Government Agency Sets Up In Second Life

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has created an island in Second Life to educate players.

In an effort to educate the public about tsunamis and weather systems, the US governmental NOAA agency has created an island in the Second Life MMO. Complete with tsunami demos and submarine rides, the goal is to educate and entertain players in the virtual world. Players can also view a real-time temperature map, hear narration by Exploratorium Chief Scientist Paul Doherty and take an airplane into the heart of a hurricane.

In a virtual world where Native Americans rebuild ancestral dance halls, and bands look to find a new audience, organizations like the NOAA are bound to look to the medium to get their own message out. Thanks, Game Politics.