Falling Walls Falling Walls Science Summit 2023

Breaking the Wall of Computer Gaming and Social Distancing

Richard Wiseman, Martin Jacob

Science Engagement

Research shows that computer games can be used as an effective educational tool and can promote prosocial behavior. I teamed up with French game designer Martin Jacob to create a free online computer game that encouraged social distancing, and increased understanding of exponential distributions, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The game received a significant amount of media attention and was widely shared on social media, resulting in over 70,000 plays in just a few days.

Tags: Covid-19, Digital Health, Diversity, Education, Med-Tech, Resilience, Science Communication.

Richard Wiseman, Martin Jacob

University of Hertfordshire

Prof. Richard Wiseman currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers on various topics, including the psychology of luck, superstition, deception, magic and illusion. Prof. Wiseman is a Member of the Inner Magic Circle, run the psychology-based YouTube Channel Quirkology, and have published several popular psychology books. He also regularly gives talks at festivals and organisations.

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