2016 05 06 may jun mind intl by Editor, MInd

MAY-JUN 2016

From the Editor:

On the Cover:

Cannonball flower (HindiKailashpati), by Durva Damle

Hello Ms! We are back with the latest issue of your magazine. And if it feels like it has been a long wait, then let us assure you it has been worth waiting for!

Submissions:

There are two things that make this issue special. One, there is a new page that will be a regular feature of the magazine – Crossword Puzzles. So along with the regular puzzle page, there is more to make you scratch your head ;) And two, the winning entry of the Mensa Photographer of the Year for the national round is published in this issue.

editor.mensaindia@gmail.com

We are always looking for fresh ideas, columns, articles, and feedback to make your magazine better. So, keep writing to us… we are listening.  ~Durva Damle, Editor, Mind Contents

About Contributors

Page no. 2

Send in your articles and contributions in plain text format and pictures in high resolution .jpg format to:

Disclaimer: All contents in this magazine are opinions of the individual authors and contributors. Neither Mensa India, the society, its office bearers nor the editors are responsible for any content or views expresses.

Feedback:

Tech Talk: Gravity Lights Wordsmith: Of Love, Life and Death

Shreya Gupta

Kishore Asthana

Like it, love it or hate it? Tell us how to make the MInd magazine better. Write in to the editor at

The Puzzle Page: Balance Loop

Prasanna Seshadri

editor.mensaindia@gmail.com

Crossword Puzzle

Delhi Mensa Crossword SIG

Lensa: Photography Contest Winner

ABOUTCONTRIBUTERS CONTRIBUTORS: ABOUT

Shreya Gupta is a second year student pursuing B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from IGDTUW. Hailing from New Delhi, she enjoys music along with singing and dancing. A passion for learning about the new technological innovations and presenting her ideas to the world is what inspires her the most. The link to her blog is: http://developmentandopinions.blogspot.in/ Kishore Asthana: B.E. (Mechanical Engg), PGDBM (IIM-Ahmedabad), ex-Tata Administrative Service. Social Activist. Occasional author & columnist. President, Mensa India, Ombudsman, Mensa Proctor. President, Project Dhruv. Prasanna Seshadri is a Puzzler and Puzzle-Master at Grandmaster Puzzles; was the Indian Double Champion in 2013, having won both the Indian Sudoku and Indian Puzzle Championships. As a puzzlemaker, Prasanna has contributed puzzles to the World Puzzle Championship, the 24HPC, and several other national championships; Associated with Logic Masters India. Blog: https://prasannaseshadri.wordpress.com/ More of his puzzles can be found at: http://www.gmpuzzles.com Deep Mody is an XLRI ate and a Mensan; thorough professional with over a decade of praxis in various realms of Human Resource Management. Also a Change Leader with evolving prowess into Appreciative Inquiry, Emotional Intelligence and Positive Organisation Development. Link to his blog: http://emotionallystreet-smart.blogspot.com/

TECH-TALK GRAVITY LIGHTS

Gravity: lighting the way ahead

Working

Over the last 2 decades we have seen a burgeoning demand for ‘alternative sources of energy’, to not only meet our ever-increasing demand for fuels, but also to save our resources from depleting and maintain the environmental

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

An adjustable weight of about 20 pounds (9 kgs), is attached to a rope/strap which is further attached to gears. When the weight reaches the top, upon pulling the rope, it then descends downwards at a very slow rate of about 1mm/sec. The rope is attached to the gears which in turn drives the electric generator that powers the LED. Once the weight reaches the floor again, the process is repeated.

balance. “What are these alternative sources?” someone recently asked me, and I replied “Gravity!”. Let me explain how…

The concept •

• •

•

Pre-requisites: Adjustable weight Gears Electric generator LED lamp(light emitting diode) Rope/strap

Why? - Mainly developed for developing countries and aim at replacing the conventional kerosene lamp, to prevent depletion of resources as well as save the users from the harmful fumes emitted upon burning the kerosene. What? - A device that aims at generating light energy from gravity. How? – When a heavy weight is lifted off the ground the potential and kinetic energies help generate electricity, as explained in the next section. Where? – They can be used anywhere, irrespective of environmental conditions. All that needs to be done is installation of the kit.

TECH-TALK GRAVITY LIGHTS

Specifications Power Output (12.5kg Load) High: 0.10W Med: 0.075W Low: 0.05W

LED

Power (max): 124mW Operating Temp: -30 ~80 Â°C Storage Temp: -40 ~100 Â°C Luminous Intensity: 13.8 cd*

Gravity Light Assembly. Advantages 1. No specific environmental conditions needed to run it 2. Takes seconds to lift the weight which in turn powers the lamp for about 20 minutes and process can then be repeated. 3. No additional costs except for the initial cost of buying the Gravity Light Kit. 4. No batteries needed, hence it can be stored indefinitely without the tension of degrading batteries! 5. Saves money, improved health and saved money and the three benefits postinstallation of gravity lights To contribute towards this noble cause kindly visit gravitylight.org

Product Dims

Weight: 0.8kg H:160mm, W:103mm, D:78mm

Load/ Weight

Minimum: 8.0kg Maximum: 12.5kg

~Shreya Gupta

A boy lifting the weight to operate the Gravity 4

WORDSMITH

Of Love, Life and Death

“We have been married for 50 years,” he pleaded, “You cannot ask me to do this.”

“I do not understand,” he said, “So, my wife also has a different Schicksal?” “Yes, she does.” Shicksal said.

Schicksal was unrelenting, “I am sorry, you will have to chose. Think of it as a privilege. Others do not get this choice.”

“I wonder what he would have to say about my choice.” He said, serious, now.

“But we cannot live without each other,” he said, still hopeful. If I die, she will be devastated. If she dies, I will not find life worth living.”

Schicksal smiled. “We are related, you know, her Schicksal and me. I met him before coming to see you. He is waiting to adjust his form depending upon your decision and her reaction to it.”

““But one of you must die before the other.” Schicksal replied, tapping his chin, “I have come to offer you a choice.”

Schicksal paused and said, “So, who will it be. You or her?”

“Does it have to be soon?” he asked. “Indeed. The time has come. One of you has to end your life very shortly. It is so written”

He did not like the topic coming back to his choice but could not find a way out. Still, he had to try.

“But, isn’t it written who it will be?” he asked.

“What happens if I refuse to make a choice?”

“Usually it is, but in your case, they decided to give you a choice. The date has been assigned, but the name has been left blank. They have asked me to tell you to choose which one it will be – you or your wife.”

“Then it would be very difficult for both of you,” Schicksal did not look happy, “I am sorry, that’s what happens when they find that their will has been defied.” “Can I write both our names, at the same time?” He asked.

“Who are ‘they’?” he asked, wondering if he could appeal directly to them.

“No,” Schicksal said, “There is place for only one of your names on that date.”

“They are who gave me my existence. Beyond that, I do not know anything about them. They contact me when they wish. I cannot contact them on my own.”

“And the other date, for the one who survives? Is it a long way away?”

“Aah, so they made you?” he said, trying to delay the choice as much as he could.

“I cannot tell you but I know it is not very near.”

“No. I am just an idea. I am different for different people. Each gives me a different form and I reflect what they make me.”

“But we are already over 70 years of age. How far can it be?” “Sorry, I cannot say.” Schicksal said. 5

WORDSMITH

Of Love, Life and Death

“Can I discuss with her?”

his own name. Then he tried to imagine what her existence would be like when his ceased and he shuddered. Not so fast. If only I loved her less, this would be so easy, he thought. I would summon Schicksal right now and ask him to write my name. But it would kill her.

“No. This must be only your choice.” “Give me 30 minutes, please. I have to think about this.” “Sure,” Schicksal said, smiling, “take 30 minutes. After all, it is a matter of life and death. I will leave you in peace now and will be back in half an hour.”

This made him smile, the first time since he had met Schicksal today. How she would grin at this pun, he thought and smiled again at the so many shared jokes at which they had laughed together, some good some bad. But he sobered again when he tried to picture in some detail, what would happen to her if he was not there. He winced thinking about it. He had seen what had happened to some widows he knew.

And, just like that, Schicksal faded away. He leaned back and closed his eyes. What to do? what to do? All their life together flashed in his mind – the shy girl he had married, the way they grew together, in time and in wisdom, in sickness and in health, always in togetherness. Her tears and smiles, her pain and ecstasy, her passions and her fears, some of which he understood and some he didn’t, all a part of him, now. How she was so capable in so many things and so naïve in dealing with so many others. How they relied on each other throughout these years. So many things he would miss when he was no more.

Suddenly he knew what he must do. He also knew only she would understand his decision. Others will not but he did not care for them. She was the only one who mattered to him at this critical juncture of his life – and of hers. He waited for Schicksal and tried to steel himself against years of utter desolation, loneliness and unimaginable loss.

