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Learning the Scientific Method From Games

Posted by Soulskill on from the theorycrafting-101 dept.

Wired is running a story about a research paper out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison which discusses how some games get players to do scientific research without them explicitly realizing it. The paper itself is also available. Quoting: "... we examine the scientific habits of mind and dispositions that characterize online discussion forums of the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft. Eighty-six percent of the forum discussions were posts engaged in 'social knowledge construction' rather than social banter. Over half of the posts evidenced systems based on reason, one in ten evidenced model-based reasoning, and 65% displayed an evaluative epistemology in which knowledge is treated as an open-ended process of evaluation and argument."

2 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. The New Scientific Method by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The old days Scientific Method of objecttively searching for truth is more or less obsolete.

    These days most scientists have to work hard to keep their funding: publishing, making sure that they don't say things that offend their benefactors, etc.

    If you don't believe me, go listen to the CMU podcast about Bill Gates. They suck up to him so badly it is embarrassing just to listen to it. So much for what was once a leading Computer Science department.

    As much as we might dislike it, that is the New Scientific Method.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
    1. Re:The New Scientific Method by gad_zuki! · · Score: 3, Interesting

      >The old days Scientific Method of objecttively searching for truth is more or less obsolete.

      What old days? When scientists were beholden to Lords and Kings? People who could not only cut off funding with the wave of their hands but people would could have you tried and executed for discovering the "wrong" things?

      Or do you mean before that in the ancient world, where great thinkers who spoke out were put to death? Trial of Socrates ring any bells?

      You are experiencing whats called idealization of the fictional past. Things are most likely better now (post-enlightenment post-democracy post-civil rights) than ever. I mean, the kids of non-nobles going to university and teaching and publishing disagreeable things?? Scandalous!!