New Media
Second Life (SL) is a 3D virtual world developed by Linden Labs. With over 10 million online residents, SL is a way of bringing communities together, regardless of their physical location.
It provides an interactive environment where organisations can engage informally with the public, suppliers, customers and collaborators inside simulations that mimic and transcend real-world landscapes, structures and physical laws.
NPL has played a key role in the growth of Science and Technology Communities in SL, having worked in Second Life with Technologists, Researchers, Educators and many other International and Governmental organisations since 2005. NPL co-founded the SciLands (http://www.scilands.org), a dedicated region of Second Life for Science and Technology based organizations, providing shared resources, islands, events and enhanced networking for organisations interested in formal and informal science education, innovation, knowledge transfer and research using Second Life.
Working alongside other leading agencies including NASA and NOAA and universities such as the University of Denver and Imperial College London, NPL has developed immersive technology demonstrations and staged events to achieve enhanced public participation and knowledge transfer.
NPL also works across Government on the serious applications of gaming technology (so called ‘Serious Games’) and also advises on the use of Web 2.0 and virtual worlds technologies for scientific communication and public consultation.
TRUTHS is also the subject of an NPL exhibition in the 3D virtual world of Second Life and can be viewed at NASA's CoLab
(If you are new to Second Life then please read the instructions, check the system requirements and register at http://registration.scilands.org.uk. This will direct you to download and run the Second Life viewer and takes you through a special 15 minute orientation process in Second Life. At the end of the Orientation, there will be a teleport point straight to the TRUTHS exhibition).
There is also a podcast of Nigel Fox's lecture 'Resolving uncertainty in climate change data'
Examples of NPL developments in the SciLands
Nanotechnology Island in the SciLands
The Skyditorium and UK Future Focus offer conferencing and group working capabilities that extend the boundaries for participation in events held at 1 Victoria Street
NPL TRUTHS Pavilion at the International Spaceflight Museum (foreground)
Second Health London: a virtual hospital in the 3D virtual world of Second Life and a series of 'machinima' documentary films that describe what healthcare of the future could look like. This is an experimental, innovative and efficient means of communicating complex healthcare messages whose design is based on the principles and recommendations outlined in the recently published Healthcare for London: A Framework for Action.
