Happy (almost) Halloween! Here are a few fun facts that'll make you sound super smart in between sips of pumpkin-flavored cocktails this weekend...

• The word "witch" comes from the Old English "wicce," meaning "wise woman."
• In Ireland, where Halloween originated, people celebrate by setting off fireworks.
• Trick-or-treating was inspired by the medieval English tradition of "souling," where children went door-to-door on All Souls Day, praying for residents' deceased loved ones in exchange for food.

Oh...and this is an adorable Halloween GIF.

As always, please forward IQNEWS to a friend if you're a fan!

Remember when you were a kid and your mom told you your brain would melt if you played too much Nintendo? Was that just my mom?

New research suggests the exact opposite is true. Awwwkkkwwwaaarrrddd...

A study released this week found that kids who play video games for three or more hours a day perform better on cognitive skills tests involving impulse control and memory versus those who don't game (a.k.a. n00bs).

The study examined 2,000 children, making it the largest investigation ever on gaming's impact on the brain.

Researchers think the observed benefits stem from video games' density of tasks that center on impulse control and memory.

But don't go buying a PlayStation for your rugrat just yet. Some caveats:

• Correlation ≠ causation: It could be that children who are good at the types of cognitive tasks tested in this study are more likely to play video games.
• Puzzle Quest vs. Crusader Kings: The study did not take into account the type of video games being played.
• Don't go overboard: Study authors said their findings aren’t a permission slip for kids to spend unlimited time on computers, phones, or TVs.

Caveats aside, I now feel great about the amount of Pokémon I played in middle school.

Tired of burning your fingers while trying to light a candle in a deep jar with a low wick? Or perhaps you're fresh out of lighters?

Relax. You can still activate that Mahogany Teakwood scent-bomb on your kitchen table.

You have a convenient match alternative in your kitchen cupboard - uncooked spaghetti! The Italian staple is long and flammable, allowing you to easily light a hard-to-reach wick.

All you have to do is use your stove to light the end of a stick of spaghetti, and then use it like you would a long match to light the candle wick.

Side benefit: you're quite literally burning carbs here...

1. The last thing a conspiracy theorist wants is for everyone to agree with them.
2. It’s much harder to find your phone when you live alone.
3. We’re closer to 2070 than 1970.
4. Sand is the only material you need to make an hourglass.
5. Eating a meal without any plants or animals in it is possible if you eat mushrooms cooked in water with salt.

Will Durant: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Today I learned that certain species of wild oats are able to walk. They have a pair of “legs” called awns that flex and make the seeds crawl around to find an ideal place to plant themselves. (more here)

obdurate [ aab-dr-uht ] - adjective
stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action
He argued this point with her, but she was obdurate.

Q: What animal has fingerprints that are almost indistinguishable from ours?
A: (see below next section)