Stony Brook University's Reality Deck

December 2, 2012 8:52 PM

Stony Brook University's newest computer science feat is called The Reality Deck, a $2 million virtual reality theater that is akin to the fictional Holodeck from "Star Trek," where Starship Enterprise officers could find themselves in another place and time.

Stony Brook University scientists believe their technology will be far-reaching and help better detect cancers, build antibiotics, predict climate changes and map the universe.

The 627-square-foot room's four walls are tiled floor-to-ceiling with 416 high-resolution flat-screen monitors, allowing scientists, engineers and physicians to visualize huge amounts of data unlike anything they've been able to do before, its Stony Brook creators said.