Technology, features and articles | Educational Science

May 20, 2016

VR at Cannes: How Will Virtual Reality Change Film?

The 2016 Cannes Film Festival, which began May 11 and runs until May 22 in Cannes, France, featured a festival first: screenings of virtual reality (VR) short films and presentations in a pavilion dedicated exclusively to VR. But not everyone is convinced that virtual reality should be part of cinema's...

Jun 15, 2016

Get in the Action: 'Transformers' Director Tackles Virtual Reality

It looks like Michael Bay is jumping on the virtual reality bandwagon. The director, known for Hollywood blockbusters such as The Rock, Armageddon and Transformers, is joining forces with The Rogue Initiative, a production studio that specializes in creating interactive virtual reality experiences. The partnership was announced today (June 15),...

Jun 22, 2016

Virtual Reality Could Be Film's Next 'New Wave'

A good movie can transport audiences, taking them to other worlds and briefly immersing people in characters' lives. And with virtual-reality technology, movie writers and directors have more tools at their disposal than ever before to create immersive experiences. Danish filmmakers Johan Knattrup Jensen and Mads Damsbo and their production...

Jun 29, 2016

Real-Life Holodeck? 'Star Trek' Tech Uses VR to Solve Global Problems

On the cult sci-fi TV show Star Trek, crewmembers aboard the USS Enterprise could explore simulated environments or participate in interactive virtual experiences — anything from walking around lush forests to trying to solve a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery — as a way to mentally escape the confines of the starship...

Jul 14, 2016

Oculus Project Lets You Feel in VR without Gloves

Haptics are a happening area in virtual reality these days. The term refers to devices and technologies that produce tactile sensations to go along with all those immersive visuals and sounds. The makers of the Oculus Rift, along with parent company Facebook, are working on a potential haptic add-on to...

Jul 25, 2016

'The Hubble Cantata' Weds Live Music with VR Views of the Cosmos

An event combining virtual reality and live musical performance aims to bring together a 20-piece orchestra, a 100-person choir and breathtaking views of the cosmos captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. And it's going to be available to the public for free. The Hubble Cantatawill premiere in Brooklyn, New York,...

Aug 1, 2016

2016 Olympics: Visit Rio with 360-Degree Videos and Virtual Reality

If you're not traveling to Brazil for the Summer Olympics, you can still explore the geography and culture of Rio de Janeiro, courtesy of Google. Rio: Beyond the Map, released to the public July 29, deftly blends archival materials with stunning video, interactive media and profiles of artistic Cariocas, as...

Oct 3, 2016

Are Virtual Reality Headsets Safe for Kids?

Virtual-reality headsets are likely to be at the top of many kids' wish lists this holiday season, but with many VR devices coming with age restrictions, is the technology safe for youngsters? The Oculus Rift and Samsung's Gear VR headsets are recommended for ages 13+, while Sony's recommendation for its...

Oct 11, 2016

Experience the Thrill of an Everest Expedition in New Virtual Reality Film

Armchair adventurers, rejoice! A new virtual-reality documentary series will let you join a team of mountaineers as they tackle a perilous climb up Mount Everest. The VR series, called Capturing Everest, will chronicle the journey of four climbers — including Garrett Madison, who summited Everest six times, and Brent Bishop,...

Oct 26, 2016

Preserving Fright: Haunted Houses Recorded in Virtual Reality

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. I vividly remember my first haunted house ride – it was at the local fairgrounds, just a temporary carnival truck, more façade than ride. I must have been about...

Nov 14, 2016

Affordable VR Will Take Immersive Therapy Mainstream

A stroke patient stretches out a weak arm and grabs a hovering spaceship. A chronic pain sufferer uses her head to bat balls at cartoon bears. A veteran relives his battlefield experiences in a safe environment to help deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Therapeutic approaches that immerse patients in virtual...

Jan 5, 2017

Ancient 'Plain of Jars' Burial Site Recreated in Virtual Reality

Archaeologists have recreated an ancient burial site in virtual reality, to help them study hard-to-access locations at the so-called Plain of Jars site in Laos and the millennia-old relics it contains. The researchers will also use virtual reality to study other archaeological sites at the Plain of Jars, many of...

Feb 22, 2017

Explore the Amazon Rainforest with New Virtual-Reality Film

You can explore the Amazon rainforest's spectacular beauty and biodiversity right from the comfort of your home, thanks to a new 360-degree virtual-reality film from Conservation International. The film, called Under the Canopy, brings viewers into the depths of the Amazon, with the region's diverse environment on full display. But...

Feb 24, 2017

Roller Coasters Go Digital with VR-Enhanced Rides

If the swoops and swerves of a regular roller coaster aren't exhilarating enough for you, Six Flags is giving one of its thrill rides a digital twist, offering theme park visitors a new mixed-reality experience. The amusement park has renewed its partnership with Samsung to launch The New Revolution Galactic...

Mar 16, 2017

Dive with a Blue Whale in New Virtual-Reality Experience

Visitors to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHMLA) can now immerse themselves in spectacular ocean environments alongside a bevy of sea creatures with a new virtual-reality exhibit. TheBlu: An Underwater VR Experience invites users to enter a special viewing gallery, where they don HTC Vive virtual-reality (VR) headsets...