Pixel Hikes - Bikini Atoll

Pixel Hikes Guided walks in hyperspace

Bikini Atoll

Issue 2

This month's pixel walk is taken in a recreation of Bikini Atoll , a virtual 3d space owned by David Wolfe . This historically significant ex naval base can be found within the virtual world of InWorldz. http://inworldz.com/

David's vision is to gather together a group of modellers, role players, historians, and other interested parties to recreate key events of the second world war.

He chose Inworldz as a venue as virtual land prices are very reasonable , and with its growing population , this popular online venue has the potential to become a significant gathering point for role playing groups.

As a keen modeller Wolfe is revelling in the space available to work on much larger projects, and Inworldz' architecture allows him to manoeuvre very large vessels on community shared oceans.

Sim crossings have always been problematical in

virtual world spaces, and David is delighted that he can steer his 1,000 prim ships across sim boundaries without too many problems.

With aircraft carriers, and full scale warships all able to be crewed and sailed across virtual seas, the potential for battle scenarios has expanded beyond anything he could have imagined in Second Life .

While some features, such as missile launchers, must wait until grid -wide physics is

implemented , the keen historian is focusing on building intricate and full scale recreations of US navy vessels, and gathering together experts in fields such as coding, to work on bringing the past to life .

In addition to combat recreation , the group has a wider remit to include any aspects of wartime life , depending on the interests of current members.

David hopes that by taking part in recreations, members will gain a unique insight into the significant events that shaped our world as it is today.

Potential group members can be involved at any level , from experienced role players and war gamers, to those who are simply interested in a period of history which changed and reshaped the world in ways we are still discovering.

The group is open to male and female alike!

All nationalities are welcome , in fact David would like to welcome anyone who would like to have fun and would enjoy taking a trip through time!

Raspberry Crystal

http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/642 In 2010 Unesco Declares Bikini Atoll a World Heritage Site

Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site (Marshall Islands) In the wake of World War II, in a move closely related to the beginnings of the Cold War, the United States of America decided to resume nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean, on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall archipelago. After the displacement of the local inhabitants, 67 nuclear tests were carried out from 1946 to 1958, including the explosion of the first H-bomb (1952).

Bikini Atoll has conserved direct tangible evidence that is highly significant in conveying the power of the nuclear tests, i.e. the sunken ships sent to the bottom of the lagoon by the tests in 1946 and the gigantic Bravo crater. Equivalent to

7,000 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb, the tests had major consequences on the geology and natural environment of Bikini Atoll and on the health of those who were exposed to radiation.

Through its history, the atoll symbolises the dawn of the nuclear age, despite its paradoxical image of peace and of earthly paradise.

This is the first site from the Marshall Islands to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

The Walk

If you are not already a member of InWorldz, you need to create an account and download a free viewer (see downloads tab at above link) Bikini Atoll is open to members of the WW2 VIRTUAL REENACTORS SOCIET Y (membership is free) , or can be viewed by appointment. Contact David Wolfe via internal message within Inworldz.

Our circular walk today begins at the virtual base's Emergency Field Hospital . http://places.inworldz.com/Bikini%20Atoll/200/158/24 Walk south past quonset huts 2 & 3

A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semicircular cross section . The design was based on the Nissen hut developed by the British during World War I. The name comes from their site of first manufacture , Quonset Point, at the Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center in Davisville (Wikipedia)

Docked in front of you you will see "N3 - S - A1 - D WW2 single stack Ship"

Type N3-S ships were a Maritime Commission small coastal cargo ship design to meet urgent World War II shipping needs with first of 109 N3, both steam and diesel , type hulls delivered in December of 1942 (Wikipedia)

Turn and walk along shoreline roughly north http://places.inworldz.com/Bikini%20Atoll/138/203/22 Viewpoint looking SW - USS Langley

USS Langley (CVL-27) was an 11,000-ton Independenceclass aircraft carrier that served the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947, and French Navy as the La Fayette from 1951 to 1963. Named for Samuel Pierpont Langley, American scientist and aviation pioneer, Langley received nine battle stars for World War II service . CVL-27 carried on the name and tradition of USS Langley (CV-1), the first US Navy aircraft carrier, which had been sunk on 27 Feb 1942

Carry on clockwise round the atoll until you reach quonset huts 4 &5 http://places.inworldz.com/Bikini%20Atoll/175/241/24 Pass between huts, and continue around atoll rough south east, until you reach a water tower near original starting point.

Image Credits

Old Paper Background maladie-stock Deviant Art

Photo Corners WWW.HEATHERGREENPHOTOGRAPHY.COM creased paper by ~enginemonkey Deviant Art old paper stock 03 by =ftourini Deviant Art

White Plaster Wall c 1780s by ~Aixchel Deviant Art Texture: Creases by ~sallyeloo Deviant Art

Lined Paper Patterns by ~kittenbella Deviant Art

Old Paper Texture by ~nevermoregraphix deviant art

All other images Raspberry Crystal Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.