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In a recent video, YouTuber and podcaster CGP Grey explained his newfound enthusiasm for what he calls Weekend Wednesday. Instead of structuring your week with five working days followed by a two-day weekend, you could follow a plan of two days of work, followed by a day of rest, followed by three days of work, and another day of rest.

Before you read on, take a few minutes to watch his explanation of the idea.

Watching Grey's video made me angry. Not because I disagree. On the contrary, I've worked this way for most of my adult life. But I had never written about it. Now there's an excellent video with this "new idea." And I'm here at my desk muttering "Yeah, but I've done this for years."

The Evolution Of My Weekend Wednesday

Five days of work. Two days of rest. We inherit this idea from family and school. But at some point it's worth asking: why? Isn't there another way?

I started wondering about this in my late teens. A lot of the best music gigs, especially if you wanted to see jazz, or experimental music, were on Monday nights. This made no sense if you looked at it from the perspective of the regular working week. But it made complete sense if the audiences for those gigs weren't people who worked Monday to Friday jobs, but people who were busy working on the weekends. You can't go and see live music on a Saturday night if your job means you're also on stage then.

Those Monday night gigs often had a different vibe. The audiences were quieter; more obviously focused on the music. More intense. And the musicians were more daring. Feeling less constrained by the need to entertain a crowd that was only half-listening, the musicians were more willing to explore challenging ideas with an audience that was interested in being pushed creatively.

The same was true in other ways. The people who visited galleries in the mornings during the week, or who went to the cinema on weekdays, had a different intensity.

An Idea Becomes A Habit

Pretty soon a pattern was set. I would joke that the problem with going out on a Saturday night was that everywhere was full of the kind of people who only went out on Saturday nights. But behind the joke was a growing personal insight. The stuff most of us cram into the weekend, like going to the cinema, or to see live music, or to enjoy a gallery or restaurant, was best enjoyed during the week.

This notion had become formalised by the time my daughter was old enough to start pre-school. I took every Wednesday off and we spent the whole day together. Saturdays became mother-and-daughter days, which left me free to catch up on the week, giving me an extra day or at least a half-day to work.

And whenever I could, I kept up that pattern. Saturdays often had a specific focus. For several years they were when I recorded and edited podcasts. Or focused on editing photos. Sometimes I would swap Saturday and Sunday around, almost always to suit family commitments.

But the split week pattern, with a day off in the middle of the week, continued.

The Pandemic Challenges Weekend Wednesday

The pattern has been challenged during the pandemic. Just like other established patterns that had served me well. I got sucked back into a regular five plus two pattern, like everyone in the household.

But this didn't have to happen.

In this season of working from home, and with a student daughter at university (or on summer holidays), we could've negotiated a different arrangement.

Except I got lulled into accepting the normal.

Watching the Wednesday Weekend video was a much-needed reminder of a pattern that had served me so well for so long. I'm now wondering if the emotional toll of the pandemic is only partly to blame for my feelings of exhaustion.

The Rest Day

Test match cricket used to include a rest day. The five-day match was split into three days of cricket, followed by a rest day, then two more days to decide the result. It was a throwback to the days when it was supposedly a "gentleman's sport" and was done away with as the game modernised in the 1980s and 90s.

But the idea that three days of work is enough and should be followed by a rest is fascinating. Particularly given everything we now know about the role of rest and a wandering mind for creativity. Taking a break after three days stops problems from overwhelming you, and gives you more chances to put work into context with the rest of your life.

Sometimes I dream about a schedule that is simply three days on, one day off throughout the year, ignoring the sequence of seven-day weeks. Of course, this would put you out of sync with the rest of society. But regular routines are increasingly uncommon anyway. Sports, for example, no longer follow their old-established start times and kick-offs. Once you get into adulthood, finding time to see friends typically takes a bit of to and fro to find a shared space in both (or all) schedules.

I'm shelving that dream for now. But as the hot days of summer fade, I am going back to Weekend Wednesday. There might not be anywhere to go yet. Galleries, museums, and live shows still feel like something we are months away from being able to enjoy. But long restorative walks in the park, or afternoons spent reading or playing guitar, are very much available and are there to be enjoyed.

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In a recent video, YouTuber and podcaster CGP Grey explained his newfound enthusiasm for what he calls Weekend Wednesday. Instead of structuring your week with five working days followed by a two-day weekend, you could follow a plan of two days of work, followed by a day of rest, followed by three days of work, and another day of rest.

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(Pocket-lint) - The Nintendo Switch has grown into a brilliant alternative to traditional games consoles. Its portability lends itself to games that don't particularly suit the Xbox One and PS4, and Nintendo's first-party exclusives will always make owners of those rival machines fizz with envy.

But for all its Mario, Zelda, Pokémon and Kirby titles, one much-loved series has been absent since the console's birth. Now we know why.

Nintendo has clearly taken its sweet, sweet time over its first Animal Crossing for Switch, to ensure that not only will it match the fanbase's expectations - but excel them.

New Horizons is far more than a 3DS remaster or rework, it is an expansion and advancement on everything that has gone before. And we are totally hooked.

Anyone who has played an Animal Crossing game in the series' 19-year existence will immediately know what to expect. And will find much that is familiar, to boot - especially in theme and graphical style. However, the gentle life sim has this time swallowed a survival game with a side order of Minecraft, resulting in something larger, more involving and, well, better.

Swapping the traditional town setting for a small, previously uninhabited island, New Horizons plonks you in the middle of nature - starting you out with just a tent and some nick-nacks and tasking you with, eventually, creating a thriving community of like-minded souls. It is idyllic and perfectly suited to both casual play when on the move, and more intense sessions when you have more time on your hands.

As with all AC games, the mainstay of this chapter is in collecting, bug and fossil hunting, fishing and building, all with an eye on forming bigger, better homes for yourself and your new animal neighbours. This time though, you also get to craft - a lot - and, eventually, unlock the ability to change the entire landscape through terraforming.

This makes it easily the most complete Animal Crossing yet and one with extraordinary longevity. It might start with not much open to you, but give it a few weeks and you'll soon be rewarded with the biggest array of customisation options offered yet.

You start by choosing your map from four randomly generated options, plus the location of your new home - in terms of northern or southern hemisphere. This is important as it determines which season and climate you begin with. Once chosen it is permanent - even for other players on the same Nintendo Switch - so you have to decide wisely as you won't be able to alter it without starting all over again.

The game suggests you set the hemisphere in relation to your own home, which will then ape the exact seasons you experience in the real-world: spring, summer, autumn and winter. However, should you fancy playing the opposite in-game to that outside the window, select the other hemisphere.

Like New Leaf on the 3DS and other former outings, New Horizons plays in real-time, with the real-world date and time in the lower left-hand corner and a synchronised day/night cycle. The time of the day makes a big difference to what kind of bugs and fish are available to catch, and they are seasonal, too, so you will need some dedication if you plan to catch something that only appears in winter, whereas you've started in spring.

Also like its predecessors, this latest Animal Crossing begins with simple challenges, in order to help you settle on the island. It then ups the ante on a daily basis, as you get more familiar with the controls and new features. These start out being mainly handed to you by the returning Tom Nook - who has become something of a multi-business entrepreneur in the last few years - and his nephews Timmy and Tommy.

As more of them are completed - and the island is further inhabited - others will ask you for help too, eventually giving you plenty to juggle on a daily basis. So, while the game seems a little sparse and small at first, it deliciously grows in a similar trajectory to your skillset, which is something Nintendo has been a master of since time began.

The majority of tasks either involve having to pay off debt - first for your on-island settlement package, then for each level of home you construct - and crafting tools and items to improve your surroundings. The first serves a stark reminder that, even when isolated on a deserted atoll with cute animal companions, you get nothing in life for free. While the second affords the game more purpose than ever before.

The in-depth crafting options added this time around mean everything on the island can be seen as a resource: trees for sticks and wood, rocks for stones, iron nuggets and clay, and even readily available weeds can be moulded into a makeshift umbrella. And, anything left over can be sold to earn enough cash (well, Bells, the in-game currency) to hand back to the penny-pinching, wannabe loan-shark Nook, before he sends the boys round.

To be fair, you're only paying him back for services rendered - and the boys are couple of two-foot raccoons - but it still feels like you never truly own anything. There's also always another opportunity to sink into debt again after each completed payment.

Still, there are plenty of Bells to be had everywhere - and we love the idea that everything you can pick up you can transfer into credit.

Plus, on top of the regular monetary unit, New Horizons adds a new reward scheme in the form of Nook Miles. These are like reward stamps on a Starbucks card.

Indeed, you get virtual reward cards available through another of the new features, your NookPhone, so you can see exactly what you have to do in order to earn them. This can involve something simple, such as catch a certain number of fish or specific type, or can require a more long-term goal, like crafting hundreds of tools. Some of them are daily, easy rewards, while others need to be completed through many months of play.

Nook Miles are different to Bells in that, while you can still use them to pay for some of the rarer in-game items, they can also be spent to upgrade your entire experience - adding new functionality to your NookPhone, for example, or expanding your inventory to hold more items at any one time.

You can also spend them on tickets to take you off the island and to another, one-time-visit alternative, mostly in order to find resources not as readily available on your own. It is there you will encounter potential future islanders too.

Indeed, we found that it was essential to plan regular off-island visits, or it could've taken an extra week in real-time just to harvest enough iron nuggets to help build a shop. And, there can be bugs and fish there you might not have discovered elsewhere too.

For us, that was equally essential, as donating our unique findings to Blathers museum (set-up after a few days of initial grinding in the game) is one of the true highlights of New Horizons. Inside its hallowed halls, you can explore multiple levels, with separate areas for bugs - including a butterfly house - and fossils. Plus, there is a mighty aquarium wing, with the sort of tanks you'd see at the London Aquarium. Even a huge shark tank is available, with any catches you might have made. How a lowly AC islander can catch a shark escapes us for now, but it's an impressive sight for sure.

Family and friends' islands are visitable as well, and provide other sources for materials for donation to the museum, for crafting, or simply to turn into cold hard cash.

Online and local multiplayer caters for up to eight players, with one being the host and others able to interact with the environment at a restricted level, depending on how trusted they are. You wouldn't want to, say, have a visitor cruelly chop down all your trees now, would you?

You can also have multiple players play on the same Switch. It can support up to four-player simultaneous play on the same screen, with each islander able to join in the fun using an individual Joy-Con or Switch controller.

One of the players is designated leader - which can be swapped - so the screen focuses on him or her, but you can do pretty much whatever you like on the island together, much as if you were playing solo. Plus, as players on the same Switch can all play on the same island (indeed, they have to as it's one island per install), they can even help advance each other's homes and living conditions.

If anything, that's the only main caveat to New Horizons. Cloud saving is not possible, so you can't play on one Switch and continue on another. So, if you do so happen to have a main living room Nintendo Switch and a Switch Lite for travelling (a rare scenario, we'll admit), you will have to start two totally separate adventures.

Or, if you have multiple profiles on the one Switch, they all have to play on the same island together. That's great for a family that wants to share their experiences, less so for feuding brothers and sisters who take pleasure in destroying what each has built.

One thing is for sure, whether you are playing on Switch Lite or a Switch in portable or docked mode, New Horizons looks great.

It is cartoony, as its predecessors, but there is great use of the available colour pallette, lighting and high-def crispness. With four seasons on offer, each with their own specific styling, plus weather effects and day/night cycle, the game has plenty to offer aesthetically.

It is perhaps at its best on the smaller, portable screen - whether that's the 5.5-inch display of the Lite or the 6.2-inch equivalent on the standard Switch - and we're happy to report that all text is purposely chunky to read easily to see at a glance. Strangely, that's not always the case on games for the console.

In terms of audio, we advise you to attach headphones when out and about as there are often sound cues for certain events, such as surprise packages floating overhead or NookPhone alerts and rings. And, you'll be missing out on some great ambience anyway if you don't.

Remarkably, for everything we've covered so far, we can't help feel we've only scratched the surface of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We've only been playing the game for a couple weeks ourselves, albeit nonstop, so there is still much that even we need to do and experience.

But then, that's the fun of Animal Crossing. We were keen not to give away any significant spoilers, as the whole point of the series is surprise and discovery through exploration. However, we could have talked about so much more and still not given a whole lot away.

In many ways, we will be continuing our journey alongside yours, should you choose to take the plunge, and we're certain you'll be as enamoured by its delectable charms.

It must be said that, with its enhancements and extensions, Animal Crossing: New Horizons requires a fair amount of involvement to get the best from it. Indeed, it's so addictive it could end up taking over your real life. But boy does it reward you for your efforts.
This article was originally published 3 March 2020 and has been updated to reflect its full review status
Writing by Rik Henderson.

