Sideswipe: June 29: Dark pottery

Tetris for trauma

Swedish researchers have evidence to show that Tetris prevents the psychological effects of trauma. Emily Holmes, a psychology professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, says that playing Tetris shortly after an accident can interfere with memory consolidation or the gradual conversion of short-term memories into more permanent ones. Evidence suggests that there is a window following a trauma in which a bad memory can be disrupted or avoided - and in which memories can be uncoupled from the brain's emotional centres.

Fairweather transportation

The electric car just got better

Lightyear 0 is the world's first solar-powered vehicle. Instead of a battery, the car features a solar roof and hood, collecting power from sunlight. This gives it a range of around 70km per day in optimal conditions. Don't bother getting one if you live in Dunedin. If you live in a sunny Nelson, you could go months without having to charge the vehicle. But if you do need to charge it, you can just plug it into an outlet at home instead of driving to a charging station. Gamechanger.

Infuriated with technology

"Got a new flash phone," writes a reader. "Then got really frustrated because I couldn't make the front screen lock. Every time I picked it up, the blimmin' thing opened. I was furious at the lack of security. I'd paid a lot of money for this piece of ****. After 20 minutes I realised my own stupid face was unlocking the phone."