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Sim Epidemic

Dotnaught writes "Scientific American has an intriguing story about EpiSims, an outbreak simulator. Designed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), it deals with a social networking of a different sort: 'To understand what a social network really is and how it can be used for epidemiology, imagine the daily activities and contacts of a single hypothetical adult, Ann. She has short brushes with family members during breakfast and then with other commuters or carpoolers on her way to work. Depending on her job, she might meet dozens of people at work, with each encounter having a different duration, proximity and purpose.'"

18 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some more amusing ways to torture my Sims.

    1. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Talking about amusing torture games, nothing beats torturing your avatar in Black and White.

      Run into a village and devour villagers: tummy rub.
      Help a drowning villager: ruthless bitchslap session.

  2. Phew by civman2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    For a minute there, I thought this article was going to be about how millions of teenage girls are displaying frightening symptoms: siting inside all day instead of socializing, playing computer games all day, turning away from reality. I guess the Sims has the power to turn girls into guys. But that's not what this is about...

    1. Re:Phew by Biff+Stu · · Score: 4, Funny

      In the event of an epidemic, this would be a good thing. Does this mean that if epidemics select for antisocial nerds, /.'ers will rule the earth?

  3. Two words by bakayoko · · Score: 2, Funny

    Chaos theory.

    --
    A decibel - a RELATIONSHIP between two values of POWER http://arts.ucsc.edu/EMS/Music/tech_background/TE-
  4. Her Name is Ann by TimeTraveler1884 · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...imagine the daily activities and contacts of a single hypothetical adult, Ann.
    She sounds hot....



    1. Re:Her Name is Ann by man_ls · · Score: 2, Funny

      Bob's girl is cheating on him?

      Wait till this gets out...

  5. Alternate Uses by Stanistani · · Score: 4, Funny

    A tool like this could be adapted for some other fascinating uses:

    Marketing (particularly the viral type)
    Political meme simulation
    Catching terrorists and other criminals through investigating their social linkage
    Pharmacological demand forecasting

    All technology has alternate uses - some good, some not...

  6. Re:CERN did this a couple of months ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think they were developing it for WHO and the associated organizations.

    "Well then who's developing it?"

    "Yes."

    "I mean the group's name."

    "WHO."

    "The group developing it."

    "WHO."

    "The software program."

    "WHO."

    "The simulation..."

    "WHO is developing the simulation!"

    "I'm asking YOU who's developing the simulation."

    "That's the group's name."

    / etc

  7. Mod by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 2, Funny

    Can one make a mod for Sims out of that? pleeease?

  8. Word order designed for dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    This is going to be reposted as Epidemic Sim- watch for it!

  9. Just wait... by PsiPsiStar · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... till they come out with the "gay bathhouse" mod pack.

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    It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.
  10. Shouldn't this be modded down? by PsiPsiStar · · Score: 3, Funny

    After all, it is basically a "WHO's on first" post.

    --

    ___
    It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.
  11. where can the shmo's get it? by Irashtar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Noone else seems to have asked the most important question of all. Where can we download it?

  12. Re:Most efficient vectoring scheme? by Swampfeet · · Score: 1, Funny

    Or better yet, make a $40 order and pay for it in 40 infected 1 dollar bills!

  13. That's why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    ...Microsoft is releasing a Windows Cluster Edition

    So we can all play EpiSims!

  14. My version... by Peter777 · · Score: 4, Funny

    19.35 - You are in your parents basement. It's very dark. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

    'up'

    19.40 - You are in your parents hall. You hear voices to the east.

    'east'

    19.45 - The room is full of people. You are likely to catch the plague.

    'mingle'

    19.50 - Your aunt kisses you.

    'use handkerchief'

    19.55 - You feel dizzy

    'South'

    20.00 - You are in the kitchen. You have caught the plague. You feel very hot.

    'South'

    20.05 - You are in the garden. You are dead.

  15. Re:CERN did this a couple of months ago by RichardX · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Oh, forget it! Anyways.. uh.. who was that band you went to see last night"

    "No, Yes"

    "Who?"

    "No, though I did see them live once"

    "Um.. who?"

    "Yeah, they were pretty good"

    "So who was it you saw last night?"

    "Yes"

    "Who, damnnit?"

    "No, Yes. Then I came home and watched THEM! and a couple of episodes of Dr Who before I read that article about the software by the WHO"

    "Um.. I think something's broken in your head. I'm going over here now."

    --
    Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.