Online world opens up news ways to do and learn about science
VIRTUAL FROG
In the online virtual world known as Second Life, scientists conduct real research projects. Neurobiologist Corey Hart, for example, studies hopping movements in Simfrog, one of a series of "living" creatures that survive, evolve and interact in a virtual ecosystem.C. Hart
To track down neuroscientist Corey Hart, you could stop by his laboratory, located on the second floor of Drexel University's medical building in Philadelphia. Or, you could visit the lab of Luciftias Neurocam, located in the virtual world of Second Life.
Luciftias is Hart's digital alter ego, or avatar. Like his real-life counterpart, Luciftias tracks the twitches of frogs' muscles to find clues to the spinal cord's ability to control movement.
Robert Amme, a physicist at the University of Denver, has a laboratory in Second Life, too. There his avatar double, Dr. Bob Vandeverre, is building a virtual nuclear reactor to help train the next generation of environmental engineers on how to deal with nuclear waste.
Hart and Amme are pioneers among a growing number of scientists and educators now using the online world of Second Life to pursue real-life science.
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