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Animal Crossing (Nintendo Switch) review: Worth the wait

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(Pocket-lint) - The Nintendo Switch has grown into a brilliant alternative to traditional games consoles. Its portability lends itself to games that don't particularly suit the Xbox One and PS4, and Nintendo's first-party exclusives will always make owners of those rival machines fizz with envy.

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To see the divide between the best artificial intelligence and the mental capabilities of a seven-year-old child, look no further than the popular video game Minecraft. A young human can learn how to find a rare diamond in the game after watching a 10-minute demonstration on YouTube. Artificial intelligence (AI) is nowhere close. But in a unique computing competition ending this month, researchers hope to shrink the gap between machine and child - and in doing so, help to reduce the computing power needed to train AIs.

Competitors may take up to four days and use no more than eight million steps to train their AIs to find a diamond. That's still a lot longer than it would take a child to learn, but much faster than typical AI models nowadays.

The contest is designed to spur advances in an approach called imitation learning. This contrasts with a popular technique known as reinforcement learning, in which programs try thousands or millions of random actions in a trial-and-error fashion to home in on the best process. Reinforcement learning has helped generate recommendations for Netflix users, created ways to train robotic arms in factories and even bested humans in gaming. But it can require a lot of time and computing power. Attempts to use reinforcement learning to create algorithms that can safely drive a car or win sophisticated games such as Go have involved hundreds or thousands of computers working in parallel to collectively run hundreds of years' worth of simulations - something only the most deep-pocketed governments and corporations can afford.

Imitation learning can improve the efficiency of the learning process, by mimicking how humans or even other AI algorithms tackle the task. And the coding event, known as the MineRL (pronounced 'mineral') Competition, encourages contestants to use this technique to teach AI to play the game.

Reinforcement-learning techniques wouldn't stand a chance in this competition on their own, says William Guss, a PhD candidate in deep-learning theory at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and head of the MineRL Competition's organizing team. Working at random, an AI might succeed only in chopping down a tree or two in the eight-million-step limit of the competition - and that is just one of the prerequisites for creating an iron pickaxe to mine diamonds in the game. "Exploration is really, really difficult," Guss says. "Imitation learning gives you a good prior about your environment."

Guss and his colleagues hope that the contest, which is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft among others, could have an impact beyond locating Minecraft gems, by inspiring coders to push the limits of imitation learning. Such research could ultimately help to train AI so that it can interact better with humans in a wide range of situations, as well as navigate environments that are filled with uncertainty and complexity. "Imitation learning is at the very core of learning and the development of intelligence," says Oriol Vinyals, a research scientist at Google DeepMind in London and a member of the MineRL Competition advisory committee. "It allows us to quickly learn a task without the need to figure out the solution that evolution found 'from scratch'."

Gaming by example

The group behind the competition says that Minecraft is particularly good as a virtual training ground. Players of the game showcase many intelligent behaviours. In its popular survival mode, they must defend themselves against monsters, forage or farm food and continually gather materials to build structures and craft tools. New players must learn Minecraft 's version of physics, as well as discover recipes to transform materials into resources or tools. The game has become famous for the creativity it unleashes in its players, who construct blocky virtual versions of a wide variety of things: the Eiffel Tower, Disneyland, the Death Star trench run from Star Wars, and even a working computer inside the game.

To create training data for the competition, MineRL organizers set up a public Minecraft server and recruited people to complete challenges designed to demonstrate specific tasks, such as crafting various tools. They ultimately captured 60 million examples of actions that could be taken in a given situation and approximately 1,000 hours of recorded behaviour to give to the teams. The recordings represent one of the first and largest data sets devoted specifically to imitation-learning research.

The contest focuses on using imitation to 'bootstrap' learning, so that AIs don't need to spend so much time exploring the environment to find out what is possible from first principles, and instead use the knowledge that humans have built up, says Rohin Shah, a PhD candidate in computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, who runs the AI-focused Alignment Newsletter. "To my knowledge, there hasn't been another AI competition focused on this question in particular."

Spurred by cloud computing and an ample supply of data, reinforcement learning has typically generated the lion's share of new AI research papers. But interest in imitation learning is picking up, in part because researchers are grappling with the limits of the trial-and-error approach. Learning in that way requires training data that can showcase all possibilities and consequences of different environmental interactions, says Katja Hofmann, principal researcher at the Game Intelligence group at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, and a member of the MineRL Competition's organizing committee (Microsoft acquired Minecraft 's developer for US$2.5 billion in 2014). Such data can be hard to come by in complex, real-world environments, in which it's not easy or safe to play out all the consequences of bad decisions.

Take self-driving cars, for example. Training them mainly through reinforcement learning would require thousands or millions of trials to work out the differences between safe and reckless driving. But driving simulations cannot include all the possible conditions that could lead to a crash in the real world. And allowing a self-driving car to learn by crashing repeatedly on public roads would be downright dangerous. Beyond the safety issues, reinforcement learning can get expensive, demanding computing power worth millions of dollars, Hofmann says.

Unlike pure reinforcement learning's from-scratch approach, imitation learning takes short cuts, getting a head start by learning from example. It has already found a home in uses alongside reinforcement learning. Some of the most celebrated AI demonstrations of the past few years, including the AlphaGo algorithm's 2017 trouncing of human Go masters, combined the two approaches, starting with a foundational model generated using imitation learning.

Imitation learning has limitations, too. One is that it is biased toward solutions that have already been demonstrated in the learning examples. AI trained in this way can therefore be inflexible. "If the AI system makes a mistake, or diverges somewhat from what a human would do, then it ends up in a new setting that's different from what it saw in the demonstrations," Shah says. "Since it hasn't seen this situation, it becomes even more confused, and makes more mistakes, which compound further, leading to pretty bad failures."

Still, a number of researchers see great potential in the technique, especially when it comes to training an AI to pursue specific objectives. "The nice part about imitation learning as opposed to reinforcement learning is you get demonstrations of success," says Debadeepta Dey, principal researcher in the Adaptive Systems and Interaction group at Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington. "This really helps to speed up learning."

To get to the diamond treasure, the AI-controlled players, or agents, in the MineRL contest have to master a multi-step process. First, they collect wood and iron to make pickaxes. Then they build torches to light the way. They might also carry a bucket of water to quench underground lava flows. Once all that is prepared, an AI can begin exploring mining shafts and caves, as well as tunnelling its way underground to search for diamond ore.

Competitors must train their AIs with a set of hardware consisting of no more than six central-processing cores and one NVIDIA graphics card - something that most research labs can afford through cloud-computing services. More than 900 teams signed up for the competition's first round and 39 ended up submitting AI agents. The ten groups that made the most progress in training AIs to discover diamonds have advanced to the second and final round. Some of those AIs have managed to obtain iron ore and construct a furnace, two other prerequisites for making an iron pickaxe. But Guss doesn't expect any of the teams' agents to find a diamond - at least in this first competition.

Although the contest targets a specific objective, it could spur wider AI research with Minecraft. "I'm particularly interested in Minecraft because it's an example of an environment in which humans actually have diverse goals - there's no 'one thing' that humans do in Minecraft," Shah says. "This makes it a much more appropriate test bed for techniques that attempt to learn human goals."

And even if the game's graphics and rules do not perfectly reflect physical reality, developing more-efficient ways of training AIs in Minecraft could translate to speedier AI learning in areas such as robotics. MineRL "could lead to results which would have an impact in real-world domains, such as robotic assembly of complex objects or any other domain where learning complex behaviour is required", says Joni Pajarinen, a research group leader in the Intelligent Autonomous Systems lab at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany.

Once the final round of the competition wraps up on 25 November, Guss and other organizers will review the submissions to determine which AI proves the most advanced diamond hunter. The final results will become public on 6 December, just before NeurIPS (the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems) in Vancouver, Canada, where all ten finalist teams are invited to present their results.

If the MineRL Competition catches on and becomes a recurring tradition, it could provide a public benchmark for tracking progress in imitation learning. "It seems quite likely that MineRL will encourage more research into imitation learning," Shah says. "Whether imitation learning will have significance for real-world applications remains to be seen, but I am optimistic."

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AI takes on popular Minecraft game in machine-learning contest

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To see the divide between the best artificial intelligence and the mental capabilities of a seven-year-old child, look no further than the popular video game Minecraft. A young human can learn how to find a rare diamond in the game after watching a 10-minute demonstration on YouTube. Artificial intelligence (AI) is nowhere close.

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I've had Animal Crossing: New Horizons for six weeks. Nintendo sent me a copy for review at the end of February, and I've played it almost every day since then. I have more than 120 hours of playtime, according to my Switch Lite. That's not as much as some, and that's actually one of the problems that I've noticed since my review.

The issue isn't that I haven't played as much as others but that I feel the need to make comparison in the first place. After the initial tutorial experience, which lasts approximately two weeks of daily play, New Horizons is devoid of explicit goals. Nintendo wants players to feel free to decide what to do. And while I haven't put much time into achieving a 5-star rating for my island, I feel more and more like I should when I see others showing off theirs on Twitter.

When I wrote my review before the public release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I didn't realize just how much social media would change the way the game feels. Social channels were around in 2013, when Animal Crossing: New Leaf launched for 3DS. But they weren't as ubiquitous. More important, it was significantly more challenging to post a screenshot from Nintendo's dual-screen 3D portable than it is from the Switch.

Of course, that didn't stop me:

@timturi in your house! Must've E3 streetpassed. #ACNL pic.twitter.com/scDHingFEl

- Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) June 22, 2013

Even as the Switch makes it easier to post screenshots and clips, social media has also ... I don't want to say "hit its stride." That implies it's taking a jaunty stroll into the future. Social media has metastasized into more parts of our lives than ever.

And that makes it easier than ever to get the fear of missing out even in Animal Crossing.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is different

The FOMO is not completely external to New Horizons. Vice Gaming's Gita Jackson does a great job of explaining that here. I'm not going to restate her, so go read that as well. But I'll add that Nintendo has made some subtle additions and tweaks to Animal Crossing's formula that make New Horizons feel fundamentally different.

In my review, I noted that New Horizons supports longer play sessions than the early game in New Leaf. And this is generally a good thing. You can still fish, catch bugs, travel to an island for resources, and decorate your home. But now you can also collect crafting resources and DIY recipes, decorate outdoors, and complete achievement-style quests.

Or maybe you can try to get all the items during a timed event like some sad people:

37 disgusting recipes completed #AnimalCrossing #ACNH pic.twitter.com/NuDZYdmvLZ

- Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) April 12, 2020

In addition to just giving players more to do, New Horizon's additional features also change the cadence of Animal Crossing.

In New Leaf, players were pretty limited in terms of options of how to "progress." You could upgrade your home, add to your museum, design clothing, and interact with your villagers. New Leaf's mechanics were simpler - and I would even call them worse - than New Horizons.

But because everything was equally devoid of intrinsic rewards, many players felt they had more freedom to choose their own path in New Leaf. New Horizons, meanwhile, can often make you feel like you could be doing something more efficient with your time.

Sure, you could spend some time fishing, but you shouldn't let the day go by without getting your mats in case you need them to get the maximum amount of bells from a hot item in the store. Or you should grind out your daily Nook Miles challenges so you can buy plenty of Nook Miles tickets to find an island with rare loot.

Don't waste your time

New Leaf's mechanics were more meaningless and boring. But that's why they worked well within the structure of Animal Crossing, which is supposed to feel free of structure. It's a paradox. But you do things in Animal Crossing because you decide they're important even though you know they aren't.

You can still make those choices, but in New Horizons, Nintendo has stepped in and made some choices of its own. It built progression paths with reward loops and constant feedback. And for people who grew accustomed to previous Animal Crossing games, that can feel alienating.

But New Horizons has real frustrations

With New Horizons, Nintendo addressed hurdles that prevented some people from getting into Animal Crossing. And while a list of achievements like Nook Miles demystifies the game, I'm willing to trade some of the illusion to get a more rewarding game overall.

My deeper frustrations with New Horizons don't stem from a comparison to New Leaf. I'm still more hung up on the interface and multiplayer.

Before I get into this, I'll admit that I just spent a lot of words critically examining Nintendo's decisions to streamline and modernize Animal Crossing's mechanics. Now, I'm going to beg the company to streamline and modernize its user experience. But I'll gladly declare myself a hypocrite to not have to go through four button presses and an animation to build one DIY recipe.

I get that Nintendo wants to make Animal Crossing feel conversational, and it should maintain that when it comes to the villagers and maybe even the shopkeepers and Tom Nook. But I don't want to have a conversation with my workbench or the airline.

Let me queue up recipes in my workbench and hook the bench into my home's storage. When I want to go online, I get that Nintendo wants me to go the airport. But then just give me all of the options in a single menu. It's baffling that if I choose the wrong option, I can't just go back one menu. I instead have to start the conversation over from the beginning.

It's infuriating.