~Kishore Asthana

Such a simple decision, really. What was there to think about? Of course, he would write

THE PUZZLE PAGE BALANCE LOOP

Information: Balance Loop is a puzzle type which I invented last year. It’s

caught on a little in the puzzle community and may be here to stay for good as a style. The first Balance Loop puzzle was posted here http://www.gmpuzzles.com/blog/2015/02/balance-loop-prasanna-seshadri/ .

Solution to the previous issue’s puzzle MINESWEEPER

Balance loop puzzle statement:

Draw a single, non-intersecting loop that passes through all circled cells. All white circles must have equal segment lengths on both sides of the circle before turning. All black circles must have unequal segment lengths on both sides of the circle before turning. Numbers indicate the sum of the segment lengths on both sides of the circle.

Solved Example:

Tips: Remember that a turn isn’t necessary at a circle. Also, study the example closely for how ‘length’ is measured in loop puzzles, i.e., from the center of one cell to the center of the next cell. The white circles with bigger numerical clues are easy to force because you need half the length of the numerical clue on two sides of the circle. For instance in the example, for the 4-clue in R1C2, the loop cannot go up or left for 2 line segments from center to center, so the only two directions left are right and down, so these can be drawn directly. Remember to have a notation to show that the loop must turn at this point having satisfied the lengths. The segment at R1 must obviously turn downward but the direction of turning for the segment in C2 can be determined later. For Black circles, remember that at least one side must have a length of at least 2 to have a minimum inequality of 1 and 2, and that a 4-clue can only be divided into two segments of length 1 and 3.

BALANCE LOOP PUZZLE:

Note: The solutions to the puzzle of this issue, Balance Loop, will be published in the next issue. For more puzzles and Sudokus like this and to know more about the Indian National Championships, you can visit the Indian website for all puzzle matters, Logic Masters India – logicmastersindia.com

~ Prasanna Seshadri

CROSSWORD

Mensa Delhi Crossword SIG

The Delhi Mensa Crossword SIG has started creating some interesting crosswords. MInd brings these to you through this all-new Crossword Page. Enjoy!

ACROSS: 1. Fidel Castro's preferred smoke (5) 3. Found lazily swaying on the beach (4,4) 7. An expert at numbers to describe data, hence revealing or hiding as intended (12) 9. Food in an Enid Blyton boarding school (4) 10. Just any old object, unless it’s a couple (4) 13. Do this over wifi to save data (4) 14. A person who puts a dampener on everything (7) 16. Add everything up (5) 19. The many lobbies of a hotel (7) 20. Remove this to get shrikhand (4) 21. The new word for taxi (4) 22. Where Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot made his debut (6) 25. How you would refer to something neither masculine nor feminine (2) 26. Unclear, could be anything (5) 27. Legendary Israeli instrument of retribution (6) 29. (Abbreviation) doing something over again (2) 30. The man who replaced the last Governor‐General of India (8,6)

DOWN 1. Essential ingredient to cause, accelerate or slow a chemical reaction (8) 2. Mumbai's iconice High Court and CST station are built in this style (6) 4. How an orange should taste (5) 5. The orderly way for a river to meet the sea (7) 6. Basic unit of matter, until more basic ones were found (4) 8. A person with unpredictable behaviour and tastes (10) 11. Carrier of the nuclear age, also a beloved mother (5.3) 15. Christian society of brothers often associated with schools (7) 17. German car maker once popular on Indian roads (4) 18. India in the heat of the summer (6) 20. Creators of saris, carpets, drapes and all others (6) 22. Definite (4) 23. Moody human between childhood and adulthood (4) 24. Jane Austen's 2nd most well‐known novel (4) 25. Just a little bit (4) 28. Mathematical operation to combine quantities (3)

LENSA

MENSA Photography Contest

The wait is over! We are pleased to announce the Winner of the Mensa India Photographer of the Year Contest for 2016 – Mr. Deep Mody. The theme of the Contest was ‘Unexpected’. The competition was held to select the Indian entry for the Mensa International Photographer of the Year. Congratulations Deep! And good luck for the next stage of the contest.

The Winning Entry – Theme: Unexpected!

Following pages are from the Mensa World Journal

mensa world journal may 2016 issue# 040

Mensa Youth iSIG campers chillinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Spain

check out details of MY-Camp X, July 2016 p4

m ensa wor ld j our na l Brain activity patterns during sleep consolidate memory Why does sleeping on it help? This is the question tackled by new research at the University of Bristol, which reveals how brain activity during sleep sorts through the huge number of experiences we encounter every day, filing only the important information in memory. The new discoveries, made by researchers from Bristol’s Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, provide further evidence for the benefits of a good night’s sleep. This is important because the bad nights of sleep often experienced by both the healthy population, and people with schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease, lead to impaired mental function. The findings, published today in the journal Cell Reports, and put into context in an article in Trends in Neuroscience, show that patterns of brain activity that occur during the day are replayed at fast-forward mensa world journal may 2016

speed during sleep. This replayed activity happens in part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is our central filing system for memories. The key new finding is that sleep replay strengthens the microscopic connections between nerve cells that are active – a process deemed critical for consolidating memories. Therefore, by selecting which daytime activity patterns are replayed, sleep can sort and retain important information. Lead researcher Dr Jack Mellor, from the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, said, ‘These findings are about the fundamental processes that occur in the brain during the consolidation of memory during sleep. It also seems that the successful replay of brain activity during sleep is dependent on the emotional state of the person when they are learning. This has major implications for how we teach and enable people to learn effectively.’ http://medicalxpress.com/news/201602-brain-patterns-memory.html

from the editor... There’s a big reminder about upcoming International positions on page 3. The closing date is June 20, so you don’t have too long to get your application in! The 10th MY-Camp is coming up in July; all information and contact details are on p4. I’ve not been to one, but from all accounts it’s a 10day, fun-packed, very enjoyable way to chill out with lots of new-found Mensa friends. On page 5, we’re reminded of our gifted elders and how they’re a ‘forgotten group’. There’s some thought-provoking facts here, well worth a read. Research on studying neurons during motor activity (p7) and how financial acuity generally fades with age (p9) gives us insight into intelligence matters, while Hal Swindall’s Books... is on p8, Supplementally... is on p10. Therese’s Puzzles are on p12. Check out what’s happening in the Mensa world on p10 - I hope to see some of you in San Diego for the US Annual Gathering! Warm regards,

Kate The full, colour MWJ can be read and downloaded at www.mensa.org each month.

m ensa wor ld j our na l Reminder!

MIL Positions/Committees Open for Appointment If you are interested in serving Mensa International in an appointed position, now is your opportunity to apply. These positions are open to all members worldwide. All are for terms of two years unless otherwise stated, with the term commencing after the IBD meeting in Japan, 2016. The following Interntional positions/committees are due to be appointed in 2016:

- -

Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program (LEAP) Committee (Chairman and members) International Archivist Editor Mensa World Journal Events Coordinator GPAC Committee (Chairman and members) Gifted Youth Committee (Chairman and members) Marketing and Product Advisory Committee (Chairman and members) International Name and Logo Protection Committee (Chairman and members) International SIGs Coordinator International SIGHT Coordinator

Members currently serving in a position or on a committee are requested to reapply if they wish to continue to serve in that role. The application form is available on the Officers/Appointees page of the members-only section of the Mensa International website at https://www.mensa.org. You must be logged on. Job descriptions for each position are linked to each role. Both the application form and the job descriptions are also available from the Mensa International Office by emailing mensainternational@mensa.org or by post to the address given in the Officers Directory of this issue. Applications for the above posts must be received by June 20, 2016 and must be sent to the International Office mensainternational@mensa.org, copied to the Director of Administration admin-mil@mensa.org.

Therese Moodie-Bloom Director of Administration Correction

In the October MWJ, it was reported that the Mensa Education and Research Foundation (MERF) supported development of Mensa

in Africa. The Chairman of MERF has corrected this noting that while all such efforts are â&#x20AC;&#x153;commendable and very worthwhile they in no way involve the Foundation. The Foundation is very happy to see Mensa develop anywhere in the world but we do not get directly

involved in recruitment of members or development of Mensa chapters, since neither effort falls within our Mission Statement. We are not seeking funds for any African development of Mensa nor are we spending funds to support what is rightly a Mensa International development matter.â&#x20AC;? mensa world journal may 2016

- KN

m ensa wor ld j our na l MY-Camp X

Denmark 15-24 July

Celebrating the 10th camp: it’s eXtra large, eXtra wild, eXtra luXurious and you are all eXtra welcome! Join the International Mensa Youth SIG Camp for an epic 10-day summer camp. We celebrate 10 glorious years of MY-Camps by going back to where it all started: Denmark.

