This is a bit off of the usual topic, but it is Sunday, so I don’t care. I am looking through the July issue (which arrives in June, you know) of Scientific American and caught this humorous bit in their “50, 100, & 150 years ago” section. This is what Scientific American thought of the game of Chess in its July, 1859 issue:

A  pernicious excitement to learn and play chess has spread all over the country, and numerous clubs for practicing this game have been formed in cities and villages. Why should we regret this? It may be asked. We answer, chess is a mere amusement of a very inferior character, which robs the mind of valuable time that might be devoted to nobler acquirements, while it affortds no benefit whatever to the body. Chess has aquired a high reputation as being a means to discipline the mind, but persons engaged in sedentary occupations should never practice this cheerless game; they require out-door exercises – not this sort of mental gladiatorship.

Gee – I wonder what they would have thought about World of Warcraft?