Diversions for Insomniacs - Two Games

Sometimes the arcade style games are good for blowing off some steam. So here are two to try.

The first one, Nanotube, requires some agility to defend a circular structure from flying colored orbs (see image above). Be quick or you're done! One reviewer called this game "a satisfying treat."


The second game, Sproing, lets you smash the green balls with an anchored blue ball that you swing around. It's crazy fun and the music is great. Have a ball!

Diversions for Insomniacs - Samorost

Here's a curious game to help keep things interesting during any late-night, drowsy browsing you might be doing at your computer. Samorost 1 is essentially a puzzle game that gained popularity because of its unusual visuals and interesting music. Once you've mastered this game, try the sequel, Samorost 2. Good luck!

Diversions for Insomniacs

A sleepless night seems like the perfect time to survey the wonders of the internet, particularly the flotsam and jetsam that drifts by as we surf the web.

So here are some utterly pointless websites, presented for your amusement:

- Feeling sleepy? You couldn't ask for anything more.

- Kirby dances for you! Kirby just needs some music to go with the dancing.

- Golems of Light are on the move. Thanks to Cliff Pickover for this one, whose main website, Reality Carnival, has been the source for more than one Diversions for Insomniacs.

- Dancing Parabolas. Finally, an animation with music worthy of the dancing.

- Zombo.com. (Absolutely turn your speakers on for this one.) Zombo.com represents the pinnacle of useless websites, and is possibly the oldest such site, having been created in 1999.

Remember, for each of these sites, someone is paying for server space to keep it going.

To discover more websites like these, visit PointlessSites.com.

Diversions for Insomniacs #9

Credit: Hubble Heritage Team/ESA/NASA

Still sleepless? Why not make use of that time? You could even contribute to science. The folks over at Galaxy Zoo need your help. They use thousands of volunteers to categorize galaxies so astronomers can better understand the cosmos.

Their web site explains: "The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is taking images of a large portion of the sky and will eventually find a million galaxies. With such a large number of galaxies, astronomers can finally begin to understand how they form and evolve by comparing various populations to each other with large enough numbers to draw real conclusions about their origin.

"But out of these million galaxies, how do we know which are spirals and which are ellipticals? The answer is simple: look at them! Indeed, until now galaxies have been classified by visual inspection of their images. And in fact, technology is of little help here. It turns out that the human brain is far better than a computer at recognising the patterns that divide ellipticals from spirals. ... There are just too many galaxies for even the most dedicated of astronomers to look at. We need thousands of people to inspect galaxy images and to classify them as spiral or elliptical."

The first phase of Galaxy Zoo is completed, but they're gearing up for phase two, where volunteers will look at images of merging galaxies. So sign up and use your stargazing abilities for the good of science.

Diversions for Insomniacs #8

Maybe you've seen the YouTube video of the game, Crayon Physics. And maybe you wished you could play it, but they only have the prototype game available right now, which doesn't have the same level of functionality as the game in the video.

Fortunately, there's Magic Pen, a fun, interesting and frustrating game based on Crayon Physics. The object is to move the red ball so that it rolls over the red flag. It won't move on its own - it needs to be put in motion using shapes you draw. It also might need a path to reach the flag. You get the idea.

I got through level 4, but only by using a cheat. Even then, it took several tries to get it to work. If you like basic physics and a challenge, give it a try.

Diversions for Insomniacs #7

Rodin's The Thinker

Sometimes insomnia is driven by a steady stream of thoughts that can be hard to shut off. These thoughts can be mundane, a reflection of everyday anxieties, but from time to time they take on a more existential flavor - "Why am I here?" "What is the purpose of existence?"

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get an answer to these tough questions from a trained philosopher? Well, you can, at the
Ask a Philosopher! website. This service, offered by the International Society of Philosophers, has answered thousands of questions since it began in 1999. Check the archives to see if your burning questions have already been answered. If not, submit them and gain some insight into what's been keeping you awake at night.

Diversions for Insomniacs #6

There's nothing like messing with your brain to make the sleepless fog of insomnia even stranger. Here are two diversions that can do just that.

The first is the puzzle of the
dancing lady. Which direction is she turning in? Most people see her going counterclockwise. Initially, I saw her going only clockwise; now, I can get her to change direction pretty much at will. I always thought of myself as fairly logical, so she surprised me. Some of the people who left comments were convinced it was at trick, since they could only see her going one way. It's all about perception.

The second diversion is designed to challenge our perception of time. One of the more curious aspects of insomnia is that it affects how we experience the passage of time. I may think I've been awake for two hours, but I've probably been sleeping lightly for part of that time. Each check of the clock is a surprise (although not usually a pleasant one). You never really know what it will read. There's a Chinese proverb that says, "Only when one cannot sleep does one know how long the night is."

