Watching the Netflix series "3 Body Problem" was a revealing experience. Though presented as futuristic sci-fi, the show mirrors current global issues. Characters use standalone virtual reality headsets to simulate and respond to extraterrestrial challenges faced by the San Ti Ren, which are beings from another planet. These VR simulations immerse them in scenarios, heightening the urgency and horror, prompting the question: How far is this from our reality?
If fictional characters can use VR to navigate extraterrestrial challenges, why cannot we use existing VR technologies to prepare our first responders for the real-world “three-body problem” of climate-driven disasters, conflicts, and pandemics? These issues collectively threaten planetary health, and today’s VR technology holds transformative potential in addressing these three global scourges of our time.
VR stands out as a cost-effective and sustainable solution to these pressing issues. This technology is not new: Its roots trace back over 50 years to 1968 when American computer scientist Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull introduced the Sword of Damocles, the first head-mounted VR display. The technological strides from this rudimentary system to today’s sophisticated systems showcase a remarkable journey of innovation, expanding the boundaries of training and preparedness.
About the author
Dr. Shreenik Kundu. Dr. Ayla Gerk. Dr. Dan Poenaru. Dr. John Meara
Dr. Shreenik Kundu is a Ph.D. student at McGill University and a Jean Martin Laberge Global Pediatric Surgery fellow with extensive clinical experience. Kundu completed the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s program in global surgery and social change. Dr. Ayla Gerk is a medical doctor with extensive clinical experience in Argentina, currently pursuing a Ph.D. at McGill University as a Jean Martin Laberge Global Pediatric Surgery fellow. She conducts research at the Commisur Lab, Harvey E. Beardmore Division of Pediatric Surgery, Montreal Children’s Hospital, and recently completed the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship at Harvard program in global surgery and social change. Dr. Dan Poenaru is the director of the Commisur Lab and professor of pediatric surgery at McGill University and a senior scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Recently appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada, Poenaru is renowned for his contributions to global surgery, including establishing a pediatric surgical unit and novel training program in a remote area of Kenya. Dr. John Meara is the founder and chief strategist of the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship at the Harvard program in global surgery and social change. He is the plastic surgeon-in-chief of the Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. Meara was co-chair of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery.