Research by the University of California, Los Angeles, has shown that Googling fights dementia. “It’s not so much the Internet itself as it is the seeking of new information and keeping your brain stimulated with new things,” said study team member Susan Bookheimer.

Engaging in puzzles like Sudoku puzzles or immersing yourself in a new hobby, have very similar benefits. Unlike a hobby, the research team highlighted that the Web is less likely to bore users after prolonged use.

The study found that using search engines would create activity in the inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus—areas of the brain that are important for short-term memory and decision-making.

The research speculates, but has not proven, that using search engines may help slow down the onset of dementia and slow cognitive decline.

“Becoming involved in new things and keeping your brain active are all hallmarks of activities that would tend to preserve your cognitive skills,” Bookheimer said. “And these are all things that searching the Internet for new information really does.”

Been away for a while, laptop’s broken at home and work’s been manic, so to ease myself back into blogging and due to some inspiration from a friend of mine I thought I’d post about a brand that does digital so well.

I’m pretty sure I got sent this back in 2002 and it looks as good then as it does now, it didn’t adhere to the strict time limits of current virals:

Running Fish Gutter

I love this as well, it kind of pulls you in and doesn’t let go, the animation is incredible as is the story, the sound effects and sound track:

Zodiac Race

And finally Onitsuka Tiger’s website that seems to be pulling on the collective voice of the blogosphere, letting bloggers use their blogs as pixels to create a virtual Onitsuka trainer, with the majority of blogs focusing on Japanese culture.

It’s nice but I can’t help feeling that maybe the bloggers should help drive users back to the trainer, rather than it just being a one way street?