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| Screenshot of "Foldit" |
Video games, often associated with a thirty-year-old obese man living in his mother’s basement, can be a useful tool in improving society and encouraging human development. Recently, 469 gamers worked together to identify the shape of a protein that students and professionals have been working to solve. The protein has potential to prevent plaque build-up, therefore possibly preventing Alzheimer’s disease. The game used to make the discovery is called “Foldit,” an online puzzle created by the University of Washington for experimental research. The object of the game is to fold proteins so the university can better understand how the human brain solves three-dimensional puzzles. This is not the first time video games have had a positive impact. There are games that exist to help train pilots before they take their first flight to save money on classes and planes making piloting a possible occupation for people of different socioeconomic groups for which it was unavailable before. Additionally, video games are a widely recognized means of stress relief, mental exercise, strengthening puzzle solving skills, and developing quick reflexes. With recent progressions in technology, video gaming is no longer the antisocial, thoughtless “time killer,” that it once were believed to be, but can change the world for the better.
Oh I didn't think of gamers as obese 30-year olds in basements this way before! Wow what a new perspective. In your last sentence there is a grammatical error "that it once were believed to be" but otherwise, this is a very interesting post. I think using hyperlinks on certain works instead of just posting the links could make it even better!
ReplyDeleteI feel as if Pokemon go is a prime example for your last sentence. I think that it can improve the world too, and that people can get together and be great because of videos games.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing, using a endlessly enjoyable medium of entertainment and source of procrastination as productive research software and solve real world problems. There are a lot of emerging games that seem to be not only fun, but productive or beneficial to you or the world. Good job on the post!
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