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Posts Tagged “Medicine”

gaming science

Foldit Makes Protein Folding A Game

Could you win a Nobel Prize in Medicine for playing a computer game? Foldit is a game for the PC and Mac that takes the Folding@Home concept and adds a more human element to the mix. Instead of having a network of computers work through all of the possible shapes for folding proteins, a problem so huge it could take centuries for all of the computers in the world to solve, Foldit presents unfolded proteins to the player in the form of puzzles, on the basis that human intuition could tackle the problem much faster.

"Some people are just able to look at the game and in less than two minutes, get to the top score," said (UW associate professor of computer science and engineering) Zoran Popovic. "They can't even explain what they're doing, but somehow they're able to do it."
More »

6:00 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Mike Fahey
5,902 views, 32 comments

Latest by fuchikoma: [www.gokigenyou.com] @kevvlosophy: Or "drill hair"... :p more »

medicine

Wii-mote Makes Better Surgeons

Before your doctor puts you under the knife, it might be good for him or her to put the Wii under it. A US study showed that surgeons in training who warmed up with Wii games like Marble Mania scored higher on virtual surgeries than those who didn't. American doctors at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Arizona are now creating software that will allow surgeons to practice using the Wii-mote. Says Dr. Kanav Kohel, one of the physicians involved with the project:

The whole point about surgery is to execute small, finely controlled movements with your hands, and that is exactly what you get playing... But you don't gain a lot from swinging an imaginary tennis racket.

Tell us about it.
Surgeons Are Better [Telegraph via Next Generation] [Pic]

6:40 AM on Thu Jan 17 2008
By Brian Ashcraft
2,358 views, 46 comments

Latest by zerojad: ahah, that image just made me laugh. xD more »

healthy gaming

Another Tale Of Wii Therapy Goodness

The Wii continues to prove itself as a proficient tool for physical rehabilitation in a story out of St. Paul Minnesota involving a therapist at Gillette Children's Specialty Heathcare named Anna Forsberg, who has introduced Nintendo's console to her patients after receiving one as a wedding gift back in August. The freshly opened system was immediately put to use, aiding in the recovery of a 15 year-old girl who had recently awoken from a three-week long coma.

Unlike traditional video games that use a joy stick or finger controls, the Wii requires users to replicated the action of the sport they are playing. "You can't play tennis with your hand in your lap," Forsberg tells her patient. "You have to move your whole arm."

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9:20 AM on Fri Dec 28 2007
By Mike Fahey
1,822 views, 28 comments

Latest by GOLD5: @Timsobuff74: Yeah totally, there goes her lobe, didn't that other article say that the Wii only gives 30% more of a workout than just playing, as well? She's gonna get sued! more »

gaming pets

Dog Swallows Wiimote

A family in Loveland, Colorado took their dog in to see the vet after it had started coughing up blood, which according to several popular veterinary web sites is a pretty bad sign. An X-ray revealed a large mass in the dog's stomach, which the family assumed was an old TV remote they'd been letting the pet chew on. Questionable taste in dog toys aside, the vet induced vomiting and bits of an old TV remote did come out, but only bits. There was something else in there...
"The Vet started massaging the dogs belly and it just came flying out of the dog," said Marie Becknell. I knew what it was right away by the color and shape of it. It was my son's video game remote. The dog had swallowed the boy's Nintendo Wii remote controller.
This dog had swallowed an entire Wiimote. I know what you're probably thinking. "Wow, that's a pretty talented dog. Can I have its phone number?" No, that's sick, and besides dogs can't talk on the phone. I've tried. Probably just swallow the damn thing. More »

7:00 PM on Thu Sep 20 2007
By Mike Fahey
14,144 views, 71 comments

Latest by CZroe: I found a Wii Remote doated to Goodwill because a dog had chewed on it. Actually, I think it had been thrown against the wall too because it had cracks, structural damage, and a tiny SMT component was loose on more »

ps3

Folding@Home Achieves Petaflop

As mentioned by Kaz in his TGS keynote, the power of the PS3 has carried the Folding@home project to a milestone never before reached on a distributed computing network - the petaflop...one quadrillion floating point operations per second. It would take everyone in the world doing 75,000 calculations in a second to achieve similar results, so the milestone is pretty massive.
"The recent inclusion of PS3 as part of the Folding@home program has afforded our research group with computing power that goes far beyond what we initially hoped," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "Thanks to PS3, we are now essentially able to fast-forward several aspects of our research by a decade, which will greatly help us make more discoveries and advancements in our studies of several different diseases."
The PlayStation 3. Blu-ray player. Video game console. Humanitarian. More »

8:20 AM on Thu Sep 20 2007
By Mike Fahey
5,319 views, 77 comments

Latest by n/a: Chill your boots, guys - the games are coming, and in the meantime our PS3s are actually doing something useful. Hell, at least we have the option to leave them on without running the risk of frying them! And yes, Folding more »

crashing through blood cancer

Crash Bandicoot Fights Leukemia

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's School and Youth Programs stands on the brink of a golden age, as a new champion has been named teach kids about community service and help children leukemia and other cancers of the blood. A champion known and loved by millions across the globe...eight years ago. Vivendi Games and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society proudly present you with this proud champion - Crash Bandicoot.

