The Obtain: The rise of gamification, and carbon dioxide storage

It’s a thought that happens to each video-game participant in some unspecified time in the future: What if the bizarre, hyper-focused state I enter when enjoying in digital worlds might by some means be utilized to the actual one?

Usually contemplated throughout particularly difficult or tedious duties in meatspace (writing essays, say, or doing all your taxes), it’s an eminently cheap query to ask. Life, in any case, is tough. And whereas video video games are too, there’s one thing nearly magical about the way in which they will promote sustained bouts of superhuman focus and resolve.

For some, this phenomenon results in an curiosity in move states and immersion. For others, it’s merely a motive to play extra video games. For a handful of consultants, startup gurus, and recreation designers within the late 2000s, it grew to become the important thing to unlocking our true human potential. However as a substitute of liberating us, gamification turned out to be simply one other software for coercion, distraction, and management. Learn the complete story.

—Bryan Gardiner

This piece is from the forthcoming print concern of MIT Know-how Overview, which explores the theme of Play. It’s set to go stay on Wednesday June 26, so if you happen to don’t already, subscribe now to get a replica when it lands.

Why we have to shoot carbon dioxide hundreds of ft underground

Carbon seize and storage (CCS) tech has two predominant steps. First, carbon dioxide is filtered out of emissions at services like fossil-fuel energy crops. Then it will get locked away, or saved.  

Wrangling air pollution may seem to be the essential bit, and there’s usually lots of deal with what fraction of emissions a CCS system can filter out. However with out storage, the entire challenge can be fairly ineffective. It’s actually the mix of seize and long-term storage that helps to scale back local weather impression.