Video Gamers Make Better Surgeons?

By Geoff Duncan February 20, 2007

A new study published in the February issue of Archives of Surgery suggests a correlation between a surgeon’s video game competence and skills at performing laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic procedures involve small instruments inserted via body openings or small incisions, where the physician conducts procedures by watching a video feed on a separate television monitor rather than by direct observation of the surgical field. In many cases, laparoscopic procedures offer patients quicker revocery times and fewer complicates because of their less invasive nature.

The study monitored the performance of thirty-three surgical residents and attending physicians participating in the Rosser Top Gun Laparoscopic Skills and Suturing Program from May 10 to August 24, 2002. (Yes, four and a half years ago! Big science can move slowly.) The study found that surgeons who played video games more than 3 hours a week had 37 percent fewer errors and 27 percent faster completion of procedures. Overall Top Gun scores were 42 percent better for gamers who put in more than three hours a week, and 33 percent better for gamers who put in less time. Overall, current and past video game experience were found to be strong predictors of laparoscopic skills in the surgeons studied.

The analysis would seem to back up other research that finds video game play can improve fine motor skills, visual acuity, and eye-hand coordination…however, one hopes it also doesn’t back up studies which found playing video games linked to aggressiveness and poor academic performance. One doesn’t really want a surgeon forgetting what he or she is doing in the middle of suturing, getting ticked off, and reaching for the reset switch. (But, who knows? Maybe that would re-invigorate ER.)

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

Square Enix just set a new bar for video game demos with its latest RPG

Key art for SaGa: Emerald Beyond.

The video game demo is starting to come back into fashion.

Companies like Sony and Nintendo are offering demos for some of their biggest games of the year, like Stellar Blade and Princess Peach Showtime!, respectively. Not all demos are made equally, though. It can be difficult to get the feel of an entire game across in a demo featuring a small part of the experience; the brevity of Nintendo's recent demos has been especially frustrating. That's why Square Enix's approach to releasing a demo for SaGa: Emerald Beyond sticks out to me so much.

Gaming

How to make money fast in Content Warning

People in diving suits in Content Warning.

The most important part of the plan in Content Warning is the last step: making money! Why else would you risk your life going into the Old World trying to film the scariest and most deadly monsters imaginable if you weren't going to get rich doing it? Just like in real life, making money on SpookTube isn't easy. You need to produce the best possible videos to start to build up your following and make a decent income. That money is crucial for investing in all the different items that can boost your production quality, thus leading to more views and more money in your pocket. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes things that can help you earn more cash, so try out these tricks and tips to create the next viral video.
Best ways to make money in Content Warning
Views equal money in Content Warning, so your ultimate objective is to make the most engaging video possible. A good goal for your videos should be around $100, but getting over $200 is possible by doing everything right and using some better items.
Don't leave the camera behind!
Our top tip has to be that you get the footage you worked so hard to capture back to the surface. It doesn't matter how good a video you made if you can't upload it, so protect that camera with your life and upload your video as soon as you escape.
Record an intro
Give your viewers a nice build-up to the spooky stuff by recording a little intro of yourself (and friends) before you descend into the Old World.
Capture everything spooky on film
You obviously know that filming monsters will get tons of views, but that's not all you should be looking to record. Stuff like bones, skeletons, and creepy objects around the environment also rack up viewers. If your teammate is getting attacked, take advantage and record it! Even filming their dead body will draw tons of eyes.
Improve your battery life
Besides air, your camera's battery will be a huge limiting factor on how much money you can make in a single dive. Look to upgrade this as fast as possible.
Always be emoting
Emotes are a cheap and easy way to increase views whenever a character is on screen. The more you and your friends pull off some cool moves, the more people will want to watch you get ripped apart.

Gaming

AI is making your Candy Crush Saga sessions less frustrating

Barbie rides in a pink car with Candy Crush Saga characters.

It’s no surprise that AI was perhaps the biggest topic of discussion at this year’s Game Developers Conference. The emerging technology was all over the convention’s show floor, with massive booths showcasing demos from companies like Inworld. Behind the scenes, Nvidia showed off some even more impressive tools. A Ubisoft-created experience using Nvidia’s Ace microservice turned heads, as it allowed players to speak to NPCs through a microphone and get cogent AI responses on the fly.

Naturally, it was a topic of debate throughout the week. During the event’s annual Game Developers Choice Awards, presenters pushed back on the fast-approaching wave of generative AI that poses an existential threat to human creators. However, not every use of tech is built to push humans out of the creative process. Some, like the AI tools powering Candy Crush Saga, make a stronger case for AI’s more helpful use cases for creators.
AI as a co-pilot
Developers from King, which was recently acquired by Xbox, would take the stage multiple times during the week to talk about the tech powering its games. One panel in particular focused on how the studio uses AI to create Candy Crush Saga levels. On a surface read, a critic of the tech might decry that use case as something that takes work away from designers. When I spoke to Sahar Assadi, Director of AI Labs at King, she painted a much more human view of how the company uses the tool.