But what if the way we experience time, during the night or the day, is just a result of cultural conditioning? The web site Grasshopper Enterprises has an interesting exercise, How to Stop Time. Can you make the second hand on the clock slow down? If so, what does that mean? Click on "Why Did Time Stop" for a very trippy explanation involving time, perception and consciousness.

Diversions for Insomniacs #5

If you suspect that your insomnia stems from unharnessed creative energy, then this is just the diversion for you. Here are three different online drawing programs to help release your inner artist:

1. ArtPad Digital Canvas
2. Your Studio
3. Jackson Pollock

These are all fun and easy to use. I did the night sky image above using Your Studio. It should be apparent that I'm no artist (there are some light and shadow issues going on), but I liked experimenting with the different tools and trying to make something that at least was recognizable.

So splatter some digital paint and see what you can create!

Diversions for Insomniacs #4

It's time for another cool game. This one, Quest for the Rest, was actually created as a promotion for the band The Polyphonic Spree. Help the lost band members find their way through different environments as you enjoy songs from the Spree's album, Together We're Heavy. I like the ambience of this game - both the music and the visuals. It's a fine way to spend some time when sleep eludes you.

Diversions for Insomniacs #3b

In case the Tiredness Game wasn't enough diversion for you, try this game, flOw. The music and sound design of this game are a little eerie, putting the player into another realm altogether - a perfect late-night diversion.

Diversions for Insomniacs #3a

© Photographer:U96 | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Feeling tired? How tired? Now there's a way to quantify your fatigue! Take the Tiredness Test to find out just how sleepy you are. It's part of an exhibition on sleeping and dreaming currently at the Wellcome Collection in London. The nice thing about this test is that it actually seemed to make me more alert. Not caffeine-alert, but it helped. Have fun!

Diversions for Insomniacs #2

Here's a fun little game that should provide at least a few minutes of diversion. Fly Guy reminds me of flying dreams I've had, especially the ones where I'm not that high off the ground, but am moving forward without walking. Flying is so much easier - it's like it doesn't take any energy at all. I'm just gliding along. Smooth!

As for Fly Guy, be aware that because the ending is slightly risque, it may not be completely suitable for the office. Enjoy your fly time!

Insomnia is My Baby

How do people go to sleep? I'm afraid I've lost the knack.
- Dorothy Parker

Does this sound familiar? After having fallen asleep easily at bedtime, I open my eyes at 3 a.m. ("the soul's midnight") and can only hope to fall back asleep within a few minutes. Otherwise, I'm up for an hour or two, thinking too hard about things, then realizing that if I just stopped thinking, maybe I'd get back to sleep.

Or you may have the same issue as Dorothy Parker - trouble getting to sleep in the first place, lying awake 'til midnight or later, counting how many hours you have until the alarm clock goes off ("If I fall asleep now, I can still get five good hours"). Either way, insomnia is a pitiless companion. What we need the most eludes us, providing a cruel metaphor that only the most ardent pessimist extends into waking life.

There are ways to deal with recurring insomnia. Some people have home remedies they rely on (hot milk, chamomile tea, a boring book). Others use over-the-counter or prescription help. And some people make the best of it by jotting down their night thoughts in a bedside journal or even using the time to take care of bill paying or other low-key household tasks.

If you have a tendency to go online during your night wanderings, you can, of course, come here and watch some of the Lullabies for Grown-Ups to soothe you back to sleep. But for those who might be looking for something more interactive, I'm starting a new feature, Diversions for Insomniacs. The diversions will include games and other fun activities to keep you occupied until you feel ready to try that sleep thing again. I'll feature the diversions about once a month and I hope you find them fun and helpful.

The first one relates to the title of this post. That's the start of a story by the writer Roger Angell called Ainmosni, in which the main character is advised by a friend to write palindromes as a way to cure his insomnia. Palindromes are words, phrases, sentences or even paragraphs that read the same forward as backward. The usual examples include the name Otto and the sentence, Madam, I'm Adam. It can be fun to find words that can be reversed (like devil and lived). But actually writing a palindrome takes a love of word play and a great deal of perserverance. Often, the completed work makes no sense, because, as Angell notes, it's the only literary form "in which the story line is controlled by the words rather than the author."

In the case of Angell's story, the narrator becomes obsessed. It's a danger - I've written a few palindromes myself and it can be hard to stop. But if you'd like to try it, follow this link for some useful tips. I also recommend the use of a rhyming dictionary, which arranges words by the sound of their final syllable. This can help you find the right words to link threads of a paragraph together.

Give it a try and stay tuned for more Diversions for Insomniacs!