Play science
League of Knowledge "Natural Intelligence"
On October 9, 2017, the Natural Intelligence Knowledge League was launched, an online game that unites people who are open to new knowledge.
The large-scale project is designed to popularize scientific knowledge and increase the natural science literacy of the population. It immerses players in the world of biology, chemistry, physics and geography with one goal – to help them see science in every phenomenon that surrounds us and apply the scientific knowledge they have gained in everyday life.
When creating the Natural Intelligence Knowledge League, the organizers – Bayer in partnership with Future Biotech – focused on the importance of natural science topics. To attract the attention of young people to natural science disciplines, the creators used non-standard approaches, including gamification elements that ensure the interactivity of completing tasks.
The online game is designed for several seasons. The first season starts on October 9 and will last until December 11, 2017. It consists of five stages, for the successful completion of which players are awarded points. Three participants who show the best results will receive a prize – a trip for two to an interactive science museum in Germany.
"Bayer's activities are focused on the natural sciences. Our scientists have made many discoveries, thanks to which new medicines and products for effective farming have appeared. Today it is difficult to imagine the life of a modern person without high technology. Many of them have become accessible to man thanks to the rapid development of chemistry, biology, physics. Therefore, it seems important to us to make natural sciences attractive to young people. So that everyone can understand that science can be infinitely interesting, close and accessible. The format of the project in the form of an online game is the best way to achieve this goal," commented Irina Lavrova, Director of Communications and Relations with state and public Organizations of Bayer in the CIS.
Among the partners of the online educational project are leading Russian universities and research institutes, such as the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow Polytechnic University, Far Eastern Federal University, Pirogov RNIMU, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Russian State Agrarian University of the Ministry of Agriculture K. A. Timiryazev, FITZ of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"Of course, before the start of the "scientific game" it is impossible to predict in detail the consequences of the project for the development of the education system – the idea itself is too new and original! – says Roman Efremov, Professor, Deputy Director of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a partner of the project. – But I am firmly convinced that the results will be extremely useful and interesting. Any involvement of young people in the scientific worldview, the desire to understand for themselves how the world around us is arranged from a scientific point of view, without the involvement of "external" factors, is now in great demand."
Scientific experts of the League of Knowledge "Natural Intelligence" were people whose names are well known outside of scientific circles: biologist, PhD, popularizer of science, scientific journalist and writer, winner of the "Enlightener" prize Alexander Panchin; journalist, editor-in-chief of the popular science multimedia portal Egor Bykovsky; theoretical crystallographer, mineralogist, chemist, physicist, materials scientist, Doctor of Technical Sciences, laureate of several international scientific awards Artem Oganov; neurosurgeon, PhD, lecturer, publicist Alexey Kashcheev.
"Participation in the project as a player is a huge motivation for self–development," said Alexander Panchin, a scientific expert of the project. "For those who are 14-16 years old, it is also a good help in mastering the school curriculum. Regardless of interests and hobbies – play science, expand the community of people who are drawn to knowledge, leaving no chance for pseudosciences. And it may even happen that one of you, the participants of the game, will become a scientist in the future and create a medicine that will save humanity from some dangerous disease."
Information support for the project was provided by such major specialized popular science media as the TASS multimedia project "Attic", the popular science website "Biomolecule", the information and service project of the Rambler holding "Indicator", the popular science educational TV channel "Science", the popular science magazine "Science and Life".
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