Do you swear at your computer? Do you say nasty things to it when it loses a file, or freezes up, or crashes? Be honest! I'll bet you didn't know that your computer can actually sense these things! It knows when it's been yelled at. You probably don't believe that... so we're going to prove it to you. Specifically, we'll prove that your computer can be made to react to something nasty you say to it ... or, rather, to a nasty gesture that you will make at it! You're going to give your computer a raspberry! Now hold on ... don't do it yet. Read this first. You know what a raspberry is, right? It's that rude thing you do with your tongue out, that makes a rather nasty noise. Now, place your face directly in front of the screen, about 20 cm away. On the count of three, send a long, loud, and very forceful raspberry at the screen. 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... O.K., do it!!! There... Did you notice it? What you just did had an effect on the screen. Your computer was so upset at what you just did that it skipped a beat ... just for a moment. You should have noticed lines on the screen as you were doing the raspberry. Didn't notice? O.K., you were probably worried that the people nearby were going to think you were going off the deep end. But don't worry about that. They thought that already. No big deal. Go ahead. Do it again. Do it a few times. And watch for the lines this time. See? Your computer screen skipped a beat or two again, didn't it? Try it a few more times until you're convinced! (And don't worry about those people who are now beginning to stare. What do they know!?!) Satisfied? You should now be convinced that giving the raspberry to your computer caused the computer screen to momentarily skip a few beats! Think about this for a few moments. There was no direct connection between you and your computer. You didn't touch the mouse, keyboard, or the screen in any way. (Well, maybe it got a little damp. But only on the outside). So what made your screen react that way? Can you get the same effect by yelling at it? How about if you cover your mouth as you do the raspberry? What if someone else does the raspberry, and you watch? Experiment a little, and see if the answers make sense! So what caused the 'hiccups' on the screen? Is your computer really sensitive to raspberries? Find out the answer by going on to the next page.

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