How Virtual Reality Can Help Us Understand the Tragedy of 9/11
It has been almost twenty years since the terrorism attack on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The event shook the world, leaving an indelible mark on global history and altering human perception of terrorism. Over the years, many documentaries, memoirs, and literary works have been created to commemorate and understand the tragedy of 9/11. However, none of them can fully convey the magnitude and horror of the event as vividly as Virtual Reality (VR) can.
Why Virtual Reality?
The use of VR technology can provide a full sensory experience that allows users to step back into the past and relive specific events without traveling to a specific location. By creating virtual sites, architects and programmers can recreate critical sites such as the World Trade Center Towers, the surrounding area, the Pentagon. The VR industry is developing incredibly fast, and new features are added, such as haptic suits that allow the user to feel objects, making the experience even more vivid.
Recapturing the Environment as it was on 9/11
Virtual Reality technology can create an environment that closely resembles the landscape of Manhattan that existed before the attack. Users can walk along the streets of the city, passing in front of buildings that have not changed since that day while observing different levels of traffic. This way, they will understand better the layout of the city and how the events were unfolded on that dreadful morning.
Experience the Attack as it Happened
VR technology can even simulate the events of 9/11, from the sound of the planes hitting the towers to the sight of them falling to the ground. This way, users can experience the immense sense of shock, confusion, and fear that accompanied the unfolding of the terrorist attack in real-time. It can provide a sense of scale and proportion to something that is hitherto incomprehensible.
The Significance of VR for Future Generations
Virtual reality provides an opportunity for future generations to learn about the events of 9/11 first-hand, as if they had been there. Given that 9/11 will be studied for generations to come, VR can provide a way of preserving the memory of the event for posterity. By providing a virtual experience that allows a user to see the horror of the event unfold before their eyes, VR can help to ensure that future generations understand the significance of 9/11 and prevent it from happening again.
Conclusion
Virtual Reality technology is an essential tool for recreating the events of 9/11 and can play a vital role in ensuring that the memory of that fateful day is preserved for future generations. In summary, VR technology can provide a powerful tool for not only understanding the tragedy of 9/11 but also for preserving it in history.
