Gambling May Be Good For You: New Study On Gameplay And Brain Function

brain-training-helpIf you are an avid gamer we’ve got good news: According to a recent study from the Rush University Medical Center and Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, playing games REALLY does help to improve cognitive function, especially for adults. So really, don’t worry and keep on gaming!

Using MRI scanning, the researchers have found evidence that activities like reading, attending the theater, writing and playing games can help preserve the structure of the brain in aging individuals. Their results suggest that the nerve fibers responsible for transmitting information through the brain function at higher levels when engaged over time in complex, stimulating activities. The study, presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting in November, followed 152 elderly people and compared their brain function to the amount of mentally stimulating activities they performed. The data indicate that the those participants who were more mentally active maintained a higher level of brain function as measured by the MRI.

Arguably, the games enjoyed by gamblers can stimulate brain function in this way. Card games, which call for quick thinking, math skills, rapid recall and other mental gymnastics offer just this kind of training. In particular, poker and blackjack demand careful strategic thinking and poses serious mental obstacles, despite its often rapid-fire play. Online blackjack players and other card game enthusiasts can take heart: win or lose, at least their brains are getting a work-out.

Women Called “Fat Girls” In Latest Insulting Receipt Incident

Another incident in the recent trend of receipts containg insulting messages has occured in Stockon, California. As reported by online roulette site Roulette For Fun, Christine Duran, Christina Huerta and Isabel Robles were paying for their meal at Chilly D’s Sports Lounge inside the local Cameo Club Casino, when one of them noticed the phrase “Fat Girls” on the check. In disbelief, the women demanded an explanation from the casino’s restaurant’s manager, who made matters worse by demanding that they still pay their bill, with a partial discount. They refused and left the building. After hearing about the incident, Chilly D’s management and the owner of the Cameo Club Casino apologized to the women via Facebook. Jimmy Siemers, co-owner of Chilly D’s, has also pledged to address the women’s concerns.

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This rude-receipt is only the latest in a string of incidents of the same type. In January of last year, a customer at a New York City Papa John’s Pizza received a receipt calling her “Lady Chinky Eyes.” The woman posted an image of the receipt to social media and quickly received an apology from the company. In March, a Baltimore woman’s receipt from an area Radio Shack contained the phrase “Ugly Itch” and other insults. In this case, too, the company quickly offered an apology to the woman via phone. It remains unclear what action, if any, Radio Shack management took against the offending employee.

Technology blog Gizmodo has posted a gallery of recent offensive receipts. Whether incidents with insulting receipts are on the rise or simply better publicized through social media is unknown.

Skylanders Giants Is On The Top Of Santa’s List

Skylanders is a hugely popular game among children and tweens. Skylanders Giants is a follow up to the original game and was released in late October of 2012. The plot of the second game is that the Skylanders Giants are actually ancient Skylanders that were separated from the general population many years ago. Just like the original game, gamers use a portal to place their Skylanders figurines on. Here there figurines battle and solve puzzles in the game. When the gamer removes the figurine from the portal all the data is saved onto the figurine. Just like the name of the game suggests, Skylanders Giants has over forty new figurines that are twice the size of the original Skylanders. Gamers can still use figurines from the original game with the new game.

Other improvements have been noted in the new Skylanders game. Now each character has its’ own voice actor, giving the game a more personal feel. Players can also try to earn
achievement awards and trophies. A great feature for children, when they bring their figurine to a friend’s house to play their trophies will be announced as they place their figurine on the portal.

The game is sold for an average of $74 and includes three new Giant Skylanders figurines.