Harmless Fun Can Kill Someone

Sledging in childhood: just harmless fun?

Debunking the viper's strike: harmless snakes kill a common assumption.

To survive, organisms must avoid predation and acquire nutrients and energy. Sensory systems must correctly differentiate between potential predators and prey, and elicit behaviours that adjust distances accordingly. For snakes, strikes can serve both purposes. Vipers are thought to have the fastest strikes among snakes. However, strike performance has been measured in very few species, especia...

Learning can ’ t be fun , can it ?

Inspired by research by Carrie Heeter et al. and the MIT Games-to-Teach project we set up a small scale empirical study on two educational games on Art aimed at primary school children. We found that both boys and girls liked to play these games; that one game scored better on our ‘fun-index’ and that girls had less mouse skills and lacked certain game skills. This did not, however, affect thei...

Can stress kill?

Although stress doesn?t usually lead directly to a person?s demise, long-term exposure can increase the chances of developing life-threatening conditions. Stress is an influential force that can either fuel someone through a public speaking engagement or make them feel sick to their stomach. When someone experiences stress, the body perceives a threat and responds with the "fight or flight" res...

Can lack of communication kill?