a bar with pool table and chill-out lounge; a large indoor/outdoor restaurant and 22 meeting and event rooms - and all in the same wing of the hotel. The center even offers the option of double beds MY-Camp has a target age of 18and single rooms, and all rooms 30 but welcomes all young-at-heart are double-doored and soundmensans. It’s a 24/7 party with a wide proofed! variety of activities. Join the gaming, This eXtravaganza won’t break discussions, poker tournament, open the bank: mic night, bonfire, chess, poker and pool EUR 300 pp in Standard room tournaments and a pool party - all the (for 2-3 people) usual, and more! EUR 335 pp in Room with douEnjoy culture through the times: ble bed (for 2 people) visit the castle of Hamlet, marvel at EUR 370 pp in Single room (for 1 medieval Copenhagen and 1000-yearperson) old churches, visit the hippie commune The event lasts 10 days and Christiania, or challenge your percepincludes dinner and the famous tions at the world-renowned Louisiana eternal brunch (we cater for vegMuseum of Modern Art. etarians, vegans and most food allerThe location of the camp is a luxuri- gies). Drinks, snacks and activities ous conference center that we have will be provided at (the usual low) entirely to extra cost. ourselves. It comes MY-Camp & the complete youth movement with an What is it, where did indoor it come from and how pool, can I join the fun? sauna and MY-Camp is just climbone of many exciting ing wall; activities organised by Partying in Germany or associated to the mensa world journal may 2016

international Mensa youth movement, also known as MY-SIG (Mensa Youth - Special Interest Group). MY-SIG is the umbrella organisation

Team spirit in the UK

behind MY-Camp, uniting young Mensans with a target age of 18-30 primarily around Europe. MY-Camp is a 10 day summer camp offering a wide variety of activities as well as opportunities for spontaneously organising your own activities. The venue is usually 100% exclusive to the camp, facilitating 24/7 activities. The logic goes like this: why go to bed, if you are in the middle of a ____ (insert: discussion, boardgame, pool party, karaoke or what ever you fancy)? Hungry at 4 in the morning? No problem! The eternal brunch kitchen is set up to accommodate the round the clock camp life. Continued on p6

m ensa wor ld j our na l Gifted Elders: a forgotten group

Gifted Elders Initiative; Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) The Gifted Elders Initiative dedicates itself to learning more about those who have nurtured so many gifted children and grandchildren and who have been instrumental in bringing the world’s dreams into reality.

periences and feelings as a gifted elder when she was more than 80 years old (Roeper, 2007; Roeper, 2011). Older gifted people may only discover their giftedness late in life, or they may never find out that they are gifted at all. In either

arly, creative, and leadership strengths until their deaths, despite the onset of disability and even dementia (Friedrichs, 2013). Whether gifted elders achieve highly or not, their feelings of being different may continue to the end. Many gifted seniors withdraw from We know that gifted children other people because remain gifted as adults and there are fewer and fewer into later life. Fiedler (2015) individuals left to talk describes six stages of giftedwith at the same level of ness in adulthood. In Late perception and thinkAdulthood (ages 65 and being. The normal activities yond), Actualizers (65 – 80) offered to their age group, can journey on paths of both like bingo or crafts, may self-actualization and helping be quite unappealing to others to actualize their goals them. These activities can and dreams. Cruisers (80 and sometimes make them beyond) can continue use feel even lonelier. Howtheir intensely active minds, regard- case, they may sense that they are ever, gifted seniors who work in areas less of their physical conditions, “different” and may feel “differof strengths or who find “kindred knowing who they are and what ent.” Some have developed small spirits” can feel more purposeful and they want in their remaining years. problems; others have much big- more fully alive (Friedrichs, 2013). The giftedness of many other ger difficulties. In private life or at Two studies on more and less gifted elders, however, is never rec- work, some gifted elders experipurpose-filled gifted seniors were ognized during their lifetimes. For ence psychiatric challenges, such recently conducted in The Nethergifted seniors, knowing about their as anxiety or depression. (See, for lands. One was on the needs of gifted giftedness and about their social and instance, Nauta & Corten, 2002; seniors themselves (Bouwman & emotional needs can help them live Nauta & Ronner, 2013.) Howev- Geertsma, 2015). Another dealt with happier and more fulfilling lives. er, some of these challenges may the relative knowledge of giftedactually be societally created and ness among people caring for the Experiences of gifted seniors misdiagnosed as pathology. Other elderly (Aryee, 2015). These studies Not much is written about gifted psychological problems require a help to develop our understanding of seniors’ social and emotional or dual diagnosis of “giftedness with concerns for older gifted adults and other needs. However, noted educa- psychological needs” (Webb et al., of potentially helpful approaches for tor Annemarie Roeper wrote an 2005). Still other gifted seniors their caring professionals. illuminating account of her own ex- practice their intellectual, scholContinued on p06

mensa world journal may 2016

m ensa wor ld j our na l Continued from p4 MY-Camp started as a one-off international version of the Danish MYSIG summer camp in 2007, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Mensa Denmark. Many Dutch attended and loved it so much that they decided to organise a MY-Camp in 2008. That started the ball rolling to organise a MY-Camp in a new country each year: Denmark, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Spain, Sweeden, Lithuania, UK, Germany, France - and now back to Denmark. You can join the SIG by participating in a camp, by joining the MYSIG facebook group or the forum on mensa.org. The FB group has 1600 rather active members and has lists of youth related activities around the world. MY-SIG is an official international SIG (iSIG) recognised by Mensa International, officially belonging to Mensa Denmark and led by SIG General Mikael Jensen. iSIGs are open to members from the whole wide Mensa world. Facebook group: MY-SIG www. facebook.com/groups/92025890346/ Facebook event: MY-Camp X (join MY-SIG first): www.facebook.com/ events/1644595235794062/ MY-Camp sign up and more info: www.my-camp.org MY-NY sign up and more info: www. my-ny.org For information on iSigs, contact the International SIGs Coordinator, Barbara Kryvko at SIGs@ mensa.org mensa world journal may 2016

Continued from p5 Recognition and attention Basic recognition that giftedness exists in older adults really helps both those adults and their caregiving professionals. For both groups, a practice-based list of characteristics can be very helpful in building understanding (IHBV leaflet, English version, 2014). Yet recognition must be followed up by action. In the Netherlands, Nauta and her colleagues, from 2011, asked for more attention to gifted elders. A nationwide Dutch newspaper then published an article on these citizens. After that, some workers in care facilities asked the advice of the Gifted Adults Foundation, leading to a leaflet and journal article on giftedness in the aging (Nauta & Jurgens, 2012). There are now several initiatives in the Netherlands in which bright seniors can enjoy activities other than those undertaken by elders in general (e.g., cultural cafĂŠs, scientific cafĂŠs, philosophical groups, or programs of documentaries). With a grant from the Mensa Foundation in the Netherlands, an author wrote two portraits about gifted seniors. An English translation of the portraits is in preparation and will soon be posted on the Dutch website, ihbv.nl, while a film documentary about gifted elders in the Netherlands is also planned. It would be interesting to collect case studies and vignettes, from all over the world, in which gifted seniors tell us how their varied needs

are fulfilled. These examples may help a range of gifted seniors and their caring professionals to better formulate their needs, in their homes or care facilities. -for further information on cited research, please see the longer article on this subject http://ihbv.nl/international/english/publications/- KN The authors Noks Nauta Ph.D., is an M.D. and psychologist. She detected her own giftedness when she was 52 and became a member of Mensa. She co-founded and now works for the Gifted Adults Foundation (known as IHBV in the Netherlands), an organization that wishes to improve living environments for gifted adults. Contact Noks at noksnauta@ ihbv.nl Ellen D. Fiedler a Professor Emerita of Gifted Education from Northeastern Illinois University, has a Ph.D. in Counseling and Guidance, and an M.S.E. in Education. A past giftedprogram coordinator and past state consultant for gifted, she is the author of Bright Adults: Uniqueness and Belonging across the Lifespan, and wrote chapters on gifted adults in Off the Charts: Asynchrony and the Gifted Child and in Living with Intensity. adults. Contact: ellenfiedler@comcast.net Terry Friedrichs, Ph.D., Ed.D., has been a teacher, researcher, and activist for decades with gifted GLBTQ, twiceexceptional, and high-potential elder populations. Contact Terry at tpfriedrichs@stthomas.

m ensa wor ld j our na l Researchers optimise methods to study neurons during motor activity The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. The Purkinje cells, a class of neurons located in this region, are a major site of information integration that regulate changes in neural connections caused by varying factors such as behaviour, environment, and emotions. Thus Purkinje cells provide an ideal location for studying the mechanisms necessary for cerebellum dependent motor learning. Motor learning is a process that occurs over several weeks or even months. For researchers to better understand neuronal activity during this process, they need to determine the patterns of activity over the entire course of motor learning. However, imaging the activity of the same neurons over such an extended time period had been difficult using conventional methods. In their January publication in the Journal of Neurophysiology, researchers Michael A. Gaffield, Ph.D., Samanta B. Amat, and Jason M. Christie, Ph.D., describe the modification of imaging and behavior techniques allowing them to monitor the activity of Purkinje cells over seven consecutive weeks during the course of a motor association task, in particular, the licking behavior of mice. The optimised imaging and behav-

mensa world journal may 2016

iour approach demonstrated that, in a selective group of Purkinje cells, calcium activity remained in a stable activation pattern over many weeks -a discovery that was only possible due to their optimised approaches.

