The Golden North Hotel in Alaska, for example, is touted as an abode of two ghosts. So, would you rather stay in Room 23, 'where ghostly images of a woman have appeared and guests have complained of choking sensations in the middle of the night' or Room 14 that's 'haunted by a strange light form that moves around in the room at night'?

Being suffocated in my sleep is not my idea of the perfect vacation. But the next section on true life experiences made for an interesting read. Even though it left me wondering whether the word 'true' really applies, since there appears to be no corroboration.

Not just America, Britain too seems to be a favourite haunt! So much so that uktouristinfo.com has devoted a whole section to 'British Ghosts and Haunted Houses'.

Test your memory

Try this game to test your mind power. Begin with the 'easy' level. You'll find a set of 16 squares that conceal eight pairs of pictures. Clicking on a square reveals what's hidden. Your task is to make two consecutive clicks on tiles with the same picture. Each time your attempt is incorrect, keep in mind the position of the pictures.

Try to complete the game within the set time limit. Once you find it easy, you can move on to the medium (30 tiles) or hard levels (56 tiles). The Short Term Memory Test has the following instructions: 'A few letters will flash on your computer monitor for three seconds. Your job is to write down as many letters as you can remember after they disappear.' It seems simple as only two letters appear at first. But of course, it gets increasingly complex.

MSNBC's Memory Test, developed by a Harvard professor, demonstrates that the brain's method of storing information in categories can lead to what are known as 'false memories'. When you begin the test, you'll see words appear on the screen. At the end, you'll be given a set of words and will have to indicate which ones appeared and which ones did not. It could show you how deceptive the memory can be due to word association.

Gnod

Gnod or global network of dreams is an artificial intelligence system that 'talks' to you when you visit the site. While search engines help you find things you know of, gnod's creator likens this to 'a search-engine to find things you don't know about'.

The three main areas are Web sites, music and books. The music section claims: 'Discover new bands and artists. Let gnod find out what music you like and what you don't like.' It will ask you to indicate what sort of music you prefer. Based on your choices, it will come up with a similar option that you may not even know existed.

But what if you're not happy with the new option? Click 'I don't like it' for another choice. When you find something you like, you can either follow up on it or click on 'see related bands' to get other names around the original one, with the most similar ones closest to it.

And remember, your choices could also influence gnod's future results.

Caloric Restriction

"The only approach scientists have found to reliably increase longevity in mammals is to reduce an organism's caloric intake by about one-third," states this article.

Consuming about 30 per cent fewer calories, while keeping the other nutrients the same, could possibly extend your lifespan. After experiments with positive results on mice and other creatures, researchers are attempting to find out how this can be used to delay ageing in man.

This article states that 'the maximum life span of the mice on the normal diet was 41 months - about 110 human years. However, for the calorie-restricted mice, maximum life span was pushed out to 56 months - 150 human years!'

However, the question remains: Would we want to live that long? Well, if caloric restriction (CR) could slow down the ageing process, it could mean also remaining 'young' longer.

But how exactly does CR prolong life? And how does one practice it? Get information on this site.

Also Read: -- An unusual source of diamonds -- Dissect frogs online, send photo-ecards -- Dig deeper into Murphy's Laws -- Read a Harry Potter spoof -- Global travel and bald tales -- Why Shakespeare's better than Britney

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