Compared with those action-packed scenarios, a group of intelligence agents meeting in a virtual conference room seems rather tame, says Gartner Research's Carol Rozwell, an analyst focused on the use of virtual worlds in business.

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Bloomberg terminals, for traders, are virtual ecosystems on which they can negotiate contracts, research currencies or read a restaurant review.

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Originally created for the U.S. Department of Defense at the University of Iowa as part of the Virtual Soldier Research (VSR) program to help reduce physical strain on soldiers, Santos has been heralded by ergonomists as a breakthrough in digital modeling.

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The research could be good news for gamers who often rely on their quick reactions to navigate virtual worlds.

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