Science Circle-d

 Science Circle grid is now offline, possibly for good. It's a shame because it was such a nice grid, with some very interesting and unusual builds on it, of a scientific and educational nature. 

The grid, which was small and only had a handful of residents, was managed by Quaesar Agnomen. It was affiliated of course with The Science Circle group in Second Life. I really loved it, and felt privileged to join the grid in 2022, because although it was not large, it offered a sort of bridge between the walled garden of SL and the wider hyperverse. Ideal, you might say, for people who are interested in expanding their knowledge and extending the frontiers of reputable information. 

The Science Circle is a group in Second Life. It has regular meetings on a dedicated, eponymous sim in SL (and other spaces) where they get real life scientists, like Stephen Gasior, to talk to them about cutting edge scientific research - it's fun and informative! Nym Hathaway and Jes Cobalt are the people to contact in SL to know more about how to get to all their events, for in some cases, access may be limited.

Stephen Gasior at a SC meeting n the theme of 'The Moon' in 2022

Quaesar and Stephen appeared on Mal Burns' talk show Inworld Review about a year ago  for a conversation about the Science Circle grid in Opensim, how it works, and what's to be seen there.

As we all know (or ought to by now!)  Opensim isn't identical to SL, nor is it meant to be; it operates on vastly different decentralized principles. And yet one often hears newbies and even some oldbies lamenting that 'there's nobody in opensim'. Think of it this way - if SL is New York City, then opensim is the West - the wild west at times, but a place of wide open spaces, busy people discreetly creating and getting on with their lives in their own way, without fanfare or crowds. That said, with a bit of intelligent research you can easily find people, projects, and plenty of entertainment in Opensim. 

Vintage Portage

Our second destination this week is a special place because it bridges the gap between the virtual and the real and shows what a wonderful tool Opensim can be for academics and professionals. Located on the Science Circle Grid, it is reconstruction of Portage, an archeological site in Pennsylvania, built by Nova Saunders. 

At the side of a tranquil canal, Nova and fellow Science Circle member Quaezar Agnomen  were waiting for us, to explain the build and share the experience. You can read about the first part of this week's Safari in the post called 'The Folly of Phaedra'. As always the address of the destination is at the end of the post.

Nova and Quaesar welcome us to Portage

          The settlement of Portage, PA was established in 1830's during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, at a time when the United States was pushing Westwards with a passion. It was an era of fast moving technological revolution.           Portage is located about 70 miles due west of Pittsburgh, and while there is a town in the area, the original settlement is all but gone from the landscape.

           In the 60 years preceding the heyday of Portage, canal technology had been considered, especially in Europe,  the best way to move heavy and bulky goods from place to place. However, by 1820, a newfangled means of transport was beginning to be talked about, invested in, and dreamed of, first in England and then further afield - trains. So Portage found itself on the cusp of transition between the older, more organic form of transport, by water, and the bold and speedy new one - the steam train.

Nova's Vibe

 Our second stop this week was another collector's item, on VIBE grid. As with all our destinations, the HG Address or URL is at the end of the post.

Nova Saunders on VIBE grid

          Up next, a trip to a wonderful part of VIBE grid, as guests of Nova Saunders. 
        Nova's regions on the grid are dedicated to archaeology.  VIBE stands for Virtual Islands for Better Education, and in her day job, Nova is Marion Smeltzer, MA, a Practicing Public Archaeologist ad the president of Indiana County Archaeological Society. Her work in Vibe is creative on many levels, since it's not only bringing students into contact with  dozens of different historical sites, but also helping Government Agencies see the benefit of virtual worlds for teaching.