GeekSugar

Colorful DS Bundles Available on Black Friday

GeekSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:00:26 PST

I know I don't need an excuse to buy a new Nintendo DS, but if you don't have one yet (side note: Why?), then Black Friday is the perfect time to dive in. Starting November 28, you can pick up a DS in one of two new colors: Mario Red and Ice Blue. This is great news since the majority of you like your gadgets with a little hue on them. But the best part isn't just the new shades. Just like we saw last year, these hot new handhelds are being bundled with two of my favorite games to get you started - Super Mario Bros, and Brain Age.

The bundles will set you back $150 bucks, but the price is totally right for a limited edition color. I'm getting up early to snatch one up as a Christmas gift, although I'm not sure yet who will be the lucky recipient. But really, who wouldn't love a new DS? And if they don't, then it's more DS action for me. Merry Christmas, indeed.

America Ferrera Gets Brainy With Her Pimped-Out DS

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:00:41 PDT

Who knew America Ferrera was all about the bling? While getting brainy with Brain Age, America battles a pal to see who can complete the math portion quicker (and find out who has a younger brain) in this upcoming spot for Nintendo. I love how she has pimped out her metallic rose DS with all that bling - how geek chic! See how old her brain really is in this exclusive sneak peek at the commercial that will start airing this week.

Brain Age 2 Released: Twice The Fun, Twice As Hard?

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 03:30:56 PDT

Earlier this summer Nicole Kidman had signed on as Nintendo's television ad spokesperson in Europe for More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain?, prompting a renewed interest in the series here in the U.S. Of course Brain Age, was already a bona fide hit with Nintendo DS fans around the globe, so everyone has been abuzz about the series' next US feature.

Yesterday, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day was released for DS, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint. It may make you feel a little dumb, but it does not disappoint. Designed to give your brain a workout, Brain Age 2 featured 15 new activities - from playing simple songs on a piano keyboard to monitoring the photo finish of a footrace.

When you start a new game, you take a series of tests and get a score that tells you how "old" your brain is. That number is your "DS Brain Age," and the idea is that with daily practice your score will lower. Activities include serial subtraction, word scramble, change maker, calendar count, and my personal favorite, Rock, Paper, Scissors, where you speak the symbol that beats the one on the screen. I consider myself to have at least moderate mental accuracy and the game still made me scramble. It's great for anyone who likes Sodoku, puzzles, Pictionary and crossword puzzles - even if you're not a hardcore gamer.

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8 Myths About Sex Differences

The Good Men Project — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:49 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Agustín Fuentes points out that when it comes to men and women, what "everyone knows" isn’t what science shows.

Everyone knows that men and women are really different. We think differently and act differently because we are wired differently. I mean look at our brains and genitals: they are just plain different. Right?

Wrong.

What if many of the things we assume about the biology of difference are not so different at all? What if it is not our “wiring” but the ways in which our bodies and minds develop and play out in society that makes us seem so unalike? Could it be that men and women are more similar than we think?

I Dumped the Love of My Life and Now She Doesn’t Trust Me

Yes, women give birth and lactate and men do not. And yes, men are, on average, slightly larger than women and usually have greater upper body strength. There are these basic biological differences between the sexes and they are important . . . but why always focus on the differences and not the biological, and behavioral, similarities? Ahh, that would be because of gender.

Gender is a powerful reality; it is the perception and expectation of differences between males and females and it shapes both our bodies and our society. Gender differences are real and important, but they are not hard wired or even static. There is no biological or evolutionary mandate that only women really care for babies and show emotions, or that males are the best at economics and politics and prefer beers and skirt-chasing to domestic bliss. These are patterns of gender roles and expectations that shape the ways we look at our biology and behavior. They influence the way we expect the world to be. It is the strength of the societal myths about sex that fool us into thinking that men and women are so different by nature.

So let’s bust some of those myths.

Gender and sex are the same thing.

Sex and gender are interconnected, but not the same thing. Sex is a biological state that is measured via what chromosomes you have (XX or XY, usually) and aspects of your body and physiology. Gender includes the roles, expectations and perceptions that a given society has for the sexes. Most societies have two genders on a masculinity-femininity continuum. Some have more. We are born with a biological sex, but acquire gender. There is a ton of individual diversity within societies and sexes in regards to how sex and gender play out in behavior and personality.

There is an extensive body of data demonstrating this, but people interested only in specific differences between men and women choose to ignore it.

Male and female genitals are totally different.

