Virtual Reality as a Tool to Sharpen Cognition

Detailed within a study published by the journal Nature Neuroscience, with research led by UCLA professor Mayank Mehta, virtual reality simulations have been observed to increase (in mice) the active brain phenomenon known as theta rhythms—which are, according to Fast Company, when “your brain thinks not just in frequencies but in syncopated beats.” This important, if not mysterious, rhythm is deeply important to cognition. Mehta is “arguing …

Tag Heuer’s Super Mario Smartwatch Animates The Nintendo Character To Gamify Fitness

Limited to 2000 production pieces, the Tag Heuer Connected + Super Mario smartwatch finds the Swiss luxury watchmaker kicking off a longterm partnership with Nintendo. The watch gamifies fitness and rewards wearers as they reach activity goals with compelling animations of Mario, who acts like a supportive digital coach. Bonus “Easter egg” features are unlocked along the way. Further, the brand looked to the 1985 …

The World’s Biggest Astronomy Museum to Open in China

Set to open 18 July, the 420,000-square-foot Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is set to be the largest museum in the world dedicated to astronomy. The building, designed by Ennead Architects, mimics the institution’s focus on space; its form is void of “straight lines or right angles, echoing the geometry of the universe and the dynamic energy of celestial movement.” Along with a massive sphere …