Café-Club, Franciele KRUCZKIEWICZ: “Water’s journey to Earth: A Virtual Reality outreach project +++ with demo with VR headset”.

Franciele KRUCZKIEWICZ (LAM): “Water’s journey to Earth: A Virtual Reality outreach project +++ with demo with VR headset“.

You can find the schedule of upcoming café-clubs and the video of old ones here.

Take care,
Carlo, Meriam, Mathilde

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ABSTRACT

Astrochemistry, a relatively new field within astronomy, uses molecules in space as a tool to better understand various processes, such as the formation of stars and planets, as well as the potential contribution of molecules formed in space to the development of life on Earth. However, communicating these concepts to a general audience can be a challenge. Fortunately, science outreach can help bridge this gap by explaining complex concepts in a way that is accessible to everyone.

One of the most exciting outreach tools today is Virtual Reality (VR), which has been gaining interest around the world. With this in mind, we developed a VR project specifically designed to introduce the public to the field of astrochemistry. Our VR game takes the player on a journey through the different phases of star and planet formation, highlighting the role of water in each phase, from its formation in molecular clouds to its potential delivery to early Earth via comets.

During this talk, I will provide an overview of virtual reality tools and our goal in developing the astrochemistry VR game. I will also discuss the challenges we faced in developing this project during a PhD, as well as its limitations. Finally, I will explore the future perspectives for creating similar educational games and outreach projects to increase public understanding of science.