In the hall with both hands
At the Science exhibition at the Science Center in Cape Town, South Africa, a lifeless, tattered globe stood under a bare fluorescent light bulb, almost ignored by the children who visited the school.
Through a sunny courtyard, climb a dim staircase, another globe --
Digital Earth-
Standing in a dark room
This earth is a shining light ball.
The children are respectful. struck;
Adults of certain ages may think of Apollo 8's picture of the rise of the Earth, and Tolkien fans of all ages recall the sphere, rotate Saruman's "palantir" in "Lord of the Rings "(
Forged in the days when Middle Earth is still flat).
Until recently, cost and technical constraints have largely limited these modern areas to institutional settings such as the science center.
But with the advancement of technology and the decline in prices, there is a growing possibility that the digital sphere will arrive in the classroom or conference room one day --
Even the living room-near you.
As the name implies, the Digital Globe is a display screen in the shape of a sphere. Like the old-
The school Globe, which used to be very common in the classroom, has different dimensions, but the typical size is about 24 inch.
Unlike your childhood globe, the touch button can change the image on the Digital Globe.
The Digital Earth is controlled by a keyboard or tablet and can be switched between familiar static images, such as the political boundaries, terrain or vegetation of the world.
It can stimulate complex phenomena such as the formation of weather systems, the effects of global warming on wolverine habitats, or the annual pulse of sea ice.
It can show azure cloud views of the moon's surface, Neptune, or Skyball --the night sky.
The Digital Earth can illuminate the planet of humanity: War, colonization, the formation of expatriates, the flow of modern trade or air traffic.
It can also help teach math, play games, watch movies, or blank canvas as an inner spherical artist.
Michael Starbin, 44, is a multimedia professional and producer of seven spherical films. There is only one rule for this brave new world, he said: "Respect the circle.
Easier said than done.
For centuries, mappers have been trying to smooth a circular planet onto a flat map with little distortion (
And controversy: see Mercator, G. )as possible.
The maker of the globe (
Including, we forgot, Mercato himself)
Face the opposite question: how to effectively place or print the information onto a sphere.
The computer screen is still a holy grail for Digital Earth engineers. Edward R.
Tufte, author of visual presentation of quantitative information, is keen on the potential of digital globes to remind us of the offline reality of the Earth --
"By forgetting the whole Earth in 3D, the optimization of flat land economy leads to a global nuisance "-
And companies like Apple may one day launch the retina --
Caliber spherical display.
Until then, the Digital Globe will depend on the optical projector.
But how do you project an image to make it equally bright, focused, and non-distorted on the surface of the sphere?
There are a wide range of optical solutions.
But the most widespread difference is whether the image is an external or an internal projection.
Global markets expected from outsidee. g.
A field of science, popular equipment installed in about 85 institutional locations --
Limited by the cost, the fixed nature of the installation, and the fact that the audience is too close, may find yourself thinking about the shadow of God on Earth in an unforgettable description of the Ottoman ruler Suleiman.
To be more precise, the Digital Globe, which may soon stand out from the museum, uses an internal projector.
Even so, they cast an imperfect light on the world.
A small part of the extreme southern hemisphere (i. e.
, Around the Antarctic, if you choose to align the axis vertically)
Blocked by the projector and the base.
Although the brightness has been greatly improved, it is still a problem.
On top of that, the biggest hurdle is the cost: around $43,000 for 24 hours
Inch diameter Super Ball from Franklin iGlobe, USAH. ;
$32-$40,000
The Science of the "OmniGlobe" lover arc, Colon.
Or $24-$21,000
Market leader from Santa Clara, California, inch magic planet of global imagination
However, these prices are falling.
Mike Fordy in Area C. E. O.
He said he wanted education --
In a year or two, the discount price dropped to $2,500.
If he makes it, it's within the other highs.
Technology classroom equipment such as interactive whiteboard.
Not every school is content to wait.
Starting at 2007, Mayo High School, Rochester, Minnesota.
Digital Earth was used in the earth science class.
Lawrence marscotty, director of the school Planetarium, noted that today's children show such confidence in the digital media that he sees the globe as a way for teachers to "play" at the student level and vice versa.
He also found that the field is a "more democratic" educational tool compared to textbooks or computer screens.
Some children have difficulties in language.
Based on concept and mental manipulation, the Digital Earth applies to almost everyoneMascotti says. “It’s simple.
Thoughts follow the eyes.
"Digital globes are clearly associated with earth science and astronomy.
But their potential in other disciplines has been developed.
In China, the digital world is particularly popular in schools, and less than half of the curriculum plans are scientific --based, said Mr. Foody (
Ironically, in the reversal of the typical trend of globalization, 80% of the world's imagination orders will flow to China).
Schools in China mainly teach social sciences, such as geography and history of religion and language.
Whether the Digital Earth is used to teach earth science, astronomy, or social science, the display itself usually represents the Earth (
Or another celestial body).
But the National Science Foundation
Project, the Digital Earth as a universal spherical screen.
In the workshop of this study, children use mathematical skills to construct and operate their own spherical creations. The results —
Suggest art like math
Will apply to the classroom-
It is also based on the globe.
Sherry Hsi, a program investigator at the University of California, Berkeley, observed that no matter how technically complex children look today, there are fewer opportunities to direct computers.
The children perform mathematical operations on a sphere, give computer-specific graphical instructions, and process the results on a "unique and convincing" sphere.
According to the doctor
Hsi, many parents are particularly surprised by their daughter's interest in these three children
Size programming.
The Digital Globe has appeared in the occasional corporate hall, perhaps a replacement for the infinite adaptation of tired time --zone clocks.
Upstairs, the Digital Earth can make more complex deployments: summarizing sales data or market penetration, such as resource allocation, or global locations
Little Runner.
However, the Digital Globe may discover the most infinite potential in a few hours.
If prices bring them into the field of home use, the globe may provide glowing living room centers for adults and educational tools for children.
Music visualization, digital aquarium, geo-tagged vacation photos, real
Time flight tracking for spouse travel, risk-
Style "board" game.
Or a prank, a digital eye in the blink of an eye. or-
Treat when they come to Mr.
In the nearest Halloween, the House of Foody.
When it comes to digital displays, the iPad has a high bar. "High,"Mr. Foody said. “But flat.