MacArthur Island latest contribution to exploration of social uses of virtual worlds

The MacArthur Foundation Island opened in May in the virtual world of Second Life. The island is a new laboratory for MacArthur’s two-year exploration of virtual worlds, the user-created 3D communities that allow users to connect with real people from all around the world. Participants engage using avatars, or simulated representations of their physical selves, which they can manipulate using their computer.