Video Games Can Save Your Life!

Or at least they can if you're in the military. Instapundit links to an article about one of the coolest new gadgets in the military:

The U.S. Army has discovered a remote control gun turret that works, and cannot get enough of them. The army wants over 9,000 CROWS (common remotely operated weapon stations), but is only getting 15 a month. There should be about a thousand CROWS in service by the end of the year...

But there's another reason, not often talked about, for the success of CROWS. The guys operating these systems grew up playing video games. They developed skills in operating systems (video games) very similar to the CROWS controls. This was important, because viewing the world around the vehicle via a vidcam is not as enlightening (although a lot safer) than having your head and chest exposed to the elements, and any firepower the enemy sends your way. But experienced video gamers are skilled at whipping that screen view around, and picking up any signs of danger. Iraqis are amazed at how observant CROWS is. Iraqis tend to just wrote this off as another example of American "magic." But the troops know better. Video games can save your life.

So you see, parents, if Junior sits in front of the Xbox all day, he might not just be slacking off--he could be building skills that will help him keep America safe later on in life!

He's part of the "in" crowd now: Congratulations to Shawn, who got his acceptance letter from the UNT College of Music today. Way to go, man!