Researchers looking at cognitive science have long studied chess. But a story on Scientific American shows that chess' days could soon be numbered, because a superior model is emerging: Blizzard's StarCraft II.
Scientists are hailing the game for its ability to help them study "attention, multitasking, and learning", the game's quick speed and reliance on strategy blowing chess out of the water in terms of challenging us mentally.
What's more, cognitive scientist Mark Blair is now running a project called SkillCraft, in which the skills players develop and use for the purposes of StarCraft (in particular the awesome multitasking that's required) are being examined to see if they can help in other aspects of life.
And if they can? Then that knowledge can be used to help everyone in the world who doesn't play StarCraft. Just in case they ever need to...construct additional pylons...in their yard...or something.
How a Computer Game is Reinventing the Science of Expertise [Scientific American, via PC Gamer]