~ A record of places on the web I want to remember ~
BBC NEWS | Health | Video games ‘can improve vision’
Playing action video games can boost an aspect of adult vision previously thought to be fixed, a US study shows.
Researchers found playing the games improved the ability to notice even very small changes in shades of grey against a uniform background.
“Contrast sensitivity” is important in situations such as driving at night, or in conditions of poor visibility.
The Nature Neuroscience study raises the possibility of using a video game training regime to improve vision.
Contrast sensitivity is often one of the first aspects of vision to be affected by ageing.
There is some evidence that the visual system can learn
John Sloper
Moorfields Eye Hospital
It can also be affected by conditions such as amblyopia, known as “lazy eye”.
Improving contrast sensitivity usually requires physical changes in eye optics, through eye surgery, glasses or contact lenses.
A team from the University of Rochester studied expert video game players playing games involving aiming and shooting at virtual targets.
They found that they had better contrast sensitivity when compared with players who played non-action video games.
The PA Report – Banning E3 booth babes isnât good manners, itâs good business
The first thing I saw at E3 this year was a group of scantily clad ladies giving out energy drinks in front of the Los Angeles convention center. There was another group of female models posing for pictures upon entering the building, and to the right was another pod of âbooth babesâ giving away T-shirts. Going up the escalators I was greeted by yet another leather-clad group of women pitching a war game. The amount of female flesh on display before you even enter the show floor was impressive, and impossible to miss.
The message it sends is clear: This is a show for men, with advertising, promotions, and booth design aimed at grabbing male eyes. In a time when console makers and major publishers are struggling to connect products with gamers, this is a dangerously short sighted marketing strategy. The issue of booth babes isnât about being sensitive, itâs about selling to the actual video game market, and not the perceived reality of an all male audience. Video games are a diverse art form, and itâs time for our most important show to reflect that truth.
Study Shows Dogs React to Human Tears – ICTMN.com
Dogs react to a person who is crying whether it is their owner or an unfamiliar person, University of London Department of Psychology researchers found, reported Live Science.
The study, published online May 30 in the journal Animal Cognition, reveals dogs are more likely to approach someone who is crying than someone who is talking or humming. They typically responded to a humanâs tears with submissive body language. While their behaviors suggest dogs understand our pain, itâs not proof that they do, researchers noted.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | The dog’s eyes have it
Clever canines can do something which not even our closest relative, the chimp, can manage.
Dog, BBC
Thousands of years spent in human company
They can follow the human gaze or a pointing hand, figure out what it is we are looking at and seek out the target.
Dogs have spent thousands of years living with humans so a Hungarian research team set out to investigate whether this cunning ability came from wolves, the genetic ancestors of today’s dogs, or developed during domestication.
