A new study by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) working with Her Majesty’s Inspector of Education and the University of Dundee tested 600 pupils and 32 schools to determine whether Nintendo’s Brain Training games really do improve learning. The answer? Yes! After nine weeks, all students improved their test scores, but students playing the game improved by a further 50 percent than the control group.

Also in the news, companies too are researching whether games can improve your cognitive abilities. From CNN:

Could playing computer games enhance mental agility enough to turn people over 50 into better drivers? Allstate Corp. wants to find out, and if the answer is yes, it might offer insurance discounts to people who play the games

The article goes on to state that the games aren’t specifically driving-related, but rather designed to raise visual awareness and reverse age-related cognitive decline.

“Multithreading is just one damn thing after, before, or simultaneous with another.”

– from “C++ and the Perils of Double-Checked Locking”

The SoftImage site has a great case study on the making of MGS4 with lots of wonderful images for those of you interested in some behind-the-scenes pictures of the game design process.

From Kate MacAlpine, a trainee at Cern:

A friend sent me the link to this video, and I have to say, this is the most clear and direct explanation of the difference between linear processing and concurrent processing I’ve ever seen. …That, and it’s just darn cool to watch a 1100 barrel paintball gun get fired.