Virtual Viking experience

I just LOVE it when modern technology and history combine. Especially in virtual interactive museum exhibits. *CAVI, the creators of this amazing experience, has more information about the 1000 year old runestone exhibit in Denmark. Watch and be amazed:



It occurs to me that I'd really like an interactive stone like this when I die. Maybe 1000 years from now, my epic tale will be told in a virtual museum exhibit as well. One can dream....

*The Center for Advanced Visualization and Interaction. By Thor, how on Midgard can I get a job THERE??!! Oh, yeah, guess I'd have to live in Denmark...and learn Dutch.

Yet another reason to love Google: Ancient Rome in 3D

This looks amazing, so I'm checking it out...I just love Roman architecture.

Download Google Earth here if you want to visit Ancient Rome in 3D too!

Virtual Reality draws one step closer....

I very rarely see something jaw-droppingly cool. This technology is so amazing, I might have to buy a Wii.

Of course, the first thing I thought was, "That'd be great for Warcraft." On second thought, Second Life...

What wonders and great moments in gaming await if this gets developed well?



The funny thing is, with the rate technology progresses, in 10 years, this will be commonplace.

The SCA in SL

So I've just attended my first virtual SCA gathering in Second Life. I happened upon it accidentally when a couple of the SCA in SL group members started instant messaging each other about an event that was taking place in a few minutes, and my account is set to deliver all group messages, so I asked and was invited.

Pretty hospitable, just like the real SCA. Huzzah!

The gathering took place on a store roof, which had been converted into a large field with a tourney eric and some nice colorful tents. A circle of viking chairs around a toasty fire completed the scene. A screen of trees protected us from the virtual mundanity below.

There were just four of us, and we traded some ideas for marketing the virtual SCA group, chatted a bit about our respective real life kingdoms and eventually the topic turned to NSTIW stories.

ANd it struck me: I have experienced my first virtual NSTIW story, while sitting around a virtual fire, drinking virtual mead, and virtually 'LOLing'.

Ironic. And sort of creepy. I wonder if there will ever be virtual tournaments? Or A&S contests?

They are hoping to attract more SCA members to the virtual world, especially fighters. Yes, I know that it's not like fighting in real life, but seriously, in SL you can launch yourself out of a catapult and fear no harm. Now, wouldn't THAT make a great battle scenario?

So if you have a Second Life account and are looking for other SCA members, log in and search for the SCA in SL group. As of now, they are meeting on Thursday nights, which knowing the SCA, is likely to change at some point in the future.

Virtual History Tours

For years I've pored over amazing photography of faraway lands, people and objects unimaginable to me. Each time I opened magazines like National Geographic, or flipped through Polaroids of someones family trip, there was another tiny little peek at a different world, which seemed to only create the desire for more.

I've already accepted that there are some places that I will just never get to travel. This is one of the reasons I love virtual reality. It's not the real thing, but it's better than nothing at all. But lately what has been really impressing me are these amazing 360 degree panoramic QTVR's (QuickTime Virtual Reality). I've put together a list of few of the coolest ones I could find. These make me want to strap on a pair of those geeky VR goggles and pretend I'm really there...

For our virtual tour you'll need Quicktime installed, a good graphics card and a fast internet connection for these to view correctly. First stop....Denmark!

Apparently, there are around 600 medieval churches in Denmark with visible paintings. There are untold numbers of undiscovered paintings, as many were whitewashed over due to controversial images. These three Danish Medieval Church Frescoes from Elmelund, Marie Magdalene and Sulsted have been restored to near original condition.

Moving on to Slovenia brings us to the Erasmus Knight's Tournament, held every year at Predjama Castle. There's quite an array of activities for the historian! "Everything has been designed according to documented models from the 16th century," quotes a foreign travel website. Yeah, except for those cabaret bellydancers. That's just plain funny to an SCA'er like me.

Maybe you've always wanted to stand in the ring of standing stones, with nary a soul to be seen. At Callanish, on the Isle of Lewis, you can do just that. I appreciate that the photographer has positioned himself so that he casts no shadow. You really get the feeling you are alone out there.

Last but not least, let's travel to Turkey for an amazing view of the inside of the Bayezid Mosque. The ceiling is stunning, and I suspect it would cause vertigo in real life. Don't forget to look down - the photo is so good you can see crumbs on the carpet!