Online multiplayer

Nintendo also needs to rework multiplayer so that it is true drop-in/drop-out. Right now, the system stops everything for more than minute when someone else joins. And it does this to ensure it can save everyone's game to avoid item duplication and other tricks.

A better solution would be if Nintendo used dedicated servers. When a player wants to go online, spool up a server and then track everything that happens. And give us back some of our time. Then it won't matter if someone is in a menu when a friend wants to join.

Islands and accounts

Finally, dealing with accounts are as big of a headache as I expected. Before Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched, I wrote that the game was making me anxious. Nintendo was tying an island to your console, and even moving that to a new device was going to require a separate, special system.

But now people are finding themselves in all sorts of frustrating situations. If you join a family members island as a second player, you can't take that character or island with you if you get your own Switch. And New Horizons may make you want to do exactly that because Nintendo gives secondary players a really raw deal.

While the primary resident representative on your Animal Crossing island gets directions from Tom Nook and the power to decide where everyone goes, additional players are locked out of all that. Player 2 cannot even contribute materials to build the Nook's Cranny store.

It feels inconsiderate of players in a way that can really sour a family's experience with New Horizons.

Conclusion

I still love Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and I'm playing it every day. I'd also continue to recommend it to almost anyone. At this point, I'm checking in for shorter sessions. I'm also able to put aside the FOMO, and I'm also looking past any design funneling to still choose what I want to work on.

My island is still pulling me back to fill out my museum, for example. When I go into the game, I want to spend my time fishing and catching bugs. And then if I get distracted along the way ... well, that's just Animal Crossing.

But I am definitely shaping my experience in a way to avoid more frustrating elements. The online multiplayer is annoying to start and frustrating to participate in, so I'm just not using it much. I wish I could just send letters to people on my friend list, but that option doesn't open until we also play together online. It's yet another hurdle to enjoy the social features.

That's OK, though. People are going to start moving on from Animal Crossing soon. And I don't need them to catch a neon tetra.

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6 weeks with Animal Crossing: New Horizons reveals many frustrations

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I've had Animal Crossing: New Horizons for six weeks. Nintendo sent me a copy for review at the end of February, and I've played it almost every day since then. I have more than 120 hours of playtime, according to my Switch Lite.

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The latest generation console has arrived, with the flagship PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles already delivering on their power promise. Demand is high, with the stock hard to come by in the latter months of 2020 and a thriving resale market fetching premium prices. And while it'll take some time for the storm to settle, we already see the foundations of the coming years in gaming.

But with the consoles launches now in the past, we can see how Sony has entered the latest generation positioned securely for the future, staying prevalent in discussions beside Xbox Series X. The company did a lot right with the PlayStation 5 in 2020, and here are three successes Microsoft should take on board as it shapes its plans for the year ahead.

1. The timeworn tale of first-party and launch lineups

While the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 both launched as capable next-generation systems, each platform holder felt the importance of its first-party output throughout this year. While neither console saw the "must-buy" system seller as past consoles, a robust launch lineup from Sony was one of several reasons behind this being the hotly anticipated console. The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S had various games optimized for the hardware, but it lacked the flagship Microsoft-made titles, following the delay of Halo Infinite into 2021.

It amplifies a long-term problem for Microsoft, with its first-party creative output a continued criticism throughout the Xbox One generation. While Microsoft has its share of hits throughout the decade, PlayStation Studios has maintained a consistently compelling portfolio in the latter years of the PlayStation 4. That included titles like The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima launched in the lead-up to PlayStation 5, with backward compatibility translating its lead from the outset. Its seen many blockbuster Sony releases become critically-acclaimed cultural anchors, while Microsoft's alternatives often failed to retain long-term mindshare among the masses.

Microsoft looks to address those concerns, with a steady string of acquisitions flexing its corporate influence, doubling its creative arm to two dozen studios. Acquiring ZeniMax Media is the latest headline inclusion, dropping $7.5 billion for teams like Bethesda, known for The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. The company also had its triumphs, with the long-anticipated Fable reboot unveiled with Playground Games and tease of a new Perfect Dark headed by The Initiative, an experimental self-described "AAAA" studio. But it's still early days for these latest additions, with the best likely not to come until at least 2022.

It leaves me hopeful for Microsoft's first-party output, demonstrating its commitment to games, especially from its internal studios. It's a shame that wasn't proven with the Xbox Series X launch, and its barebones lineup highlighted some much-needed competition to come.

2. The PlayStation DualSense is next-generation hardware to remember

Microsoft was keen to boast the raw processing power enabled by Xbox Series X, but improvements to the controller were somewhat marginal compared to the PlayStation DualSense. The new Xbox Wireless Controller looks to be the best revision yet, with improved ergonomics making it feel great to use, to the point where the Xbox One controller feels plain wrong. While it also made some minor functionality tweaks, it wasn't the generational shift seen with PlayStation 5, debuting a drastic shakeup to its controller's identity.

The move to PlayStation DualSense wasn't just about that all-white color scheme, as a far departure from the DualShock family's signatures. The robust haptics system was the praised addition, with several hardware changes with significant implications on how games feel. The gamepad stows programmable voice-coil actuators in either grip, coupled with new "adaptive triggers," with increased precision over predecessors. That includes the usual feedback through vibrations, alongside a new trigger system with variable resistance based on gameplay.

Astro's Playroom has proven one of the best showcases yet, included with every PlayStation 5 system, and demonstrating early applications for the technology. The platform utilizes haptics throughout its world, meaning that walking on sand feels distinctly different from water rushing below. It also has mechanics like a "spring suit," where adjusting a coiled metal spring increased resistance when compressed. The new Xbox controller has the same rumble motors and impulse triggers as the Xbox One, which, while still responsive, fall far behind the tech used in DualSense.

It remains uncertain how developers will adopt DualSense features in the long-term. The Xbox One family had excellent haptics compared to PlayStation 4, especially with its impulse trigger vibrations. There were some memorable implementations, representing rumble strips in Forza or different weapons in Halo, but support was minimal. Improvements to the Xbox controller could pair nicely if the DualSense becomes a mainstay in the PlayStation 5 lineup.

3. It's all about that launch hype.

The pandemic pushed all manufacturers to think differently, especially when navigating the challenges of virtually showcasing products. Those in consumer technology often resorted to virtual showcases, some taking refined infomercials, while others took a more candid approach. For Sony, that was a high-budget production that elevated the PlayStation 5 above the competition, with its June "State of Play" event a defining moment ahead of launch.

Microsoft started its Xbox Series X launch strong, unveiling the console design pre-pandemic at The Game Awards in December 2019, coupled with the first look at Hellblade 2. The first major next-generation hardware unveiling provided a head start in the spotlight for Xbox. Microsoft continued aggressively into the early months of the year, further detailing its console specifications and what players could expect. But when it came to showing the console's capabilities, a showcase focused on smaller developers saw lukewarm reception.

Sony also unveiled the PlayStation 5 in multiple stages, including a technical deep dive in March, and finally revealing its eccentric console design three months later. That came with a showcase of various in-house exclusives and third-party titles, including gameplay for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, alongside anticipated sequels like Horizon Forbidden West. We stated at the time how this event came in stark contrast to what Microsoft had shown just weeks prior.

Microsoft followed up with its blockbuster event in July, with big-ticket titles like Halo Infinite taking to the stage. It had some notable announcements, with a brief reveal for Fable's return, State of Decay 3, and Forza Motorsport, although with little context on what to expect from each. The Halo series latest also faced backlash over its visual presentation, souring what should've been Microsoft's hit title headed into the holiday. It meant that once Xbox Series X launched, we'd seen little actual footage of the console - while Microsoft delivered a great console, it did a poor job of telling me why I should buy one.

That's still evident today, with both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X hard to buy one month later, but with Sony's console seeing absurdly high demand. That's also reflected in the resale market's markup, with both of its new consoles fetching higher prices than the flagship Xbox.

It's still early days for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, with both consoles expected to prove themselves throughout the year ahead. With cutting-edge hardware representing a substantial leap over the previous generation, each brings sizeable advancements, although each with individual strengths. Let us know how you think Sony's offerings with PlayStation 5 compare to Microsoft's latest in the comments.

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3 things PlayStation 5 did better than Xbox in 2020

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The latest generation console has arrived, with the flagship PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles already delivering on their power promise. Demand is high, with the stock hard to come by in the latter months of 2020 and a thriving resale market fetching premium prices.

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Minecraft in the classroom

Teachers say Minecraft not only changes how kids learn, it upends the centuries-old model of lessons, lectures and memorization. Here's what a few educators have to say about the game's impact on education.

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Minecraft: The video game that builds kids' brain cells

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Minecraft in the classroom Teachers say Minecraft not only changes how kids learn, it upends the centuries-old model of lessons, lectures and memorization. Here's what a few educators have to say about the game's impact on education.

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It's no secret that Minecraft is wildly popular, and has been for some time. Since its creation in 2009, Minecraft has captured the minds and imaginations of more kids than we can count (and even some adults!) Merchandise, a movie, school educators, and our very own Minecraft camps and classes have caught the fire, and the blaze is only spreading.

Perhaps the words "redstone," "blocks," and "Enderman" are already staples in your home. Like many parents, you may be worried about exactly how much time your little one is spending on the computer playing a game that looks like it came from the first decades of the internet.

Surely it can't be healthy for them, right? They can't possibly be learning from just playing, can they? Actually, they can and they are!

What is the point of Minecraft?

Minecraft is an open world sand castle game-that is, a game that allows players to interact in a non-linear way with the environment, while allowing players to manipulate every piece of the landscape. The point of Minecraft is to survive, which includes building, acquiring inventory, and exploring.

These activities are supplemented by many creative aspects, making the game fun to play (and as we will get into, potentially great for the mind). There are monsters (mobs) to defeat, and even in multiplayer games there is an endgame that can be achieved (we won't ruin the surprise).

( Learn More: Minecraft custom mobs course for kids)

Is Minecraft educational?

Yes, Minecraft is educational because it enhances creativity, problem-solving, self-direction, collaboration, and other life skills. In the classroom, Minecraft complements reading, writing, math, and even history learnings. Importantly, Minecraft also teaches business principles, STEM knowledge, and global perspective. Both fun and educational, Minecraft is easily on our list of best video games for kids.

If your child loves both Minecraft and Roblox, and you'd like to learn more about the educational potential of both games, we break down Minecraft vs. Roblox in this post!

Is Minecraft good for kids

Given that Minecraft is educational while also possessing plenty of entertainment value, yes, Minecraft can be considered to be good for kids. In addition, Minecraft enhances life skills, complements school skills, and develops career skills.

Why Minecraft is good for kids

1. Minecraft enhances life skills

One reason Minecraft is good for kids is the promotion of creativity, problem-solving, self-direction, and collaboration-all of which stand out as the less-tangible, non-academic benefits Minecraft provides. It is these life skills that will give kids the boost needed when they eventually work their way towards succeeding in college and future careers.

Creativity

Minecraft is unique in that it's an unlimited world where kids can create literally anything they can imagine, but within the constraint that everything is made up of blocks that must fit within the 3D grid of the game. Each game mode in Minecraft offers different opportunities for creativity!

Pirate galleys, re-creations of both fictional and real-world cities, and even your favorite sci-fi ships probably already exist in Minecraft, and were also built by someone who hasn't graduated high school yet. Now that's some major creativity! (Seriously, go Google "cool things built in Minecraft." It'll blow your mind.)

Problem-Solving

"Survival mode," where various creatures come out at night and attack players, is just one facet of the way Minecraft encourages problem-solving. Players are dropped into various environments and must quickly figure out how to find and build shelter, make weapons, and collect food in order to survive. Strategy comes into play in a big way here, as each Minecraft "day" lasts a scant 10 real-world minutes, meaning players have to think on their feet if they want to stay alive.

Self-Direction

Minecraft is also unique in that there is no way to "win." Players must decide for themselves what they want to get out of their time in the game.

Do they want to collect resources and build cool stuff? Do they want to band together with their fellows and defeat a boss? It's up to them!

Such independence-and the positive reinforcement that comes when they check off the next goal on their chosen path-builds self-confidence and lets kids feel like they're in charge of their own fate, a feeling that can sometimes be lacking in the rule-laden real world.

Collaboration

There are a few different ways kids can play Minecraft with friends ( learn how to set up a Minecraft server here), either locally or with others around the world, and work together to achieve goals while doing so. They pool resources, build structures, defeat enemies, trade tips-the communication and cooperation involved is endless. Kids can then take these social skills and apply them to their lives off the computer.

2. Minecraft complements school skills

One mom, Michelle Conaway, has written multiple blog posts on the benefits she's seen from her children playing Minecraft, especially in the most basic skill sets- reading, writing, and math. Many schools have started to use Minecraft in the classroom, even, and for good reason.

Reading and Writing

Her sons' reading comprehension, spelling, and interest in journaling and other creative endeavors have all gotten a boost from that blocky, virtual world. The key? Motivation.

