nerdiness news stories on Newser

10 Nerdiest Contests Ever

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:37:49 CDT

You may not have realized it, but last weekend people got together in Europe to compete at "speedcubing." To the uninformed, that's the act of solving a Rubik's Cube—really fast. (The current record? 7.08 seconds.) Time lists nine more extremely geeky competitions: Muggle Quidditch : Yes, this exists....

Site Lets Nerds Pay Girls to Game (Wink, Wink)

Nick McMaster — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:17:48 CDT

A site where users pay to play video games against young female opponents is open for business, Mashable reports. Though GameCrush has been in a public beta stage since March, the site formally launched today. Players—generally, men—pay 60 cents a minute to play games on Xbox Live or...

Cure for the Common Nerd: Nasal Spray

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:25:00 CDT

A blast of oxytocin nasal spray can turn a nerd into a potential playa—but only if a guy is "socially awkward" to begin with, scientists have found. Researchers discovered that the chemical—know as the "love hormone" for its ability to increase empathy and bonding, particularly between parent and...

100 Must-Have Skills for Geeks

Nick McMaster — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:41:02 CDT

Think you're a geek? Living up to the label requires a certain set of skills—or knowing how to Google them. Wired compiles the 100 essential skills for true geekdom: Secure a wireless router. Steal wi-fi from your neighbor. Mess with people stealing wi-fi. Name all the Dwarves in The...

April Fools Prank May Pay Off for Star Wars Fans

Nick McMaster — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:50:01 CDT

What started as an April Fools joke may turn into a dream come true—almost literally—for Star Wars fans, LA Weekly reports. The Tauntaun sleeping bag seemed just plausible enough that retailer ThinkGeek was bombarded with orders—and raked over the coals when the truth came out. Now Lucasfilm,...

Why Tragik Lolcats Tug on Human Hartz

Rebecca Smith Hurd — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:50:00 CST

Lolcats are as funny as their fans believe, but it's the sadness of this kitty sub-genre that makes them special, Jay Dixit writes in Salon. On Icanhascheezburger.com, which attracts millions of hits a month, lolcats yearn and comfort each other, inspiring a teary eye in us human visitors. There...

A Big Win for Black Nerds

Ambreen Ali — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:06:10 CST

Barack Obama provides a boost for black educational achievement that is much more powerful than any policy. His bookish example may throw a lifeline to black nerds who, scorned for "acting white," feel pressure to slack academically to stay cool, John McWhorter writes in New York . Research shows that the...

Romney Lets Guard Down, Boosts Appeal

Jonas Oransky — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:02:11 CST

Mitt Romney's inner nerd is showing, and allowing voters to see it may make him seem likable enough to get elected, Time reports. The candidate's conservative attack dog persona flooded airwaves for months but didn't play well outside of Michigan; now, the tired candidate is letting his dweeby, number-crunching, spreadsheet-loving...