Main points - The ability to make simple reaching motions or drive a car depends on the brains ability to guide action in a region of the brain called cerebellum. - When the interaction of the cells within the cerebellum is disrupted, people experience fundamental disturbances in their motor function, making these simple actions difficult, or even impossible. - The process of improving motor skills through practice is called motor learning and it is regulated by complex neuronal signalling within cerebellar circuits.

- Researchers have optimised the techniques for studying motor learning in order to repeatedly assess the activity of neurons for days, weeks, or even months. - These sophisticated approaches allow the further characterisation of the neurons that are continuously engaged during motor activity and normal behavior. Future directions According to Dr. Gaffield, the sophisticated behaviour tasks, used in combination with genetic reporters and effectors of activity, have opened up the possibility of studying cerebellar circuits during voluntary movement at an unprecedented level of quantitation. Dr. Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research team will further investigate the activity of Purkinje Cells in motor learning and the potential modifications in their activity caused by a perturbation on their behavior. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our work brings significant insight into the understanding of neural circuits within the cerebellum, which will be essential to understand how these circuits are altered in pathological conditions,â&#x20AC;? explained Dr. Christie. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160310111935.htm#.VuMn3w23S1M.email

m ensa wor ld j our na l Books...

Agnes Grunwald-Spier, MBE. Who Betrayed the Jews? The Realities of Nazi Persecution in the Holocaust. Stroud, UK: The History Press, 2016. 640pp. Hardback US$36.06. ISBN 9780750953641. Kindle edition available. The author of this hefty tome was a baby in the Budapest ghetto when it was liberated in January, 1945, so she brings considerable personal interest to her study. Its chapters cover every aspect of persecution of the Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe, so the answer to its title’s question is: practically everybody. Grunwald-Spier emphasizes that many Jews were assimilated into their host countries by WWI, with many serving in the armies that fought 1914-18. Many others considered themselves Germans, Frenchmen or Hungarians first and Jews second, with some even converting to Christianity. Therefore, she documents their shock when they found themselves abandoned on all sides, with the police and railway companies cooperating with the Nazis’ orders that they be transported to concentration camps. Not only did public organizations participate, but many fair weather friends and neighbors also stabbed Jewish acquaintances in the back. Grunwald-Spier makes extensive use of primary sources in painting a sad picture of what the Jews went through under the Nazis, and her book contains several appendixes that shed detailed light on aspects of her narrative by participants.

Who Betrayed the Jews? is a ground-

Budapest in July 1944. After fortune saved

breaking study that examines the various

Who Betrayed The Jews?

AGNES GRUNWALD-SPIER was born in her and her mother from deportation to

Auschwitz, they were sent to the Budapest ghetto, in November 1944, and they were liberated in January 1945.

A former civil servant, Agnes holds

degrees in History & Politics and

Holocaust Studies, and she was a

founder-trustee of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. She was a member of the

Board of Deputies of British Jews for

fifteen years, a member of the Architects’ Registration Board and a Justice of the Peace for thirty years. Agnes has three grown up sons and is grandmother to Jamie and Sophie. Her published

works include the acclaimed The Other Schindlers (The History Press 2010).

Holmes, and Other Three-Pipe Problems:

Psychological Studies of the Great Detective and

ways Jews were betrayed by their fellow countrymen during the Holocaust. In many cases they regarded themselves as a person of their nation first and a Jew second, so persecution came as a terrible shock to them. Many had fought for their country in the First World War, but this offered very little protection – not even for those awarded the Iron Cross. They were forced out of their professions and universities. Their neighbours and school friends betrayed them to the authorities. In turn the authorities ‘legally’ withdrew their rights and also stripped them of

The Realities of Nazi Persecution in the Holocaust

ISBN 978-0-7509-5364-1

their possessions under Aryanization policies. Many who believed themselves to be Christian were affected by the Nazis’ ruthless racial laws and found themselves and their children categorised as ‘halfbreeds’. Bodies such as the police and railway companies co-operated with the Nazis in transporting Jews to their deaths or to be subjected to unspeakable medical experiments. The betrayal did not end in

Agnes Grunwald - Spier

John Radford. The Intelligence of Sherlock

mensa world journal may 2016

Hal Swindall

1945 as there is evidence of Holocaust survivors being attacked as they returned home. Historian Agnes Grunwald-Spier reveals, among other accounts, the story of the slave labourers who toiled for German firms and international companies like Ford; the plight of Jewish Olympians who were murdered; and the impact of Nazi policies on Agatha Christie, Margaret Thatcher and Coco Chanel.

Agnes Grunwald - Spier

9 780750 953641 www.thehistorypress.co.uk

His Companion Dr. John H. Watson. Kindle

£30.00

160pp. US$29.99 paperback. ISBN 978-0-473-29723-7

Dr. Lamont has co-written this guide with Gillian Eadie, with whom she founded the Memory Foundation

(http://memory.foundation) in 2008; it can be bought on that site, and is

not on Amazon. The organization is

simple. Part A explains how memory

Direct, 2015. 202pp. US$10.99. ISBN

works through life, with changes in older

available.

of any age with its advice on memory

978-0-9554431-1-4. Print edition also

Eminent psychologist Radford uses upto-date psychometrics and psychology

to professionally assess literature’s most famous detective and his sidekick Dr.

Watson. Radford evaluates Holmes and

Watson as though they were real people, trying to determine their IQs, personality

profiles, sexual orientations, etc. In doing so, he tries

to answer questions as old as these characters, e.g.

whether Watson is really

so dumb and how Holmes

manages to know so much. He also psycholanalyzes

Holmes with the theories of his contemporary Sigmund

Freud. Radford goes a long

people, while Part B should interest people techniques for improving life in general.

Part C is even more specific, with advice on six “tunes” for remembering words, images, names, etc. Then Part

D contains

dietary and

exercise advice for helping the brain.

Lastly, Part E

delivers on the title’s promise

with a day-byday week-long better brain

plan. Since even Mensans do not always

fire on all cylinders mentally, they will welcome this book’s encouragement of mental

way in explaining the endur- stress relief in this distracted age.

ing appeal of Holmes and Watson, who

have been global icons for over a century and continue to inspire spinoffs in many

media. This volume makes great reading

for Mensans into Holmes or detective fiction in general.

Alison Lamont. The 7-Day Brain Boost Plan: How to Become Brain Fit for Life.

Auckland: Memory Foundation, 2016.

All books reviewed in this column are by Mensan authors. Send your book for review to Hal Swindall at paneurasia@gmail.com. You must be a member in good standing; please include your membership number and national Mensa in all correspondence with Hal.

m ensa wor ld j our na l Financial literacy declines with age...

mind matters...

A new study shows the ability of Americans to manage their money may decrease after they reach retirement age, but confidence in their ability to make good financial decisions stays the same.

A research team, led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), has broken new ground in our understanding of the complex functioning of the brain. The research, published in the current issue of the journal Science, demonstrates that brain cells, known as astrocytes, which play fundamental roles in nearly all aspects of brain function, can be adjusted by neurons in response to injury and disease. The discovery could have significant implications for epilepsy, movement disorders, and psychiatric and neurodegenerative disease. --The ability to access, analyse and draw insights from massive amounts of data already drives innovation in areas ranging from medicine to manufacturing, leading to greater efficiency and a higher quality of life. To accelerate this emerging field, the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced four awards totaling more than $US5 million to establish regional hubs for data science innovation. Commitments from more than 250 organizations - from universities and cities to foundations and Fortune 500 corporations - with the ability to expand further over time, have been received.