"It's simple. They've found a useful reason to learn to read and to extend their skills. It makes sense to them," Michelle says. "The motivation emanates from their desire to advance in the game."

Michelle's sons' spelling and written communication have greatly improved. "Multiplayer servers rely heavily on the chat section," she says. "Their writing skills improve because they have the desire to be heard and express themselves. It's even flowed into other aspects of their lives, including email, Facebook, writing letters, and making homemade books."

In Michelle's house, trips to the library to check out books about gemstones, biomes, and even space have become a common occurrence, due to the real-world elements her sons encounter in the game.

This means research skills come into play as well. To advance in Minecraft, players must look up information, hints, and tricks, involving anything from Wiki pages to YouTube tutorials and more. They learn how to analyze the endless resources at their fingertips to discover what's useful to them and what isn't. (Sounds similar to the way college theses get written, no?)

Math

Math is another huge and potentially surprising part of Minecraft.

"I've seen kids figure out how many minutes they have until 'night time', average the amount of food needed to go on a mining adventure, divide supplies evenly among players, and estimate the area needed to build a city," Michelle says. "The math concepts are all around them and they can't help but learn them if they want to be successful at their game."

Michelle's youngest even asked her to quiz him with multiplication flash cards, something he'd never done before. "He got every one of them correct-without ever doing worksheets or working from a textbook," Michelle reports.

Minecraft has many natural applications to mathematics, and it has been used by many educators to improve engagement and boost results.

Teachers allow kids to manipulate blocks, construct more complex shapes, and solve geometric problems in Minecraft. One teacher in Los Angeles found his "Mathcraft" program "helped increase the math performance of his class from 18% correct at the beginning of the year to 83% correct during the end-of-year retesting, while drastically improving the academic culture of his class."

History

Wait, history too? Yes! Hear me out.

Minecraft can in fact help engage students who might be turned off by the memorization of historical facts and dates. Why? Because in the game, you can import fully-reconstructed versions of famous buildings and landmarks, or build your own.

What better way to bring history to life than going on a virtual tour of the Great Pyramids, the Globe Theatre, or the Coliseum ?

When kids get a closer look at these buildings, they can develop a greater understanding of the architecture involved, and compare and contrast how different structures were built.

3. Minecraft develops career skills

You read that right-Minecraft can even be directly applicable to workplace skills that will help your youngster land a solid career someday.

Business Principles

Minecraft can prepare your child for a career in various fields like systems administration, management, and business. How? By hosting a server. The benefits are enormous, as Mark, a marketing specialist, discovered when he started playing on a server that belongs to a friend of his son.

"My son's 17-year-old friend had to acquire and maintain the hardware, learn the technology for hosting a Minecraft server, keep up-to-date with the product releases, find and install mods (add-ons), regularly ensure the mods are compatible with the latest Minecraft release, maintain the server, and provide support to all the players on it," Mark says. "Don't system administrators get paid good salaries to do this kind of work?"

Indeed they do. Mark also noted that his son and friend are actively promoting their server on Twitter, Facebook, and forums, which means they're gaining marketing experience as well.

STEM Knowledge

Don't want your child to be a server admin? There's plenty of other workplace training to be had in Minecraft. In addition to familiarity with computer hardware and functions, kids gain experience with Minecraft game design principles and coding (more on that below). These STEM abilities (science, technology, engineering, and math) are valuable in a 21st century workplace; some even call coding the new literacy!
Learn more about coding for kids >>>
A Global Perspective

The fact that kids can play with anyone from around the world is a fabulous mirroring of the global marketplace that business has become. How much further ahead will your child be if they go into an interview already proficient with common telecommunication tools like Skype, and the social skills to communicate clearly and effectively with people from around the world?

The social nature of Minecraft teaches sharing responsibilities, designating roles, negotiating designs, and completing projects-all incredibly valuable career skills. Such skills can be the hardest to teach, but are also the most desirable to future employers.

Gain the Valuable Educational Benefits of Minecraft

The next time your child asks if they can play more Minecraft (and you know they will!) think about all the useful, practical skills they're gaining. Sit down with them, watch them play, and get involved with what they're learning and doing. And hey, aren't you a little tickled that they're learning while having fun, without even realizing it? That's the best kind of education, and the kind we specialize in at iD Tech!

Want to take your child's Minecraft education to the next level? Come to camp with us online, right now! We've got Minecraft down pat, and can enhance your child's love of this popular, fun, and educational tool. Learn more about Minecraft coding for kids now!

If you've got a camper who's never placed a block or fought a creeper, never fear. We've got dozens of courses on all of today's coolest tech topics just waiting to be explored by your STEM student, offered as small group virtual summer tech camps or online classes for kids and teens. We can't wait to see your child online or this summer!

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Is Minecraft Educational & Good for Kids? | Benefits of Learning & Playing

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It's no secret that Minecraft is wildly popular, and has been for some time. Since its creation in 2009, Minecraft has captured the minds and imaginations of more kids than we can count (and even some adults!) Merchandise, a movie, school educators, and our very own Minecraft camps and classes have caught the fire, and the blaze is only spreading.

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I'm writing this while sitting on a chair hurtling through the atmosphere at 600 mph, 40,000 feet above the ground, going somewhere that is not for direct work. Actually, the purpose is entirely contrary to work but to step back and reevaluate the chaos that is my work. Yet, I'm not taking a vacation. I actually despise the word vacation.

But how is this possible? Some people may notice that I'm on the road a lot. That's right. Since stepping away from day to day patient care about eight months ago, I've been to 28 different cities and 10 different countries. Not as much as one of my partners in crime, Dr. DeBell, but enough to take notice.

Most of this has been work related, but not all of it. I can tell you for sure that none of this has been a vacation. I don't believe in vacations. I believe in travel.

You may argue that I'm being a stickler for semantics. Bear with me. The careful use of words and language has been on my mind as I try to use this website as a way to improve my writing skills beyond a third-grade level.

Let's get some anchors set here.

Vacation: An attempt to temporarily escape from current reality.
Travel: An accumulation of experiences separate from current reality.

I see vacation like an escape as a result of not attempting to shape your current life the way you want it, whereas travel is part of enriching experiences as part of your life.

I understand that this may be a tad confusing, so let's break this down. I am all over the place, almost constantly, but this an integration into my current life that improves it. I also "work" far more than I did when I did not live like this, so it's not like I'm living some lavish lifestyle.

As I've talked about before, I think you have to ask "why" several times and have good answers as to why you do anything. Here are the top reasons why I've decided to incorporate travel into my life the way I do.

1: Perspective
Having a home base in San Francisco is great. There are tons of 26-36 year-old progressive hipsters who are into eating well, working super hard and staying healthy. Wait, that's pretty much exactly me, right?

While I consider a bubble of like-minded people good for reasons like having a lot of coffee shops that I like around me, that isn't how the world works. There's danger in ideologies and complacency when people double down on "us vs. them" mentalities.

I get out of my shell and travel to expose myself to as many different perspectives as possible. This keeps me humble, grateful and reminds me how amazing different points of view can be.

If you're just taking a vacation, it's surprisingly easy to remain your echo chamber, be somewhere completely different, but never shift your perspective. I travel to break this barrier, not to stay inside it and look out at "foreigners" when I'm on the road.

2: Routine Breaking Increases Focus
Routine rules a lot in my life, which can be a great scaffolding to success. But too much routine and you have a lot of gaps filled with complacency and filler in my opinion.

Everyone is different, but I know I'm most productive and mentally stimulated when I keep a skeleton of my routine yet change settings on a whole. This leads to minimalist attitudes that wouldn't be possible if I were deeply rooted in one place.

Examples of daily routine while home or on the road include meditation, movement, organizing my day and life through journals and ridiculous amounts of spreadsheets and reading.

Forcing myself to work and be productive while traveling allows me to be trained and produce in environments that might otherwise distract me. At a coffee shop and construction going on outside? At an airport with a million stressed people coming and going? This is now one of my most productive places on the planet.

You can either see disruption and different environments as a distraction or use them to practice focusing and creating in any environment.

If you're taking a vacation, you're not improving your routine on any level. You're escaping from it because you likely hate it, only to be terrified to go back to it. When traveling you really have to hone in on what works and flex your routine muscles.

3: Interest Improves Learning
I'm a curious cat. This is probably why I try to do too many damn things at once (see here, here, here, here, here and more soon) and why I seemingly have ten thousand hobbies and interests but not the time or effort investment to be world class at any one thing.

This is also why the list of places I want to travel to and things I want to experience is essentially limitless. This constant drive to explore and see new things and learn about new cultures is pervasive into my work life as well.

New marketing techniques? New production needed for a new product line? This curiosity and repeated learning in unassociated topics increase my business skills substantially if I were to just focus on one specialty and not jump around like a mad man.

If I took a yearly vacation to some similar beach location, I would feel complacent and bored.

4: Ability and Impact
My current life is set up so I don't have to be present to provide value and trade time for money like I used to. Not only do I prefer this lifestyle, I'm able to impact far more people this way. Being on the road limits sinking back to the day to day work that is rewarding, yet not impactful in the long term.

I have flexibility without any major payments like a house or car, I don't have kids or anything keeping me in San Francisco on a constant basis. I'm "location independent" as all the hip new wantrepreneurs say. I'm also super fortunate to have the means to be on the road indefinitely. Both of these things may change with the snap of the finger, and I realize how temporary current situations may be. That being said, I'm taking advantage of the ability to expose myself to new experiences.

Some of you may think this should be a health and fitness website, what the hell is this article even trying to get at? Asking yourself if you're distracting yourself from your day to day life with a vacation or increasing your perspective with travel is just another way to practice asking why.

This practice shouldn't only be reserved for vacation or travel. Watching a TV show? Going to a social event? Why? Are you distracting yourself, or enriching your life and experience?

As I touch down in this remote location I'm heading to and unplug myself for the next week, I'll do what I challenge others to do so frequently. I'll take a break from engaging in the day to day insanity to ask why behind all of my actions.

With the current information and goals I have, does it make sense for me to do ABC in my personal life or XYZ in my business life? Maybe I'll come to the conclusion that incessant travel no longer fits my goals and I'll stop. I just know I won't be distracting myself.

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Why I Don't Take Vacations - Dr. Anthony Gustin

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I'm writing this while sitting on a chair hurtling through the atmosphere at 600 mph, 40,000 feet above the ground, going somewhere that is not for direct work. Actually, the purpose is entirely contrary to work but to step back and reevaluate the chaos that is my work.

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Please note - this news article was published more than three years ago. Some of the information contained may no longer be correct.

Super-agers - that's people whose biological age is lower than their actual age - should consider taking up the game of ping pong, according to TV preseter Dr Miriam Stoppard.

Why? "Because table tennis is the perfect activity to keep you happy, healthy, active and in good spirits" Dr Stoppard has claimed in a recent article on her blog.

"Table tennis is the perfect activity to keep well. It doesn't only keep your body fit, it keeps your brain fit. All that complicated hand-eye co-ordination works its magic with brain cells and helps prevent dementia.

The game is one of the fastest racket sports, requiring muscle and cardio endurance. You need nimble footwork and upper body flexibility to return balls that come towards you at 60mph, demanding faster response times than tennis or to badminton."

She continues by quoting Alessandro Moura Zagatto, a sports physiologist and researcher at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil, who has found that skilled table tennis players workouts are comparable to moderate rowing

"While the energy expenditure needed [to play table tennis] is about the same as archery or bowling, skilled players use much more."

Dr Stoppard used a 2014 study of 164 Korean women aged 60 and older to further support Mr Zagatto's research.

The study showed that table tennis improved more brain function than dancing, walking, gymnastics or resistance training.

"Exercise duration and frequency did not influence cognitive function, but results indicated that table tennis exerted a greater influence on cognitive function than other types of exercise did."

And to conclude Dr Stoppard, who has been at the forefront of the revolution in health information since she began her writing and broadcasting career in the early 1970s, outlined a set of tips for any budding players who might have been inspired to pick up a bat.

The tips included the following:

Concentration and mindfulness will help keep your eye on the ball.

Stay focused. Keep alert to spinning balls. Don't rush to attack.

If you're prepared to stick with it, your coordination and stamina will improve. You may even win the odd game, then a few more, and soon you'll be playing doubles.

Keep a water bottle nearby as you'll be sweating, and sip water between points. Stop when you're tired and give yourself a pat on the back.

You'll feel so good you'll find you don't want to give up ping pong."

Dr Stoppard's blog has been released as part of Mental Health Awareness week, which runs from 8-14 May.

You can find out more about what Table Tennis England is doing to support mental health here.

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Dr Miriam Stoppard: Why table tennis is great for the brain

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Please note - this news article was published more than three years ago. Some of the information contained may no longer be correct. Super-agers - that's people whose biological age is lower than their actual age - should consider taking up the game of ping pong, according to TV preseter Dr Miriam Stoppard.

