Dr. Knop Talks Astronomy
Posted on April 3rd, 2008 — permalink
The Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics is a new venture being spearheaded by Piet Hut, also known as Pema Pera in Second Life. Piet and collaborators have already done some actual scientfic collaboration a virutal world, through Qwaq. However, he— and others, to the point that I can start using the pronoune “we”— are starting to do more in Second Life in an attempt both to bring in more astronomers, professional and amateur, as well as interested community members. Activities are going to include a regular journal club, as well as a monthly outreach talk at the popular level. I will write more about MICA later.
Right now, though, I want to (at the last minute) publicize that I will be giving tomorrow’s in-world popular talk. I’ll be talking on the title “The Power of the Dark Side: How Dark Matter and Dark Energy dominate our Universe”. This talk will be in The Galaxy Dome in the ISM’s Spaceport Bravo. This is going to be a version of a talk that I’ve given before, last Spring when I was still at Vanderbilt and going around giving AAS Seyfert Shapley Lectures. (I think I gave five of those last year.) The talk will be in-world using Second Life Voice, and will be at a level accessible to all (although I always do try to challenge your minds when I give these sorts of talks).
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Posted in Cosmology, Physics & Astronomy, Science, Second Life, Second Life Events |
Live Theater in Second Life : Hamlet I, i
Posted on February 25th, 2008 — permalink
The Second Life Shakespeare Company has the ambitious goal of putting on a live production of Hamlet in-world, using voice and either actors controlling their avatars, or (they hope) their own bot technology for doing more sophisticated movement. They’ve already made one Machinema version of Act I, Scene i. Starting this Thursday (Feb. 28), they’ll be doing several live performances of Act I, Scene i (with a bit of stuff thrown in from a later scene). This performance will only last about 10 minutes, but it is kind of interesting to be trying to do live theater in world.
I auditioned for the SLSC, and will be playing the role of Francisco (the smallest part, it turns out) in the upcoming performance.
Update: for those of you not versed in Second Life lore, SLT = “Second Life Time”, which is the same as pacific time (PST right now).
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Posted in Second Life, Second Life Events |
NPR’s Science Friday, live, in Second Life
Posted on December 7th, 2007 — permalink
Drop by today at 11AM PT to Science School in Second Life to be part of the live studio audience of Science Friday. If you don’t have a Second Life account… make one! A basic account is free!
This is one of the really cool things that happens in Second Life. NPR’s Science Friday has been part of it’s Talk of the Nation show forever. For the last couple of months, they’ve had a live studio audience in-world. What this means is that between 40 and 100 Second Life avatars (usually including Prospero Linden) show up to listen to the show. The audio stream attached to the land is Nashville’s WPLN (I had nothing to do with that, but appreciate it!) . There is an avatar in-world, Ira Flatley, to represent Ira Flatow… although since the real Ira is broadcasting live on the radio, it’s actually a member of his staff running the avatar. Those of us sitting around have a lively conversation in text chat about what we’re hearing on the radio. (Sometimes the conversation wanders a bit from there.) Basically, it’s sitting around with a bunch of fellow science fans all together listening to this national science broadcast. (Well, really, it’s international, since the stream works anywhere, and many of the people who show up aren’t ‘from the USA.) Also, Ira Flatley is listening to the comments and questions we ask, and occasionally one will be read by Ira Flatow on the radio. There was a week when he said “Prospero Linden in Second Life asks….”
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Posted in Science, Second Life, Second Life Events |
