The Ocean Podcast / science edu + ocean info
Hey, a new aquatic podcast!
Hot topics in sea turtle research and conservation.
Hosts: Michael Coyne, Matthew Godfrey and Manjula Tiwari
This is an experiment. We aren’t entirely sure where this will go, but we hope it will stimulate discussion and inform and educate the sea turtle community. It also gives the geeks another outlet! We plan to make this a weekly show, so listen and enjoy!
![Hackshaven Harford and Calamari Ricardo stand before the sphere of science [200x150, 12K]](http://www.cephalopodcast.com/img/pic/pic_060510c.jpg)
Okay, I know it’s the second post in a row about this, but I found something interesting last night. Looks like NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory has some unreal estate in Second Life! Got a chance to chat with Eric Hackathorn (aka Hackshaven Harford, pictured at right), who was kind enough to demonstrate some of the features of the NOAA/ESRL area. From their in-game notecard:
The structure before you is called “Science on a Sphere.” You can see the real world version at a museum close to you or by visiting http://sos.noaa.gov/. In the meantime, please enjoy a few sample animations by clicking on the controls on the right. Here are the animations currently available:
- Martian Surface
A topography of the surface of Mars colored by elevation.- 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
The different colors in the ocean represent the average sea surface elevation for the 24 hour period following the 9.0 earthquake that triggered a devistating tsunami in the region.- Sea Surface Temperatures
The temperature of the sea surface over time. You can see the formation of an El Nino of the coast of South Africa.Make sure streaming video is enabled under your preferences and then hit play on the movie control at the bottom of the interface.
Everything is still pretty new, but Eric and I both agreed there are plenty of possibilities for demonstrating science concepts in synthetic environments like SL. I look forward to seeing and hearing more.
UPDATE: Here is a PDF that gives some more details about NOAA in SL.
UPDATE: “Come see what NOAA/ESRL has been doing in Second Life and what our plans are for the future. A proof of concept, “Science on a Sphere” (http://sos.noaa.gov/), has been implemented and an overview of our future plans will be presented.” Monday, 05/15/2006 at 12:00pm MST.
![Calamari Ricardo distorted in orbit above Second Life [200x150, 12K]](http://www.cephalopodcast.com/img/pic/pic_060508b.jpg)
Thanks to Meno Rich and company for the Second Life meetup and simultaneous Skypecast. The snapshot at right is what my avatar looks like when shot into orbit around Second Life. If you want to know how that happened, send me an email.
There will be a grand opening of the World Bridge’s Second Life site from May 12-14.
[via digg]
Scientists say they have discovered one of the world’s most important blue whale colonies off the coast of Chile, where the endangered animals appear to be staying for the summer instead of migrating south to the Antarctic to feed according to their traditional migratory patterns.On the trip, 65 blue whales and 51 humpback whales were sighted “which confirms the existence of one of the most important whale habitats in Chile and the planet…”
Sometimes the serendipity of browsing the bookstore leads me to incredible things like this:
Written by two of the world’s leading authorities and superbly illustrated by wildlife artist Marc Dando, this is the first comprehensive field guide to all 440-plus shark species. Color plates illustrate all species, and detailed accounts include diagnostic line drawings and a distribution map for each species. Introductory chapters treat physiology, behavior, reproduction, ecology, diet, and sharks’ interrelationships with humans.
The Creative Commons have released an online legal guide for podcasters. From the forward by Lawrence Lessing:
This Guide is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to figure out how best to follow the law…my hope for this Guide (which in addition to copyright addresses publicity rights and trademark law) is that it will begin to make obvious what digital creators have been saying for some time - that it is time we update copyright law to the digital age. Something fantastic has changed: technology now invites the widest range of citizens to become speakers and creators. It is time that the law remove the unnecessary burdens that it imposes on this creativity.
“Copyright law†is essential in a digital age. But it ought to be a copyright law made for a digital age. Ours is not. And this fantastic Guide for those wanting to obey the rules should be evidence enough to convince anyone of that fact.
Jason Robertshaw
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