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What's the best way to wean a 13-year-old boy off video games so he can develop interests? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Boontarika Sripom, MA, Clinical Psychology, on Quora:

Minecraft is *the* game children talk to me about the most.

Something about Minecraft enables young minds to explore their creativity, as well as develop other skills that can translate into the "real world" with encouragement:

Spatial Reasoning: This game involves knowing how to run into caves, forests, mountains, lakes, oceans, and figuring out how to get back home. For someone who needs a map at all times (like me), Minecraft has helped increase my awareness of landmarks and use my own methods for not getting lost.

Math Skills: Items are acquired in the game, and can be used in different configurations to create new items. Math is needed to produce items, as well as blueprint the size of buildings in your world. For example, wood is needed for sticks and fences. A player would have to use math to figure out how many blocks of wood are necessary for all wood items for a farm or home.

Increase Confidence: There's a learning curve with Minecraft. In Survival Mode, there is a lot of dying. There's also a lot of losing items if you're too far from a chest or your spawn when you die. Not wanting to die or lose your things encourages players to develop strategies for overcoming obstacles faster and more creatively.

Challenge Themselves: When I started dying a lot in the game, I went out with my swords to practice killing the creepers. I also learned to run away. I started traveling farther from my home and increased confidence with exploring during the day. I also challenged myself to build bigger and more creatively. There are endless materials to use. I started researching what others have made and wanted to build bigger.

Learn to Try Again: There are moments when rage-quitting sounds like the best option. Over time, with support from other gamers or friends, it gets easier to try again. Playing alone may or may not make it easy to cope with losses and dying. I find that having social support or community increases the likelihood that a gamer will try again and see games as a challenge, not a compulsion.

Turn Ideas into "Reality": Lots of thinkers love Minecraft. There is something about being an idea/theoretical person with endless tools and materials to use. It's like your brain finally has an outlet to turn these ideas into reality. And over time, these ideas and creations can get very big and very complicated. I am impressed with the contraptions my friends made, as well as the monuments and worlds other players made.

Learn How to Code: There are tutorials for learning how to code. I know people who wanted to play Minecraft for the particular reason of code implementation.

Learn How to Build Circuits: The Red Stone in the game can be used to create circuits, which automate parts of the world. A friend used Red Stone to automate part of my farming, so I save time during my play when harvesting crops.

Develop Survival Strategies: In Survival Mode, there is a steady stream of creepers when you fence off your home well enough. In dark places, creepers spawn, and you have to defend yourself or run away. These survival strategies evolve and develop over time, and there can be creative ways to protect yourself if you're stuck outside at night, or can't get home quickly enough.

Rebuild After Mistakes/Monsters Explode: Some of the monsters can explode or destroy your home. It can be discouraging, and it can also be an opportunity to move forward after a hiccup. These moments can also help identify weak parts of your infrastructure to strengthen.

Being Brave to Fight Monsters: There are some items you can only get from monsters in the game. They also die in the sun, so being brave enough to be around them can reward you with some neat items. Practicing being brave is also a metaphor for being brave "in real life." It may not seem like it, but the brain can't always tell the difference between play and real. If we are scared, sad, angry, accomplished in a game, these are moments that become memories. These memories can shape us to learn how to fight when we need to in life, or when we need to regroup.

Problem Solving; There are video tutorials, wikis, and peers that can help you research solving problems. As in real life, there will be problems. Learning how to find answers is part of overcoming many of life's challenges.

If on a server, or if peers also play:

Increase Communication Skills: Working together in this game helps to increase efficiency for all players. There's a chat window where players can identify where they are, what items they need, and if they found special places on the map for others to explore. Players also chat to trade items or identify the next steps in a group goal. If there is a boss fight or a dangerous part of the map to visit, clear communication is important, or the party could die.

Increase Socialization Opportunities: Peers who play together, or at least play the same game, can talk to each other in person. Sometimes peers don't have commonalities to discuss but want to be friends. Playing the same game can help children feel included like they belong.

Learn How to Ask for Help: Some people are more skilled and seasoned than others. Not everyone will ask for help, but having peers who play offers an opportunity to be humble and ask for support. This has implications in real life as well. This skill can show others that a person is willing to take direction or advice, and is interested in growing.

Learn How to Help Others: Those who help others benefit from feeling like they are contributing to the community. Giving and receiving is part of friendships, respectful relationships, and building partnerships.

I play on a server with my online friends, and I love it. I get to see how creative people are and can help in my own way. The community is growing, and I love being able to help others make their creations, while also getting support with learning the ropes.

If a concern is about playing too much, time limitations are healthy. Perhaps you can brainstorm together on what alternatives can be. Weaning off a game like Minecraft is going to be difficult, but it's not impossible. Strict times for playing during the week(end), with realistic consequences, can help. I am not sure what cold turkey would accomplish (some professionals I've chatted with agree with cold turkey; I do not). Reducing hours weekly can help give a child time to adjust, as well as find options with their time that fulfills a similar need.

Identify what Minecraft offers your child (fun, learning, socialization, challenges, creative outlet...) and find options that can help with the transition. It's important to have options that fulfill similar needs.

This question originally appeared on Quora. The place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:

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Why Kids Love Minecraft and How It Benefits Them

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What's the best way to wean a 13-year-old boy off video games so he can develop interests? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Boontarika Sripom, MA, Clinical Psychology, on Quora: Minecraft is *the* game children talk to me about the most.

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Make the journey part of your destination with train travel. (Photo: train image by Ludovic LAN from Fotolia.com )

With skyrocketing gas prices, car and air travel get more expensive each year. In the United States, train travel is becoming an increasingly popular way to see the country and reach your destination. There's no need to watch the road and worry about getting lost the way you can in a car. In Europe, trains are generally more convenient and sometimes faster door-to-door than airplanes. Comfort and a little old-fashioned appeal make train travel an attractive alternative.

Cost

Train tickets are almost always cheaper than plane tickets, especially if you're traveling for shorter distances, and you don't have to pay for your baggage. A train trip longer than 24 hours can be less expensive than car travel since there is no need to pay for hotel rooms. Unlike plane ticket prices, train ticket prices don't change by the day, and you don't have to book months in advance to save money.

Comfort

The irony of air travel is that with each price increase comes another cut in comfort and amenities. Most passenger trains offer more leg room than airplanes. You're free to get up and walk around and use your phone, and many trains in the United States and Europe have free Wi-Fi. You can bring your own food and drinks, or sit at a table in the dining car and enjoy a proper meal with other passengers.

Convenience

When you travel by train, you just buy your ticket and board. You don't have to arrive two hours early and endure long security lines. Baggage weight limits for trains are considerably higher than those for airlines; restrictions on carry-ons are fewer, and there's no standing around in baggage claim when you arrive. Unless you're taking a long-distance trip, a missed train usually means only a short wait until the next one comes along.

Time

While train trips might last longer than air or road trips, the total time door-to-door is often less because of station locations and less waiting. Train stations tend to be centrally located in cities, so there won't be another long trip from the where you get off to your final destination. High-speed trains in Europe and Asia have made some trips even shorter than air travel, with better access to local public transportation.

Pleasure

Instead of watching the clouds while the pressure builds up in your ears, you can watch changing landscapes pass by as you relax to the rhythmic, rocking sound of a train. Train travel can be part of the destination itself because you can visit little towns you might not have seen otherwise, and see sights you would miss on the road or in the air.

Carbon Emissions

Train travel is not only more relaxing and enjoyable, it's kinder to the environment. A passenger on a 100-mile car trip uses 45 lb. of carbon, and the same distance by plane releases 61 lb. of carbon directly into the upper atmosphere. Each person traveling by train uses only 21 lb. of carbon for every 100 miles.

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With skyrocketing gas prices, car and air travel get more expensive each year. In the United States, train travel is becoming an increasingly popular way to see the country and reach your destination. There's no need to watch the road and worry about getting lost the way you can in a car.

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By: Danica Taylor, Marketing/PR Intern

When you imagine an evening at the theatre, you probably picture an entertaining night out spent relaxing and watching a story unfold, taking you away from reality for a few hours. What you may not realize is that theatre is more than entertainment. Theatre is a unique, immersive learning experience for audiences of any age.

Today, an increasing number of communities are realizing how important theatre is to children's development. The number of theatres catering to youth across America is increasing, and the professional quality of many companies has shown patrons that theatres for young audiences are worthy of respect. Taking your family to see a show is certainly an exciting, memorable experience, but being exposed to the arts is beneficial in many other ways. We have compiled a list of reasons illustrating why taking your child to a live performance is so important.

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. Research from UCLA's Graduate School of Education by Dr. James Catterall shows that students who are exposed to the arts are more likely to be involved in community service, and are less likely to drop out of school. Studies by neuroscientists have shown that both the left and right hemispheres of the brain need to be fully stimulated in order for the brain to utilize its true potential. This means that it is just as important to immerse children in creative activities that exercise the right brain, as it is to immerse them in scientific and analytic activities for the left-brain. If children are exposed to additional performance arts, they will actually be working toward more effective thought processes.

CREATIVITY. Performing arts teach children how to think creatively through imagination. Creative thinking skills are critical in the world of business leaders, where the ability to create solutions to problems is a necessary and valued asset. Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, has said that the heart and soul of a company is creativity and innovation. Without creativity, there is nothing that makes an organization unique. Creative skills are one of the most important skills needed to be successful in any industry.

CULTURE. Through theatre, audiences are immersed in stories about characters from every background imaginable. Live shows teach children how to appreciate people of all kinds and how to respect other points of view. At The REP, each production brings a story with a unique viewpoint, ranging from stories about ballerinas, Siamese cats, siblings, new students, and elves, cultures and characters from all over the world are explored. Additionally, characters from historic time periods give viewers a chance to learn about events and people from the past. Not only is it important to learn about different kinds of people and aspects of life, but these shows also give a glimpse into other people's lives. Theatre allows you to step into someone else's shoes and see life from their point of view. This teaches young people lessons of empathy and cultural relativity.

PATIENCE. Bringing your child to a theatre for the first time may be a challenging experience. Children may not realize how different live theatre is from sitting in front of a TV or even the movie screen. Watching television has become an extremely popular form of entertainment for children. Because of how frequently children watch TV, they are not used to focusing on one thing for an hour and a half. Theatre helps children adjust to not seeing a new image every 3-4 seconds, and to realize that something can be entertaining and engaging without a constant change of scenery. They will learn how to sit quietly, respect others, and pay attention.

MORALS. Plays and musicals illustrate many different lessons. For example, The REP's recent production of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical taught lessons about staying true to who you are, as well as lessons of friendship. The REP's current show, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, looks at family life and how to cope with trouble caused by siblings. Theatre is a safe way to expose kids to difficult situations and show them firsthand how to handle these situations.

COMMUNICATION. Theatre exposes young people to new vocabulary and ways of communicating. Through the arts of dance, acting, and music, children learn how to communicate in a variety of unique ways. Another upcoming production from The REP, Junie B. Jones The Musical, is a classic story that illustrates how to communicate in a school setting. Learning how to communicate with new friends while watching performers express themselves through song and dance is a one-of-a-kind learning experience.

IMAGINATION. Children need imagination to grow, create, think, and play. Theatre is the single most valuable place where kids can explore the endless possibilities of their imaginations and what they can do. Skippyjon Jones, an upcoming musical in The REP's 2015 - 2016 season, is a creative, unique show that exemplifies how important it is to celebrate your imagination.

Without theatre, children not only miss out on an amazing artistic experience, but they lose the chance to experience an endless amount of learning opportunities. With exposure that not only raises school performance, but also encourages creativity, culture, communication, patience, morals, and imagination, an afternoon at the theatre is something that cannot be overlooked.

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By: Danica Taylor, Marketing/PR Intern When you imagine an evening at the theatre, you probably picture an entertaining night out spent relaxing and watching a story unfold, taking you away from reality for a few hours. What you may not realize is that theatre is more than entertainment.

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History of School Uniforms
Traditionally favored by private and parochial institutions, school uniforms are being adopted by US public schools in increasing numbers. According to a 2020 report, the percentage of public schools that required school uniforms jumped from 12% in the 1999-2000 school year to 20% in the 2017-18 school year. School uniforms were most frequently required by elementary schools (23%), followed by middle (18%), and high schools (10%).

The first recorded use of standardized dress in education may have been in England in 1222, when the Archbishop of Canterbury mandated that students wear a robe-like outfit called the " cappa clausa." The origin of the modern school uniform can be traced to 16th Century England, when the impoverished "charity children" attending the Christ's Hospital boarding school wore blue cloaks reminiscent of the cassocks worn by clergy, along with yellow stockings. As of Sep. 2014, students at Christ's Hospital were still wearing the same uniform, and according to the school it is the oldest school uniform still in use. When Christ's Hospital surveyed its students in 2011, 95% voted to keep the traditional uniforms. Read more history...

