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Today's Daily Brain Teaser (May 24, 2013)

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 GMT

Back in Forth

Based on the clue in parentheses, find a four-letter word that can be inserted backwards into the blank to complete a longer word.

Example: di____ve (a defeat)
Answer: dissolve ("A defeat" gives you LOSS, which is placed backwards in the blank: di_SSOL_ve.)

1. dis____s (horse movement)
2. mi____ce (high mountains)
3. l____ion (a Mexican food)
4. s____ing (food skin)

Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (May 24, 2013)

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 GMT

"If Today Were Your Last Day" - Nickelback
How well do you know the song "If Today Were Your Last Day" by Nickelback?

Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Expiation

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 GMT

ex-pi-a-tion

noun :: The act of making satisfaction or atonement for any crime or fault; the extinguishing of guilt by suffering or penalty.

"It seemed to him that it was all in expiation of some crime which, though conscious of his guilt, he could not rightly remember." -- Bierce, Ambrose

Memory : Smoking

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 GMT

There have been numerous studies comparing the memory performance of smokers to nonsmokers, and smokers always come out behind. Several studies show a direct correlation between smoking and decreased performance in memory for names and faces, as well as a decline in verbal memory. Another recent study included nearly ten thousand people and tracked their memory decline with age. People who smoked had five times the amount of decline that nonsmokers had.

There are two possible reasons for the memory decline experienced by smokers. The first is that smoking damages the lungs and constricts the blood vessels. This decreases the amount of oxygen that can get to the brain, which causes the brain to function at decreased efficiency and can cause some damage. The second reason is that smoking can cause hypertension which can damage the tiny blood vessels that feed the neurons in the brain. Without proper blood flow, the neurons will become damaged. The good news is that quitting smoking can reverse the decline and improve memory performance.

Creativity : Nonsense Names

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 GMT

Look around and find an ordinary object nearby. Try to come up with a dozen different names for that object. Be creative and silly. For example a stapler may be a 'Metalbendulator'.