Gaming Concepts in Science: Cross-Industry Tech Application & Consultation Services.
The use of video game concepts like 'collision detection' to achieve a fusion energy breakthrough showcases a significant opportunity for cross-industry innovation. This involves applying game development principles and technologies—such as robust physics engines, efficient spatial partitioning algorithms (like AABB trees), ray-casting techniques, simulation tools, and AI behavior algorithms—to scientific, engineering, and industrial R&D sectors. There's a clear market for specialized consultancy services or platforms designed to facilitate the transfer and adaptation of these "battle-tested" gaming technologies to tackle complex real-world problems, fostering novel solutions and accelerating research. This also opens up opportunities to leverage game development talent and toolsets as powerful, pre-existing solutions that can outperform custom, from-scratch developments in many non-gaming computational fields.
Origin Reddit Post
r/technology
Concept Borrowed From Video Games Leads To Fusion Energy Breakthrough
Posted by u/upyoars•06/01/2025
Top Comments
u/tillybowman
then again, a lot of important libraries and the core algorithms that perform these science experiments are also written by mathematicians, physicists and non software devs and they are top n
u/wdsoul96
This is the sort of thing I'm super excited about deep learning AI. We've had particle colliders and mountains of data for decades now. With the rise of AI, and these vast datasets, I have hi
u/Moist-Operation1592
I use finite state machines, like status indicators for projects ie in progress, shipped etc, also path finding with edges and nodes to find close elements or connect elements once they're br
u/butt3ryt0ast
They use collision detection. Saved you a click
u/Spardath01
Wow i read something different
u/dabman
What aspect of collision detection do they use? I’m not very familiar with this stuff, but i had a conversation with a friend recently about he learned how the ray-casting method and how this
u/stuffitystuff
Over 9,000 4090s fusing deuteurium and tritrium in an empty swimming pool. Saved you a click.
u/SpaceKappa42
This. A lot of science supporting code is written by mathematicians and physicists with only basic knowledge of python, rudimentary understanding of software concepts, and their algorithms ar
u/PerfectPeter123
Rides slowly off into the sunset
u/snakeeaterrrrrrr
Thank god it isn't loot boxes
u/butt3ryt0ast
They use collision detection. Saved you a click
u/troelsbjerre
The real headline: "Physicists learn that library code exists, which works better than what their grad student could write from scratch".
u/tilthevoidstaresback
Scientists discovered how to turn safe search off on physics.
u/fftimberwolf
Damnit, Zak McKracken emptied the pool again.
u/stuffitystuff
Over 9,000 4090s fusing deuteurium and tritrium in an empty swimming pool. Saved you a click.
u/NeoMarethyu
As a mathematics graduate I can say that the problem is that a lot of mathematicians and physicists see coding to be below pure solutions, which ironically means when they code a problem they
u/ekobres
The finite state machine and corresponding visual diagramming forms were invented in the 40’s & 50’s and were in broad use in computer science by the 60’s, long before their use in video
u/ducklingkwak
There was a chance it could have been boob physics.
u/niftystopwat
You use ‘game mechanics’ when writing software? What’s an example of that?
u/DrinkwaterKin
As someone who plays video games, you're welcome.
u/grrangry
Step 1: AABB
u/ekobres
…which while commonly used for gaming wasn’t originally invented for gaming. It was invented in the 70’s for robotics and started being used for computational geometry and video games in the
u/Moist-Operation1592
very cool, I use game mechanics in other software I make, cool that it seems to have lots of use cases in computing
u/grrangry
Step 1: AABB
u/DrinkwaterKin
As someone who plays video games, you're welcome.
u/dabman
What aspect of collision detection do they use? I’m not very familiar with this stuff, but i had a conversation with a friend recently about he learned how the ray-casting method and how this
u/squirrelchips
I am curious what data structure they based this off of, since there are so many for collision detection. I am extremely new to comp sci, but already I know of quad-trees/Oct-Trees and KD-Tre
u/canteen_boy
Algorithm Autosorting Behavior Bizarre?
u/Moist-Operation1592
very cool, I use game mechanics in other software I make, cool that it seems to have lots of use cases in computing
u/DividedState
Dont give then more ideas... xd
u/troelsbjerre
The real headline: "Physicists learn that library code exists, which works better than what their grad student could write from scratch".
u/subcide
I'm glad it wasn't Frustum culling.
u/snakeeaterrrrrrr
That's actually better.
u/Herr_Jott
CSMA?
u/jerseydevil51
"Damn, I got 2 Higgs boson particles and a quark. Really want to pull some Cold Fusion research."
u/Xanderson
Up up down down left right left right ABBA
u/PerfectPeter123
Rides slowly off into the sunset
u/_vb__
The efficient implementations are usually written by people who have both backgrounds - mathematician/physicists and software dev skills.