Computer gamers solve problem in AIDS research that puzzled scientists for years : “This is the first instance that we are aware of in which online gamers solved a longstanding scientific problem,” writes Khatib. “These results indicate the potential for integrating video games [like FoldIt] into the real-world scientific process: the ingenuity of game players is a formidable force that, if properly directed, can be used to solve a wide range of scientific problems.”
(tags: foldit gaming games science biology aids viruses protease protein-folding proteins vr)