Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Virtual game is a 'disease model'

Today, there are 3 posts all dealing with the 'virtual' side of mobilities, from people, disease, to economies... here's the first:

BBCNews reports how a virtual world can offer insights into real life epidemics - interesting this...a further step towards the 'Simulation Hypothesis'??:

The "corrupted blood" disease spread rapidly within the popular online World of Warcraft game, killing off thousands of players in an uncontrolled plague. The infection raged, wreaking social chaos, despite quarantine measures.

The experience provides essential clues to how people behave in such crises, Lancet Infectious Diseases reports.

In the game, there was a real diversity of response from the players to the threat of infection, similar to those seen in real life. Some acted selflessly, rushing to the aid of other characters even though that meant they risked infection themselves.Others fled infected cities in an attempt to save themselves.


Read in full - 'Virtual game is a 'disease model''

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