We’re probably not living in a computer simulation, despite some people’s insistence to the contrary. But that doesn’t mean we can’t create our own awe-inspiring simulations of the universe.
The essence of virtual reality’s appeal is immersing yourself in a role you normally wouldn’t or couldn’t in real life. Close your eyes and suddenly you’re a viking or a detective dressed as a bat. But, in our somber reality, teachers across the country may soon find themselves forced into virtual roles they never…
Unless we find a way to travel infinitely faster than the speed of light, there’s no way you’ll ever see the farthest reaches of the galaxy in person. But that harsh reality is made somewhat easier to digest thanks to this short film by Teun van der Zalm, featuring fly-bys of computer-generated nebulae that even our…
The microscopic processes involved in human fertilization are a difficult thing to convey visually, but a group of scientists, using Star Wars as their inspiration, have managed to do just that, creating a highly entertaining and informative video—while accidentally stumbling upon a new scientific discovery in the…
Jedi were supposed to be the peaceful protectors of the galaxy, only resorting to fighting when needed, or whenever a conversation at a bar got too heated. But thanks to a PC game called Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator, we can finally watch the Jedi become the galaxy’s biggest bullies.
Four years ago, an asteroid the size of a city bus screamed across the skies of Chelyabinsk, Russia, shattering glass around a 60 mile perimeter and sending 1,200 people to hospitals with related injuries. In an effort to learn more about these rare but dangerous encounters with objects from space, NASA has used a…
When The Lost World (the first sequel to Jurassic Park) came out, audiences weren’t really interested in another sermon on the risks of cloning. All we wanted was more dinosaurs, ideally fighting, which is what this CG simulation mostly delivers. After all, chickens are just tiny dinosaurs, right?
Imagine a world in which the only possible way to die was through a sudden accident, such as a car crash, falling down the stairs, or getting struck by lighting. How long could we expect to live in such a world? According to an eye-opening simulation, a very, very, long time, indeed.
Using a powerful supercomputer, meteorologists have simulated the “El Reno” tornado—a category 5 storm that swept through Oklahoma on May 24, 2011.
If you’ve ever been blasted by the downwash of a drone when it flies over you, you know how much air four spinning rotors can move. But to help improve the design and flight characteristics of future drones, NASA had its supercomputers simulate what that air movement actually looks like, and it’s impossibly complex.
A computer model developed by researchers at MIT shows that just 3,000 Uber and Lyft vehicles, when carpooled, could replace New York City’s entire 14,000-strong taxi fleet. It’s a finding that highlights the potential for ridesharing apps to revolutionize transportation in big cities.
Italian researchers have used the location of confirmed debris from Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared two years ago, to estimate where the missing airliner might have crashed, and where further debris may be found onshore. Their simulations show that the wreckage may lie upwards of 310 miles further…
It’s not exactly the best Monday morning pick-me-up, but if you were ever curious at just how inaccurate movies about the Titanic are, watch this animated simulation showing the infamous ocean liner sinking in real-time. You’ll just need to find a way to dodge work for two hours and forty minutes.
The most powerful supercomputer simulation of the Universe is providing important insights into how matter is distributed across large scales. Surprisingly, a significant portion of matter resides outside of galaxies and in the cosmic voids that permeate the cosmos.
Computer models suggest that the melting West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is melting at a rapidly accelerating rate. A new computer simulation shows that at current melting rates, the ice sheet will hit a critical point in about 60 years, and could result in a sea level rise of as much as 10 feet over the next several…
By applying the rules of Einsteinian general relativity to data pulled in by the Pan-STARRS telescope, scientist have developed two distinct simulations of supermassive black hole mergers that are considered the best yet.
When you get on a plane, the last thing you want to think about is what you’ll have to do to survive an emergency crash landing in the water. But knowing exactly how to safely evacuate a plane could one day save your life, so researches created a terrifying Oculus Rift emergency landing simulation that looks far more…
Don't let the simple graphics fool you: NASA's Comet Quest is a complex and addictive online game that challenges you to perform several missions, including landing, collecting and transmitting scientific data, and keeping Rosetta safe from chunks of comet material that occasionally spews from the surface.
