I usually write about how computer games help humans to learn.  Today, I write about how humans (while playing games) help computers to learn.  In the process, the humans advance brain science and learn about neurology.  I am one of the 70,000+ who have played eyewire, a game that was created by;

“…scientists at MIT, Eyewire is a browser game that lets players take on the challenge of mapping neural pathways in brains — no scientific background required. By playing, gamers are not only mapping neurons, but also training artificial intelligence algorithms to better understand how to map neurons themselves, what Amy Robinson, Creative Director at Eyewire, calls “augmented intelligence”. The more that gamers play, the better the computers get.”

– Aaron Frank from Singularity Hub – http://singularityhub.com/2013/07/10/70000-have-played-eyewire-game-that-trains-computers-to-map-the-brain/

By creating a map of all the connected neurons in the brain, we advance understanding and treatment of alzheimer’s, dementia, mood disorders, and other cognitive diseases.  The human connectome has 86 billion connected neurons, so mapping this is impossible for humans to do quickly.  But, by using the Eyewire game, we can quickly teach the Artificial Intelligence software to map our connectome much faster than we could.

So, stop playing Farmville, and start playing a serious game!

Map the brain, save your brain, and learn a little brain science!

The world will be a better place.To play Eyewire click here – http://eyewire.org/

To read the full article by Aaron Frank from Singularity Hub click here; http://singularityhub.com/2013/07/10/70000-have-played-eyewire-game-that-trains-computers-to-map-the-brain/

Related articles

• Play a Game, Map the Brain with MIT (eyewire.org)