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro 1

School uniforms deter crime and increase student safety.

In Long Beach, California, after two years of a district-wide K-8 mandatory uniform policy, reports of assault and battery in the district's schools decreased by 34%, assault with a deadly weapon dropped by 50%, fighting incidents went down by 51%, sex offenses were cut by 74%, robbery dropped by 65%, possession of weapons (or weapon "look-alikes") decreased by 52%, possession of drugs went down by 69%, and vandalism was lowered by 18%.

And, school uniforms prevent the display of gang colors and insignia, reducing gang activity and pressure to join on school property. The U.S. Department of Education's Manual on School Uniforms stated that uniform policies can "prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school" in order to "encourage a safe environment." Educators in the Long Beach Unified School District have speculated that the sharp reduction in crime following the introduction of school uniforms was a result of gang conflicts being curbed. Osceola County, Florida School Board member Jay Wheeler reports that the county's schools had a 46% drop in gang activity after their first full school year with a mandatory K-12 uniform policy. Wheeler explains that "clothing is integral to gang culture... Imagine a U.S. Armed Forces recruiter out of uniform trying to recruit new soldiers; the success rate goes down. The same applies to gang recruitment." [35] [37] [67]
Read More

Pro 2

School uniforms keep students focused on their education, not their clothes.

Wearing uniforms also enhances school pride, unity, and community spirit, which can boost interest in education. A study of over 1,000 Texas middle school students found that students in uniform "reported significantly more positive perceptions of belonging in their school community than reported by students in the standard dress group." Christopher P. Clouet, former Superintendent of the New London Public Schools in Connecticut, stated that "the wearing of uniforms contributes to school pride." Arnold Goldstein, PhD, head of the Center for Research on Aggression at Syracuse University, points out that uniforms help troubled students feel they have the support of a community: "There is a sense of belonging." Further, "teachers perceived an increase in the level of respect, caring, and trust... throughout the school" and "students are made to feel 'important' and as if they are a part of a team by wearing a uniform," according to a peer-reviewed study.

Plus, school uniforms can improve attendance and discipline. A study by researchers at the University of Houston found that the average absence rate for girls in middle and high school decreased by 7% after the introduction of uniforms, and behavioral problems lessened in severity. School uniforms make getting ready for school easier, which can improve punctuality.
When uniforms are mandatory, parents and students do not spend time choosing appropriate outfits for the school day. According to a national survey, over 90% of US school leaders believe school uniform or formal dress code policies "eliminate wardrobe battles with kids," make it "easier to get kids ready in the morning," and create a "time saving in the morning." Tracey Marinelli, Superintendent of the Lyndhurst School District in New Jersey, credits the district's uniform policy for reducing the number of students running late. Lyndhurst student Mike Morreale agrees, stating that "it's so much easier to dress than having to search for clothes and find out that something doesn't match." A Youngstown State University study of secondary schools in Ohio's eight largest school districts found that school uniform policies improve rates of attendance, graduation, and suspension.
Read More

Pro 3

Students' legal right to free expression remains intact with mandatory school uniforms.

Besides, students can still express their individuality in school uniforms by introducing variations and adding accessories. Junior high school student Amelia Jimenez wrote in her op-ed for the Pennsylvania Patriot-News that "contrary to popular belief, uniforms do not stop students from being themselves. Uniforms do not silence voices. Students can wear a variety of expressive items, such as buttons or jewlery." Students can inject their personal style into their daily look with hairstyles, nail polish, and colorful accessories such as bags, scarfs, and fun socks. 54% of eighth-graders said they could still express their individuality while wearing school uniforms.

Further, students dressed in uniform are better perceived by teachers and peers. A 1994 peer-reviewed study found that students in uniform were perceived by teachers and fellow students as being more academically proficient than students in regular clothes. The study also found that students in uniform were perceived by peers and teachers as having higher academic potential, and perceived by peers as being better behaved. Students need to learn a balance between free expression and working within the confines of expectations.
Read More

Con 1

School uniforms do not stop bullying and can actually increase violent attacks.

Further, a peer-reviewed study found that "school uniforms increased the average number of assaults by about 14 [per year] in the most violent schools." A Texas Southern University study found that school discipline incidents rose by about 12% after the introduction of uniforms. And, according to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Office of Education Evaluation and Management, fights in middle schools nearly doubled within one year of introducing mandatory uniforms.
Read More

Con 2

School uniforms do not improve attendance, academic preparedness, or exam results.

The problems arise because focusing on uniforms takes attention away from finding genuine solutions to problems in education. Spending time and effort implementing uniform policies detracts from more effective efforts to reduce crime in schools and boost student performance. More substantive improvements to public education could be achieved with smaller class sizes, tightened security, increased parental involvement, improved facilities, and other measures. Tom Houlihan, former Superintendent of Schools in Oxford, North Carolina, stated that school uniforms "are a distraction from focusing on systematic and fundamental transformation to improve our schools."

That uniform policies are a distraction is most evident when we realize that the push for school uniforms is driven by commercial interests rather than educational ones. Americans spend around $1 billion on school uniforms every year. Retailer J.C. Penney Co. says school uniforms are "a huge, important business for us." In one year alone, uniform company Lands' End spent $3 million on marketing efforts directed at public schools and districts. Multiple studies used to promote the effectiveness of uniforms were partly funded by Lands' End, and at least one of those studies is "so wholly flawed as to render itself useless," according to David L. Brunsma. Reuters reported that retailers were "sensing their opportunity... stepping up competition in the uniform aisles and online. Walmart has set up 'uniform shops' or temporary boutiques within some stores."

The commercialization of school uniforms in public schools also undermines the promise of a free education by imposing an extra expense on families. Parents already pay taxes, and they still need to buy regular clothes for their children to wear when they're out of school and for dress-down days. The Children's Commission on Poverty (UK) found that over "95% of parents on low incomes reported difficulties in meeting school-related costs," including uniforms, despite their children attending tuition-free schools. Anderson, Indiana, parents Laura and Scott Bell argued against their children's school uniform policy, saying the $641 for their children's uniforms broke the guarantee of a free public education. In York County, Pennsylvania, a local NBC affiliate reported that some children were missing class because their families couldn't afford to purchase the required uniforms. And, all of that is before the uniform policies themselves are examined. Most operate like dress codes and are classist, racist, and sexist.
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Con 3

School uniforms restrict students' freedom of expression.

Uniforms take away the ability to use clothing as means of expressing support for social causes. Students at Friendly High School in Prince George's County, MD, were not allowed to wear pink shirts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month and 75 students received suspensions for breaking the school's uniform restrictions. Removing these choices can delay the transition into adulthood. Adults make their own clothing choices and have the freedom to express themselves through their appearance. Denying children and teenagers the opportunity to make those choices may make them ill-prepared for the adult world. Adolescents see clothing choices as a means of identification, and seeking an identity is one of the critical stages of adolescence, according to the late developmental psychologist Erik Erikson.

When students have to wear the same outfits, rather than being allowed to select clothes that suit their body types, they can suffer embarrassment at school. Child and teen development specialist Robyn Silverman says that students, especially girls, tend to compare how each other looks in their uniforms: "As a body image expert, I hear from students all the time that they feel it allows for a lot of comparison... So if you have a body that's a plus-size body, a curvier body, a very tall body, a very short body, those girls often feel that they don't look their best." A study by researchers at Arizona State University found that "students from schools without uniforms reported higher self-perception scores than students from schools with uniform policies." Some students also find uniforms less comfortable than their regular clothes, which may not be conducive to learning.
Read More

Did You Know?

1. The first school district in the United States to require all K-8 students to wear uniforms was Long Beach, CA, in Jan. 1994.

2. Americans spend around $1 billion per year on school uniforms.

3. Students at Eton, one of England's most prestigious schools, were required to wear black top hats and tails on and off campus until 1972.

4. US schools with a minority student population of 50% or more are four times as likely to require uniforms than schools with a minority population of 20-49%, and 24 times more likely than schools with minority populations of 5%-19%.

5. A government agency in Sweden declared that mandatory school uniforms were a human rights violation, stating that students should decide their dress and appearance as "a matter of the individual's freedom and integrity."

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School Uniforms Pros and Cons - 13 Arguments For and Against

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Proponents say uniforms may increase student safety. Opponents say uniforms restrict expression. Explore both sides of the debate.

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Minecraft Is Now the Second Best-Selling Game of All Time

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Minecraft is now officially the second best-selling game of all time, behind only Tetris.

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How many times have you wanted to take a vacation but thought, I just have too much to do?

How many times have you complained how exhausted you are but without doing anything about it?

How many times have you been frustrated by the long hours you are working, but without giving yourself a rest?

According to a recent survey, the average U.S. employee takes only half of their allotted vacation time. Unsurprisingly, they're suffering from being overworked, overwhelmed and overwrought.

Even among those who actually do go on vacation, three in five admitted to doing some work. A quarter were contacted by a coworker while they were on vacation, and 20 percent were contacted by their supervisor about a work-related issue.

It's time we say " enough is enough" and learn to put our needs first. Taking time off is good for your mental and physical health, and you can come back more productive and effective. It's a win-win.

Here are four science-based reasons you should book your next vacation today:

1. Stress reduction. A study released last year by the American Psychological Association concluded that vacations work to reduce stress by removing people from the activities and environments that they associate with stress and anxiety. Similarly, a Canadian study of nearly 900 lawyers found that taking vacations helps alleviate job stress. The effects last beyond the duration of the vacation, too: A small study from the University of Vienna found that after taking time off from work, vacationers had fewer stress-related physical complaints such as headaches, backaches, and heart irregularities, and they still felt better five weeks later.
2. Heart disease prevention. A host of studies have highlighted the cardiovascular health benefits of taking a vacation. In one, men at risk for heart disease who skipped vacations for five consecutive years were 30 percent more likely to suffer heart attacks than those who took at least a week off each year. Even missing one year's vacation was associated with a higher risk of heart disease. Studies find similar results with women: Women who took a vacation once every six years or less were almost eight times more likely to develop heart disease, have a heart attack, or die of a coronary-related cause than those who took at least two vacations a year. These statistics are not to scare you but to persuade you that time off is important to your health in the long run.

3. Improved productivity. In our perpetual rush to be productive, we often undermine our very ability to consistently perform at peak levels. Getting more done in less time allows us to get ahead and be more productive, but it takes consistent focus to be truly productive. Professional services firm Ernst & Young conducted an internal study of its employees and found that for each additional 10 hours of vacation time employees took, their year-end performance ratings improved 8 percent. What's more, frequent vacationers were significantly less likely to leave the firm. Another study by the Boston Consulting Group found that high-level professionals who were required to take time off were significantly more productive overall than those who spent more time working. When you're more productive, you're happier, and when you're happier, you excel at what you do.
4. Better sleep. Restless nights and disrupted sleep are common complaints--often stemming from the fact that we simply have too much on our minds. When we can't stop the chatter it affects our sleep, and a lack of sleep leads to less focus, less alertness, impaired memory, an increased likelihood of accidents and a decreased quality of life. Researchers say, that vacations can help interrupt the habits that disrupt sleep, like working late into the night or watching a backlit screen before bed. If you have stress from work and you find your sleep is disrupted because of anxiety or tension, take time off and learn to reset your sleep pattern.

As summer approaches, if you've been putting off your vacation, think again. Take some time off so you can sleep better and be more productive, more relaxed, and healthier.

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4 Scientific Reasons Vacations Are Good for Your Health

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How many times have you wanted to take a vacation but thought, I just have too much to do? How many times have you complained how exhausted you are but without doing anything about it? How many times have you been frustrated by the long hours you are working, but without giving yourself a rest?

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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The world is a stressful place right now. If you feel like you need a holiday, you should pick up Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. Here's why I and many other people love Animal Crossin g.

Now is the perfect time to get into Animal Crossing. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a new release for almost a decade. Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons on March 20, 2020.

RELATED: How to Connect With Friends in "Animal Crossing: New Horizons"

Why Do People Love Animal Crossing?

Animal Crossing is a life simulator. Each game has you move to a new town inhabited by adorable anthropomorphic animals. The latest entry in the series, New Horizons, has you sailing to a deserted island after purchasing a holiday package from a raccoon called Tom Nook.

If you've never played an Animal Crossing game before, don't be put off. There's no story or homework to catch up on to enjoy this outing. I'm envious of anyone who hasn't already dipped their toes in. There's so much to discover and fall in love with on your first outing.

The series began life on the GameCube in 2001, which established many of the franchise's long-running characteristics. The most notable of these is a real-time clock and calendar that mirrors the real-life passage of time. The seasons change as they do in real life. Playing at different times of day provides different things to see and do, too.

