Nautilus
Nature Materials looks to second worlds
Virtual worlds such as Second Life present an intriguing premise for scientific use. But are the benefits sufficiently clear for widespread uptake? In a Commentary in the current (December) issue of Nature Materials ( 8, 919-921; 2009), Tim Jones discusses the advantages virtual worlds allow in the context of science and science communication, including allowing research collaborators to meet in a virtual space, or larger events such as talks where the audience can interact with each other. An Editorial in the same issue of Nature Materials (8, 917; 2009, free to access online) points out that despite its advantages, growth