Arts Jan 02 How a new generation of gamers is pushing for inclusivity beyond the table The rules of Dungeons & Dragons were written by a racial essentialist. As the tabletop gaming community becomes more diverse, players and creators are trying to rewrite them. By Christopher Thomas
Arts Nov 16 ‘Yeehaw, bae,’ official Scrabble dictionary adds 500 new words 500 new words and variations were added to the the seventh edition of "The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary" this month. By Leanne Italie, Associated Press
Arts Jan 26 Why do we love puzzles like Wordle, and are they good for our brains? Like a Scrabble habit, a passion for Wordle isn’t likely to make you smarter or ward off brain aging. But it may give you a daily dose of complex cognition combined with social interaction. By Penny Pexman, The Conversation
World Nov 28 World’s best chess players were deadlocked in a match for 3 weeks Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen defended his chess world championship title by beating American challenger Fabiano Caruana 3-0 in rapid tiebreaker games on Wednesday. By Mattias Karen, Associated Press
Nov 22 Watch 6:13 Fabiano Caruana helps usher in a new era for American chess Twenty-six-year-old American Fabiano Caruana is poised to become the next chess world champion. Despite his success, most Americans don't know his name. Yet they still remember Bobby Fischer, whose iconic triumph over a Soviet rival is imprinted in popular consciousness. Continue watching
Mar 14 This Pi Day, use math to beat your friends at classic toy games By Kristin Hugo On this most circular of pi days, we present three classic toys -- hula hoops, yo-yo's and Connect Four -- and explore their mechanics with mathematicians and physicists. Continue reading
Feb 10 A short history of AI schooling humans at their own games By Andrew Wagner Through chess, Jeopardy, poker and checkers, Deep Blue, Watson, Libratus and Chinook changed the way humans think about artificial intelligence. Continue reading
Apr 28 Twist and shout: Rubik’s Cube continues to puzzle 40 years later By Justin Scuiletti The world’s best-selling toy is 40 years old. The first Rubik’s cube was created in 1974 by Erno Rubik, a professor of architecture in Budapest, Hungary. Then known as the “Magic Cube,” it took its creator more than a… Continue reading