Serious gaming is becoming a big topic recently, adopting the power of the masses to solve classic “human in the loop” problems. Typically involving clever HCI issues and nice computer graphics, they turn mundane science into fun little games, effectively tricking people into doing computer’s work for free. This year’s International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge rewarded a few such entries for their contributions.
In Foldit, players earn points by arranging protein structures into feasible, realistic shapes. The shapes players design help researchers understand how proteins fold, which is critical to identifying proteins in cells. Although most of protein folding research is computer automated, machines aren’t as efficient as humans when it comes to pattern recognition and puzzle-solving. The developers take advantage of this fact; players are both solving structures and helping to teach computers to be better folders.
via Gaming Wins Big at National Science Foundation’s Visualization Challenge | PCWorld.
