Seeing is believing – or is it?!

On the new show Brain Games, host Jason Silva and executive producer Jerry Kolber uncover and explain tidbits about the inner-workings of the human brain through interactive games. Brain Games is the only show I know of where the star of the show is the brain of the person watching it! Everything is about you and your brain. It gets you the think about thinking!

Brain Games enables viewers to take a quick glimpse at the amazing human brain and “infects people with wonder,” according to Jason Silva. This show doesn’t just make it enjoyable to learn about complicated topics like how your brain perceives and interprets things having to do with time, it also makes these topics easier to comprehend.  To me, it’s a science show that feels more like something you would want to see with friends rather than something you would watch at school.

On the show, deception specialists Apollo Robbins and Brian Scholl, who is the director of Yale University’s Perception and Cognition Lab, help Jason reveal and delve into the secrets behind the mysteries of not just THE brain, but more specifically YOUR brain. But for all you magicians out there — don’t worry! Brain Games isn’t doing magic tricks at all. It just seems like they are because they are tricking your brain, which is indeed magical!

You might be wondering how I got to learn all about Jerry, Jason, and Brain Games. As it turns out, Jason and Jerry spent the afternoon of April 9 exploring the interactive exhibits in the New York Hall of Science in Queens with me, my editor, and another journalist. Jason and Jerry, while using the exhibits as games or as a visual aid, helped me to see and understand the many loopholes in the human brain’s hardwiring. I even got to interview them and play some of their games. I was always amazed, awed, and sometimes even frustrated at the results of these epic games.

If you are already interested in neuroscience, go check out the Brain Games website. It has some really cool games for you to play and explanations on how they work and what they teach us. Even if you don’t think that you are a “science person,”Brain Games will captivate you. It’s just as entertaining as it is educational!

The first episode of Brain Games airs Monday, April 22, at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel. Tune in to find out if you’re brain is game for Brain Games!

Check out my interview with Jason and Jerry on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Dani Bergman Chudnow

Photos: (top) Kid Reporter Dani Bergman Chudnow looks giant and Brain Games host Jason Silva looks small in a room set up to create an optical illusion at the New York Hall of Science. (bottom) Dani and Jason at their normal size. (National Geographic Channels/Scott Gries)

International tourists on Election Day

We've already mentioned that tourists from other parts of the US in New York on Election Day had an opinion about today's vote. But believe it or not, mixed into the crowds on Election Day in Democracy Plaza were many international tourists here in New York City to experience the 2012 election. Just like how these foreign tourists mixed into the crowd, the foreigners’ opinions on the candidates were mixed as well.

I was able to speak with Remco van Ophovan, who trekked all the way from Holland to witness history today. van Ophovan said that while he and many other people from Holland don’t fully understand America or the candidates, “we’re from Europe and I think everybody in Europe is favoring Obama, that’s no secret.”

Since the 2008 election, van Ophovan claims that, “Especially from Europe’s point of view, people look more positively toward the United States, whereas before 2008 they actually hated it.”

Well, if President Obama could convince Europeans to not hate the United States, what else could President Obama do? President Obama also made a Lebanese man, Salim Haddad, dislike him and America very much.

Hassad was the only international tourist that we spoke to that was pro-Romney. “There has been drastic change and they don’t like it,” Hassad said. He added that he didn’t like the changes that came with Barak Obama. In fact, Haddad refused to answer any more questions after he told us that he didn’t like the changes because he felt so passionately about the election and claimed that if he spoke any more about the election, he would get “nasty.”

Maximo Ben from Argentina, on the other hand, calmly explained that he proudly supports Barak Obama. Maximo Ben supports Barak Obama for “politics with Latin Americans,” something that was obviously important to him. “For supporting the Latin American people,” Maximo Ben said he supports Barak Obama.

These weren’t the only international people at Democracy Plaza today. Many support Barak Obama. Many support Mitt Romney. But ultimately it's up to American voters to decide who will be the next President.

—Kid Reporter Dani Bergman Chudnow

Experiencing the NBC Experience Store

I just got to experience the NBC Experience Store, in Rockefeller Center, which has been transformed on Election Day into Democracy Plaza! In the NBC store, red and blue décor, representing the Republicans and the Democrats, are everywhere to be seen. As you walk through the door, representatives from the store hand you buttons with the well-known faces of MSNBC personalities. The walls are covered with these faces, and red, white and blue ornaments are hung everywhere.

Not only does the NBC Experience Store let you experience the election, but also this store gives you the opportunity to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy by filling out (witing your name and where you come from) a magnetic button and placing it on one of the walls. For each button, the Red Cross donates two dollars. When you place your magnetic button on the wall, you realize how many other buttons made by tourists and New Yorkers alike, are also on the wall. You also realize how many people spent a few minutes of this Election Day to help out. Easy enough right? But you are not finished with your experience here.