While the game offers many things to explore, the core gameplay loop is simple. When you start, you'll be given a basic dwelling and a loan from Tom Nook. You earn currency (known as bells) to pay off your loan, which in turn upgrades your dwelling. You'll then be given a new loan to work off until you've got the biggest house in the village.

But there are plenty of other things to do along the way. There's a museum to fill with bugs, fossils, paintings, and more. You can collect shells, fruit, and seashells to sell for a profit. You can spend time socializing and sending letters or gifts to residents and real-life friends.

Although this might not sound compelling on paper, the way Nintendo presents Animal Crossing elicits a sense of calm and serenity that few other games can match. The naive art style, soft yet vibrant color palette, and lullaby-like music is good for the soul.

Perhaps it's the pace that's most calming, though. While you'll face pressures to pay off your loan and keep up with the busy social lives of your neighbors, you're free to tackle the game at your own pace. There's no game over screen, no ticking clock, and very few mistakes to be made.

Sitting on the beach watching the sun go down while fish nuzzle your line is a genuinely soothing experience. Your animated fellow residents are almost always happy to see you, and they make meaningful changes to your interactions the better you get to know them.

There's much more beneath the surface that I'm holding back on, but I'm determined not to give too much away. You'll have to play the game to get a real sense of what makes Animal Crossing feel so unique.

New Horizons is a Holiday

The whole premise of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is that you're heading to a deserted island for a holiday. To begin, all you have available to you is a tent, and it's up to you to get to know your neighbors and take advantage of the world around you to move up in the world.

New Horizons introduces a few long-awaited features, including a robust crafting system. You can use basic resources like wood to craft items, then use items you have crafted to craft even more items. In previous titles, you could only decorate your house, but New Horizons lets you put furniture and decorative items anywhere on the island.

The game also introduces a new currency, known as Nook Miles, that you earn by completing various tasks around the island. You can use your Nook Miles to buy unique items not available through other means. A deeper social system allows you to influence how other residents behave, including where they should build their homes.

The game's other systems have also been expanded. There's now an option to select between northern and southern hemispheres so that the seasons are correct wherever you're playing. There are new types of weather, an expanded character customization system, and for the first time ever the game is in full HD.

While "HD graphics" might sound a bit 2010, the last Animal Crossing game on a home console was City Folk for the Wii, released in 2008. This level of detail, combined with the series' charming art style, really is a feast for the eyes. From the way the leaves rustle in the trees, to the bobbing of a fishing lure, to the joyful animation of your character catching a rare fish-it all looks so good.

And so, while New Horizons is a holiday for your in-game character, so too is it a holiday from the stresses of modern life. While the world hunkers down and prepares to ride out a once-in-a-century global pandemic, New Horizons is a vacation you can enjoy from home.

The game was supposed to launch in late 2019, but Nintendo delayed it to apply a final layer of polish. In the end, the timing couldn't have been better.

A Place to Hang Out with Friends

In addition to anthropomorphic NPCs, including several longstanding series favorites, New Horizons offers several ways to play with your real-world friends. To start, each Nintendo Switch system will have a single island available to all users of that console.

This means that if you're sharing a Switch with your partner, housemates, or children, up to four of you will have a house on the same island. You will all be able to contribute items to the same museum, maintain and beautify the island as a group, and interact with the same residents. The first person on an island becomes the "Resident Representative." You can play online with up to seven other friends via Nintendo Switch Online.

The Resident Representative is charged with building much of the major structures and advancements in the game. Only they can build ramps and bridges, customize the flag, and make changes to other core aspects of village life.

But you can still hang out with your friends, even if you're on different systems and different islands. This can be done remotely via Nintendo Switch Online, or locally via local wireless play. It's possible to visit each other's islands, socialize with the residents, go fishing together, and more.

At a time when we are being told to stay away from one another, New Horizons offers an opportunity to just hang out and embrace the mundane.

A Once in a Generation Title

You'll need a Nintendo Switch to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You can buy a physical copy of the gameonline or download it from the eShop on your Switch. The previous game, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, is available for the Nintendo 3DS.

A Nintendo Switch Online membership ($20 for a year) is required to interact with other people online.

Nintendo released the game on March 20, 2020. Prior to its release, it already enjoyed critical acclaim from a wide variety of outlets including Polygon, Kotaku, IGN, VG247 and Game Informer.

New Horizons offers a chance to escape stress, if only for a few hours a day. Seasoned Animal Crossing fans and newcomers alike can take solace in one of the most relaxing gaming experiences ever.

RELATED: 5 Easygoing Video Games to Help You Relax in Stressful Times

Tim Brookes is a technology writer with more than a decade of experience. He's invested in the Apple ecosystem, with experience covering Macs, iPhones, and iPads for publications like Zapier and MakeUseOf. Tim Brookes
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Why "Animal Crossing" Is Great, and Why You Should Play It

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The world is a stressful place right now. If you feel like you need a holiday, you should pick up Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. Here's why I and many other people love Animal Crossin g. Now is the perfect time to get into Animal Crossing.

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https://www.howtogeek.com/663363/why-animal-crossing-is-great-and-why-you-should-play-it/

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Next-gen gaming is just around the corner. The Xbox Series X|S releases in one week and the PlayStation 5 releases just two days later on November 12th (or November 17th in some regions).

That's . . . really soon. It's kind of crazy to think that we're finally at the dawn of a new console generation. It's been seven years since the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One, but in some ways it still feels like yesterday.

Since then, we've had a "mid-cycle" update in the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X. 4K gaming-or at least upscaled to 4k gaming-became a reality. Both systems received an updated design. The Xbox One, in particular, looked a lot better than the original.

But even with this update, it's been a seven year console generation and it's high time for something new, especially since both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will have many backward compatible games.

Neither of these systems is objectively "better" than the other (as far as we know) but each has its list of pros and cons. For the purposes of this post, we'll look at the advantages to buying a PlayStation 5 over an Xbox Series X. Here are five.

1. The exclusives.

The number one reason to buy a PlayStation 5 is (obviously) the video games themselves. In particular, the video games you can't play anywhere else.

Obviously, it depends on which games you're a fan of, but overall I believe that Sony has historically had the best exclusives. That might start to change thanks to Microsoft's buying spree-acquiring numerous developers including Skyrim maker Bethesda. All these new studios mean more and more varied content coming to Xbox Series X.

But, virtually all of this will also release on PC, typically at the same time as its Xbox release. And many Xbox Series X games will also release on Xbox One, though obviously they won't be quite as pretty and will load more slowly.

Meanwhile, Sony has true PlayStation exclusives. Granted, some of these will also release on PS4, but very quickly we should expect all of Sony's exclusives to transition to PS5. The launch crown jewel, meanwhile, is the Demon's Souls remake, and it's only coming to PlayStation 5.

Sony's strategy does appear to be changing, however. Horizon Zero Dawn recently released on PC, as did Death Stranding. But these are, for now, exceptions to the rule. They also don't release simultaneously on console and PC.

So if you want to play Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, Demon's Souls Remake or Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart you'll need a PlayStation 5. But if you want to play the Xbox Series X exclusives you can also play them on PC and, in some cases, with an Xbox Game Pass subscription you could skip PC and console and just hook up an Xbox gamepad to your phone. (This, by the way, is ironically also a pro in favor of Xbox as a platform).

The point is, the PS5 will have walled garden around its exclusives (some of which will also be on PS4) and that makes it more of a "must-have" system than the Series X.

2. The DualSense gamepad.

By all accounts-we haven't had the good fortune of actually using one of these yet-the DualSense gamepad is as true next-gen controller.

The advanced haptic feedback sounds remarkable, adding real immersion to next-gen games. If you read any announcement about a game being ported to next-gen, it always highlights how cool the DualSense is and how it changes the experience. Seriously, check out both this announcement about No Man's Sky and this one about Fortnite.

There's no similar gushing praise, or even practical inclusion, when it comes to the new Xbox Series X gamepad. I'm sure it's a very fine gamepad, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't sound quite as revolutionary. (I typically use Xbox controllers on PC when I'm not using a mouse and keyboard, so I'm anything but a Sony fanboy on this front. But the DualSense really does up the ante and I can't wait to get my hands on one).

3. There's no "Series S" PS5.

I think the Xbox Series S makes sense for gamers on a budget. I think it also has one glaring flaw: It's going to be a bottleneck on developers. Yes, Smart Delivery makes this somewhat less of an issue, since devs can essentially create two versions of a game that run at lower resolution and graphical fidelity on the Series S, with a smaller install footprint as well. But there's no telling how this could impact especially third-party games.

Will developers focus more on developing a one-size-fits-all solution? Some might. And that might mean that games will be developed with the lower specs in mind. This could potentially mean the Xbox Series X won't always even take advantage of all that power. Now this is, I think, still in the realm of hypothetical. Maybe it won't be a bottleneck at all. Then again, even game developers are warning about this and they know a thing or two about the subject.

The PS5 also has two versions, but they're identical in every way except that one doesn't have a disc drive. No PS5 "lite" means no worries over bottlenecking. Devs can develop to one spec instead of two.

4. The new Tempest Engine.

Alongside the DualSense controller, we've heard a lot about the excellent new 3D audio in the PlayStation 5. The new Tempest Audio Engine will really enhance the sound in games, creating realistic 3D audio.

The better your headset or surround sound system here, the more your shiny new PS5 will benefit your games. It's like graphics. If you don't have a nice TV or monitor, you won't benefit from the top-tier graphics. But with a great screen they come to life.

The new 3D audio capabilities of the PS5 should make it the best-sounding console on the market, and your games (and other media) will sound better than ever.

5. The price (for the Digital Edition)

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X cost $499.99. The Xbox Series S is way, way cheaper at just $299.99.

But the sweet spot might just be the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition which costs just $399. Sure, that's more than the Series S, but we're talking about a console every bit as powerful as the regular PS5 for a hundred dollars less.

Now, this might not be an option for a lot of people, I realize. That's because you can't trade in your used games and buy other used games. Digital is often (ironically) more expensive because of this despite not being printed on physical media.

But for those of you who don't care about used games to begin with, this is a great deal. (This is the version I purchased but honestly it was the only one of the two I could find. I figure I can just watch any disc-based media on the Xbox Series X).

6. The PS Plus Collection

This is a big one for any PS Plus subscribers. It basically gives you access to nearly 20 games (though this could go up in the future, they've already added 2) from the PS4 catalogue, from both Sony and third-party studios.
You can see the full list of games right here.
Granted, these are last-gen titles, but they're mostly top-notch ones. And they should load faster and perform better on PS5. This is part of your PS Plus membership, so it doesn't cost anything extra and you'll have all of these on day one.

That's not too shabby. It certainly makes the PS5 a more viable console in its early months when there just aren't a ton of next-gen games out yet.

7. The custom NVME SSD storage.

There's no doubt that the Xbox Series X has-on paper, at least-the beefier specs between the two, including more raw power.

On the other hand, the custom NVME SSD drive in the PS5 is about twice as fast as the Xbox Series X's storage solution. Microsoft's console also has an NVME SSD drive, but its throughput is just 2.4 GB/s compared to Sony's 5.5 GB/s.

How this will end up impacting game performance on either system remains to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised if the PS5 just loads everything faster. We'll have a clearer picture of what exactly that means when both systems launch next week. But we've heard lots of praise from developers who have worked with the PS5's drive and it sounds incredibly fast.

8. Demon's Souls!

Okay this is a bit of a joke since I already waxed on at length about the exclusives, but I'm just that excited about Demon's Souls coming to PS5. I always wanted it for PS4 but this is much better. The original PS3 version is so good. Easily one of my favorite games of all time. In fact, many years ago I wrote an article arguing that it was worth it to buy a PS3 just to play FromSoftware's original "Souls" game.

If you've played Dark Souls but not Demon's Souls you're really in for a treat. It's just so unique and weird and moody and atmospheric and quirky and wonderful. I can't wait.

And that's all folks! Remember, this isn't an argument that you absolutely 100% should buy a PS5 instead of an Xbox Series X. It's just some reasons that I think the PS5 is the way to go. There are also some very good reasons to buy an Xbox Series X which I'll list in a separate post. You basically can't go wrong.

Which one are you getting? Let me know on Twitter or Facebook.

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7 Reasons To Buy A PlayStation 5 Instead Of An Xbox Series X

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Next-gen gaming is just around the corner. The Xbox Series X|S releases in one week and the PlayStation 5 releases just two days later on November 12th (or November 17th in some regions). That's . . . really soon. It's kind of crazy to think that we're finally at the dawn of a new console generation.

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6 Reasons Why Minecraft is Good For Kids

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Here are reasons why Minecraft is good for kids and why you should let your children discover this world of infinite possibilities.

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The pros and cons of playing football

Football is a dangerous sport. And though there are risks involved, people still love the game. Michael Behr, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, gives us the rundown on the pros and cons of playing football.