ling for characteristics like education, gender and wealth. They found older Americans were more likely to have life insurance than younger Americans but were significantly less likely to correctly answer basic life insurance questions. In a separate analysis, Finke, Huston and Howe found scores on problemsolving and memory can explain the The study, authored by Department of Personal Financial Planning age-related decline in financial literacy, professors Michael Finke and Sandra which involves both the ability to remember financial terms and concepts Huston of Texas Tech University and the ability to process this inforand John Howe of the University of mation. Finke said the similar rate of Michigan found financial literacy decline in these skills suggests that redeclines at a consistent rate after retirement. The ability to answer basic ducing financial decision-making ability may simply be a natural part of reaching financial questions decreases as respondents age, and this rate of decline advanced age. Decreasing financial literacy opens almost exactly matches the gradual the door to abuse from less principled erosion of memory and problemadvisers as well. A recent study by busisolving abilities later in life. ness school professors at the University This is worrisome, Finke said, because households aged 60 years and of Chicago and the University of Minnesota found financial firms who hire older control more than half of the advisers with ethical violations are more wealth in the United States. Since concentrated in areas with high elderly fewer employers provide pensions populations. Since older clients are also than ever before, more people are wealthier, they may meet net worth dependent entirely on their retirethresholds that allow advisers to sell ment savings. What was even more concerning, them complex products that can only legally be bought by so-called accredhowever, is older respondents didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ited investors who are assumed to be report a loss of confidence in their more financially knowledgeable. Older ability to make financial decisions. consumers whose financial literacy In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Old Age and the Decline of skills have declined may be particularly Financial Literacy,â&#x20AC;? published in the vulnerable to the sale of unsuitable journal Management Science, the investments. researchers found average financial literacy scores fell by half between the ages of 65 and 85. The rate of Extracted from http://newswise.com/articles/studydecline was the same after controlfinancial-literacy-declines-with-age-confidence-tomensa world journal may 2016

make-decisions-doesn-t

eurekalert.com

m ensa wor ld j our na l supplementally... Galaxy Far, Far, Away New Scientist, January 23, 2016, p. 17. “Brightest Supernova Ever is a Baffler.” (UC Berkeley News 12/2/09) What do you call a supernova that is 200 times brighter than expected? Scientists at Ohio State University aren’t sure. The super bright explosion seems to be located in an old galaxy 240 million light years away. Nobody is sure what exploded, or how it could stay bright for such a long time. But it could be an example of something that was common when the universe was very young: the death of a super-sized star made entirely of primordial hydrogen and helium. The Hubble Space Telescope will keep an eye on it. Autonomous Autos New Scientist, January 23, 2016, p. 21. “Self Driving Cars Alone Won’t Ease Gridlock.” Self driving cars might take the worry out of commuter driving. But they will not necessarily ease traffic congestion according to scientists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. They say it will also be necessary to install smart traffic lights that stay green longer when large numbers of vehicles are detected. A simulation of traffic in Mexico City shows this could improve traffic flow by 200 percent. One limitation on possible improvements mensa world journal may 2016

is the length of time it takes cars to start moving after they have stopped at traffic lights. Autonomous vehicles will not change that at all. Pulsar Pair

Science News, January 23, 2016, p. 16. “Pulsar Pair Ripples Spacetime.” Pulsars are amazing time keepers. Their pulsing seems to indicate the rotation speed of the superdense stellar corpses. System J0737-3039 is a pair of pulsars that orbit each other. If Einstein was right, this pulsar system should lose energy as it sends gravitational waves away into space. So, the two dead stars should slowly move closer together. This is exactly what is being observed. The pulsing beams let scientists track the pair very accurately as they move 7.152 millimeters closer together every day. Killer Robot New Scientist, January 16, 2016, pp. 35 - 37. “The Starfish Terminator.” A killer is loose on the Great Barrier Reef. It is an autonomous robot that can recognize crown of thorn starfish and inject them with poison. The purpose of the robot is to protect the reef from unsupportable numbers of starfish that destroy coral. But some people get queasy at the idea of a mindless killer automaton, no matter what its purpose is.

what’s on... Canadian Annual Gathering 10 June 2016 - 12 June 2016 American Gathering 29 June 2016 - 03 July 2016 EMAG 2016 in Kraków, Poland 10 - 14 August 2016 AMG in Guangzhou, China 09 - 11 September 2016 Swiss Annual Gathering 09 - 11 September 2016 IBD Meeting 2016 in Kyoto, Japan October 13 - 16, 2016 70-year anniversary of Mensa Dutch Annual Gathering 28 October 2016 - 30 October Silvensa 2016 29 December 2016 - 01 January 2017 New Year’s Eve in Maastricht, Netherlands

Check www.mensa.org for details of national events coming up

Johnb44221@cs.com 10

m ensa wor ld j our na l MENSA INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2016 The art of photography is an area where Mensans from over 50 countries with different languages, customs and traditions can converge with a single, visual language! Use your creativity, skills, and technical expertise to produce your entry in this year’s PhotoCup competition. The theme for 2016 is “UNEXPECTED!” Let your imagination run wild. If your Mensa chapter is holding a national competition to select entries for the International phase, a set of the rules and closing dates will be available from your national office or board. Direct International Members and members from countries not holding national contests are eligible to enter the International competition directly

The Mensa International Photographer of the Year 2016 could be you!

Therese Moodie-Bloom Director of Administration, admin-mil!mensa.org

officer directory Chair: Ms Bibiana Balanyi chairman-mil@mensa.org Director Admin: Ms Therese Moodie-Bloom, 17/23 Waiwera St, Lavender Bay 2060 Australia. admin-mil@mensa.org Director Development: Mr Björn Liljeqvist, Knektvägen 1, 196 30 Kungsängen Sweden. development-mil@mensa.org Treasurer: Mr Rudi Challupner treasurer-mil@mensa.org Dir. Smaller National Mensas: Mr Tomas Blumenstein, dsnm-mil@mensa.org Hon. President: Dr Abbie Salny, 407 Breckenridge, Wayne NJ 07470 USA Tel: +1 973 305 0055 SIGHTCoordinator: Mr Pierpaolo Vittorio SIGHT@mensa.org Int. SIG Coordinator: Ms Barbara Kryvko sigs@mensa.org Ombudsman: Mr Martyn Davies ombudsman@mensa.org Executive Director: Mr Michael Feenan, Slate Barn, Church Lane, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EL, UK Tel/Fax+44(0)1400272 675 mensainternational@mensa.org Editorial Staff Editor: Ms Kate Nacard 407/23 Corunna Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048 Australia mwjeditor@mensa.org T: +61 2 9516 1024 Science: Mr John Blinke Johnb44221@cs.com Books: Mr Hal Swindall paneurasia@gmail.com The Mensa World Journal (MWJ) is produced under the auspices of the Mensa International Board of Directors. Mandatory content as identified by the MWJ editor must be published in every national Mensa magazine. Publication of other content is recommended but optional. Opinions expressed in the MWJ are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other individual or any official Mensa body. Submission Guidelines: Language: English only. Text: MS Word (Windows), .rtf (Word/Mac), plain text, PageMaker (Windows), InDesign (Windows) Length: 500 word limit. Send by e-mail, fax, snail mail to the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to include or edit submissions for space and content considerations. All unoriginal submissions must be accompanied by written permission for publication from the original author.Permission is granted for MWJ articles to be reprinted in any Mensa publication provided that the author, MWJ and MWJ’s editor are acknowledged. Permission must be sought from the MWJ editor for reprinting of any part of the MWJ in non-Mensa publications. mensa world journal may 2016

Therese’s Puzzles

E N

12. Which number continues the pattern? 48

SHEEP

________________

HORSE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------15. Change a HORSE to a SHEEP in three steps by changing one letter at each step. The order of the letters may be rearranged each time. Each step must produce a proper word.

Her beauty was known wide and far.

And made tasty jam tarts,

She was skilled in the ______________

Who wanted the marry a ______________

There once was a world-famous ______________

-------------------------------------------------------------------------14. The same four letters can be rearranged in different ways to fill the blanks:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------13. Which number continues this pattern?

SPRING,

CARD,

LET

BLACK,

WHITE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------18. Which word can be added on to the end of each of the following, making four new words?

STRING, BONE, PER,

17. Which word can be put in front of each of the following, making four new words?

same three words reading down.

16. Using only Roman Numerals, fill in the blanks so If you would like to discuss answers directly with MENSA, you can email Therese at therese@mensa.org.au that there are three words reading across, with the

78 26

7. Which number does not belong?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------8. Jim pays twice as much board to his parents as each of his three brothers, who are out of work. What percentage of the four sons’ total board does Jim pay?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------9.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------10. Which of the following scrambled cities are in Africa? OCTANEPW, BLINER, ARPIS, OARIC, LOGWAGS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------11. Each colour represents a different letter. Using only Roman Numerals, fill in the coloured squares so that the four words reading across are the same as the four words reading down.

1. Beet-ling. 2. Good-night Sweet-heart (the heart or middle of ‘sweet’ is ‘e’). 3. Break a leg! 4. Beats (Beast). 5. Ma is ill. 6. U. (This is the set of letters consisting only of a single curved line.) 7. 38. All the others are multiples of 13. 8. 40%. 9. 8. 10. Cape Town and Cairo (The others are Berlin, Paris and Glasgow). 11. Diva, Iced, Vend, Adds. 12. 13. 13. 68. 14. Star, Tsar, Arts. 15. Horse, share/hears/hares, heaps/phase, sheep. 16. Drive, Idiot, Extol. 17. Ham. 18. Board.

MENSA MINI IQ CHALLENGE 1. Which VEGETABLE can have a FISH add to it to make a way of MOVING ALONG?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Which TV show is represented below?

Night e -------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Change one letter in each word to find a strange theatrical expression: FREAK, I BEG!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------4. Which word meaning HITS can have its letters rearranged to form a CREATURE?

STIFF

-------------------------------------------------------------------------5. Find a word for each pair of words below, which can be added to the end of the first word, and also to the beginning of the second word, to make two new words. DOG

SUE TREAT

PER WINDOWS

Now read down the centre boxes to find out why Jan’s mother is not at work today. -------------------------------------------------------------------------6. These three capital letters have something in common. What is the fourth capital letter that completes the set? CJS?

mensa world journal

june 2016 issue# 041

Mensa in Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rapid Growth p5

Almost 15% of Mensa Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members attended the last AGM!

