ChronoZoom

{{Short description|Free, open-source time visualizer}}

{{Infobox software

| name = ChronoZoom

| title = ChronoZoom

| logo = ChronoZoom logo.png

| screenshot =

| caption = ChronoZoom is a free open source project that seeks to visualize time at all scales from the big bang 13.8 billion years ago to billions of years in the future.

| developer = University of California Berkeley, Moscow State University, Microsoft Research

| released = {{Start date and age|2010|04|29}}

| discontinued =

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| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/alterm4nn/ChronoZoom}}

| programming language = JavaScript, HTML5, C#

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| genre = Website

| license = Apache License 2.0

| website = {{URL|http://www.chronozoom.com}}

}}

ChronoZoom is a free open source project that visualizes time on the broadest possible scale from the Big Bang to the present day.[http://activehistory.ca/2011/11/blowing-your-mind-with-chronozoom-or-how-we-can-wrap-our-minds-around-big-history/ Blowing Your Mind with Chronozoom (or how we can wrap our minds around ‘Big History’)] Conceived by Walter Alvarez and Roland Saekow and developed by the department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with Microsoft Research and Moscow State University, Alvarez unveiled the first ChronoZoom prototype at UC Berkeley's 2010 Faculty Research Lecture.{{Cite web |url=http://urel.berkeley.edu/faculty/history.html |title=History of Faculty Research Lectures at UC Berkeley |access-date=2011-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317030842/http://www.urel.berkeley.edu/faculty/history.html |archive-date=2012-03-17 |url-status=dead }} Although that demo is no longer available to the public online,{{Cite web |url=http://eps.berkeley.edu/~saekow/chronozoom/launch/index.html |title=ChronoZoom 1.0 (Silverlight version) is no longer available |access-date=2018-07-04 |archive-date=2021-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605155320/http://eps.berkeley.edu/~saekow/chronozoom/launch/index.html |url-status=dead }} a second version rewritten in HTML5 is now available and open source.[http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/03/14/chronozoom-a-deep-dive-into-the-history-of-everything/ UC Berkeley ChronoZoom 2.0 Beta Press Release] ChronoZoom was inspired by the study of Big History, and it approaches the documentation and visualization of time and history in the same way that Google Earth deals with geography.[http://probaway.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/chronozoom-is-the-coolest-thing-since-googleearth/ ChronoZoom is the coolest thing since GoogleEarth.] ChronoZoom allows users to see the true scale of time over cosmic, geologic, biological and social periods.[http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2010/07/touring-geologic-history-through.html State Geologist of Arizona Discusses ChronoZoom]

Purpose

File:ChronoZoom timeline project demo (2012).webm

The primary goal of ChronoZoom is to make time relationships between different studies of history clear and vivid. In the process, it provides a framework for exploring related electronic resources. It thus serves as a "master timeline" tying together all kinds of specialized timelines and electronic resources, and aspires to bridge the gap between the humanities and the sciences and to bring together and unify all knowledge of the past.[http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/chronozoom/ Microsoft Research Project Page] ChronoZoom is planned as an educational tool as well as a research tool, by allowing researchers to plot various time series data next to each other for comparison.

Versions

The 1.0 proof of concept was released on April 29, 2010 at the 97th Annual Faculty Research Lecture Series given by Alvarez.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDWKAAxL10Q UC Berkeley 97th Annual Faculty Research Lecture Series Video]

A 2.0 beta was released on March 14, 2012, completely rewritten in HTML5 and available as open source[http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/03/14/chronozoom-a-deep-dive-into-the-history-of-everything/ UC Berkeley ChronoZoom 2.0 Beta Press Release] via the Outercurve Foundation.{{Cite web |url=http://www.outercurve.org/Galleries/ResearchAccelerators/ChronoZoom |title=ChronoZoom Outercurve Foundation page |access-date=2011-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215090502/http://www.outercurve.org/Galleries/ResearchAccelerators/ChronoZoom |archive-date=2014-02-15 |url-status=dead }}

Work continued through 2014 supported by Microsoft Research (Redmond). The work continues as of 2015 supported by Axiell (Sweden), Fontys University (Eindhoven), and the University of Amsterdam.[http://www.axiell.com/press#/pressreleases/axiell-alm-to-bring-chronozoom-history-visualization-project-to-next-level-1144409 Axiell to bring ChronoZoom history visualization project to next level]

The project code is freely accessible on GitHub.[https://github.com/alterm4nn/ChronoZoom ChronoZoom on Github]

Awards

  • 2013 SXSW Interactive Awards Winner (Educational Resource)
  • 2012 Digital Education Achievement Award Winner (University Project)

See also

{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

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References

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