smithsonian
Latest
Scientists create simulation of the universe, reenact 14 billion years in a few months (video)
Are animations of Curiosity's Mars landing not enough to feed your space exploration appetite? Try this on for size: a group of scientists from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies have generated what's billed as a full-fledged simulation of the universe. Arepo, the software behind the sim, took the observed afterglow of the big bang as its only input and sped things up by 14 billion years. The result was a model of the cosmos peppered with realistically depicted galaxies that look like our own and those around us. Previous programs created unseemly blobs of stars instead of the spiral galaxies that were hoped for because they divided space into cubes of fixed size and shape. Arepo's secret to producing accurate visualizations is its geometry; a grid that moves and flexes to mirror the motions of dark energy, dark matter, gasses and stars. Video playback of the celestial recreation clocks in at just over a minute, but it took Harvard's 1,024-core Odyssey super computer months to churn out. Next on the group's docket is tackling larger portions of the universe at a higher resolution. Head past the jump for the video and full press release, or hit the source links below for the nitty-gritty details in the team's trio of scholarly papers.
Fifth Avenue Frogger brings everyone's favorite roadkill to New York City (video)
For all their charm, the arcade games of the 80s didn't really offer much in the way of gritty realism -- not like today's titles, certainly. Tyler DeAngelo's new take on video game hall-of-famer Frogger certainly goes a ways toward lending the gaming classic some grit. DeAngelo installed a webcam trained on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, using code to translate that footage into data that allows players to experience a real-time, real world traffic flow in a modded version of a Frogger machine. The creator has been known to drag the machine onto the famed New York street, generator in tow, letting people experience the game it was meant to be played: on a sidewalk in plain view of traffic. Check out a video of the game after the break, including a desperate plea from a talking frog who really wants a trip to the Smithsonian.
Space Shuttle Discovery salutes Washington on historic final flight
As historic flights go, this has to be right up there with the best of 'em. Space Shuttle Discovery performed a final fly-by over the capital, and created a trail of excited spotters as it did so. Perched atop a Boeing 747, the iconic craft was flying at a relatively low 1,500 feet according to NASA. Pictures of the voyage have been popping up on social media and image sharing sites as it headed in from the west, before coming to its final resting place at a special off-shoot of the Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport. Have you spotted Discovery? Be sure to add links in the comments if you do. [Image credit: NASA]
Space Shuttle Discovery to make final in-air appearance in 1,500-foot DC flyover
Folks lucky enough to be in the nation's capital next week will have one final opportunity to gawk at Space Shuttle Discovery as the decommissioned spacecraft makes its way to its final resting place in Washington D.C. The shuttle is scheduled for a 1,500-foot flyover between 10 and 11 next Tuesday morning, passing over the National Mall and Reagan National Airport atop NASA's modified 747-100. The craft will then land at Dulles Airport before making a land-based journey to the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Center, where it will replace the Enterprise shuttle, which is destined for the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan. That prototype shuttle is scheduled to land in New York City a few days later on April 23rd, where it will touch down at JFK mounted to what's likely to be the same Shuttle Carrier Aircraft scheduled to make the Discover delivery in D.C., though there's sadly no word of a similar photo op in NYC.
Smithsonian's super squeaky clean meteorite lab makes your room look like a pig sty (video)
If you think you're a clean freak, then you obviously haven't been to the Smithsonian Antarctic meteorite storage facility. See, when it isn't kicking up the video-games-as-art debate or showing off our future overlords, the Smithsonian also dabbles in the study of fallen rocks from space. So just exactly how clean is the Smithsonian's Meteorite Clean Room? Well, let's just say it's highly unlikely that you'll find microscopic traces of that peanut butter and jelly sandwich that the intern had for breakfast on any of the facility's 15,000 Antarctic meteorites. As shown in the behind-the-scenes video after the break, the research facility goes to great lengths to prevent sample contamination, from the surgical-looking staff prep to dry nitrogen storage. After all, no researcher would like to be the poor sap who studies a contaminated meteorite and mistakenly announces to the world that Mars not only had peanut butter but jelly as well.
