Before creeping in the tight world of youth and adult prison, Austrian Science Center Netzwerk’s approach to Decide was strolling unleashed over the roads of freedom. Then one day, the Netzwerk crew were asked to show their game’s value within the context of Vinzirast, a homeless shelter sited in Wien. The invitation came directly from its founder, Mrs Cecily Corti.

Vinzirast have been welcoming homeless and tramps in their premises for a long time now. Every night they have been offering them a shelter, a supper, a mattress and a sleepover. Once a week, though, they provide them with a rich programme of intelligent entertainment. And Decide was part of it.

When Barbara Streicher walked in the first time, she understood straightaway she would face an interested attendance. In fact, since the entertainment wasn’t mandatory, people who were present were there on their own accord. And they were a dozen… a figure Decide experts reckon a bit too large for the game. Nevertheless Barbara felt that parting them off was not a good idea in that context. She was right, in the end. In fact, she states she had received such a good feedback she eventually felt very satisfied. But something touching occurred anyway.

Players were interested but not looking in good conditions. Some of them were tipsy, some other drunk. One, obviously, wasn’t able to read and the crew didn’t know whether that was a temporary condition or the bloke was illiterate. Despite of it, he participated with the help of Cristoph from Science Center Netzwerk and the game went on well. The beginning of the game, though, really interested the players because, unlike all the other times Science Centre Netzwerk used the Neuroscience kit, homeless people didn’t see the point of improving our regular brain functions. “Why should we use pharmaceuticals if we are not ill?”, they asked. “We should enjoy our lives instead of wasting time enhancing our brain possibilities”, they said.

Then, in the middle of the discussions, the guy who seemed illiterate suffered a sudden epilepsy crisis that stopped the game. One of the other homeless helped him get successfully over it with a seemingly professional massage and after a few moments he could join them all back in the game. A stunning brain damage episode right in the middle of a neuroscience centred occasion!

A crisis, different points of view and players that frequently used the yellow cards if only to humour each other, but in the end the voting was quite alike the ones given by “normal” players before And that was such a good experience that later on boosted Decide and Science Center Netzwerk. The reward was… sending them to jail!

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