Video Games n IQ

Online gamers successfully untangled the structure of a protein that could be used to eliminate the AIDS virus in humans.

Researchers had been unable to create models of the structure with automated techniques of the Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus -- which causes AIDS in rhesus monkeys -- for a decade. In three weeks, competing teams of gamers unraveled the M-PMV allowing for the design of antiretroviral drugs, proving human puzzle solving abilities still reign supreme over computerized methods.

Foldit has been a champion for "citizen science," allowing for gamers with no background in biochemistry to solve puzzles that continue to mystify scientists today. The nature of protein folding remains one of the most complex problems biologists face today, but with the innovative programming provided by the University of Washington, anyone with strong critical thinking skills can participate in the solution.