-telescope-pictures-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Intelligent Glasses Translate Foreign Text

These specs project images of words from the wearer's native language over unfamiliar characters. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/intelligent-glasses-translate-foreign-text-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Strange Planet Has 'Plasma' Water Atmosphere

A nearby alien planet six times the size of the Earth is covered with a water-rich atmosphere that includes a strange plasma form of water.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/strange-planet-plasma-water-atmosphere-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Pop Music Bursts As Exploding Paint: Photos

A German artist photographs what happens when he puts paint atop speakers and cranks up the volume.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/pop-music-bursts-as-exploding-paint-photos-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Compost Harbors Legionnaire's Disease Bacteria

Compost may harbor Legionella spp., the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire's disease, a potentially deadly form of pneumonia. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/plants/compost-harbors-legionnaires-disease-bacteria-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Fastest Electric Superbike Flexes Its Muscle

Street legal electric motorcycles from Mission Motors top out at 150 miles per hour. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/autos/fuel-and-alternative-fuel-technologies/fastest-electric-superbike-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Best and Worst Places to Grow Old

The golden years can be glittering or glum depending on where you live.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/life/best-world-grow-old-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Tiny Primate Fossil May Link Asia to Africa Move

The fossilized jaw of a pint-size primate that lived about 35 million years ago in Asia has been unearthed in Thai coal mines.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/rocks-fossils/tiny-primate-fossil-discovered-thailand-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

London Zoo Video Captures Tiger Cub Birth

Hidden cameras at the London Zoo captured the birth of the zoo's first tiger cub in 17 years. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/london-zoo-video-captures-tiger-cub-birth-131002.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1