06/09/2024

Games go far beyond technology and programming.

Marcelo Vasconcellos

Games , innovation, technology, culture and diversity were the themes addressed on Friday afternoon (6) at the National Mathematics Festival (FestMat). The lectures recounted the history and evolution of games, from the most traditional to the electronic ones. And they dealt with the relationship of games with technology, the teaching of mathematics and life in society.

Marcelo Vasconcellos, a researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), led the lecture "Games, Culture and Participation," which presented the history of games, from the oldest to the digital games of the 21st century.

Among the curiosities, Vasconcellos showed Senet (a board game from Ancient Egypt). And he showed that, in many cases, pastimes existed even before writing. "Current games are the younger siblings of a much older family," Vasconcellos emphasized.

The researcher also drew attention to an aspect often ignored when the subject is games: culture. Vasconcellos highlighted that the rules of games can help to codify sociocultural aspects, understand the "mathematics of inequality," and the functioning of society. "Games are an expression, a way for us to understand the world," he stated.

Alongside culture, education can also be a way of understanding games. João Luiz Almeida Glioche, from Firjan SESI Maracanã, presented "Mathematical Legends," a card game produced by the institution's students, and reinforced the educational intent behind games.

The idea behind the game is to provide fun ways of learning, and of course, with lots of math. “If you can gamify some content, show that it can be fun, maybe students will look at math differently. 'Legends' was designed so that you, the students, would be the protagonists of this educational moment,” said Glioche.

João Luiz Glioche

Still on the topic of games and education, Tadeu Classe, a professor at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Unirio), spoke about the important relationship between games and mathematics. "Starting with mathematics, look where we are today. We've managed to create games that influence people, how the world acts, how the world operates," the professor stated.

Graph theory, state machines, and the research of British mathematician Alan Turing are examples of the influence of mathematics on the structure of games. "Flappy Bird," a video game created by Vietnamese programmer Dong Nguyen in 2013, involves vector force, gravity, and the Cartesian plane. Meanwhile, the popular "Angry Birds" (2009), from the Finnish company Rovio Entertainment, can be thought of through the trajectory of ballistics and projectile launch.

Tadeu Classe

In addition to mathematics, Classe also cited games that help deal with real-life situations and problems: post-disappearance protocols, fire containment, and even issuing the SUS card (Brazilian public healthcare system card). "Games can change society; they are manifestations that influence our culture," he emphasized.

Diversity in the field of exact sciences and technology.

Cristiana Maranhão

Another topic addressed at the Festival was the inclusion of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers. Speaker Cristiana Maranhão, who has worked for over 20 years in technology companies such as Google and Oracle, presented an overview of the inequalities in access that women face in the technology field. "This is a structural problem."

Despite this, in an inspiring tone, she defended women occupying these spaces. "I came to tell you what I wasn't told: if you decide to pursue a career like this, your opportunities are enormous. Yes, it is possible."