The IBD meeting this year is in Japan - all welcome!!

m ensa wor ld j our na l Tooth loss increases the risk of diminished cognitive function The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published an article titled Tooth Loss Increases the Risk of Diminished Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis in the OnlineFirst portion of the JDR Clinical & Translational Research. In it, Cerutti-Kopplin et al systematically assessed the association between oral health and cognitive function in adult populations. The increase of cognitive impairment and its pathologic correlates, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, in aging populations is progressing worldwide and creating a significant burden on health systems. Better insight into the nature and extent of the association between oral health and cognitive function is of great importance since it could lead to preventive interventions for cognitive performance. Therefore, the objective of this review was to systematically examine if tooth loss leads to cognitive impairment and its most prevalent pathologic correlate (dementia). Eligible study reports were identified by searching the MEDLINE (via Ovoid), EMBASE, PsycoINFO and Cochrane Library databases. Pooled hazard ratios with 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated with a random effects model. From 1,251 identified articles, 10 were

mensa world journal june 2016

included in the systematic review and eight in the meta-analysis. Random effects analysis showed, with statistically low heterogeneity, that individuals with less than 20 teeth were at a 20 percent higher risk for developing cognitive decline (hazard ratios equal 1.26, 95 percent confidence intervals equal 1.14 to 1.40) and dementia (hazard ratios equal 1.22, 95 percent confidence intervals equal 1.04 to 1.43) than those with greater than or equal to 20 teeth. Based on the published literature, the results of this study show that the risk for cognitive impairment and dementia increases with loss of teeth. This information suggests that oral health strategies aimed to preserve teeth may be important in reducing risk of systemic disease. Science Daily

Deadline for submissions to August 2016 issue is June 1, 2016 mwjeditor@mensa. org

from the editor... Have a look at p4 for what’s on around the Mensa world during the remainder of the year. EMAG in Krakow, Poland, sounds wonderful (more info on p9) and if you can possibly come Down Under in October for the Australian AG (more info on p11), you will be especially welcome on my home turf ! Also in October, another fabulous meeting will be the International Board of Directors’ meeting in Kyoto Japan when we’ll formally celebrate International Mensa’s 70th birthday! Congratulations and a very warm welcome to the 2016 Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program recipients! Read their details on pp6-7, and also learn some of the ways that Japan Mensa’s Board has increased their membership tenfold over the last nine years on p5. Our book reviewer, Hal, is delighted that so many of you have sent him your published manuscripts for review; take note that he has a new e-address, mwjreviews@gmail.com. Warm regards,

Kate The full, colour MWJ can be read and downloaded at www.mensa.org each month.

m ensa wor ld j our na l from the chairman... Dear Mensa Friends, In my first article to you as international chair, I could only speak about the newly-elected Executive Committee and the future plans I had. Initially, I had to listen and learn a lot. After about eight months, I can happily say that our work has started to yield results. The Executive Committee, including me, has been very busy with the face-to-face ExComm meeting, held in Berlin during the EMAG, and after that, with the preparing and conducting the IBD meeting in Novi Sad. We had about 50 people around the table representing 35 countries, ploughing through a huge agenda with 40 items. Having that behind our backs, I could concentrate on progressing towards the achievement of the goals I promised in my election materials. In August, 2015 I created a Facebook page for ExComm. The aim was to create an interactive channel for those interested in learning more about the work of the International Board (i.e. the officers they elected), and through that to better see how Mensa works at an international level. The page has slightly over 600 likes (up to the time of writing) – which is quite a low number for our society with 130,000 members. I invite you all to check it out and join at: https://www. facebook.com/ExCommMensaInternamensa world journal june 2016

tional/. My plan is to set up a FB page for Mensa International as well, to serve the ‘outside world’ with news and interesting things about us, to further strengthen the Mensa International brand within the greater community. Hopefully, by the time you read this, it will be fully functional. Meanwhile, we started to tidy up our Facebook presence by eliminating fake FB groups with names ‘Mensa’, ‘Mensa member’, ‘Mensa International’ and the like. Fake groups just proliferate, without any permission from Mensa to use the name and the logo. They are very deceiving, confusing and can easily be mistaken for the official group. Some even block easy FB addresses without any right to do so. With Executive Director Michael Feenan, we started to proceed in banning the 5-10 biggest of them. Co-operating with Stacey Kirsch, administrator of the official group, we managed to change the address of the group so that it may easily be identified. You can join that group at: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/MensaInternationalOfficial/ Please join the official group (and leave the others). The IBD in Novi Sad passed a motion to create a new non-voting

volunteer position of International Communication Officer to perform all kinds of public relations, communication and branding tasks. This was a longoverdue appointment. Ultimately, the successful candidate was Ivett Vancsik. She is a professional with a relevant career of about 20 years. She is a marketing expert by qualification, she is an active marketing and communication consultant with management skills and with rich experiences among others in the field of Public Relations, branding, communication, business strategy. She speaks very high level English. You will surely hear more because she will be a tremendous help for us – and particularly for me as chair. Welcome, Ivett! Well, you do not need a PR diploma to establish that while several national groups have

m ensa wor ld j our na l excellent visual identity, Mensa International completely lacks that. Visual elements are not coherent on the website, business cards, letterheads etc. Some are taken from here, some from there, and there is little coherence. That situation is not worthy of our society. Therefore, I asked the ICO to help me in changing that and to ask a graphic designer to ‘refresh’ the corporate image based on what we have so that it becomes coherent and uniform. Hopefully, it will be ready by the time you read this! You all know that in 2016, Mensa will be celebrating its 70th anniversary. I hope that we can celebrate this all together! To be consistent with its communication to the internal and external audience, I’ve entrusted Ivett to draft news releases and supporting materials for the countries to facilitate their local communication of the event. Another major achievement in modernising our historical society is that the 2017 elections will be held electronically where applicable. The E-voting committee and the Web Board have been working on this issue very closely. The Governance Paper Advisory Committee made the necessary adjustments to the election rules. The rules have been approved by the ExComm and, by the time you read this article, by the IBD as well. In the meantime, we have begun the considerable task of renewing the international website. That is top priority for me and I cannot die until I see it working. I started by analysing the problems of the current website mensa world journal june 2016

and then prepared a concept on how the new one should look. Without quoting the whole document, I will just mention the most important things: in my opinion, the MIL website should serve three audiences. The website should be an extensive point of information about Mensa, a hub for an international organisation embracing all Mensa groups; a place for members to meet and interact internationally; and an easy-to-look-up central database, pool of information, and (rules, documents, governance, data, reports, best practices etc.) for the countries. The underlying problem is that the existing structure was inherited from the previous very static website. Hence the greatest obstacle to renewing www.mensa.org was to create an appropriate structure. The biggest trick was to find the structure that was comprehensive and well-arranged, but flexible enough to accommodate future needs. I created a menu structure – and I hope it will be good. Michael and I discussed it in detail and further improved it. Having that in hand we can finally proceed. We continue working and managing that long project. I do hope that by the time you read this article, you will all have had first hand experiences of the achievements of Mensa International. Floreat Mensa!

Bibiana Balanyi chair-mil@mensa.org

what’s on... American Annual Gathering San Diego, California June 29 - July 3 EMAG 2016 in Kraków, Poland 10 - 14 August 2016 AMG in Guangzhou, China 09 - 11 September 2016 Swiss Annual Gathering 09 - 11 September 2016 Australian Mensa AG in Hobart Tasmania October 6 - 10 IBD Meeting 2016 in Kyoto, Japan October 13 - 16, 2016 70-year anniversary of Mensa Dutch Annual Gathering 28 October - 30 October Silvensa 2016 29 December 2016 - 01 January 2017 New Year’s Eve in Maastricht, Netherlands

Check www.mensa.org for details of national events coming up 04

m ensa wor ld j our na l The Rapid Growth of Mensa Japan JAPAN MENSA surpassed membership of 2000 last autumn and had 2,141 members at the beginning of 2016. As shown in the graph below, the increase over the years has been rapid; membership has expanded tenfold in the last nine years. According to Satoki Takeichi, current Chairman of Mensa Japan, the reasons for this increase are many and diverse. External Factors - Japan is a narrow country but has a large population (about 127 million), so there are a number of potential members. - Since almost everyone has access to the internet and/or mobile coverage, there is much more community awareness of Mensa. - Because Quiz shows are popular on TV in Japan, we provide quiz questions and answers for some of them, again increasing community awareness of Mensa. - In Japan, it is difficult for individual persons to obtain information about his or her own IQ. The results of IQ tests that we take as school students are known only to the parents, so a lot of people do not know their own IQ. People who occasionally think “I may be smart” have to take the (inexpensive) Mensa test! Internal Factors - Members share curiosity and the mensa world journal june 2016

spirit of “hospitality”, with the result that in each region of Japan, new members can make new friends at a variety of Mensan activities. - We have a Board composed of 15 higly-skilled people; each has been working with specialized knowledge and passion.

