Gamers are helping cure AIDS by playing the lamest videogame in the history of anything

Achievement Unlocked: Monomeric Protease Enzyme.

I know what you’re thinking….Say whaaaaa?

Online gamers playing Fold.it can gain meaningful and world-changing achievements by solving puzzles for science.

So WTF is Fold.it?

Developed by the University of Washington in 2008, Fold.it is a videogame in which gamers, in competing groups, unfold chains of amino acids – using a set of online tools. If you’re looking for the short answer.

The critical role of Foldit players in the solution of [this problem] shows the power of online games to channel human intuition and three-dimensional pattern-matching skills to solve challenging scientific problems. Although much attention has recently been given to the potential of crowdsourcing and game playing, this is the first instance that we are aware of in which online gamers solved a longstanding scientific problem. These results indicate the potential for integrating video games into the real-world scientific process.

Even though this sounds totally boring, it’s really amazing that we are able to do this.

Just think, had you spent those 5 years of your life playing Fold.it instead kill-stealing from n00bs, you might have saved the world by now. Instead, you’re hanging out in WOW taverns flaunting your level 85 Paladin like a pompous ass.

Official report from the University of Washington

SOURCE: GAMEPRO