These are excerpts from an article in "Scientific Computing & Automation", February 1997 issue.

At Oak Ridge national Laboratory, researchers use materials science visualization to study the interactions between atoms on the molecular level. In this case, the visualization, viewed through PUSH desktop Display shows the effects of magnetism in a CuNI alloy.

Steve Maher, is a project manager at the Virtual Environment laboratory, an initiative of the applied information science and technology branch of the NASA Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, MD. His objective is to build a virtual reality environment for rapid data searching and manipulation in order to analyze the high rate and volume of data by major NASA programs, particularly the Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) project.

Data analysis and display is a central factor in ESS effort. "We think visualization is good and we think immersive display are good," said Maher. " The main benefit is that you increase the throughput, the amount of information that a scientist is receiving. In addition, VR can provide a more natural metaphor." Users can look at the data from any angle and location, including underneath, by "swimming" or "flying" through the data using the VR technology. The key to the growth of VR interfaces, Maher says, "is meaningful interaction with data." You want the direct interaction and to be able to modify the data on the fly." "We have a lot of data, but how do you provide human access? The issue is every scientist has different requirements for interaction."