Most people think that male and female genitals are about as different as can be: penis=male and vagina=female. But even this basic dichotomy is not quite correct: the genitals emerge from the same mass of embryonic tissue. For the first six weeks of life the tissue masses develop identically. At about 6-7 weeks, depending on whether the fetus has XX or XY chromosomes (usually), the tissues to start to differentiate. One part of the tissues begins to form the clitoris or penis and another forms the labia or scrotum. Another area begins to form into either the testes or the ovaries. This means that physiologically, male and female genitals are made of the same stuff and work in similar ways.

Male and female brains are different.

If there were really deep seated differences between male and female human behavior and biology they should show up in the brain. The genitals start in the same place and end up looking different, the brain does not. Our brains are pretty much the same. Male brains are a bit bigger than females’ (like their bodies) and females’ brains stop growing earlier than males (as with their bodies). However, whatever one may believe about other organs, in the case of healthy brains, size really does NOT matter one iota. There also might be a few differences in a small part of the brain called the straight gyrus (need more testing in this one). Other than these minor aspects there are no consistent and replicated reliable differences in male and female brains; it is a human brain . . . but how we use it is another matter.

Hormones make the difference.

Everyone thinks that males and females have different hormones . . . testosterone for men and estrogen for women. Nope, all the actual hormones in males and females are the same: there are no male-only or female-only hormones. Both men and women can get a flood of testosterone when they get into a fight or take part in an exhilarating sports match. Both men and women can get a flood of oxytocin and prolactin when they pick up a newborn baby. There can be differences in the levels, patterns, and impacts of some of these hormones in male and female bodies, but individual variation is often more important than the variation between the sexes.

Keep reading for the rest.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Makes You Stupid, Omega-3s Make You Smart

Leta Shy — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:56:36 PDT

As if you needed another reminder to stop eating processed foods: a new study has found that foods high in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can make you stupid. But there's good news, too: eating foods high in omega-3s can help combat loss of brain function.

The study looked at different groups of rats that had been trained on a maze. After a few days on the maze, some of the rats were fed an HFCS-sweetened solution as their drinking water for six weeks, with some also receiving a diet high in omega-3s. After the diet, the rats were tested on how well they could recall the maze. The researchers found that the rats who ate the omega-3 diet were faster at completing the maze than the other rats, whether or not they were also given HFCS. Not only that, but the rats given the HFCS and not omega-3s were the slowest at completing the maze, and their brains showed a decline in activity and memory function.

This latest lab study is yet more evidence that processed foods can mess with our minds (other studies, for example, have linked fast food to depression) and that a diet high in omega-3s can help protect your brain from aging and mental decline. Ready to swap that fast-food burger for a mind-sharpening meal instead? Here's a list of vegan sources of omega-3s and five staples of the omega-3-rich Mediterranean diet.

5 Foods That Boost Your Memory

Prevention — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:17:12 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Mandy Oaklander, Prevention

Leave it to scientists to burst our bubble. For years, studies have told us that chewing gum can boost memory recall, and as such, we’d pop Chiclets during noggin-twisting times: exams, high school reunions, Jeopardy. Did it ever work for us? Honestly, we can’t remember - and there might be reason for that.

A study out of Cardiff University in the UK found that not only does chewing gum not help your short-term memory, but it also impairs it. Though there are certain activities that surprisingly boost brain health, gum chewing isn’t one of them.

In a series of three experiments, 97 university students were asked to recall either a short sequence of letters or identify the missing item in a list. They performed significantly worse when chewing gum, no matter how vigorously or how lazily they chomped. Researchers speculate that the tongue, mouth, and jaw movements of gum chewing disrupt short-term memory (For a fun way to refresh your mind, try these seven brain games).

Nine Surprising Reasons You Can’t Concentrate

You can still fight short-term memory loss, hand to mouth, with these five tricks!

5 Reasons Why You Should Remember to Eat More Berries

Michele Foley — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:54:32 PDT

Berry season is right around the corner, and if a big bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries didn't excite you before, maybe this news will: eating at least two servings of berries per week can help delay age-related memory loss in women. A recent Harvard study followed 16,010 women over the age of 70, finding those who ate berries slowed memory loss by almost three years. Researchers cite the plethora of antioxidants packed into these small fruits as being the reason. If preventing memory loss weren't enough, here are five more reasons why you should up your berry intake.

