Virtual Vacations

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Virtual reality means creating artificial environment so convincing that it can't be distinguished for the real thing. Researchers led by Dr. David Vining of the Bowman Gray medical school in North Carolina have found a way to use CAT scanners to generate three-dimensional images of internal organs. These images enables doctors to "fly" within a body, making it easier to find tumors, for example, than it would be with conventional X rays. Virtual reality programs also allow architects to show clients through buildings before a crap of concrete is poured, and computer-game designers are creating ever more realistic electronic worlds for the thrill hungry. But even these impressive feats will soon seem like child's play. Scientist at places like MIT'S Media Lab and Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute are experimenting with virtual helmets and googles that immerse users in a seamless virtual world. As computers continue to get cheaper, the technology will enter everyday lives. Within a decade, people will be taking realistic virtual vacations to other worlds or evenother times.