Games to Save Mankind

By Ryan Curtis, Montana

HIV, toxic waste, robotic squirrels - you can’t open a newspaper or visit an online science magazine these days without hearing about all sorts of horrible dangers. But, at long last, hope is dawning. Researchers at the University of Washington have begun searching for “The One,” a person who may be able to solve some the worst problems of the 21st century.

Drawing their inspiration from The Last Starfighter, the team has created a video game called 'Foldit' that allows players to bend, twist, and fold proteins into a nearly incalculable number of possible combinations. Some of these shapes could be used in the fight against disease, to clean the air, or to make more efficient bio-fuels. Or, you could just make one that looks like a bunny. This will probably not help you to become “The One,” however.

According to the Foldit website, “Foldit attempts to predict the structure of a protein by taking advantage of humans' puzzle-solving intuitions and having people play competitively to fold the best proteins.” Previously, researchers had tried using computer simulators to calculate correct folding patterns, but the number of possible combinations was astronomical and the computers got tired and gave up. “I imagine that there's a 12-year-old in Indonesia who can see all this in their head,” one researcher was quoted as saying.

This approach to lab work has the potential to revolutionise every scientific field. By allowing the general public to experiment and research, scientists will have a lot more free time, which every expert in every field agrees will be jolly nice. Once “The One” is located with Foldit, for instance, all protein researchers could take a few weeks off and go to the beach, or maybe visit their relatives.

For those robotic squirrels we mentioned, try this, or visit Ryan's homepage for some more mad science musings.

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