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Some of the most exciting applications in Second Life have come from educators who see the environment as an ideal place to experiment with multimedia and simulation.

According to a recent report, 42 UK universities and higher institutions have islands or offices in Second Life, and they are increasingly forming collaborative education and research institutions. The National Physical Laboratory, responsible for much of the NASA presence in the virtual world, has spearheaded a project called SciLands, gathering physical science departments together for simulation research in one area of the virtual world. Future collaborations include bringing nuclear power plants into the online space.

Social scientists have been fascinated by virtual worlds for years. Several academic projects are currently under way, examining everything from the study of information diffusion through social networks to digital interpersonal body language and its effects.

Second Life has been heralded as an excellent resource for distance learning. Several universities hold regular lectures in the virtual world, incorporating the real-time chat functionality with object building and demonstration. Dr Helen Yanacopulos, senior lecturer of international politics and development at the Open University, views the space as a unique opportunity to integrate their distance learning objectives.

"The Open University has been moving towards more online teaching, and this is increasingly the case with respect to our international students," she explains. "I see the 'physical embodiment' of students in their avatars having vast potential as it could allow my students to interact with each other synchronously in Second Life tutorials. Students from Germany, Uganda and the UK, for example, could meet, discuss and debate issues that I am teaching them through our courses, complimenting all the other teaching methods we use." There are already three OU-linked islands, SchomeBase and CetlMent in the Main Grid and Schome Park in the Teen Grid.

The Teen Grid area, accessible only to children between 11 and 17 and key adults, is also home to Global Kids, an active informal learning project. This aims to "transform urban youth into successful students and global leaders" by promoting philanthropic and international self-learning.

1 New world order - Getting started in Second Life Landing in Second Life can be intimidating for new recruits, but with a little effort, you'll have no trouble integrating with the virtual community. First you need to ensure your hardware is up to scratch. Second Life currently supports Windows 2000 and XP but not Vista, and Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. You'll also need a powerful PC to make the most of it. We recommend at least a 1.5GHz processor and 1GB RAM, and a decent graphics card is essential - an nVidia GeForce 2 or ATI Radeon 8500 is the minimum requirement. The only thing installed on your PC is the Second Life client; everything else streams from the game's servers, so a broadband connection is also essential. Once you're kitted out, you can dive in. The official site, www.secondlife.com, provides everything you'll need. As with most web applications, you'll need to provide a few details and choose a username. Second Life is available only to people 18 years and over, so appropriate age verification such as a credit card is necessary. However, there is also a Teen Second Life, available for kids between 11 and 17. Both 'grids' are inaccessible from the other. After you've chosen a name, you can select one of the generic avatars (you'll be able to customise your online appearance much more using a simple system of sliders once you've logged on for the first time). You should then choose an account type: Basic accounts are free, while Premium accounts cost US$72 (around £36) per year. Both types of account grant full access to the Second Life universe, but Premium account holders receive a weekly L$300 (Linden Dollar) stipend and can own virtual land. Finally, download the 32MB Second Life client. Your first destination is Orientation Island, which introduces you to the basics of the virtual world. It's protected land, so the only people around will be new account holders. The key points to learn are how to move around, how to teleport to different places on the map, how to look at things, how to interact with objects and how to speak with other residents. Follow the instructions, but don't worry if you've not mastered everything. There's plenty of time once you arrive at the mainland. Remember, if you have any problems whatsoever, feel free to ask. There are official Second Life greeters at all the main points where newbies congregate, and most residents are happy to offer advice.