Introduction
In the Arts Center of Christchurch New Zealand there is an empty dusty
basement room. This room isn't much different from other basement
rooms, however visitors are treated to a very unique experience. Upon
entering, they hear a voice telling then to come closer into the darkness.
When they do, a life-sized virtual image of an old man appears floating in
front of them. The man turns, looks at them and tells what it was like
working in this dark space over a hundred year ago. He is Ernest
Rutherford, New Zealand's Nobel-prize winning physicist, and the room is
where he performed his first research as an undergraduate at the
University of Canterbury. Through the use of advanced technology an
empty space is turned into a very rich educational experience.