Is it better to treat someone with kid gloves or to treat them carefully? Researchers in Italy have investigated how the brain recognises that the first phrase means the same as the second. Publishing in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience, the researchers suggest that we use both hemispheres to understand idioms. The findings also shed light on whether the brain tries to understand a familiar idiom literally before it understands it as a metaphor. The left inferior frontal gyrus, the part of the brain thought to be used to suppress literal meaning, was not specifically activated by idiom comprehension; however, the limbic regions, which are involved in emotional responses, were. More information: The role of left and right hemispheres in the comprehension of idiomatic language: an electrical neuroimaging study; Alice M Proverbio, Nicola Crotti, Alberto Zani and Roberta Adorni; BMC Neuroscience (in press); http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcneurosci/

Re earchers have made great progress in recent years in understanding the neural processes and bio-chemistry involved in memory formation and recall. So much so that some are beginning to talk about cures for phobias and treatments for post traumatic stress disorder.

In her work on PTSD at Oxford University’s Institute of Psychiatry, Dr Emily Holmes is no stranger to haunting imagery, or the harm such vivid flashbacks can cause.

In a remarkable experiment involving footage taken at the scenes of car crashes and clips of old public information films, Dr Holmes is using the computer game Tetris to disrupt the processes in the brain involved in laying down painful memories, dramatically reducing the impact of recalled trauma. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8587000/8587211.stm

We are delighted to announce that Supermassive Game, Guildford, have joined the DMK Indsutry Panel. Supermassive Games are an independent games development studio based in Guildford in the South East of England who opened our doors in September 2008 and are working primarily on innovative, publisher-funded, Playstation 3 exclusive titles.  In our first year they have  grown to nearly 70 amazingly talented people, all working on a variety of exciting products. You may have seen the announcement of one of our games at GDC – Move Party (working title).  Here’s what Kotaku said “a splendid technological magic trick … it is the special twist that teases some of the Move’s best potential”.  Check out some screenshots on our new Games page, plus watch the Developer Diaries on Eurogamer, made in conjunction with our friends at Sony

Our studio is a place where everyone can make an outstanding contribution every day. We pride ourselves on our energetic, creative environment where everyone takes responsibility and where we trust people to do their jobs. They are still looking for people to enhance our current set of teams. Ideally you’ll have a games development background, but if you have talent and the determination to be part of something new and exciting, we’d always like to hear from you. Just remember a DMK Masters could put you ahead of the competition !

If you’d like to get in touch with them to find out more, you can email them at develop@supermassivegames.com, check out their jobs page for some of our current vacancies or give us a call on 01483 549440.  If you want to write in, you can find us at 1 Farnham Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4RG.

A new web portal celebrating the work of Eadweard Muybridge was launched today at The British Film Institute. The website, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council     (AHRC), aims to provide a definitive research resource for the work of 19th century photographer Eadweard Muybridge,  known primarily for his important pioneering work documenting movement using multiple cameras, and his zoopraxiscope, a device for projecting motion pictures that pre-dated the flexible perforated film strip that is used today.  Information on all known collections of Muybridge’s work around the world can be searched via the new site, as well as selected collections of rare books published by Muybridge during his lifetime.  Professor Fran Lloyd, Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture, Kingston University said; “The web portal brings details of the 121 Muybridge collections in the world together for the first time. As part of this collaborative project it has been established that the Kingston Museum collection is indeed one of the three most unique collections of Muybridge in the world.’ http://www.eadweardmuybridge.co.uk/

Sponsored by the Computer Arts Society and the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS)

Monday 5th – Wednesday 7th July 2010,  EVA London will again be held in the glamorous central London headquarters of the British Computer Society, 5 Southampton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7HA

If you are an artist, researcher, practitioner or producer using digital technologies in the cultural sector – this conference is for you. Includes Keynote from Oliver Grau is Professor of Image Science and Head of the Department for Image Science at the Danube University Krems. Grau’s main research is in the history of media art, immersion (virtual reality), and emotions, as well as the history, idea and culture of telepresence and artificial life. His books include Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion (2003), Mediale Emotionen (2005), MediaArtHistories. http://www.eva-conferences.com/eva_london/about_0