You can either head up the patriotic stairs to get a signature from a celebrity, like Al Sharpton or Ed Schultz, or keep walking to take a picture of yourself decked out in red, white, and blue, either in boas, huge sunglasses, leis, and many other festive clothes.

After you take a picture of yourself, you are able to create your own personalized campaign button, which you can take with you as part of the experience at the store.  On your way out, you can’t help but paw through the hundreds of buttons you didn’t take on your way in, placed in transparent buckets. You put the buttons on yourself, and walk out smiling with pride into Democracy Plaza and continue with your day. Then, you have truly experienced this spectacular store on Election Day.

—Kid Reporter Dani Bergman Chudnow

Live from Democracy Plaza!

Every Election Day, the hub of activity for NBC News is its headquarters at Rockefeller Center. For the past few elections, NBC News has transformed the Rock Center plaza into Democracy Plaza. NBC News anchors and reporters cover the election from the plaza, and tourists and visitors can take part in election-related activities.

Earlier today, Scholastic News Kid Reporters Fred Hechinger and Dani Bergman Chudnow went to Democracy Plaza to cover the first few hours of Election Day. But they also became part of the coverage. Fred and Dani anchored a promo newscast for Scholastic’s informative coverage of the 2012 Presidential Election.

Fred and Dani are far from the only reporters on the scene of Scholastic’s coverage today. There are almost 30 Kid Reporters covering the lively competition between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Their stories from across the nation will bring the election to life!

But for now, we turn to Fred and Dani, live at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Center to tell you all about it!

On an adventure to Madagascar!

Imagine this: Going to a movie press release before the actual movie hits theaters. Imagine: leaving an ordinary day at school to go to the Waldorf Astoria, (the same hotel that the President of the United States stays in when he visits New York) to interview Cedric the Entertainer, Martin Short, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, and Ben Stiller — a/k/a Maurice, Stefano, Gloria, Melman, Marty, and Alex — who all star in Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. The movie is about animals who have escaped from a zoo, but for me this was an escape from everyday 7th grade life and the experience of a lifetime.

If you think the actual characters are funny, you will do a double take when you hear the actors who give voice to these animated characters. When I walked into the interview rooms, I was amazed by the comic exchange between Ben Stiller and Chris Rock, the friendly and humorous responses of Cedric the Entertainer, the collaborative thoughts of Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer, and the interesting and simply put responses to my questions by Martin Short. I never thought there would be a day that I would interview not one but six celebrities. It was pretty amazing to say the least!

Each celebrity had a unique style and way of answering my questions. When I interviewed Chris Rock and Ben Stiller, I could actually visualize Marty and Alex in a comic exchange somewhere in Europe. When I interviewed David Schwimmer, I felt like Melman was sitting with me in the room. It was all really very surreal. Martin Short’s new character, Stefano (the sea lion), added so much humor and wit to the movie and it is not hard for me to understand why Martin Short was cast for this role. Jada Pinkett Smith was so easy to talk with, just as I imagine Gloria would be. All of the celebrities were funny and eager to discuss their feelings about running away to join the circus.

I’m not sure what my act would be if I ran away to join the circus, but if this cast was in it, I am sure I would have a grand adventure!

Check out the video of my interviews with the cast of Madagascar 3 on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Dani Bergman Chudnow

Photo: Vitaly the Tiger, Gia the Jaguar, Marty the Zebra, Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are a circus success in DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, to be released by Paramount Pictures. (Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation) 

At the top of the world — or, at least, New York

Fifty-five seconds.

That is how long it took for me to ride up in the elevator with Lily Collins to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in New York City. Fifty-five ear-popping, totally awesome and exciting seconds as I prepared to interview the star of the movie Mirror Mirror.

I have lived in New York City my entire life, but this was my first ride up to the Observation Deck that towers above the streets of the city. Tourists snapped pictures one after the other of Lily as I tested the microphone getting ready for my big interview with "Snow."

We all know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But my guess is that the version in Mirror Mirror will have a different twist. When I asked Lily if kids in 2012 would be able to relate to the old fairytale where the princess needs to be rescued by a handsome prince, without hesitation she explained that her role as Snow was different from the traditional take. For example, she told me that she had to take four months of sword fighting lessons to prepare for the fight scenes in the movie. One of her greatest challenges was fighting in ball gowns and heels. Not your typical fighting attire.

One thing that really stood out to me was that Lily seemed completely real and approachable. Sure, she is a movie star. But she looked directly at me and answered my questions. We rode up to the top of the Empire State Building together in an elevator. When we looked out at the city we both were excited and in awe of the view. She likes relaxing and hanging out on the beach with friends, just like many kids today. Certainly, just like me. 

I ended my interview by asking her if she was "the fairest of them all." While she did not answer the question directly, my hunch is that she is the fairest of all who have acted the part before her.

Watch my interview with Lily Collins on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Dani Bergman Chudnow

Photo: Kid Reporter Dani Chudnow with Lily Collins on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. (Dante A. Ciampaglia)