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October 16, 2008, 03:42 PM ET
Darwin's Famous Journey Is Recreated in Second Life
The ways in which people celebrate the life and work of Charles Darwin are evolving.
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, the University of Cincinnati has recreated the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin conducted some of his famous research, in Second Life. The project is part of the university’s 2009 Darwin Sesquicentennial Celebration.
By January 2009, all avatars will be able to retrace Darwin’s steps — from his 1832 journey to South America aboard the Beagle to his tours of the islands — with the help of a wind-surfing tour guide. Archived audio and video clips, as well as live events, will be available in the Darwin Celebration Theater and Gallery.
An undergraduate communications and technology class is creating kiosks in Second Life and compiling information about Darwin’s journey and findings. Students who take two field trips to the Galapagos next year will bring back images and video that will be added to the tour, according to Chris M. Collins, project manager for the Second Life Project at the university. Ms. Collins wrote about the project with Ronald M. Millard, a professor of pharmacology and cell biophysics and chairman of the celebration’s program and planning committee, for EDUCAUSE Review.
Ms. Collins said the site could be an effective learning tool for college students and would teach them things they “can’t get from reading a textbook.” —David DeBolt
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