Kojima working on 'something' related to film, announcement coming in the 'near future'
During a heavily curated question and answer session at the Smithsonian Museum of Art, Hideo Kojima was asked whether he is interested in making films, as his lifelong passion for the cinema has heavily influenced the way he makes games.According to the Metal Gear Mogul himself, filmmaking is something he's always been interested in and has wanted to try, although he doesn't believe Metal Gear Solid would work as a film in its current form. That doesn't mean he isn't working on anything, however: "I'm working on something, and I hope in the near future I'll have something to announce."Well then! Here's hoping for that live-action Snatcher adaptation we've been dreaming of since 1994.
Hideo Kojima recalls Snatcher's heat-activated disk (what?)
Among the many things that Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima is known for – microblogging about everything he eats, for instance – we're particularly interested in his proclivity for breaking the fourth wall. The first Metal Gear Solid's controller port trick is but one example of his bizarre, outside-the-box thinking when it comes to making games. As it turns out, he was trying to do so as early as 1988, when he first worked on the original Snatcher for Konami.During a roundtable interview session today, just ahead of his appearance at the Smithsonian's "The Art of Videogames" event, Kojima detailed his first forays beyond the game as presented on screen. "Back when I was making Snatcher, which is a PC game – at the time we used floppy disks," he said. "One thing that I wanted to do that I wasn't able to do was that I wanted to have a secret message on the disk -- actually have something written or printed on the disk." Kojima wanted the missive to be heat activated – which is to say "activated by the heat created by the disk drive itself." S ... seriously?"So maybe when you put it in your disk drive and you're playing for about fifteen minutes, the heat from the disk drive interacts with that chemical and creates a certain smell. It smells like blood or something like that," he said through a translator. "And when you pull it out you see like a dying message on the disk. That was actually an idea I had for the original Snatcher but unfortunately I got yelled at for it and they didn't let me do it." Isn't it always "they?" Those guys are the worst!
YouTube launches education-only site, won't teach evolution of dance (video)
The bandages are barely off after a recent nip-tuck and the internet's biggest time sink is going under the knife again with its new YouTube EDU initiative. Imagine your favorite video site with all the fun stuff stripped off -- it's essentially that. Gone are comments and related videos, and all the non brain-enhancing stuff, leaving just what's good for the grey matter. Why? Well, in the VHS era teachers had control, but now it's a minefield. With its wealth of knowledge, YouTube is an obvious choice for educators, but with so many ways to get RickRolled, or catch-up on the latest keyboard cat, pupils' attention can be lost in seconds. The project has content provided by over 600 educational outlets such as TED and the Smithsonian, with subjects broken down into more than 300 teacher-friendly playlists. We're not sure if "national constitutions"is going to be one of them, but hit the promo video after the break to find out more.
Screen Grabs: Covert Affairs exposes secret Rogers service in Washington DC
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com. Fans of USA's Covert Affairs know that Annie Walker's stomping ground is Washington DC, where she pretends to be a buyer for the Smithsonian. So, there are only two plausible explanations for her iPhone 4 being able to connect to Rogers Wireless Canadian network: Either she's got a nuclear powered antenna on that thing, or the company is running a south-of-the-border service for Government agencies. Some might point out that the show is filmed in Toronto for cost purposes and the art directors aren't too hot at spotting continuity errors, but we'd dismiss that as paranoid fantasy. [Thanks, Mike G]
Smithsonian announces titles for Art of Video Games exhibit, snubs Mario Paint
GoldenEye 007 is certainly a fun way to waste your childhood...but is it art? According to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, yes. The game was one of 80 selected for an upcoming exhibit, The Art of Video Games, and the venerable museum drew on fan expertise, using online voting to winnow the field of 240 nominees. The selections span the last four decades (!) of gaming, from the days of the Atari VCS and ColecoVision all the way to today's modern time-sinks like Portal and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The exhibit won't open until next spring, but in the meantime check out the source link to argue about who got left out.
Smithsonian 'Art of Video Games' winners announced
We get a little nervous when a mainstream group decides to make a best-of-gaming list -- "mainstream," of course, in this context being defined as "anyone that's not us." But damned if the Smithsonian and voters like you didn't turn in a dynamite list for the museum's "Art of Video Games" exhibit. ... OK, so Brutal Legend and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II are kind of out of left field, and where the hell is Yo! Noid? But how do you not love a list that snatches Zack and Wiki from the brink of obscurity and places it right next to Shadow of the Colossus? Read the whole list after the break or peruse it with pictures along a timeline in this PDF.