Yeah well at least it wasn't Bubsy.

"The Society and Vivendi Games anticipate that Crash's involvement will help attract more students to the Society's various youth programs due to his popularity with kids of all ages. More than 35 million Crash Bandicoot games have been sold worldwide since 1996, making Crash one of the most recognizable gaming and entertainment characters in the world."

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10:20 AM on Mon Aug 6 2007
By Mike Fahey
1,973 views, 23 comments

not what you think

Second Life Wiimote Training

Take the innumerable possibilities present in the world of Second Life and combine them with the motion-sensing capabilities of the Nintendo Wiimote, and what do you get? If you're MIT research fellow David E. Stone, you get a highly customizable training simulator. Calling the controller "one of the most significant technology breakthroughs in the history of computer science," Stone is using the Wiimote in conjunction with Second Life to create training simulators for companies such as Orkin Pest Control. Companies that classically have trouble finding training methods the truly engage the user. Within the world of Second Life the company could potentially run employees through checking a house for moisture or mixing chemicals.
"This isn't the kind of technology, or model, that this industry — or Orkin — is used to considering," notes David Lamb, Orkin's vice president of learning and media services. He's working with senior officers in the company to build a business case for such training, and, given the potential savings the company could eventually realize across its 400 branch offices, "there's a very high probability we'll move into this arena."
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10:20 AM on Fri Jul 27 2007
By Mike Fahey
1,579 views, 11 comments

Latest by omg-ponies: I think the only person who actually cares about SL is Regina Lynn over at Wired... ...because Wired is still so, so relevant. more »

playing doctor

AMA To Recognize Game Addiction?

Do you spend all of your free time playing or reading about computer and video games? Ask your doctor about...
It's not as far-fetched as it sounds, especially now that the American Medical Association is looking to get video game addiction recognized as a formal diagnostic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - think of it as a strategy guide for mental disorders. A report entitled Emotional and Behavioral Effects, Including Addictive Potential, of Video Games (click for HTML version) presented by Dr, Mohamed K. Kahn explores the possible dangers of excessive video game play (over 2 hours a day...uh oh) and makes several recommendations as to how the AMA should handle said problems. In addition to suggesting a formal classification, the paper also calls for the improvement of the ESRB ratings system, an official recommendation that children be limited to 1-2 hours of 'screen time' overall, including television and gaming, and that the CDC and other organizations fund research to further explore the detrimental effects of video games in children. More »

8:20 AM on Thu Jun 14 2007
By Mike Fahey
4,379 views, 52 comments

Latest by Sloopydrew: Er ... When does the AMA recognize exercise addiction, yoga addiction, peanut addiction and addiction to lame .99 cent iPod downloads? This is ridiculous. Yes, people make habits of a lot of things, but to call them an addiction? I don't more »

folding@home

PS3 Folding Kicking Ass, Getting Update

Over 250,000 PS3 systems have registered for the Folding@home program since its launch in March, delivering nearly 400 teraflops of computing power at any given moment, more than doubling the pre-PlayStation power output. More »

9:20 AM on Wed Apr 25 2007
By Mike Fahey
6,105 views, 73 comments

medicine

Surgeons Make Better Gamers (Or Gamers Make Better Surgeons)

Riding the recent wave of video-games-are-good-for-you comes a new study that says there is a strong relationship between gaming skills and a surgeon's ability to perform laparoscopic surgery. As CNN explains, laparoscopy involves manipulating instruments through a small incision. The surgeon's movements are then followed on a television screen. The study stated that doctors who game at least three hours per week made 37 percent fewer errors, performed 27 percent faster and scored 42 percent better in a surgical test than doctors who never game. Says the study's author Dr. James Rosser: More »

5:00 AM on Tue Feb 20 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,859 views, 12 comments

Latest by sanjiyan: Wet blanket? Well, I suppose. If you get a "game over" in surgery, it's kinda hard to get a "continue." Seriously, if you want to be a surgeon and game at the same time, that's your packet of glucose. Besides, surgeons more »

dr. mario

Dr. Mario Hypnotizes Costa Rica (Literally)

During Latin American travels, reader Eerk happened upon this "doctor", felt very sleepy and immediately ordered 1,000 DS Lites off Amazon. Sony, Microsoft, hands off Latin America. Dr. Mario has already set up shop. Brian Ashcraft More »

8:22 PM on Fri Jul 28 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
253 views, 5 comments

study

Surgery Less Risky After Super Monkey Ball

The link between Super Monkey Ball and botch-free surgery is nothing new, but a recent study came up with some interesting facts and figures about the connection. More »

2:00 PM on Wed May 24 2006
By Brian Crecente
1,281 views, 5 comments

nintendo

Dr. Mario Helps Treat Diabetic Gamers Through Gamecube

This is really swell. A University of Washington Doctor is working with Nintendo to allow diabetic gamers to check their blood sugar and blood pressure by the proxy of Dr. Mario. More »

7:19 AM on Thu Mar 16 2006
By brownlee
3,201 views, 3 comments

cerebral palsy

Games Treat Cereral Palsy?

The New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark is conducting a five-year study of how video games could help treat and rehabilitate cerebral palsy patients. More »

8:00 AM on Wed Mar 1 2006
By Brian Crecente
279 views, 3 comments