In a photo provided by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Boy Scouts participate in a Virginia Tech educational program that shows how viruses spread Friday, July 19, 2013, at the Boy Scouts National Jamboree in Mount Hope, W.Va.CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Pssssst. Hey, Scout. Tag! You’re a zombie!
Participants at the Boy Scouts of America’s National Jamboree are turning each other into virtual creepy crawlies by the thousands this week.
It’s part of an educational game Virginia Tech researchers designed to show how disease spreads.
The Virus Tracker combines technology with the age-old game of tag. At the 10-day Jamboree, Scouts can earn points by “infecting” other players through a “virus” on bar-coded labels that are attached to their Scout IDs. Codes can be activated at scanning stations or by smartphones that have downloaded the Virus Tracker app. Individuals and troops that amass the most points each day win.
The goal is to stay human.