Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
theatlantic.com
Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
1–10 of 44 posts
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#2This is highly interesting!
Things I could notice: First, wildlife just ignores radiation, also nature is quick to take back whatever we are not using.
Second, Japanese architecture is interesting, no building is ugly, both the modern ones (like the waterfront building that did not got smashed) and old ones (the traditional-looking houses). Maybe excepting schools (that are just rectangular boxes filled with windows).
Also, Japanese are very organized, even seeing debris scattered and destroyed stuff, the town still looks more organized and clean than the stuff I see here in Brazil for most part.
Good to see that someone left a message on the blackboard, making explicit how he liked the school.
Also, interesting to see that some stuff held well against the tsunami, the damaged graduation hall for example still has everything in place except where the floor collapsed, and still looking good.
The cars littering a field for some reason to me look like grazing cows.
Good vending machine that one supporting a building!
And it is dreading when I noticed that the most present animals are crows, not other sort of birds, it is like if most of life left, and death decided to remain.
This town also looks the sort of place I want to live in the future when I can (of course, without disaster...)
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#3I love what Google has done with Street View. Taking the technology indoors just does something completely different for me than outdoor shots. In this place it lets you look at intimate details of what used to be other peoples' every day lives. There's so much to explore. Can any one read this blackboard? http://goo.gl/maps/zWAqm
I'd love to see a hack that lets one walk around in first-person inside an environment using Street View imagery, like a video game. Maybe the imagery is sufficient for that if used right.
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#4I love what Google has done with Street View. Taking the technology indoors just does something completely different for me than outdoor shots. In this place it lets you look at intimate details of what used to be other peoples' every day lives. There's so much to explore. Can any one read this blackboard? http://goo.gl/maps/zWAqm I'd love to see a hack that lets one walk around in first-person inside an environment…
"I'd love to see a hack that lets one walk around in first-person inside an environment using Street View imagery, like a video game."
There was a TED video in 2010 doing almost that: http://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera.html
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#5I understand it would not have been necessary, but I think this would have been a good opportunity to put one of those self-driving cars to use. Lots of potential obstacles and the (not really a concern) health risk factor.
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#6Everything is so pristine and untouched. If it were the US, it would have all been looted and graffitied long ago. But I'm afraid by publishing the condition of his town through Google Maps, the mayor has pretty much assured it won't stay pristine very long. Japan has its share of thieves and vandals too.
Plus hordes of amateur photographers and urban explorers will be trying to sneak into the place, radiation or not.
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#7This guys card is black is that good?
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Namie+town,+Fukushima+Prefect...
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#8Everything is so pristine and untouched. If it were the US, it would have all been looted and graffitied long ago. But I'm afraid by publishing the condition of his town through Google Maps, the mayor has pretty much assured it won't stay pristine very long. Japan has its share of thieves and vandals too. Plus hordes of amateur photographers and urban explorers will be trying to sneak into the place, radiation or not…
I'm thinking those bikes & the VW beetle will be the first to go...
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#9I love what Google has done with Street View. Taking the technology indoors just does something completely different for me than outdoor shots. In this place it lets you look at intimate details of what used to be other peoples' every day lives. There's so much to explore. Can any one read this blackboard? http://goo.gl/maps/zWAqm I'd love to see a hack that lets one walk around in first-person inside an environment…
"I'd love to see a hack that lets one walk around in first-person inside an environment using Street View imagery, like a video game." There was a TED video in 2010 doing almost that: http://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera.html
I just watched that whole thing. Very impressive.
Re: Google Maps a Japanese Nuclear Ghost Town
#10Everything is so pristine and untouched. If it were the US, it would have all been looted and graffitied long ago. But I'm afraid by publishing the condition of his town through Google Maps, the mayor has pretty much assured it won't stay pristine very long. Japan has its share of thieves and vandals too. Plus hordes of amateur photographers and urban explorers will be trying to sneak into the place, radiation or not…
Radiation contamination makes an excellent deterrent, not only can you not see it, you can't know even if you don't feel any ill effects if you're going to die coughing up a lung in a few weeks (and no, nowhere except inside the containment buildings is that contaminated)
That said, it was an opportunity for Google to take radiation readings everywhere (perhaps they did but didn't release that information). Looking at the map this town must have been in the north east plume [1] mentioned in the reports.
Sadly since the first survey I can't find links to follow up surveys, the last being done around the end of 2011. Presumably with a wet season behind us there would be movement of ground contamination and I would think that every month they would do another survey if only to create better models about how a contaminated environment evolves. Is rain significant? wind? How much is is encapsulated by plants? Lots of questions.
[1] http://enformable.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/New-Japan-R...