Currently, we accept offers for appearing on TV and for making up quizzes for various media. We receive about 10 requests for quiz-making and 5-6 TV coverage requests per year. In addition to TV, we are using Facebook Page and Twitter. Face book page “Reach” is 1,000-3,000 per What we have done? article. We also have our own web - Our strategic Plan page, by which candidates can know Our membership exceeded 1500 in the dates of tests and subscribe to the 2014. We had built a system to share page. authority amongst board members and various sub-committees, but Admission test having reached 1500 members, the We have a highly automated plan needed revision. For a further mission-critical system for the test increase in members, and members’ implementation. Candidates’ applicahappiness, we implemented a variety tions from the web page automatiof measures as follows. cally appear on a roster. After scoring, Continued on p09

m ensa wor ld j our na l

In 2016 the Leadership Exchange Ambassadors Program (LEAP) received 16 applications from 12 countries – Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Mexico, Montenegro, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States. After reading and viewing the materials sent by the applicants, the LEAP committee selected six ambassadors for 2016.

L.E.A.P. 2016

This group of future leaders will travel to the American Mensa’s 2016 Annual Gathering in San Diego ( June 29 – July 3) and the European Mensas Gathering (EMAG) in Kraków, Poland (August 10-14) to present workshops on their leadership experience and innovative ideas that have helped their own Mensas grow and thrive. The applicants were ranked according to communication skills, presentation content, topic relevance to Mensas worldwide, their previous involvement in Mensa, and other criteria mentioned in the application form. The following listing is alphabetical by surname and does not represent the candidates’ actual standing in the selection process.

mensa world journal june 2016

Predrag Djukic, Serbia, plans to share his country’s experience with IC Development Games. The main idea was to introduce an activity that provides newcomers with an easy way to become familiar with long-time Mensa members and the Mensa organization itself. IC Development Games are simple, short, easily adjustable, and fun, which makes them ideal for communication, collaboration, and enjoyable competition. (video, motortrim@gmail.com) Rosemary Horwood, Canada, is a YAM (Young Adult Mensan) and the first YAM national coordinator in her Mensa. Her workshop will feature ways to attract other young members with strategies that have increased Canada’s membership growth in recent years. Rosemary’s three key leadership functions and actionable steps can be duplicated and implemented to have positive effects on worldwide Mensa membership. (video, Rosemary.Horwood@RichardsonGMP.com)

Richard Klysz, Australia, is interested in what happens when involved members leave the group. Is there a succession plan and is there an efficient transfer of volunteer skills? Does the group have to start again from the beginning? Richard will discuss how preparing your replacement keeps your Mensa group healthy and growing. (video, rjklysz@hotmail.com)

m ensa wor ld j our na l

Fernando Villafuerte, Mexico, will focus his presentation on how a national Mensa group can develop and minimize the pain of expansion without losing the intellectual attraction that brought in members originally. There’s a balance to be maintained when a group seeks to become a Full National Mensa while keeping the local members happy. (video, rrpp@mensa.org.mx)

Teresa Wong, Australia, says that there are natural leaders, but most of us are not so inclined. To create and see a project to successful completion requires energy and enthusiasm. Teresa’s presentation, “Simple Project Management for Complex People,” may ignite Mensans’ passions to organize great events create excitement for the next interesting project. (video; twong333@bigpond.net.au)

Bill Zigo, United States, has given workshops on leadership and management of local Mensa groups for many years. One issue he will address in his LEAP presentation is volunteer burnout, which may happen eventually to the most enthusiastic volunteers. To avoid burnout, Bill suggests ways to maximize volunteer efficiency and re-energize volunteers. (video, bzigo@optonline.net)

We believe that this year’s candidates will bring new ideas to captivate, entertain, and educate all who attend their presentations. Thanks to the 12 National Mensas who nominated their members for this committee to consider. Thanks also to the IBD and national chairs for their continued support of LEAP. We know that it would not be possible to have this program and get to know some of Mensa’s future leaders without IBD’s involvement. Best regards, Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program Committee Jacek Cywinski (Chair) Aleksandra Borovic, Beth Anne Demeter Cinthia Reyes, Elissa Rudolph Petr Mazal mensa world journal june 2016

m ensa wor ld j our na l Books...

Nigel Bryant. Manor Farm: a Sequel to George Orwell’s Animal Farm. London: PublishNation, 2013. 132pp. US$9.63 paperback. ISBN 978-1-291-69053-8 Orwell fans will enjoy this novella, which is humorous but serious like its prequel. Bryant narrates what becomes of Animal Farm after Napoleon the head pig changes its name back to Manor Farm and tries to maintain relations with human farmer neighbors while controlling the lower animals under his leadership. The farm is always led by pigs, who seem to develop more and more human features and try to run the farm in the face of numerous problems. When rats infest the farm, cats are brought in to exterminate them, and the story ends with Lancelot, the porcine president for life, in an uneasy alliance with the felines, who control electricity generation after the old generator breaks down. Bryant has written a fine allegorical satire of dictatorship under the pretence of liberating the exploited masses. Joe Lodge. Who Says I Can’t? A Guide to Living Well with COPD. CreateSpace, 2015. 216pp. US$9.99 paperback. ISBN 978-15196448-8-6 The COPD of the

mensa world journal june 2016

title stands for “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” i.e. frequent difficulty breathing, and refers mainly to emphysema and bronchitis. Lodge attributes his own severe emphysema to both genes and an unhealthy lifestyle of driving around the UK as an electronics engineer with little time for rest, exercise or proper nutrition—nor did smoking help. Finally, he was diagnosed after being hospitalized for pneumonia. This book is mainly inspirational autobiography intended to encourage other COPD sufferers, and contains many black and white photos of Lodge going about an active life despite his condition. Lodge uses his own experience to show how the COPD-afflicted can cope with everyday life and relationships, both personal and professional. Appendix A is a checklist for COPD sufferers to assess their quality of life, and B is a cure trial log. This is an uplifting book for anyone with any kind of debilitating condition. Mike Stenson. Knickers with a Twist. Swansea: Rowanvale Books, 2014. 144pp. US$10.66 paperback. ISBN 9781-909902-61-9 Lovers of humorous verse about

Hal Swindall the absurdities and accidents of everyday life will enjoy this slim collection. Indeed, anyone with an outrageous sense of humor could kill time with it. Stenson prefaces each poem with a few paragraphs explaining the event or context that caused it to be composed; most are taken from his life as a shopkeeper in northern Wales, where he has to get on with his customers and avoid selling alcohol to minors. The funniest one in my opinion is “A Short Break,” which recounts an attempt at a Spanish vacation that is anything but relaxing, mainly because of flight delays: Our plane duly arrives, At ten after five, That’s A.M. the following day! Still in the same clothes, As when we left home, Now creased, by the floor, where we lay. Overall, Stenson’s poetry is the good old-fashioned rhyming sort and written with much wry wit. His book would make a good gift for someone with a similar sense of humor.

All books reviewed in this column are by Mensan authors. Send your book for review to Hal Swindall at mwjreviews@gmail.com. You must be a member in good standing; please include your membership number and national Mensa in all correspondence.

m ensa wor ld j our na l Continued from p5 the successful applicants receive a congratulatory e-mail. In 2015 we had 10 proctors and held the admission test 78 times throughout Japan.

strong driving force for an increase in membership. For members’ satisfaction, we publish discussion with the board, resulting in less criticism for board decisions.

Welcoming newcomers We held five regular meetings promoted by members and nine orientations for new entrants last year in various parts of Japan. In addition, members held private meetings over 200 times during year. These activities are a

Challenges Urgent ongoing challenges are the activation of member activities in regions other than in Tokyo and the establishment of incorporation for JAPAN MENSA. to address these challenges, we have established specialized sub-committees for each.

Mensa International’s formal 70th Anniversary celebrations will be held in Kyoto Japan, during the International Board of Directors’ meeting. October 13 - 16, 2016 For registration and information, www.mensa.org

Personality Influences Reactions to Written Errors in Email Messages When reading emails, do you become the “grammar police? You no who you aer: the person who thinks its her job too catch every typo or gramatical errur? This behaviour is partly the result of personality traits that influence how people react to written errors, according to University of Michigan linguistics experts. Extroverted people are likely to overlook typos and grammatical errors that would cause introverted people to judge the person who makes such errors more negatively. mensa world journal june 2016

“In this experiment, we examined the social judgments that readers made about the writers,” said Julie Boland, U-M professor of linguistics and psychology, and the study’s lead author. Eighty-three participants read email responses to an ad for a housemate that either contained no errors or had been altered to include either typos, such as mkae (make) or abuot (about), or grammar errors, such as to/too, it’s/its or your/ you’re. They rated the email writers in terms of perceived intelligence, friendliness and other attributes, as well as provided information about

themselves. At the end of the experiment, participants were asked if they noticed any grammatical errors in the responses. If they answered “yes,” they indicated how much the errors bothered them. As expected, less agreeable people are more sensitive to grammatical errors, while more conscientious and less open people are sensitive to typos, said study co-author Robin Queen, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and professor and chair of the Department of Linguistics.

