Braingle's Mentalrobics

Creativity : Engineering Challenge : The Bridge

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Engineering challenges are fun activities that are frequently assigned to students in physics or engineering classes, but they can easily be used outside of these venues. An engineering challenge usually has a simple goal and some rules about what sorts of materials you are allowed to use. These are great ways to get people thinking creatively and to foster teamwork and competition. Try an engineering challenge at a birthday party, office outing, scout meeting, or any other gathering where you want to have fun and encourage creativity.

In The Bridge challenge, each team is given some building materials such as glue, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, or small pieces of wood. Each team should get the same amount of materials. The goal is to build a bridge that can span a 24-inch distance and support increasing amounts of weight. The bridge that can support the most weight before breaking is the winner.

Memory : Learning Context

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:01 GMT

If you find that you cannot remember the answer to a question that you know you studied, try to imagine the place where you learned it. If you studied the material in the library, imagine the library. Try to recreate the entire context of where and how you learned the material: visualize the book, even the page where you found the material. Were there any diagrams on that page? What time of day were you studying the material?

Since the mind connects information in all sorts of ways, the contextual cues will give you a better chance at recalling what you learned.

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Frenetic

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:01 GMT

fre-net-ic

adj :: Wildly excited or active. Frantic.

"The frenetic crowd rushed the field after the big game."