See What Brought Scoble to Tears

Posted By: Larry Larsen | Feb 28th @ 12:51 PM

Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope project was unveiled yesterday at TED, and you can see the video here (high res download link here.) Tears aside, this is a big undertaking combining terabytes of data from satellites and telescopes that will change the way children, teachers, scientists, astronomers -- and you -- view our universe. Visit the WWT site at www.worldwidetelescope.org.

This was a project very dear to Jim Gray, who set sail on a voyage of his own in January 2007 and was lost at sea.

Tags: Jim Gray, space, worldwide telescope

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TEN

Waiting for Microsoft WorldWide Telescope to be made available.
I dont think you should have given the title "See What Brought Scoble to Tears". OK, people came to know about WWT as speculation with Scoble's article. Its fine upto this point mentioning the name as title. But once the project is unveiled at TED, it should have been titled as Microsoft WorldWide Telescope. And in the post, it could have been mentioned about ....Scoble.
Here it seems importance is given more to Scoble crying rather than unveiling of WWT.
What others say?

Jason818

A head liner is supposed to draw attention. That’s it. I think. So I think it’s perfectly appropriate for the heading to say “see what brought Scoble to tears.” It got you to react to it. So I guess it worked. Ok but about this WWT. I can’t wait to get my hands on it and show it to others. Back to Scoble. I wonder what it was about the application that did actually bring a tear to his eye. Was it the thought of what a jewel this planet is that we live on? Could it have been seeing stunning images of light that has traveled millions of light years to reach us? Could it have been an experience that brought a glimpse of reflection on whom he is, who we are? That’s what I think.

RonMaverick804

So where can I get this? I love Astronomy how can I be reminded or told when this is ready?

ChrisAllen

Very interesting! I can't wait to try this out. I can see this becoming an invaluable tool to students, researchers, and pretty much anyone with an interest in science and space. Definitely a great preview of things to come with regards to the acquisition of knowledge via new connected and communal applications.

Larry

Scoble's tears got a lot of traction online and I suspected more people had heard about that than had of the telescope at that point, so I called it out in the title. But take a look at the reactions people have when seeing it at the telescope site. The reaction people have to this product starts in the heart rather than the brain. So I thought mentioning it was important.

As to why exactly Scoble cried? I don't know, but I suspect it had a little bit to do with Jim Gray and a lot to do with the project. By the way, Scoble claims to have a much better video than the TED video, so we'll be watching for that on Monday.

Larry

RonMaverick804: They said it would be out in the spring. Just keep watching Channel 10, we'll let everyone know as soon as it is available and we'll have a lot more information on it in the meantime. Smiley

quikboy

I love the idea of the WWT, but I really want to see it. Microsoft should have opened it available to the public as soon as they told TED. So people don't have to wait and lose interest.

And who cares about Scoble? The important thing is the WWT and how it will bring the Universe to the world.

TEN

Yes Larry I agree with you. Many came to know about WWT from that Scoble's tears post. So that was when WWT was not yet unveiled officially. And already people knew and were talking about WWT that the tears were due to WWT he saw in the private demo.
So once when it was officially demoed at TED, WWT should have taken the headlines not the Scoble's tears.
Anyway, as others also said, The important thing is WWT and its ability to handle such huge databases.

"...Its high-performance Visual Experience Engine, seamless panning and zooming across the night sky blending terabytes of images, data, and stories from multiple sources."

So looking at the technology and its powers should impress everyone. Technology behind WWT should be given more importance.
Thanks for bringing in the nice post, Larry.