Trivia
HardVideo Gamers Contributed To Breakthrough Research For What Illness?
Answer: AIDS
In 2008 scientists at the University of Washington’s Center for Game Science and Department of Biochemistry entered into a collaboration to create a game where players would contribute to research projects. The end result of their collaboration was the popular game Foldit; players play the game by solving protein model puzzles. From the perspective of the player the game is just a quirky and fun puzzle app, but from the perspective of the scientists analyzing the results it’s an incredibly efficient way to crowd source complex protein folding projects.
An excellent example of Foldit’s power for quickly solving complex problems is that of the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus retroviral protease. In 2011 Foldit posted the protease problem as a puzzle on the site for a three week window. Players were able to collaboratively produce an accurate model of the enzyme in just ten days–successfully modeling the enzyme had stumped scientists since its discovery fifteen years earlier. The 3D model created by Foldit players was published in the science journal Nature and went on to be used in the computer modeling of antiretroviral drugs.
Trivia
Very HardWhat Was The First Interactive Movie Video Game?
Trivia
EasyThe Largest Gold Statue In The World Is A Statue Of What?
Trivia
HardThe Tallest Habitable Masonry Structure In The World Is?
Trivia
Very HardAlexander Graham Bell Believed Which Of These To Be His Greatest Invention?
Trivia
Very HardThe First Smartphone-Powered Satellites Contained What Phone?
Trivia
EasyWhich Of These Categories Is Officially Banned By The Guinness Book Of World Records?
Trivia
HardWhat Is The Longest Running Company In The World?
Trivia
EasyWhat Modern Exercise Device Was Originally Used To Punish Prisoners?