CCP Games allows players of the MMORPG EVE Online to search for planets beyond our solar system.
After NASA announced that it had discovered seven Earth-like planets orbiting the red dwarf star “TRAPPIST-1,” located about 40 light-years away, three of which are even in the “habitable” zone of the sun, the fever to search for life in space has also broken out in the MMORPG EVE Online!
A cooperation has been initiated between CCP Games, Massively Multiplayer Online Science (MMOS), the University of Reykjavik, and the University of Geneva, as well as their honorary professor Michel Mayor, who is a winner of the prestigious Wolf Prize in Physics in 2017 and the discoverer of the first exoplanet.
EVE players search for alien worlds
Through this cooperation, players of EVE Online can participate in the search for exoplanets. In the game, astronomical data from the real world is used, which is provided by the University of Geneva through a fully integrated part of the EVE Online gaming experience called Project Discovery. Players must agree on the classification of data, which is then sent to the university and used there to search for exoplanets.
“We are thrilled with the success of our first foray into the world of research through citizen science. EVE players are eager contributors to the Human Protein Atlas database,” said Andie Nordgren, EVE’s Executive Producer. “In our search for more data for our massive player community to engage with, the stars have aligned. They can now contribute directly to the search for new planets – in collaboration with a world-renowned research team. Real people around the world are working together in a virtual universe to explore the real universe. Thus, science fiction becomes science fact.”
Players assist in research
There has been such a project before. The first Project Discovery allowed EVE players to submit over 25 million classifications of human cells for the Human Protein Atlas.
This has been a great support for science. But now EVE Online is searching for exoplanets. A presentation by honorary professor Michel Mayor is planned for the EVE Fanfest 2017 in Reykjavik. This will take place from April 6 to 8. Perhaps the EVE players will contribute to further interesting exoplanets being discovered.
The sci-fi hardcore MMORPG EVE Online is the simulation of a ruthless universe. On a single server, thousands of players go at each other in a constantly changi...
