Blog Entry For 15/2/2013
Gamification Magic
I thought I'd share this, as it's a fascinating area at the moment.
For a recent coursework, I looked at the application of gamification in the context of real world problem solving. One of which, 'Foldit', is simply a fantastic example of crowd sourcing and gamification in action.
Although probably obvious, gamification describes the adoption of gaming principles, such as scoring and competition, to entice users to help with real problems. Think Seti@Home and other projects.
Well, the 'Foldit' game pitched a real task to its users. To create the crystal structure of the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV). This task had been undertaken for over a decade without solution by conventional scientific study. Once unleashed on the public, a viable solution transpired in 3 weeks.
It would seem that even the most intelligent of artificial intelligence algorithms can't compete with the curiosity, spacial capabilities and creativity of the human mind.
Awesome. Check out the links:
Foldit Portal
On-Line Gamers Map HIV Protein, Opening the way for New Drugs</a>