Week+12


 * New Technology **

Tours will take place on Thursday evenings from 6-7 pm central time (4-5 pm slt) and we’ll head out from the Bay Boat Welcome Center ([]). The tours will be repeated on Fridays from 5-6 pm central (3-4 pm slt), leaving from the Caledon Oxbridge Lecture Hall steps ([]) at 3 pm slt (5 pm central).

First, we'll meet at the Jaguarland Bay Boat Welcome Center ([]). Please be on time, or you'll get left behind. From there, we'll teleport to IBM's Island. We'll tour their information/welcome center then spread out through their large complex. You'll probably want to make sure to befriend Learner Magic (Dr. Dempsey), Aevalle Galicia (Stasia) and Bama Xue (Rebecca) so we can quickly help you out if you need help.

As you know NASA has always been on the cutting edge of technology. This week we are visiting their eEducation site in order to see what they are doing here in SL.([])

We will be visiting other NASA applications and sims later in the semester. Here is a video describing NASA's vision in SL.

media type="youtube" key="fu2hvrMjgu0?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

NASA CoLab is a Collaborative Space Exploration Laboratory being developed at NASA. CoLab will provide a framework for exciting partnership projects between the nation's space program and the thriving technology-entrepreneurial community.

In addition to the benefits to collaborating with intellectual assets of the technology business sector, the general public will benefit through various projects supporting the NASA's goals.

CoLab will feature a physical space in downtown San Francisco, a collaborative online space where scientists and engineers from NASA will collaborate with the entrepreneurial technology community, and a space in "Second Life", a virtual learning community with interactive content.

This video is focused on NASA CoLab's Second Life efforts. media type="youtube" key="kr3vXuxEPB8?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

Questions to consider:

1. Why would NASA consider the use of SL?

2. What other aspects would you include?

3. What improvements can NASA make in the future to further enhance their site?

4. How can NASA educate their employees as well as the public on space programs and technology?