Despite its advancing years, Valve's Source engine still looks good, and is still pretty useful for making games with. But can it help with anything aside from games (or machinima)? You bet it can.
A research team at Britain's Durham University have adapted the engine to create a fire drill simulator. Recreating the university campus, it's aimed at familiarising staff with the best way to escape the building in case of an emergency.
Which it's mostly successful at! Mostly. See, for staff who don't play video games, it works as intended. They take it seriously, they avoid the fire, they make their way towards the exit in a calm and orderly fashion.
But people who play games? They run. They run straight into the fire. Because it's a "game". Oops.