Trends & Innovations - Monday

Online games boost confidence

Playing online games just five or 10 minutes before work helps reduce stress, a study of McGill Univ. found. In the study, a group of telemarketers was asked to play a game before their shift started. The game, MindHabits, is designed so that players must find the smiling faces quickly among different faces. After a week, the group that played the game were rated as being more confident in their phone calls and made more sales. They also showed higher self-esteem, and less stress.

Young athletes tout selves online

Aspiring sports stars looking to win college scholarships are flexing their skills online. Web services such as Student-Athlete Showcase, Next Step College Sports or Get My Name Out are thriving by giving teen athletes a new way to demonstrate their skills to college recruiters. Parents of teen hopefuls typically pay $300-$5,000 for professional videos, Web sites and other promotional material. Student-Athlete Showcase said the investment is worth it, with average customers securing $12,000 in scholarships.

Americans are encroaching more than ever on national forests, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It said nine national forests and grasslands are projected to have significant increases in housing density on at least 25% of adjacent private land. Bitterroot National Forest in Idaho and Montana ranks highest of the nine. Colorado, Montana, Idaho, California and Oregon have seen the highest increases in development near sites.

In 100,000 years the human race will be split between an intelligent, attractive species and an ugly, dimwitted, goblinlike race, according to the London School of Economics. The renowned evolutionary scientists added that by the year 3000, humans will reach their physical peak -- standing 6 to 7 feet tall and living 120 years. Aromatherapy is being combined with common office supplies in an attempt to reduce stress in the workplace. One company is offering a pen that emits a pleasant-smelling mist. Another has a product that plugs into a computer's USB port and releases soothing scents throughout the day.