Better health through Halo 3?

LONG AN ENEMY of bedtimes and homework, video games have gained new and unexpected respect from the American Psychological Association. Research presented last month at the group's convention sheds a new light on video games. Without ignoring their role in childhood obesity and learning troubles, a study at the University of Wisconsin at Madison also highlights the benefits of button-mashing - it reinforces scientific thinking and improves performance by laparoscopic surgeons.

Since the days of Pong and Pac-Man, scolds have warned about the destructive effects of video gaming. But it's encouraging to learn that even a much-reviled activity can have an unexpected upside.

The Wisconsin researchers scoured message boards for fans of the online game World of Warcraft to see how gamers were communicating. They found not a font for sophomoric trash-talk, but a system of "collective intelligence." In this collaborative forum, gamers shared tips based on empirical evidence - a cornerstone of the scientific process.

Another study measured the performance of 33 laparoscopic surgeons. Laparoscopic surgery is performed in tight spaces, requiring hand dexterity, spatial skills, and the ability to guide remote-controlled cameras to see inside the body. Surgeons who play video games completed procedures 27 percent faster and with 37 percent more accuracy than their non-gamer colleagues.

For gamers, this news may sound like cause for jubilation: PlayStation will help me pwn (dominate) my math exam? Leet! (Awesome!) The study also raises the tantalizing possibility that other frowned-upon activities have ancillary benefits. Maybe chewing gum leads to eloquence, or texting while walking leads to good peripheral vision.

Even so, the public shouldn't draw extravagant conclusions from the Wisconsin findings. Although the study found that video games have a significant positive effect on surgeon performance, practicing surgical maneuvers with a simulator (like those used by pilots) may yield similar improvements. It is also possible that gamers may make better surgeons because nimble hands or technological prowess draws them to both pursuits - not because the games themselves improve surgeons' skills.

For young people who wish to become surgeons, the best bet is still to excel in academics. Whatever its benefits, Halo 3 will not provide the intellect and fortitude needed to weather medical school, and it isn't the 21st-century road to a career.

But it sure is fun.