The newest software updates received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Dr. Gunter teamed up with Evans & Sutherland (E&S), a Cosm company, to develop the software update that permits planetariums to deliver the wonders of life on Earth and the Universe for the first time to a broader audience.
The release marks an important milestone of Dr. Gunter’s NSF Career grant-funded project, which aims to further a meaningful discourse on the processes shaping the world and the critical role of conservation and biodiversity.
“While the primary focus of planetariums is astronomy data, I knew there was no reason that planetariums couldn’t also be used for teaching Earth and biological sciences. Not only can places like the Museum rely on their own biodiversity records to tell the story of life on Earth, but they can also harness the 1.6 billion records made possible by global initiatives including NSF’s 2013 call for a united, nationwide digitization effort,” said Dr. Gunter.
Furthermore, with the additional plug-in applied to E&S’s Digistar planetarium software, users can readily analyze the biodiversity trends. The trends are varied from the geographic range of endangered species over time and its patterns, including the monarch butterfly’s seasonal migration path, on the big screen.
This engaging, easy-to-understand data visualization, coupled with interactive presentations by scientific experts, can help to explain the need for conservation efforts and inspire planetarium visitors to lead the charge.
“Dr. Gunter’s work is strengthening the Museum’s long legacy of inspiring our community with the wonders of science and nature. The educational programs that will result from this software development will serve as high-profile examples of the Museum’s delivering on its promise to interweave our research with public education,” said Museum President & CEO, Sonia Winner.
The software will still be developing over several years. However, Dr. Gunther will broaden the research to Australia to make it a better educational software and project.