“Early on, when SL really got going, it lookedHat tip to Boing Boing for the screencap of the virtual frog.like it was going to be a huge playground,” says Amme. “I thought... who needs a second life unless you don’t have a first one?”
Although SL retains a large recreational component, with fantasy, racy nightclubs and sex, the science islands have distinguished themselves as places to connect with the “outside” world.
Scientist-avatars guide students through formal university educational programs — such as the University of Denver’s master’s degree in environmental engineering — or create exhibits designed to demonstrate scientific principles.
Navigational tools let users zoom in and around objects, making SL a convenient place to investigate phenomena that would otherwise be hard to visualize or understand. Avatars can, for example, initiate chemical reactions with a touch of their hand, watch a tsunami form or stroll through the internal structures of a cell.
Writing and musings from Shawn Struck on "geek culture" like video games, technology, web design, tabletop games and more.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Second Life Is Being Used... For SCIENCE!
According to the latest issue of Science News, many research institutions are leveraging the simple simulation tools of the 3-D sandbox Second Life to create immersible science learning experiences. From Science News:
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