The pros of playing football

Football requires conditioning and strength training, which are excellent forms of exercise and good for cardiovascular health.

"You do a lot of different types of training when you participate in football, from sprints to distance running to interval training to weight lifting," says Dr. Behr. "So it's really a good overall health benefit to someone in any age group."

Playing football is also a great way to improve concentration.

"It forces you to focus on what you're doing," explains Dr. Behr. "Otherwise you can be a casualty. So you can't afford to let down your guard."

And perhaps most importantly, football teaches the value of teamwork, leadership and having a good work ethic.

"You learn time management, you learn discipline," says Dr. Behr. "You learn how to deal with losses and disappointments. And those types of things are all really critical to youngsters as they get older and have to apply that to real-life situations."

The cons of playing football

But playing football isn't without its risks.

According to the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, more than 500,000 high school football injuries occurred between the 2014 and 2015 school year.

In 2017, thousands of pro-football players agreed to a settlement with the National Football League over serious health conditions associated with concussions.

"Regardless of how safe we make it, it's still a dangerous sport," explains Dr. Behr. "One of the hardest things for a team is to get through the season without people getting injured."

Common injuries include:

And while these injuries can range from mild to severe, they can sometimes be fatal.

"We've had a number of deaths around the country of kids who have had head injuries from a tackle that have led to death," says Dr. Behr. "And of course that's the worst thing that anyone could ever imagine. There are also the unknown cause of deaths where kids play and die from congenital problems that they weren't aware of. The most common being an enlarged heart. But some conditions are difficult to pick up on a routine preseason physical."

Playing football safely

There is an ongoing effort in the arena of sports medicine and through football leagues to try to reduce the risk of injuries.

"At the high school level, we now have physicians that are on the sidelines," says Dr. Behr. "Schools that don't have a physician on the sidelines usually have a trainer, and they can evaluate players immediately."

And the NFL passed several new safety rules this year, including allowing an injury spotter to stop the game if a player appears to have suffered from a brain injury.

"There are risks involved with playing football," says Dr. Behr. "But I think that's part of the attraction. I think if you got rid of all the risks, you would in fact take away a lot of the reason it's attractive to so many people.

Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online.

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Michael Behr, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Piedmont, gives us the rundown on the pros and cons of playing football.

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While the Nintendo Switch has been carving out a nice niche for itself, everyone knows that serious console gaming still comes down to PlayStation vs. Xbox. The PlayStation 4 has enjoyed overwhelming success over the Xbox One since both consoles launched back in 2013, with the PS4 outselling its competitor by a ratio of about 2:1. A few years ago, if you'd asked me which console to pick up, I would have immediately suggested the PS4 and left it at that, as Sony's console was clearly better at that point in time.

However, Microsoft has slowly but surely turned the Xbox One into a significantly better product in recent years thanks to a number of back end changes, two significant hardware upgrades, and an overall refocus on games ever since Phil Spencer took over as the Head of Xbox. In other words, the question of whether you should purchase a PS4 or Xbox One has become much more complicated than it used to be and now there are compelling reasons for owning both systems. We've already taken a look at why you might want to choose the Xbox One, but today we're going to take the other position and advocate for why you should pick the PS4 instead.

10. Better Overall Performance From Third-Party Games

This is basically a moot point if we're talking about the Xbox One X but since not everyone who's looking to purchase a console is looking to buy the most expensive one on the market, let's just keep this to a discussion between the standard PS4 and Xbox One models, shall we? (and yes, that includes the Xbox One S). The fact of the matter is that PS4 games generally output at higher resolutions than their Xbox One counterparts, a minor advantage that paid off in the PS4's early years (believe it or not, many consumers actually gravitated to the PS4 for the resolution advantage).

For instance, with a game like Metal Gear Solid 5, there's more visual clarity to the PS4 version, with distant textures appear softer on the Xbox One version. It's quite common, especially with earlier titles, to find the PS4 version of a game running outputting a 1080p resolution at 30 or 60 frames per second, while the Xbox One achieves 720p or 900p at 30 or 60 fps. Again, the existence of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X puts this comparison in Microsoft's favor on the high end of the hardware spectrum, but when it comes to base models, the PS4 still reigns supreme in the graphical department.

http://www.craveonline.com/culture/887075-metal-gear-solid-v-graphics-comparison-shows-differences-ps4-xbox-one-pc#/slide/1 Source: CraveOnline

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10 Reasons To Choose PlayStation 4 Over Xbox One

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While the Nintendo Switch has been carving out a nice niche for itself, everyone knows that serious console gaming still comes down to PlayStation vs. Xbox. The PlayStation 4 has enjoyed overwhelming success over the Xbox One since both consoles launched back in 2013, with the PS4 outselling its competitor by a ratio of about [...]

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When it comes to children and screen time, many parents take a cautionary approach. After all, many there are many digital outlets that vie for kids' attention, including TVs, tablets, computers, and smartphones that they can access at home or in school. And of course, parents also have to worry about lifestyle balance when it comes to sedentary and active recreation-the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that over a third of children in the U.S. are considered either "overweight or obese."

At the same time, children must become fluent in current technologies in order to function in an increasingly digital world. Parents can help direct their children's attention to positive and healthy online communities, such as the world of Minecraft, an open-world building-block game for PC and console. Researchers at Radboud University believe that certain video games provide significant benefits to children, helping them regulate emotions, build strong social ties, and improve other cognitive abilities. The following list explores why Minecraft can be a valuable addition to your children's playtime.

1. Easy Access

Both children and adults are easily captivated by the world of Minecraft. It's like discovering a limitless container of Lego blocks. The open sandbox format of this game makes absolutely anything possible. Avatars can collect resources by punching trees and digging up dirt. Eventually, these resources can be used in formulas to create other tools. Tools can start simple-hammers, axes, and shovels, but players gain enough resources, they can build complex tools-circuits, trains, and even houses. MinecraftEdu, an academic organization comprised of educators and programmers, recommends the game to teachers because it is "easily adaptable to curriculum" with "sandbox play [that] allows for ANY kind of experience."

2. Inspiring Confident Exploration

Contrary to other video games that have strict rules and linear event progressions, Minecraft is an open environment that doesn't come built-in with structured quests. This means that youngsters can roam through this world and explore without an urgent set of tasks. However, they are still challenged by loose survival requirements, such as feeding their avatars, building shelter, or warding off enemies (giant spiders or green "Creepers"). Children are free to make mistake and succeed in the world of Minecraft. Wired notes that video games have the power to help players "overcome the fear of failure IRL" (In Real Life).

3. Increased Creativity

There's no denying that Minecraft provides children with unprecedented opportunities for creativity. Some will explore extensive cave systems underground while other players might build lavish houses. Or who knows? Perhaps your child will reveal their architectural genius and create astonishing block cities and structures inspired by real or fictional locations.

4. Teamwork

Your children can play for long hours on solo missions. But families can also set up personal servers, so that other friends and family members can join in on the fun. Parents can also download custom Minecraft maps, such as multiplayer adventures. Psychologists have been researching video games as a way to build social skills, since children get to engage with one another to overcome obstacles and achieve success. In an American Psychological Association (APA) article, Dr. Isabela Granic describes studies that reveal "People who play video games...that encourage cooperation are more likely to be helpful to others while gaming than those who play the same games competitively."

5. Problem Solving

Children must discover new resources and experiment with different recipe combinations to create tools in Minecraft. They must figure out how to build a shelter before night falls and feed their avatar. Research conducted by S.R.I. International reveals that video game play might be responsible in measurable problem-solving and memory improvements.

6. Parents Can Play Too

Due to the game's extremely accessible entry point, scale-able levels of complexity, and group-play features, parents can also get in on the Minecraft action. Your building and survival experiences in Minecraft can be a great bonding exercise for the entire family.

7. It Teaches Resource Management

Once children become thoroughly engrossed in Minecraft, they begin to start calculating the costs of their resources. For example, wood can be acquired by hand, but it's faster to use an axe. However, all of these tools will eventually wear out, necessitating even more resources. Your child will soon be weighing the economics of labor and resources as they seek to craft the thousands of recipes used in this game.

8. Geometry Skills

There's no doubt that your children will get to exercise their spatial awareness and geometry skills while building structures with these blocks. Children will quickly learn what's possible with the six faces of a cube, and how to stack blocks in a way that is structurally sound.

9. Community Engagement

One of the coolest things about Minecraft is that other players are constantly sharing their custom-made modifications, quest maps, impressive artwork, and wiki entries. This culture encourages young people to explore their own ideas and contribute too. Depending on your child's age, you might want to explore special public servers, forums, and wiki guides together and see how other players customize their games.

10. Age-Appropriate Content

Finally, Minecraft can be played by children of many ages. It has been rated for people ages seven and up by the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) and ages four and up for the iOS version. Yes, there is some use of weapons against enemies in the game; however the interactions are not graphic at all. And parents can always set the game to "Peaceful" mode, so that children don't encounter monsters at all.

So what are you waiting for? Pick up Minecraft for PC or console to start exploring some of the advantages video games have in store for your children!

Featured photo credit: Anthony Harden via flickr.com

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10 Reasons Why Minecraft Is Beneficial for Your Kids - LifeHack

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When it comes to children and screen time, many parents take a cautionary approach. After all, many there are many digital outlets that vie for kids'

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In fact, unlike other sports, you don't need any certain qualifications or baseline skills to be a competitive table tennis player-even in big-name tournaments like U.S. Nationals. You simply have to sign up for a tournament pass.

Training for table tennis competitions involves a surprising amount of footwork.

"When people watch [recreational] table tennis, it's played on such a small table that a lot of people assume you don't need to move your feet [in the sport]," says Hetherington. But the truth is that competitive games demand a series of fast, calculated steps to keep the ball in play. "You do have to be able to move really fast so it's a lot more physical than people realize, especially when you get into it and take it more seriously," he says.

To improve their footwork, competitive players will play different shots on different parts of the table and connect the footwork between them, as well as do drills where they don't know where the ball is going, says Hetherington. It's about agility, fast footwork, and "staying light on your feet," he adds.

Elite-level competitors will also cross-train in the gym to build explosive leg power, doing movements like weighted squats and weighted lunges, says Hetherington. It's about "putting more body weight on your hamstrings and quads."

But table tennis isn't all legs, of course. It also involves a lot of core work. When playing with a forehand stroke, for example, the power you use to hit the ball is generated from a calculated core rotation, says Hetherington. In fact, competitive table tennis players don't focus much on upper-body strength at all, he says. "It's more about muscle memory than muscle mass," he explains. "The ball is so small and so light, if you [hit it too forcefully], it can go anywhere."

To excel in the sport, players need a combination of coordination and a very fast reaction time.

The coordination that table tennis demands isn't just hand-eye coordination, explains Hetherington, "but general physical coordination as well." Having the ability to quickly react and make fast decisions is equally important. "When you have a table tennis ball flying toward you, you don't have much time to figure out what's going on," he explains. Reacting (and moving) quickly is key.

Overall, "there are a lot of really tiny details [to master] when you are learning to play," says Hetherington. "It takes a lot of commitment and time." When he went to China several years ago for a training trip, for example, he practiced six hours a day, six days a week. Though this is an extreme example (China is known for having the most elite competitors and rigorous table tennis training programs in the world), pro players elsewhere will practice for hours every day most days of the week, he says.

If you play table tennis on the reg, you'll likely see several health benefits.

Playing table tennis competitively provides great agility work, coordination, and cardio. Mentally, it's good for your focus and resilience. "If you're training a lot of hours, it gets quite repetitive," says Hetherington, which makes it "quite a mentally challenging sport."

It's also a great way to meet new people and find a social network, says Hetherington. A common saying in the sport is that "a friend in table tennis is a friend for life," he adds.

Despite these benefits, "it's a sport that doesn't get much exposure," he points out, "so people need to give it a chance or at least try it out." And from casual table tennis-centered bars to competitive tournaments open to players of all levels, there are a lot of different ways to give it a go.

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A Look Inside the Challenging and Misunderstood Sport of Table Tennis

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In fact, unlike other sports, you don't need any certain qualifications or baseline skills to be a competitive table tennis player-even in big-name tournaments like U.S. Nationals. You simply have to sign up for a tournament pass.

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10 reasons why 'Animal Crossing' is the perfect game for non-gamers

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Why Animal Crossing may not be good for your mental health _ Metro News

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Every day, in every possible way, we need to stand up to stigma. If you're not sure how, here are some ways our Facebook community responded to the question: "How do you fight stigma?"

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The Pros And Cons List Of Playing Football _ Piedmont Healthcare

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Dangerous

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Dangerous kids' football can be made safer - The Washington Post

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10 Reasons Why American Football Is the Best Sport in the World _ Bleacher Report _ Latest News, Videos and Highlights