Smithsonian's Spark!Lab gives big ups to robots
We've seen them scoop up oozy goop, shake their moneymakers, and even give birth, but it's rare for us to land solid face time with the robotic superstars we admire so much. If you're in DC over the next few weeks, however, the Smithsonian's offering you the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the most influential automatons in robotics history. In honor of National Robotics week, the museum is dedicating its Spark!Lab to our mechanical counterparts, allowing you to play Simon with DARPA's Autonomous Robotic Manipulator (ARM), invent a robotic arm of your own, or feast your eyes on the likes of ELECTRO the robo dog. The museum has also announced that it is now accepting donations "relating to the development of autonomous mobile robots in the United States." So, throw one back for your favorite robots this week, because -- you know -- they can't. Full PR after the break.
Smithsonian extends voting on Art of Video Games exhibit through April 17
We know -- you were going to vote for the Smithsonian's Art of Video Games exhibit, but then your cat got lost, you had extra homework to do and your collection of various Mario figurines needed organizing. But just in case you hadn't made plans to get your vote in by Thursday, you're in luck: the voting deadline has been extended to April 17, through the third Sunday of this month. The vote is trying to narrow down the list to just 80 games set to be featured in an exhibition at the famed museum right around this time next year, so you'll be helping to make history with your choices. Joining in to vote also sets you up to get advance notification about the winning games, as well as behind-the-scenes information about the exhibit as it's shown off at the Smithsonian and then toured around the country. So go, vote now -- Chrono Trigger isn't going to pick itself!
PAX East todo: The Digital Game Canon, a panel about video game preservation
PAX East is underway and we're dedicated to making sure each one of you makes it to one very special panel. But first, we'll level with you: it requires some homework on your part. "Ten Games You Need to Play: The Digital Game Canon" borrows its name from the 2007 GDC session of the same name, in which an incredible group of panelists (including this writer) deigned to select ten video games that deserved to be preserved. We're revisiting that effort, and reconsidering it with a stellar group of panelists. This year's panelists include: Henry Lowood is a professor (and curator!) at Stanford University and chairman of the IGDA's preservation SIG. His academic work is focused on the preservation of video games. Chris Melissinos was a longtime gaming evangelist at Sun, before founding Past Pixels, an organization dedicated to the preservation of video games. He's currently curating the Smithsonian's Art of Video Games exhibit, scheduled to open in 2012. Jon Gibson has worn many hats (including games journo and screenwriter hats) but is currently busy with iam8bit, the LA-based outfit responsible for art exhibits, books, and excellent game marketing gigs (think: Capcom Fight Club). David Gibson has been employed as a Processing Technician in the Library of Congress's Moving Image section since 2006. In that time, he has become a key player in the Library's initiative to collect, preserve, and provide access to America's gaming heritage. Chris Grant is a writer who works from home in his pajamas. And your homework: Get a crash course in game preservation by listening to the entire hour-long "b-side" interview with Henry from Episode 2 of the excellent A Life Well Wasted podcast, which you can find here. Read the excellent "Preserving Virtual Worlds" final report while waiting in PAX East lines (download it here!) and, when you finish that, move over to "Before It's Too Late: A Digital Game Preservation White Paper" (which you can download here). VOTE! Head to www.artofvideogames.org and "vote for games that you think are visually spectacular or boast innovative design!" This is for the Smithsonian Institute, guys. Think about that! And, one final bit of homework: Get in line early. The panel takes place at 2pm on Sunday, March 13, at the IGDA Dev Center (on the 2nd floor, right next to Manticore Theater).
