Being British, there is obviously nothing I like more than talking about the weather. I am often heard to remark"Oh, it's a bit nippy out", "Phew, what a scorcher" or "Might rain if it doesn't snow".
So, how enraptured was I when a friend informed me that the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has bought a sim in SecondLife (Meteora 178, 160, 26), and is using it as semi-educational tool for those interested in seeing environmental and weather phenomenon at it's most extreme. You can take a submarine ride under the ocean. Watch a Glacier melt from global warming. Get on a plane and fly through the eye of a hurricane. Hang from a weather balloon as it soars into the sky. View a miniature world from the perspective of night lights, amount of sea coverage, etc... And all the while, a HUD that you can pick up for free on you arrival means that you get audio commentary all along the way, giving you an insight into the science beyond the spectacle.
Oh, and I left the best til last (as is my way).... The Tsunami Simulator allows you to see exactly what happens when a Tsunami is created (even down to watching the earthquake underwater), to the water drawing back, and smashing against the land, demolishing buildings, and leaving only wreckage in it's wake. And of course... being SL, it allows you to sit on a deckchair and calmly watch as the huge wave looms in front of you, before smashing down on your virtual form. Then you can simply fly away, ready for your next virtual adventure, while the SL sun shines down on us all.
So, how enraptured was I when a friend informed me that the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has bought a sim in SecondLife (Meteora 178, 160, 26), and is using it as semi-educational tool for those interested in seeing environmental and weather phenomenon at it's most extreme. You can take a submarine ride under the ocean. Watch a Glacier melt from global warming. Get on a plane and fly through the eye of a hurricane. Hang from a weather balloon as it soars into the sky. View a miniature world from the perspective of night lights, amount of sea coverage, etc... And all the while, a HUD that you can pick up for free on you arrival means that you get audio commentary all along the way, giving you an insight into the science beyond the spectacle.
Oh, and I left the best til last (as is my way).... The Tsunami Simulator allows you to see exactly what happens when a Tsunami is created (even down to watching the earthquake underwater), to the water drawing back, and smashing against the land, demolishing buildings, and leaving only wreckage in it's wake. And of course... being SL, it allows you to sit on a deckchair and calmly watch as the huge wave looms in front of you, before smashing down on your virtual form. Then you can simply fly away, ready for your next virtual adventure, while the SL sun shines down on us all.
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