Linden Lab Funds MIT Research

Forbes reports that the MIT Media Lab is getting funding from Linden Lab to mess around with real/virtual concepts (they call it X-Reality) and a bunch of kit.: "Later in November, Paradiso's team of seven Ph.D. students plans to switch on 45 PDA-sized devices mounted on the walls of the Media Lab's building. Each is equipped with an iPhone-like touch screen, a version of Second Life's software, wireless connections, cameras and a variety of audio, motion and infrared sensors."

Looks cool enuff. Bet they getting more than $10,000 worth of LInden Dollars on the backend of this project.  And of course some of the OpenSpace revenues will be used for this type of stuff I guess.  But is it really about research with MIT or about the very future of Second Life? What is the point of the Second Life anyway? Is it a game? An RP for lost people? Is there really any robust technology on this platform?

But even as SL pops-up a bit due to the latest buzz scuzz about easy it is to hook-up in the virtual world, Linden Lab is worried about its own relevance. A very telling comment from this MIT Project Director Paradiso: "Everyone's fascinated with virtual worlds, but they're starting to get a bit tired," he says. "How you tie the virtual world into the real--not necessarily one or the other, but a whole continuum, a layered immersion--that's an intriguing story."

Mitch over at Information Week is also wondering about X-reality = virtual/Real world cross-dressing cross-overs and has a very interesting article "Is It Adultery If The Sex Happens In Second Life?"  Says Mitch: "This is my $0.02: It pretty much depends on the ground rules you have with your real life partner. I'm not a priest or rabbi, so I can't tell you if cybersex is adultery in an absolute sense. But if you're tempted to hook up with another avatar in Second Life, you need to discuss that in advance with your real-life partner and mutually decide what you're comfortable with."

Well, we can only begin to imagine X-reality bigamists and seeing all these people smash into each other in some X-reality disco somewhere...Beware you are entering a zone where virtual behaviour is now real and you are accountable for stupid things your avatar gets into.