Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "Precambrian-Cambrian Explosion of Marine Organisms". "Alien Exosociology"

 

"Precambrian-Cambrian Explosion of Marine Organisms: The Latest Fossil and Geologic Data from Virginia"

Saturday October 9,

10 AM to 11 AM SL time

"Precambrian-Cambrian Explosion of Marine Organisms: The Latest Fossil and Geologic Data from Virginia"

By Dr. William F. Schmachtenberg, SL: Dae Miami

Virginia contains excellent exposures of Late Precambrian and Early Cambrian rocks and fossils. In this talk, I will share pictures of those rocks and fossils and possible theories that can explain the explosion of life in the oceans during the Early Cambrian. There will also be pretty touristy landscape pictures for Chantal and others who love the mountains of Virginia! If time permits I would also like to discuss Perseverance rovers search for life on Mars and why Virginia may be a model for the search for life on Mars. So a little bit of something for everyone!

To read the announcement in full, Click Here. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/125/132/22
 
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"Alien Exosociology"

Saturday October 9

9PM to 10PM SL time

Recent military reports of unexplained objects flying in our skies have sparked renewed interest in alien visitors. Some scientists predict that we will have made contact with advanced civilizations on other worlds within 25 years. What might they be like, and — more importantly – how might they act? Steven Van Hook, a researcher in transcultural relations, will consider what universal social traits we could share in common with our galactic alien neighbors.

Dr. Steven R. Van Hook,
 
To read the announcement in full, Click Here.
 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32
 

What's In A Name? Defining What To Call SLB Events.

There's little argument the Second Life Birthday was a great celebration, and if there's one big complaint, it's that it didn't last quite enough. But there was one small issue mentioned to me not about the SLB, but about how I described the last big event, the "Cake Explosion." I had described it as an "unofficial" event, and one reader felt this wasn't the case. But there was a reason I gave the event that description, even though I personally loved it.

Read more in Extra.

One More Time: The "Cake Explosion" And Other Last SL15B.Unofficial Events.

Although the end of events at the Second Life Birthday was officially last Sunday June 24, people weren't ready to quite call it quits on the SL15B just yet. In the past few years, the "Cake Explosion" has become a popular unofficial event as people gathered to witness the final moments of the popular build. But this year, the final day the sims were open to all had a few more happenings as various DJs turned the power on the clubs around the Birthday sims, and played for whomever would show up. And many did on the SL15B's true last hurrah.

Read more in Events.

Updated 11PM

SL15B Volunteer Closing Party, AKA "Cake Explosion" This Sunday

"Volunteer Closing Party. -- We hope you are enjoying exploring SL15B for this whole week without lag or crowds! The closing party will be on Sunday 1st July at around 12pm SLT through to 4pm SLT. We will be at Mikati's stage for the explosion, then move on to Stage Left, The Serpent. Check notices running up to the weekend for more info."

Treacle Darlandes

*Addition* After the announcement on Thursday night, there was a correction saying the "Cake Explosion" was at 4PM, not Noon.

"Alien Invasion" on the Zeta Valley Club

Remember the Zeta Valley Beach Warf Club that the Newser wrote about last week? It seems the "open to all" invitation for one party got an unwelcome reception when aliens descended onto the place. "Bit busy fighting an alien horde," the Dragon Crew's friend Clockwork Jackal answered when asked to join the party on the dance floor, hunkered down behind a crate, "Help me. ... got grenades, tentacles, machine-gun fire." DJ JB Raccoon's response was simply "Oh my goodness. ... alien invasion ... xenomorphs with their eggs, tentacle creatures, you name it, we have it here!"

Initially a couple "Xenomorphs," which were bad enough, the invasion was soon joined by a mass of tentacles, and some glowing green machine, either a teleporter or some other alien device that would do heaven-knows-what to any Earther nearby. The aliens took over the top of the bowling alley, and threatened to march onto the whole club, and maybe the sim. Something had to be done to save Zeta Valley.

Finally, Clorkwork brought out a weapon of last resort: a small thermonuclear device. The response on the Dragon Crew's Discord channel chat was a prediction of doom, "Never give a canine nuclear weapons." I had been at the sim, but scurried away out of range while the others presumably took cover. Tech would later send me a picture of the explosion, which was much smaller than a conventional nuclear bomb, but still big, and with the tell-tale mushroom cloud. Someone in Discord remarked, "Y'all recreating Hiroshima over there? ... It's beautiful, enough to bring a tear to FDR's eye." He then sent a request for songs from the record "Blast Radius," though retracted as realizing some were very much "not safe for work."

Following the clearing of the smoke cloud, the aliens were gone, and no one else was hurt. By morning, radiation levels were back to normal, all damage had been repaired. Everything was back to normal, at least as normal as one can expect with a club run by a dragon.

