The Google Arts & Culture app provides interactive learning about a wide variety of interesting topics. Now, Google has added a new topic: Natural History. The content includes online exhibits from 60 natural history institutions focusing on subjects such as prehistoric animals and human evolution and presents over 30 virtual tours as well as many photos and articles. The articles are quite informative and interesting, but perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of this new content is the inclusion of interactive exhibits that use virtual reality (VR) technology.
It’s not quite Jurassic Park, but it just may be the next best thing. At the time of this writing, there are three interactive exhibits: Giraffatitan, Rhomaleosaurus, and Biodiversity Wall, the last of which is an exhibit that takes a brief look at over 3000 prehistoric species. The interactive videos start out like standard museum exhibits, however, as they progress, the creatures actually “come to life” and move around the museum right before your eyes. While this content can be viewed from a computer via Google’s Arts & Culture website, the ideal way to view it is from a mobile device using a VR viewer such as Google’s own Cardboard, which will let you view it in stereoscopic 3D, complete with 360-degree head tracking. The VR exhibits provide a highly immersive experience that makes the viewer feel as though the dinosaurs are actually right in front of them. If you don’t have a 360-degree viewer, however, don’t worry, there is still a quite a bit to see such as content about dinosaurs, prehistoric plants, and birds. The exhibits were put together with the help of some of the most respected natural history institutions in the world, such as London’s Natural History Museum, New York’s American Museum of Natural History, and Berlin’s Museum für Naturkunde.
Google Arts & Culture is a great way to explore artwork and exhibits highlighted by popular cultural institutions, and interactive exhibits give viewers the chance to actually experience some of the world’s greatest museum exhibits from the comfort of their own homes. In another recent update, Google added 360-degree tours of some of the most beautiful natural parks in the U.S. Arts & Culture presents a plethora of information using a more hands-on approach than traditional learning, making the process much more entertaining and enjoyable. To view the newly added natural history content from your computer, check out Google’s Arts & Culture website using the source link below. For the best experience, install the app on your mobile device using the Google Play Store link below, and be sure to use a VR viewer to navigate the virtual exhibits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9teyWO_sw