It seems like only yesterday when I was writing on VRFocus about how American institution The Smithsonian seems to be cropping up on VRFocus with increasing regularity. (Although as it happens it was only last week.) The internationally renowned archive, research complex and museum covers all manner of topics from art and design through to science and nature – and just last week Google’s own Arts & Culture YouTube channel took a trip there to find out more about one of the human race’s most faithful creations. Something that has travelled more miles than perhaps anything currently on the Earth barring perhaps two of its siblings.
We travel with Google to the National Air and Space Museum complex at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, where sits NASA Orbiter Vehicle OV-103 – better known to the world as the Space Shuttle Discovery. First launched in 1984, and retired following its final mission in 2011, the Discovery shuttle flew more missions than any other orbiter.
“Step aboard Discovery and explore the space shuttle in 360. National Air and Space Museum and Google Arts & Culture have teamed up to bring a piece of Hubble’s history to life like never before. Join two of the astronauts who helped deliver Hubble to orbit as part of STS-31 mission—Maj Gen Charlie Bolden and Dr. Kathy Sullivan— and explore inside the Space Shuttle Discovery at the Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. ”
We’ll be back on Friday with another example of 360 degree video. Where in the world will we go next? Tune in at the usual time to see.
The truth of the matter is I couldn’t tell you whether I agree nor disagree with Luckey’s opinion of the Magic Leap as I honestly haven’t tried it – and unless someone magically leaps to sending me one, or pays me lots of money to be able to afford one I’m not going to either, but whether I think it’s good isn’t actually the topic of today. It’s more whether you think it is; because even though the headset is augmented/mixed reality, if you’re someone who is very much pro-virtual reality (VR) over everything else you might want to hope it does okay.
Why? Well, let’s say you’re in a car and there’s an accident. Or you have something to eat out and you feel sick and get food poisoning. Or, you put your heart into something and it all falls apart in front of you. Some people would say they’d get right back on that horse – but the truth is the vast majority would hesitate to be a part of that experience again. A bad experience leaves a bad taste in the mouth is scarcely rectified quickly. It’s a truth that has dogged VR via simulation sickness and it is also a financial truth.
“While there have been vast improvements in disaster preparedness for animals in recent years, experiencing a disaster first-hand helps people truly understand the importance of planning in advance,” explained Senior Director of ASPCA Disaster Response, Dick Green. “By giving pet owners an inside look at our emergency response operation via 360-degree video, we hope to further inform the public about the impact disasters situations can have on animals and inspire them to prioritize their own preparedness plans.”
Listed features for the title include:
All this being considered, it shouldn’t be that surprising that The New York Times has gotten out of the blocks early by just announced it will be bringing its brand content to the Magic Leap One Creator Edition, which received 
“The New York Times is dedicated to helping people understand the world through unrivalled, on-the-ground, expert and deeply reported independent journalism.” Said Steve Duenes, the Assistant Managing Editor of The New York Times in a statement. “As we continue to integrate new forms of storytelling, like mixed reality, into our news report, we are able to bring Times journalism to readers in a way that makes it more immediate than ever before.”