They help with weight loss: Berries are loaded with the antioxidant anthocyanin, which has been shown to alter the activity of genes found in human fat cells, making it more difficult to put on weight. Blueberries, specifically, have been shown to diminish stubborn belly fat.
They are good for your brain: Investigators with the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston found that the polyphenols in berries help the part of the brain that takes care of regular maintenance and "housekeeping." Blueberries and strawberries were said to contain the most polyphenols.
They are good for your eyes: Berries, especially blueberries and raspberries, contain lutein, which is important for healthy eyes and sharp vision.
They help protect against disease: Berries are brimming with carotenoids, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Other phytonutrients in berries have been shown to protect against heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Those deep hues pay off tenfold when it comes to maintaining the health of your body.
They help slow down the aging process: The powerful antioxidants in berries prevent free radical damage in your body, and less free radical damage means slowing down the aging process to help you live longer!

Amped up for berry season yet? Mix things up by making one of these healthy berry recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktail hour!

What Is Precocious Puberty?

Tara Block — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:38 PDT

Most of us can recall how difficult and confusing puberty was, and especially the end of that transitory time: getting your first period. But can you imagine going through that awkward process in first grade? For a growing number of today's young girls, this is a reality. A recent New York Times piece explores "precocious puberty," a term being used for the growing percentage of girls entering puberty by age 7.

Typically, the stages of puberty for girls begin with breast growth, followed by pubic hair growth, and then ending with a first period. What researchers are finding is that breast growth is beginning earlier and earlier, but the first period average is staying pretty consistent at 12 years old. While possible factors for this precocious puberty include obesity, environmental toxins, and stress, it is interesting that the percentages vary so much by race. These early bloomers - or girls developing breasts by 7 - made up of 23 percent of black girls, 15 percent of Hispanic girls, 10 percent of white girls, and 2 percent of Asian girls. The cause of this disparity hasn't yet been fully explored. Is it genetics? Are there environmental issues to be taken into account?

Clearly, there's a lot more research to be done, as it seems like there are more questions than answers when it comes to what causes precocious puberty, its long-term effects, and whether it should be treated as a disorder. There are risks associated with early periods, such as depression, stunted growth, and breast cancer, but when it comes to psychological issues, it's a gray area. Is it easier for a young girl entering puberty to be treated as if there's something wrong with her, taking medications to halt puberty until she can better deal with it? Or is it better for her parents to treat it as "normal," and help her cope with the changes? And what happens when a 10-year-old girl has the brain of a fifth grader and the body of a high schooler?

Were you a late or early bloomer? Share your puberty stories - for better or worse - in the comments.

Five Fascinating Facts From The Male Brain

Angelica Marden — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:41:45 PDT

When a friend passed on Louann Brizendine's The Male Brain ($17) I almost added it to my already sky-high tower of books, but her recommendation was so passionate, I cracked it open during my commute. And I couldn't stop reading. The follow up to Brizendine's bestselling The Female Brain, the XY edition looks at the lifespan of a man's brain - from conception to old age - and how hormones influence growth, behavior, and the stages of life. While many of the book's insights felt like common sense reminders from college courses and pregnancy preparedness guides, I learned (or re-learned) a few fascinating tidbits that have already helped me better understand the men in my life. I highly suggest you pick up a copy, but in the interim, here are a few titillating teasers.

Strategies to Get Your Energy Back

Health — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:13:28 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Can't seem to get enough rest? To-do list dragging you down? Hit refresh with these foods, moves, and must-dos for a more revved-up you.
By Mary Kate Frank

Wish you were still bounding out of bed like you did when you were 22? Who doesn't! But it can be hard to summon all your old verve in the midst of the daily grind.

"The main reason I see for loss of energy in women is that they have too much to do," says Michael Roizen, MD, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and founder of youbeauty.com. "There's a merry-go-round of caring for kids, caring for parents, working, and not paying attention to yourself or getting proper sleep."

Health.com: How to Fake a Good Night's Sleep

Sometimes there's a medical cause (like a vitamin deficiency or thyroid disorder) for a lack of energy. If you feel deeply fatigued all the time, schedule a checkup ASAP. But if your sluggishness is just a case of you on overload, the good news is that you can do something about it yourself. Here, Dr. Roizen and other health pros share strategies for putting the pep back in your step.

Sleep more soundly
Although it's true that you naturally begin to sleep more lightly in your mid-40s - a result of changes in brain waves as you age - you can start having trouble catching zzz's much sooner. "I've got patients who at age 30 are sleeping like 60-year-olds because of stress," says Michael Breus, PhD, author of The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan.

A good night's rest is essential to waking up fully energized. Learn a few simple steps to snooze smarter after the break: