Japan to open virtual disaster prevention museum

No, not actually for the prevention of virtual disasters. The Daily Yomiuri tells us that the Japanese government is planning a virtual museum in Second Life focusing on disaster prevention in order to promote awareness of disaster management and techniques and technologies to mitigate the impact of a wide range of disasters.

Initial exhibits will demonstrate how non-earthquake hardened buildings respond to seismic events, and the impact of tornados on urban settings. Unfortunately, we think that it's unlikely to include such disasters as Godzilla, Orga, Mothra or Rodan.

Nonetheless, the potential educational benefits of such an installation are hard to deny -- the impact and effects of natural disasters can be almost inconceivable to those who have not directly experienced such events or their aftereffects themselves.