Mark Dunk’s Blog

Congratulations to all of the folks at the University of Arizona, JPL and NASA for a fabulously successful EDL (Entry, Descent, Landing) on Sunday.  I’ve modified the EDL slightly to Entry, Descent, LANDED!!!!!!!  Special thanks to Charles White (Jet Burns in Second Life) and all the other JPLers who went to extreme lengths to share the experience with us in Second Life.

Perhaps the most amazing thing that I experienced during the EDL and the release of the first pictures was the heart-warming and enthusiastic sense of community and family among the avatars present for the event in SL (I think someone counted 58 but it seemed like a lot more).  Folks were helping each other learn how to set and reset preferences, get video and audio to work, find the NASA TV website, and just answering general questions and sharing information.  I never dreamed that a virtual environment could ever feel so warm and caring.  I hope it is a harbinger of the future in virtual communities in general and for SL specifically.

I was able to share the experience with several SL folks (Penelope Drucker, Southern Georgia, David Shea and Vickster Volare), only one of whom I have met in RL (real life).  I sense that the boundary between real life and the virtual world is blurring.  Who’da thunk it!

If you have not yet taken a look at the pictures from Mars, please look at my previous posts for links.  What a great day to be a science nerd, an American, and an Earthling ! ! !