The Beach Warf Club is at Zeta Valley (131/58/24).

Image Credit: Clockwork Jackal, Tech Adams

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "SL14B Cake Explosion"

(Click here to see the video)

From RacerX Gulwing on July 3, "The Cake stage explosion!! Made by Mikati Slade. Some of it was sped up because my frame rate was at 1 to 4fps. I figured 30 minutes at 1 frame per second was to long so cut it back to about 10 minutes of the best footage"

"Cake Explosion," Last SL14B Performances

 On Sunday July 2 at minutes after 4PM SLB time came what many see as the real end of the Second Life Birthday celebration, the "Cake Explosion." Shortly after the hour, the cake was risen over a hundred meters in the air ...

 And after the prims were unlinked, they were released and most came crashing back down to the ground.

Four sims worth of prims.

After the explosion, people headed the Stage Left.

At the large two sim build, residents continued to party. One DJ had laid out the floor for a disco party. Some stayed a while. Others, including me, left to further explore the sims.

It was a great SL14B

Addition: RacerX Gullwing later posted this video of the Cake Explosion: https://youtu.be/SsGumDWb_Yo

Bixyl Shuftan

SL14B: "One Last Hurrah"

Even though the SL14B officially ended on Sunday night at Midnight SL time, as the time before the sims are closed grows short, people are showing up for a little more fun while they remain open. yesterday, Saturday July1, had a number of impromptu music events, such as Stage Left.

There were smaller events in other places too, such as this trippy dance area at Mediamagic. Thefloor and walls were display screens, showing videos that gave the place quite an effect. making the place look hues of red, blue, green, mixed, and images of people at times. That's Mikati Slade on the left.

But there were other things to do, notably look at the various exhibits around.

So today's the last day. Don't forget to drop by at 4PM for the "Cake Explosion" when the Cake Stage gets blown up in a public event, followed by a party at Stage Left that promises to go on to Midnight.

One last party will be held July 2nd from 8am SLT to Midnight SLT with live performers and DJ's.  It will start at the Cake Stage until Mikati blows it up at 4pm.  The party will continue at Stage Left once you climb out of the rubble.  Don't miss it!

See you there.

Reader Submitted: More Cake

Nic Blackthorne sent these wide-screen pictures showing more detail of the SL13B Cake Explosion, "We are the ants at the bottom."

The Second Life Birthday "Cake Explosion"

The Second Life Birthday may have officially ended a week ago, but the volunteers and fans met up for one final event that's become a tradition whenever there's a Main Stage by Mikati Slade at the SLB: the "Cake Explosion." Second Life was there as the cake was raised up into the air, and let go to fall to the ground in a shower of virtual slices and frosting.

See the pictures in Events.

Image credit: Tantari Kim

Cartoon of the Day

Taken at Steelhead. 

By Bixyl Shuftan

Steelhead's Mount St. Helens Expected to Blow Today

Sheriff Fuzzball Ortega relayed to Second Life Newser that their nearby dormant volcano, Mount St. Helens was expected to erupt sometime today, "maybe twice." By some errie coincidence, it's also the birthday of Tensai Hilra. There will be a party held in honor of both the birthday and the "bewm" at 7PM SL time near the mountain. The scientists (or madboys and madgirls, depending on who you ask) assure nothing will go wrong.

The mountain is at the Steelhead St Helens sim (128, 131, 38)

(In real life, Tensai Hilra's birthday on May 18th is the date the real Mount St. Helens erupted)

Cartoon of the Day: Guy Fawkes Day

"Nothing like things that go Boom! for a holiday."

By Bixyl Shuftan

Mt. St. Helens to Blow this Friday, Says Steelhead Scientist

Following a town meeting at Steelhead (more on that later), I met with a few of the locals, human and otherwise. One of the elvenfolk, a TotalLunar Eclipse, told me his partner Tensai Hilra planned to do a controlled explosion at the nearby Mt. St. Helens, in order to prevent or postpone a much larger eruption predicted at a later date. However, he suggested there might be alterior motivations, "I think people just want a boom."

Tensai, who was nearby, seemed to grin manically, "Yesss... something must blow up." TotalLunar commented, "It is called the 'smoking mountain' for a reason." A Rockandroll Michigan who was nearby suggested that "bewm" was a "state hobby" of the area.

Checking St. Helens for myself, it was calm and peaceful for the time being. Birds were chirping. Horses happily grazed in a nearby pen. There was no hint of what was to come later.

The controlled explosion/eruption is scheduled for this Friday at 7PM, at Steelhead St Helens. The scientists (or madboys and madgirls, depending on who you ask) assure nothing will go wrong.

They mean it, really, stop laughing.

Steelhead St Helens (128, 131, 38)

Bixyl Shuftan