Smithsonian captures 201,000 wild photos with automated cameras
We have this big, fang-filled, claw-sharpened big cat all up in our grill thanks to the researchers at the Smithsonian, who have created a new database filled with over 201,000 pictures of elusive animals in their natural habitats. These candid shots were made possible with motion-activated automated cameras scattered around the world, and feature over 200 species of birds and mammals, and here's most impressive part -- these photos are au naturel. That's right... there's no editing here, these are untouched raw shots straight from the rain forests of places like Peru and China -- which allow us to see these magnificent creatures as scientists do. If you want more info or desire to check out these wild photos, hop over to the source link or check out the gallery below. %Gallery-118866%
Smithsonian Museum will have a video game gallery next year, wants you to vote on what's in it
Nobody tell Roger Ebert, but the Smithsonian Museum has announced plans for a new exhibition, called The Art of Video Games, which will run between March and September next year. Charting the 40-year (now there's a number that will make you feel old in a hurry) evolution of gaming from paddle-based pixel exchanges to sophisticated online multiplayer extravaganzas, this collection of memoirs will focus on the most visually striking and technologically innovative titles. Perhaps knowing how heated debates about video games can get, the Museum has sagely decided to co-opt its audience into the curatorial process -- the second source link below will take you to a voting page where you can select your top 80 games from a shortlist of 240... and of course express your rage at the omission of some obscure title you totally loved late one night in 1995.
Vote on games for Smithsonian's 'The Art of Video Games' exhibit
The debate over whether games are art will no doubt still be unsettled when the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. puts them on exhibit -- as art! -- on March 16, 2012. The choice of which games will be on display is being left up to the public to decide, with voting open at artofvideogames.org through April 7, 2010. The exhibit will feature 80 games and 20 platforms, "from the Atari VCS to the PlayStation 3," spanning five eras: "Start," "8-bit," "Bit Wars," "Transition" and "Next Generation." It's slated to run through September 20, 2012. 240 games are on the ballot, which was vetted by a panel of industry vets. The exhibit's site also features forums where the especially passionate gamers among us can "campaign for particular games and voice their opinions about the selections." Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some campaigning to do for BotS. [Image credit: Bobak Ha'Eri]
Space shuttle fire sale! Free after $28.8m in S&H and some Congressional lobbying
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Come here and listen. Have you ever wanted to own your very own space shuttle? Of course you have, and now NASA is giving away one orbiters apiece to three lucky winners free of charge. All you need to do is follow these three steps: Be a qualified institution. Currently there's just 21 in the running, including the Kennedy Space Center and the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. Possess the proper indoor facility to house the veteran astro-car in a climate-controlled environment. It should also have a big door since at no time can it be dismantled. Pay for shipping and handling. According to the Wall Street Journal, that entails having a runway in your backyard, strapping the shuttle to the back of a specialized 747 jet, and covering post-flight repairs. Estimated cost is $28.8 million. Should you meet the above requirements and manage to add yourself to the list of suitors, that gives you a 13.64 percent unweighted probability to nab one! Just because NASA picks you, though, doesn't mean you actually win -- and if that logic seems fuzzy, allow us to clarify with a quote from aerospace engineer and shuttle historian Dennis Jenkins: "Congress will immediately go into an uproar and un-decide for them." Tricky fine print, best of luck!
OnLive, PlayStation Motion Controller and others getting GDC panels
The latest salvo of announcements for panels and presentations taking place at the Game Developers Conference was recently launched, revealing sessions focusing on a wide range of topics. Said topics include OnLive, Shadow Complex, the Smithsonian's admittance of video games, Blizzard's philosophy on game design, and a panel titled "Introducing the PlayStation Motion Controller." We're pretty sure we're already acquainted, thanks -- though we wouldn't mind if you'd finally tell us the damn thing's name. Check out the full list of scheduled speeches on GDC's interactive site. Just don't look too hard for that special session which allows you to dine on the finest of breakfast cereals. That one will be at the other March gaming convention.
Rutgers' underwater roboglider crosses the Atlantic, claims to be on business trip
The so-called Scarlet Knight robot has this week completed a 225-day journey from the shores of New Jersey to the sandy beaches of Baiona in Spain -- fittingly the same port Christopher Columbus returned to after his first visit to the Americas -- aided only by a battery, ocean currents and its innate intelligence. Built by Rutgers University, the youthful robotic trailblazer performed a number of data gathering tasks as it went along, furnishing climate change researchers with more info on temperature levels, water salination and currents within the Atlantic Ocean. Now that it has been handed back to the US, the machine will be put up on display in the Smithsonian, so if you want a peek at the future of globetrotting that'll be the place to go.