Full report: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/

article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0149885

m ensa wor ld j our na l EMAG INVITATION Krakow, Poland August 10 - 14

We invite you all to join us for a great adventure during the five days of the gathering. As all Mensans who took part in the previous EMAGs can tell you, going to EMAG is always the best way to spend a week of your summer holiday. Once you try it, you will never want to go back to the life you knew before. Dedicated lectures and talks, unique workshops, outdoor activities, sightseeing and exploring the beautiful city of Kraków – it is just a glimpse of what awaits you. EMAG is a great opportunity to make new friends, relax and get inspired by all those wonderful people and their ideas. Our Polish team is working hard to make this long anticipated event come true. We would like to see there as many of our friends from all around the world as possible. So if you have not registered for EMAG yet, please visit our website at emag.mensa.org.pl and our fan site at facebook.com/EMAG2016 to find out more about what’s going on this summer. Rivet M. Lorddom

US Mensa’s Bulletin Celebrates 50 Years with Anthology Publication By Chip Taulbee, American Mensa Bulletin editor The most brilliant writing from 50 years of American Mensa’s member magazine come together in a new, 100-page publication, Great Minds Think and Write: 50 Years of the Mensa Bulletin. The recently released coffee table-style book celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Bulletin with a handful of the best archives from each of the magazine’s five decades. The old articles are paired with all-new, original art from Mensan illustrators, along with introductory overviews of the Bulletin’s different eras. The publication also features past letters to the editor and classified ads that helped color the Bulletin’s quirky history. And new compositions, including an essay from notable author and Mensan Nelson DeMille, preserve and define the magazine’s legacy. Members of American Mensa received copies of Great Minds Think and Write free with their 2016-17 membership. However, Mensans throughout the world can purchase copies online for $9.95 (plus shipping and handling). Bulk quantities are also available to National Mensas at a discounted rate, to be used for fundraising or recruiting and retention efforts. Visit us.mensa.org/Bulletin50 to purchase individual copies, or email bulletineditor@us.mensa.org information about bulk quantities. mensa world journal june 2016

m ensa wor ld j our na l Your Invitation to AMC2016 - Great Southern Land! October 6 - 10 in Hobart, Australia

www.mensa.org.au/amc

The title speaks for itself in its triplicity, a metaphor for Australia, Tasmania and Antarctia, a wonderful theme of natural environments, the crisp, fresh air, and the warmth of its people. There is a 1-price policy and it has great value. Your conference fee covers activities from Friday night until Sunday afternoon but we’ve organised pre- and postconference tours too - see the Contacts List on the webpage. We have Tasmania’s memory coach and member Bill taking us into a mnemonic adventure, a professor, young published mathematician Ivan with his own theorem, another mayor with snapshots of his Tasmanian and Antarctic travels, and government scientist and member Andrew talking on the importance and intricacies of biosecurity. We have great food here and hospitality too. Watch the video on the webpage and see for yourself. Friday and Saturday nights will be amazing. It’s your Mensa. Come, and see it - be a part of it - and come to Tasmanian Mensa’s AMC2016 Great Southern Land. Don’t leave it until July or August - please book in before June 30th to get the early bird discount of a free $35 polar fleece jacket (or hoodie for children) - so we can plan and make a better conference for everybody. So, wrap yourselves in Tasmania because Tasmania will certainly wrap itself around you!

Dr Jason Betts, TasSec +61 3 6431 3540 tas@mensa.org.au www.facebook.com/groups/AMC2016Tas

officer directory

Chair: Ms Bibiana Balanyi chairman-mil@mensa.org Director Admin: Ms Therese Moodie-Bloom, 17/23 Waiwera St, Lavender Bay 2060 Australia. admin-mil@mensa.org Director Development: Mr Björn Liljeqvist, Knektvägen 1, 196 30 Kungsängen Sweden. development-mil@mensa.org Treasurer: Mr Rudi Challupner treasurer-mil@mensa.org Dir. Smaller National Mensas: Mr Tomas Blumenstein, dsnm-mil@mensa.org Hon. President: Dr Abbie Salny, 407 Breckenridge, Wayne NJ 07470 USA Tel: +1 973 305 0055 SIGHTCoordinator: Mr Pierpaolo Vittorio SIGHT@mensa.org Int. SIG Coordinator: Ms Barbara Kryvko sigs@mensa.org Ombudsman: Mr Martyn Davies ombudsman@mensa.org Executive Director: Mr Michael Feenan, Slate Barn, Church Lane, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EL, UK Tel/Fax+44(0)1400272 675 mensainternational@mensa.org

Editorial Staff Editor: Ms Kate Nacard 407/23 Corunna Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048 Australia mwjeditor@mensa.org T: +61 2 9516 1024 Science: Mr John Blinke Johnb44221@cs.com Books: Mr Hal Swindall mwjreviews@gmail.com Puzzles: Ms Therese Moodie-Bloom tmb@ozemail.com.au The Mensa World Journal (MWJ) is produced under the auspices of the Mensa International Board of Directors. Mandatory content as identified by the MWJ editor must be published in every national Mensa magazine. Publication of other content is recommended but optional. Opinions expressed in the MWJ are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other individual or any official Mensa body. Submission Guidelines: Language: English only. Text: MS Word (Windows), .rtf (Word/Mac), plain text, PageMaker (Windows), InDesign (Windows) Length: 500 word limit. Send by e-mail, fax, snail mail to the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to include or edit submissions for space and content considerations. All unoriginal submissions must be accompanied by written permission for publication from the original author.Permission is granted for MWJ articles to be reprinted in any Mensa publication provided that the author, MWJ and MWJ’s editor are acknowledged. Permission must be sought from the MWJ editor for reprinting of any part of the MWJ in non-Mensa publications.

mensa world journal june 2016

1. Which ANIMAL can be added to a PART OF A FEATHER to make a kind of DUPE?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Which creature is represented below?

H EY B -------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Change one letter in each word to find a common saying SO PLAN PAST ANY LOUSE!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------4. Between them, the two brothers have $43. The older boy has $15 more than the younger. How much does the younger boy have?

TIME

BARE LO

RE YARD

TEE EN

Now read down the centre boxes to find an expression meaning VERY OLD.

__________ I T O R

__________ I V E R S A R Y

__________ C E R

__________ P E R

BAR

CAR

SOD

POT

GAR

PET

AGE

RED

BED

HER

DEN

Whoever heard of a ________ on a _________?”

She laughed, “Utter tripe!

He asked, “Where’s your ___________?”

Who met in the woods a young ____________

There once was a __________ from Lambright

-------------------------------------------------------------------------14. The same six letters can be rearranged to make different words. Replace the missing words with three of those arrangements.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------13. Which number is 45 less than six times itself?

WAS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------12. Take a word from each column and join them to make a new 6-letter word. Each word may be used once only. What are the six new words you’ve made?

11. Each colour represents a different letter. Using ONLY the musical notes of an octave, fill in the empty squares so that you have four English words that read across, and will read the same down.

Therese’s Puzzles 6

6. Which letter comes next? 2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------7. Which three-letter word can be put after of each of the following words to make four new words? RAT SLIT FEAT ARC -------------------------------------------------------------------------8. Uncle John sent $200 to be shared by his five nephews, with the proviso that the eldest got $10 more than the second oldest, who got $10 more than the third oldest etc. How much went to a) the eldest, and b) the youngest nephew?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------9.

3 3

? 5

5 8

__________ B E D

-------------------------------------------------------------------------10. Place three boys’ names and three girls’ names, each of three letters, in the spaces below to produce six proper words.

__________ P L E R

15. Can you change MILD to HARD in five steps by changing one letter at a time? Each step must produce a proper word.

MILD

__________________

HARD

__________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

16. At a recent conference, 20% of the registrants didn’t turn up. Of those who did, 10% left before the main speaker. An eighth of those remaining left after the main speaker; and two thirds of rest left before the closing speeches. Two thirds of those who stayed till the end got cabs home, and seven registrants were stranded in the hotel lobby without transport. How many people had registered altogether?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------17. Which number does not belong?

1. Goat (Scape-goat). 2. H-on-ey bee. 3. To play fast and loose. 4. $14. 5. One foot in the grave. 6. P. 7. Her. 8. a) $60 b) $20. 9. 2. 10. Jan, Pam, Bob, Dan, Sam, Ann. 11. Bead, Ease, Asks, Desk. 12. Garbed sodden potage carpet barred washer. 13. 9. 14. Priest, sprite, stripe, stripe, sprite. 15. Mild – Wild – Wind – Wand – Hand – Hard. 16. 100. 17. 49