Who?

Hi,

I’m Ed Averett. In 1968, when I first saw computer generated graphics, I was amazed at the potential and stunned at the possibilities to entertain, engage, but most of all to enlighten. At the dawn of the video game era, I was there - committed to those possibilities. Intel’s first graphic chip hangs on my wall today. Twenty-four video games of that time carry my copyright. There was one very special character, KC Munchkin that aroused great passion. My favorite trait of KC’s is often overlooked; it was the smile. In the tiny little embryonic world of graphics of that time, KC smiled. KC enjoyed your company and you knew it.

 

KC and I have returned to “Play” and have more fun. And when you would like, “Explore and Learn”. It’s what we love to do.

 

Play!

I hope that playing KC Returns! reminds those familiar with KC Munchkin of the best of the past but, with a look and feel of new possibilities and the future. Yes, KC is smiling and would very much enjoy your company.

KC’s playground is still a grid where all the information you need to succeed is in front of you. However, just like in life the grid is always evolving.

 

Easy to play but very hard to master.

 

Explore!

Zoom in and out of a section of DNA with video game level graphics. Pick an atom, molecule, or bond and rotate or zoom on your selection. For more information, hold down your selection. An information box will appear. To view all the information on the Web about your selection click on the box.

 

Exploring can be fluid, beautiful and exciting.

 

Learn!

Select the level of difficulty of a question to answer about DNA. Correctly answer and earn KC cents to be used later. The more challenging the question, the more you earn. The more correct answers in a row is very important. Be careful. Incorrect answer can be costly.

 

Wow, learning can be really fun, almost a game.

 

And More!

To help the very youngest understand how being sick relates to DNA, there is a children’s book, “KC Cracks the Code!” written by Yvonne Lamey. The objective of the book is to show why learning about DNA is important to them. How they can start to engage their future. A future that is bright and filled with promise.

 

Amazing, there is no age limit to exploring and learning about DNA, or as a scientist or doctor might say molecular biology.

 

Why?

Much has changed since KC and I played with our friends. Video game graphics have made huge advance and so has science. It’s time they come together.

It is quite clear to me there is a future where curing dynamic diseases like cancer will be fun - yes FUN! By combining video game graphics with data and science, finding cures will be much like playing a video game. With the additional reward of saving real lives, KC and I see a future where dollars and real hero status are awarded with success. Impress a friend, save their life, impress the world, stop a pandemic.

 

This future is built on the hard work, discoveries, and efforts of scientists and doctors around the world. The presentation of this knowledge to everyone in an understandable, graphically rich and usable manner is what will make this future a reality.

 

KC Returns! is but another small step down this path. For example, a path that leads to when all the information in a diseased cell or virus is scanned and presented to you on, request, from the cloud. View, explore, and interact with that information graphically on your PC or game console in a similar way to what you see in KCs Returns!.

Remember, “if you can see it, you can solve it”.

 

Engage the most powerful graphic computer in the world - your brain. Yes, the brain that we use to navigate through trillions of bits of information, graphically, as we move through our day solving problems.

 

Much remains to be done, but this future is coming quickly. See it!

 

An aside: While I love science and computers, it is very challenging for me personally with my mental skill set. Having fun and seeing possibilities comes much easier. It’s been my experience that when common ground can be found with the analytically gifted - everyone can win just like before. Everyone can be part of this future.