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    Elves and wizards go to work: a day in the life of online role-playing devotees

    Many consider video games as mere escapism, but for a dedicated group of online role-playing gamers, virtual reality can merge with daily life in surprising and enlightening ways. As these gamers walk to work, or wait on line at the supermarket, they carry with them the fantastical creatures and mythological worlds of their video-game lives. In Avatar Days, this blending of worlds is made literal: using advanced 3D technologies and motion-capture animation, the film brings players’ in-game characters to life.

    Director: Gavin Kelly

    Producer: Dave Burke

    16 May 2014
    Watercolour illustration of a man wearing a VR headset with the text “IN SIGHT David Chalmers” on a textured background.

    videoTechnology and the self

    New realities are imminent: how VR reframes big questions in philosophy

    5 minutes

    Illustration of a sleek, modern train at a station with curved overhead structures and a minimalist black and white design.

    videoNeuroscience

    How perception leaves the door open for augmented reality to transform our world

    4 minutes

    A 3D image of an ancient Roman archway with a Latin inscription, and buildings with columns in the background, viewed from a cobblestone path.

    videoThe ancient world

    Walk like a Roman in this digital reconstruction of the ancient city

    9 minutes

    A gecko with grey and orange spots rests on a piece of bark against a black background.

    videoThinkers and theories

    Is simulation theory a way to shirk responsibility for the world we’ve created?

    13 minutes

    Abstract illustration of a woman at a computer in a lab coat with a chart on the screen, with a cat sleeping nearby and a framed photo on wall.

    videoPhilosophy of science

    Video gamers solve a biological puzzle that has stumped scientists for years

    3 minutes

    A man wearing a hat and red shirt is chopping a log with an axe, with wood chips flying around, next to a tent under a blue sky with clouds.

    videoWork

    Does capitalism make ‘non-playable characters’ of us all? An uncanny exploration

    21 minutes

    Watercolour-style painting of a young man with glasses and short hair, text “IN SIGHT Tom Chatfield” on the right, grey background.

    videoAutomation and robotics

    If we are what we do, how can we stay human in an era of automation?

    7 minutes

    Soldiers sprint close to a cliff edge in a desert landscape with aircraft overhead and one soldier jumping off the cliff.

    videoWar and peace

    What happens when pacifist soldiers search for peace in a war video game

    21 minutes

    Animated image of a blue-skinned figure with red eyes, a cosmic scene on its forehead, and a crown of yellow spheres, holding its face with one hand.

    videoAstronomy

    Finding alien life demands real imagination – not recycled sci-fi tropes

    5 minutes