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Sales in the gaming industry are now higher than those of the music, book, and film industries combined. 鈥淰ideo games have long been more than just entertainment and a pastime. They are changing the way we learn, work, and impart knowledge,鈥� says Johanna Pirker, professor at the .

This is precisely where her research comes in. Pirker combines artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and human-computer interaction to create intelligent virtual environments for education, science, and industry.  鈥淚 am particularly interested in how certain learning experiences can be made more accessible with the help of computer science and gaming. For example, the younger generation's attention span is changing, and with it, how they think and learn,鈥� says Pirker.

Her first contact with video games dates back to her childhood. 鈥淧rince of Persia was my first game, even before I could walk or talk,鈥� says Pirker. 鈥淭hanks to these early experiences, I was never afraid of computers or new technologies. On the contrary: even as a child, I loved the many colorful virtual worlds.鈥�

Many years later, she decided to study computer science at Graz University of Technology, which gave her the opportunity to conduct research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Back in Graz, she completed her doctorate and founded Game Lab Graz. Last summer, she moved to Munich.

In addition to her research, Pirker places great importance on ensuring that scientific findings are made available to the general public and do not remain confined to the academic sphere. 鈥淚 was struck by how deeply rooted scepticism towards science is in some parts of society, and by how important it is, therefore, to communicate research in a way that is understandable and accessible,鈥� she says. Pirker uses a variety of formats for this purpose. These include YouTube, public lectures and streams on Twitch.