life span
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Researchers find space travel prolongs the life of worms
We've seen research that suggests prolonged space travel could have some adverse effects on the human body, but it looks like there could be some real benefits as well. As BBC News reports, a new study conducted on Caenorhabditis elegans worms sent to the International Space Station has revealed evidence that the trip to space actually slowed their aging process. Specifically, researchers from the University of Nottingham and others institutions part of the ICE-First project found that the time in space reduced activity in a group of genes that have been shown to prolong the worms' lifespan when suppressed on earth. Of course, these are worms we're talking about, but this particular species is often used for such research due to its biological similarities to humans, so the discovery could well lead to more insight into how we age in space as well. Those curious can find the full paper linked below.
All the World's a Stage: Elves and timelines in roleplay
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. In World of Warcraft, that player is you! Each week, Anne Stickney brings you All the World's a Stage with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW. Have questions about roleplaying, or roleplaying issues? Email me -- I'm always open to suggestions! Last week, we covered the human race and to a lesser degree the worgen and undead, in regards to where those individual races "fit" into the Warcraft timeline when roleplaying. As far as age goes, it's pretty easy to wrap one's mind around the approximate age of a human character. A Warcraft human may have a bit of a longer lifespan than we do out here in real life, but the basic mechanics of aging and memory stay the same, so long as there aren't any strange magical circumstances involved. In the case of elves, however, the timeline suddenly goes from being "just right" to amazingly, incomprehensibly huge. For some elves like Malfurion Stormrage, Tyrande Whisperwind and others, it stretches 10,000 years of history -- and only the very smallest fraction of that has been spent with the Alliance and an even smaller fraction of that has been spent with the Horde (in the case of the blood elves).
What is the potential lifespan of an MMO?
If there's one thing people love to do, it's quote Mythic employees. So let us continue that trend. In a recent interview with MTV Multiplayer, Warhammer Online's Mark Jacobs stated his case for why people should play Warhammer Online instead of World of Warcraft. But in stating his case, he brought up an interesting point: "All online games have a lifespan." True, there's no denying that everything has a lifespan (except maybe plastic), but we all know what he's saying here. Over at Matt Mihaly's blog, he focuses on Jacobs' words a bit more. Sure WoW won't live forever, and it may not always be the dominant force in the Western MMO scene forever, but when will its lifespan end? With Ultima Online still pulling a profit after 11 years, do we see the next generation of gamers eventually playing the exact same games as us in 10-15 years from now? That's a scary thought.
Forum post of the day: No more newbies?
Malkavius of Korialstrasz posed an interesting question in the General Forums. Is it too late in WoW's life for new players? She told a tale of how a friend got frustrated soon after purchasing the game because of inflation and an inability to find groups. The responses were split. Vylaria of Ch'gall believes that it's not too late for a rookie to get their start. Gathering skills help to boost the personal pocketbook, and even veteran players that reroll face the same problems with finding a group. Cptobvious of Bonechewer believes that it is easier for folks that have played other MMOs than it is for online gaming virgins.
