• From: epe
  • Registered: 2016-09-29

Topics: South American World Cup Qualifying Is Dope As Hell - Deadspin

Binge watching is America’s new favorite pastime. I mean, what could be better than plopping on the couch to watch a TV show from start to finish in the course of a day? But one study is trying to ruin the magic for everyone.

You probably already knew that binge watching all day long isn’t the best for your health since, you know, moving around is good for you or whatever. But a new study from the University of Melbourne is going so far to suggest that binge watching TV shows can actually make them less enjoyable overall. According to the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal First Monday , binge watching affects both your long-term memory and how much you like a show.

Study participants who were asked to binge watch programs experienced strong memory formation immediately after viewing, but those memories of what they watched decayed more rapidly when compared to participants who watched shows on a daily or weekly basis. So, if you want to remember what you’re watching, it’s best to give your brain some time to breathe and reflect on what you saw. Otherwise, people will ask you what you thought the new season of that super popular show and all you’ll be able to say is, “I think I liked it.”

  • From: epe
  • Registered: 2016-09-29

For most of the world’s elite national teams, qualifying for the World Cup is a charade. Sure, Spain and Germany and the other powerhouses have to earn their places into the world’s biggest sporting event, but because those countries are so reliably great, they can generally nab their spot without their fans ever entering panic mode. It takes a truly historic downslide to mess things up. (Yes, we’re looking at you, Holland.)

It’s mostly for the good of the main event that the great teams don’t have much trouble qualifying for the World Cup, but there is a side-effect to this: outside of watching your preferred national team find itself and its best XI, World Cup qualifying in general doesn’t make for the most compelling television. It is too predictable, with too many bad teams getting smashed up by the good teams, and too many second chances for any one match to feel important.

Except for in South America, that is. In an absolute cutthroat soccer continent with just 10 teams competing for four slots (plus a trip to the play-in round), World Cup qualifying down there is absolutely wild. Within the 10 teams that make up CONMEBOL, there are six countries ranked in the top 14 of international soccer, by ELO. If you’re doing the math, this format means one of the top 14 soccer countries in the world will necessarily miss the World Cup, and that doesn’t even account for the threats of the other four teams, the worst of which ranks 40th.

  • From: epe
  • Registered: 2016-09-29

For most of the world’s elite national teams, qualifying for the World Cup is a charade. Sure, Spain and Germany and the other powerhouses have to earn.