IBM and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday hosted an event to explore the potential of virtual worlds, or the 3D Internet. Although some attendees voiced concern that virtual worlds like Second Life are overhyped and insecure, experts overall said these virtual worlds, now used mostly for games, can transform society and business. During the one-day conference, students from MIT and employees at IBM showed off applications of virtual worlds in development.
This bucolic virtual setting is more than just eye candy. IBM is working with the Nature Conservancy to compile better information about important river ecosystems. The visualization applications allows policy makers or analysts to model changes in rivers. By configuring the data on the right hand of the screen, a person can simulate what effect higher temperatures or changing water levels will have on a river habitat.
Save up to 50% on HP Products