When I was in 4th grade, I attended a birthday party at the arcade on the UC Berkeley campus. This arcade housed a technological marvel that would change entertainment as we know it: virtual reality!
The massive helmet, the boxy computer graphics… it was every kid’s dream! The future is now!
Then it just kind of went away. What happened to the future?
Finally, a few decades later, virtual reality is reemerging, and it’s actually pretty cool. It doesn’t feel mainstream yet, but it’s getting closer, and I’ll take any opportunity I can to relive the childhood excitement that came from playing VR at that arcade in the 90’s.
Which brings me to this week’s story: A study at UC Davis that’s examining if virtual reality can be used to train kids with ADHD to pay attention in class. It’s no Dactyl Nightmare, but I think it’s pretty cool.