Slashdot Mirror
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.'"
Some more amusing ways to torture my Sims.
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...
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...
You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
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
... till they come out with the "gay bathhouse" mod pack.
___
It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.
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.
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.
"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.