When you hear the term “gamer,” your mind might conjure images of people engrossed in virtual worlds, battling enemies, or solving puzzles for entertainment.
But what if gamers could help solve some of the most complex problems in science?
That’s exactly what happened when players of the online game Foldit outperformed trained scientists in a competition to model a protein structure.
The results weren’t just surprising—they challenged the very way we think about who can contribute to cutting-edge research.
This study is a wake-up call for the scientific community and a triumph for “citizen scientists” everywhere.
It proves that anyone with problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset can contribute meaningfully to fields traditionally dominated by experts.
It also raises intriguing possibilities about how games can revolutionize education and research.
A Competition for Discovery
In the competition, 469 gamers playing Foldit went head-to-head with two highly trained crystallographers, two computer algorithms, and 61 undergraduate students using advanced computer modeling programs.
Their challenge? To create the most accurate model of the protein YPL067C using electron-density maps—a crucial step in understanding proteins at a molecular level.
The stakes were high. Proteins are the building blocks of life, and understanding their structures is key to breakthroughs in medicine, biotechnology, and disease research.
Yet, modeling proteins is no easy feat. It’s a meticulous process filled with trial and error.
Despite the odds, the gamers emerged victorious.
By pooling their collective skills, they created the most accurate model of the protein, outperforming even the professional crystallographers.
“It shows that anybody with a 3D mentality, including gamers, can do something that previously only scientists did, and in doing so they can help scientific progress,” said James Bardwell, a co-author of the study and a researcher at the University of Michigan.
Why Gamers Excelled
The gamers’ success wasn’t just a fluke—it was a testament to the power of collaboration and gamified learning.
Unlike the professional scientists who worked alone, Foldit players operated as a global team, iterating on each other’s ideas and leveraging the game’s interactive tools to refine their models.
“We think this is a big deal because interpreting an electron-density map can be a labor-intensive, error-prone process—and we show that crowd-sourced Foldit players can do it as well as, or better than, professionally trained crystallographers,” explained Brian Koepnick, a team member from the University of Washington.
This finding challenges the assumption that only experts with years of specialized training can contribute to high-stakes scientific research.
Instead, it highlights the potential of crowd-sourced science—a concept where the collective efforts of non-experts can yield extraordinary results.
The Power of Gamification in Learning
What makes Foldit so effective? The game turns protein modeling into an engaging and collaborative experience.
Players learn complex scientific concepts naturally, driven by the game’s challenges and rewards.
“I’ve seen how much players learn about proteins from playing this game,” said Scott Horowitz, another co-author of the study.
“We spend weeks and weeks trying to jam this into students’ brains, and Foldit players learn it naturally because it’s fun.”
This success story has broader implications for education. Traditional teaching methods often struggle to make complex topics engaging.
But by gamifying the learning process, educators could inspire a new generation of students to dive into fields like biochemistry, physics, and engineering.
A New Frontier in Research
The Foldit gamers didn’t just outperform scientists; they might have also uncovered a new protein potentially linked to plaque formation—a discovery that could have implications for understanding Alzheimer’s disease. While further study is needed, this finding underscores the profound impact that citizen scientists can have.
And this isn’t the first time researchers have turned to the public for help.
In 2010, a study showed that blind individuals could enhance their touch and hearing by repurposing the visual cortex for new tasks.
Similarly, in 2022, researchers enlisted citizen scientists to monitor penguins in Antarctica and analyze weather patterns during a solar eclipse.
These projects illustrate the growing trend of involving the public in scientific discovery.
By tapping into the collective intelligence of diverse groups, researchers can solve problems faster and more creatively than ever before.
Breaking Down Barriers in Science
One of the most exciting aspects of crowd-sourced science is its accessibility.
You don’t need a PhD to participate—just curiosity, determination, and a willingness to learn. This democratization of science has the potential to:
- Expand Research Capacity: With more people contributing, scientists can tackle larger and more complex problems.
- Increase Public Engagement: Citizen science projects spark interest in research and bring attention to critical issues.
- Foster Innovation: Diverse perspectives often lead to creative solutions that experts might overlook.
“The ability to reach out to the general public is beneficial because it allows researchers to have a much bigger, more detail-oriented team working with them,” said Bardwell.
“Plus, there’s always the added benefit of bringing more attention to science and research.”
The Future of Citizen Science
The success of Foldit is just the beginning. As technology advances and more platforms embrace gamification, the potential for citizen science will only grow.
Imagine a world where gamers help design new drugs, analyze climate data, or even map the human brain—all from the comfort of their homes.
Neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe once remarked, “In some circumstances, patches of cortex appear to take on other roles than the ones that they most typically have.”
The same could be said of people. When given the right tools and opportunities, individuals can take on roles they never imagined, contributing to discoveries that change the world.
The Takeaway
The triumph of Foldit players over trained scientists is more than just a feel-good story—it’s a paradigm shift. It shows that science isn’t just for the experts; it’s for everyone.
By harnessing the power of collaboration, gamification, and citizen science, we can tackle the challenges of tomorrow in ways we’re only beginning to imagine.
So, the next time someone dismisses gaming as a waste of time, remind them: Gamers are out here solving real-world problems—and they’re just getting started.
