As an old skool Trekker, I've been very impressed with vibrant Star Trek role-playing community in Second Life. The Star Trek universe is so rich and developed over the decades, with a wide range of media and formal and informal channels to keep the sub-culture alive and growing. And Second Life seems ideally suited for recreating the various environments, cultures and dramas created by Gene Roddenberry.
Recently I came across the impressive Star Trek Museum of Science in Second Life, run by Ms. Wabasabi Matahari (pictured here). The Museum is actually four sims jam packed full of beautifully recreated Star Trek environments that combine real life science and Star Trek lore seamlessly. Where else can you learn about quasars and dark matter while walking around a simulated starship?
Sadly, the Star Trek Museum of Science has seen a dramatic decrease in revenue due to the economic downturn, just like many other virtual world properties. Ms. Matahari says that her costs to keep up the museum are over $1,000 a month!
If you would like to support this innovative educational space, head to this teleport location and make a donation. Or if you like what you see, you could live there. Wabasabi says that most of her sim rental costs are actually covered by people renting homes on her sims. So if you are looking for a place to hang your virtual hat, check out her really lovely Star Trek-themed rental properties.
