There are some people who would not hesitate to claim that computer and video games are a waste of time, and that gamers will never achieve anything worthwhile or contribute towards something greater than themselves. Now those naysayers will have to eat their words as the ingenuity and creativity of gamers has been proven, thanks to a free online game called Foldit.

The Foldit project was an experiment to give volunteers the chance to come up with their own solutions to the problem of creating unique designs for protein strains, opening the doors to finding a possible cure for AIDS and other retroviral diseases. One such possible solution was discovered in just 3 weeks of virtual experimentation with the Foldit software, a solution that had eluded scientific experts for a decade. It may not be a ready-to-go cure for suffers of the condition but it is a step closer to finding one, and is an excellent example of the untapped potential of the mind of a gamer!

Read more on Time and Nature.com, or read the full paper here.