Second Life, virtual worlds and virtual realities
The subject of Jupiter’s moon Europa is rather hot at the moment. With two major missions currently en-route to Jupiter to study this icy world – NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which will focus entirely on Europa, and the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission, there have been various science papers of late … Continue reading Space Sunday: Europa’s ice, the eclipse, + a…
Back in January 2025 I visited Poetic Moon, a homestead region held by Anu Papp and which she and Dandy Warhlol (Terry Fotherington) had created as a stunning setting – and you can read about it here. So when Anu invited me to pop over and preview a new make-over for her Full region of Continue reading Of Ravenmere Redwoods, BREATHE chat with Anu Papp in Second Life
The following notes were taken from: My chat log and audio recording of the Content Creation User Group (CCUG) meeting of Thursday, August 13, 2026. Please note that this is not a full transcript of the meeting but a summary of key topics. Table of Contents Meeting Purpose Official Viewer Status General Viewer Notes Mesh Continue reading 2026 week #33: SL CCUG meeting summary
Summer continues at Mysterious Isle, Cica Ghost’s Homestead region, as she opened her installation for August 2026 on the 13th of the month. Called Summer Dream it’s another charming setting blending whimsy with fun in which we’re asked to frolic over hill and dale and under the boughs of tall trees, spot the local wildlife Continue reading Cica Ghost s Summer Dream in Second Life
I was led to Frog’s Garden by the redoubtable Sam Rougefeu (Dodderi Haifisch), after he pointed to the setting recently on Twitter. Sam is, like me, an avid explorer of Second Life and he records his explorations and discoveries via his blog Exploring Second Life – and if it’s not on your reading list, then Continue reading A visit to Frog s Garden in Second Life
It’s been a while since I’ve directly written about the work of Sisi Biedermann, an artist working in multiple mediums to present captivating art from Second Life and the physical world and presenting them in-world. Given this, it was a delight to be able to take an opportunity to drop into an exhibition by Sisi Continue reading Sisi s Magic Art in Second Life
On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, under the title Improving Marketplace Search and Product Discovery, Linden Lab new new Second Life Marketplace maintenance policies designed to help improve the shopping experience. The approach builds on operations carried out in the past on a periodic manual basis, but will not be carried out on a monthly basis Continue reading Linden Lab announces new Second Life…
The start of the week saw an invitation arrive from Nomore (Manoji Yachvili) to visit her homestead region and latest art exhibition, Cellophane. Whilst I was unable to make the opening due to pressures elsewhere, I was extremely pleased and surprised to receive it; earlier in 2026 Nomore had closed her Homestead region to public Continue reading The PALM: art and minimalism in Second Life
The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, August 11, 2026 Simulator User Group (SUG) off-week meeting (the Leviathan Office Hour ). These notes form a summary of the items discussed, and are not intended to be a full transcript. They were taken from my chat log of the meeting. No video this week, as Pantera Continue reading 2026 week #33: SUG Leviathan Hour: game_control / region crossings
I recently received an invitation from Robin Lobo to visit Shamone Beach and Shamone Surf, two regions within the estate operated by Sharon (Sharon Twist) under the Veteran’s Network banner. Designed by Robin, the two regions – Shamone Beach being a full Private region leverage the available Land Capacity bonus and the Shamone Surf a Continue reading Sun, sand and sea at Shamone Beach in Second…
Updates from the week through to Sunday, August 9, 2026 This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note: It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life Continue reading 2026 SL viewer release summaries week #32
Kio Zen Garden occupies roughly a quarter of a Full private region boosted by the Land Capacity bonus from LL. The work of Truebow Magic, it is a remarkable garden-temple-venue setting melding ancient Japanese architectural styling and modern aesthetics into a genuinely unique location. This is a place very much a place of two halves: Continue reading The remarkable Kio Zen Garden in Second Life
August 12, 2026 will see a total solar eclipse sweep across the Atlantic Ocean, the path of totality in which the disk of the Moon completely covers that of the Sun as seen from Earth – extending down from the Arctic Ocean, across eastern Greenland and western Iceland before traversing the Atlantic to pass over Continue reading Space Sunday: an eclipse, deadly dust, and updates
Maven Art Collective is a new arts community in Second Life open to all those who produce and present art via the platform Life, be they in-world photographer-artists, physical world artists using Second life as a medium to reach a broader audience and / or 3D artists working in prims or mesh. Founded by Amari Continue reading Maven Art Collective in Second Life
Located in the sky over Project Hope Island is the simply named Japanese Garden, the work of the wonderfully named Sharpy Fhang. It s a place perfectly described by its name, sitting as it does cupped within the palm of surrounding hills above which a morning Sun is casting its rays to create an aurora-like treetop Continue reading A Japanese Garden in Second Life
The following notes were taken from: My chat log of the Open-Source User Group (OSUG) meeting held on Friday, August 7, 2026, together with my chat log of that meeting. No video this week as Pantera is on vacation. Table of Contents Meeting Purpose Official Viewer Status Viewer Notes Other Items Next Meeting Meeting Purpose Continue reading 2026 week #32: SL Open Source UG Summary
Currently being hosted through until the end of August 2026 at the Savoy Rooftop Gallery, Creations Park is Atmospheric Second Life, a collection of photographs captured by Babs Belmonte (Babette Bellios) from across Second Life. This is an engaging collection of 40+ images showing Second life in its many facets as a world of natural Continue reading An artful Atmospheric Second Life
Over the past few years I’ve enjoyed occasional visits to [REN], an engaging parcel designed and held by Noa (Noa Cloud) in western Nautilus. For much of its existence it has been curated as a tranquil haven of imagination, a place to visit and appreciate, witness art or relax within on your own or with Continue reading Of Café Bar Manoaya and the Java Bean Café in Second Life
Within Jungian psychology, the Union (or Unity) of Opposites also referred to as individuation is the idea that the ego, the conscious part of the personality that interacts with the external world, must acknowledge and integrate with the “shadow” – the darker, repressed elements of our personality if we are to achieve Continue reading An artistic Union of Opposites in Second Life
The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Simulator User Group (SUG) meeting. These notes form a summary of the items discussed, and are not intended to be a full transcript. No video for this meeting Pantera is on vacation. Meeting Overview The Simulator User Group (also referred to by its Continue reading 2026 week #32: SUG meeting summary
Back in April 2026, Linden Lab announced some significant Mainland changes involving the Gaeta 1 continent and the Adult continent of Zindra. In particular, the announcement noted Gaeta 1 would be closed and removed from the grid once all land holders (and any tenants they might have) had been assisted with relocating elsewhere within the Continue reading Linden Lab: Gaeta 1 closure reversed +…