The ideal Mindbender
Actor James Earl Jones died yesterday (Monday) at age 93.
I know people always equate him with the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, or with the voice of Mufasa in “The Lion King.”
But of all his performances, my three favorites were in “The Hunt for Red October,” “Field of Dreams,” and “The Sandlot”—even though that last one was very brief.
He was one of the greats.
Let's get on with the countdown.
Along with today's Mindbender you get these bonus stories:
Did you really walk 10,000 steps?
Game shows and your brain
Leaving pizza out for six hours
But first, today's Mindbender for a Two-Point Tuesday:
Some experts have determined that the ideal temperature for this is 318 degrees.
Jeremy guessed "the inside of a grill,” and Josh said, “your car’s engine.”
I'll have a clue coming up.
Did you really walk 10,000 steps?
People have made a big deal out of the “10,000 step rule.”
Two problems with that: One, the number has no medical/scientific basis at all. It was just a number made up by the marketing department of a Japanese clock company that was selling a pedometer.
And two, a study found fitness-tracking apps often are not accurate.
After looking at several of the apps, the findings suggest they could be off by more than a thousand steps, either direction.
The good news? If these trackers ARE off, they’re more likely to undercount steps. So if it says you took 10,000 steps, you may have actually done more.
Look, go for a nice, brisk 45-minute to one-hour walk every day and you’ll be doing your body a big favor.
Game shows and your brain
I’ll take Fun Brain Facts for 200, Alex.
We love our game shows. They’ve been a big part of radio and then television going back all the way to the 1930s.
But they’re not just a fun way to pass the time. Some scientists say they’re actually good for your brain.
Game shows can boost your problem-solving skills, improve your memory, strengthen your mind, and improve your memory.
(Sorry, it was too good to pass up.)
They also make you pay attention and quickly process information.
As one neurologist put it: “This engages numerous networks in the brain in an engaging and enjoyable way, which also enhances learning.”
Here's a clue for the Mindbender:
Gives it the perfect color and level of crunch, I suppose. Pass the peanut butter.
Leaving pizza out for six hours
Have you ever accidentally left a pizza sitting out for several hours, and wondered if it was still okay to eat?
Researchers actually invested their time to study this critical piece of information.
Their findings show that it’s better if you toss it in the fridge—but leaving a pizza out on the counter for up to six hours is fine.
They say it definitely has an increased amount of “microbial cells” on it, but really not any more than you’d find on fruit you’ve left out on the counter. In other words, you can eat it.
One caveat: They say these tests only applied to cheese and pepperoni pizzas. Pies with other toppings might have a different result.
The bottom line, according to the smarty-pants: When in doubt, throw it out.
And now, the answer to today's Mindbender:
The ideal temp is 318 degrees for what?
Making toast.
Not sure if you can adjust your toaster or your oven to THAT exact temp.
But I just love that someone spent time and probably grant money looking into this.
That'll do it for today's Mindbender. Thank you for being part of The Club.
Enjoy your day!
Dom
Now, understand, Commander, that torpedo did not self-destruct. You heard it hit the hull. And I . . . was never here.