Today's lecture is about some of the practical applications of virtual reality. Unbelievably, VR has been around for almost three decades now but has consistently failed to live up to its early promise. But it seems that modern technology may finally have caught up with that early potential, and virtual reality could well have come of age. No longer the preserve of geeks and gamers, there are now some very interesting real-world applications for virtual reality systems. One of the advantages that VR has over viewing something through a two-dimensional screen, is the ability to take part in an experience rather than watching it passively. Psychologists generally agree that learning by doing, what is termed 'embodied cognition', is an extremely effective way of acquiring new skills. Sport is just one arena where VR is being put to use in this regard. Both American football and soccer are sports in which virtual reality headsets are being used to aid athletes in their training. It can be difficult for players to visualize complex moves on a three-dimensional field of play if they're learning them from a manual and getting limited time on the training pitch. But if they're able to rehearse these complicated plays within a virtual space, the ability to recall them in a real-world situation increases significantly. Several teams have been putting this to good use over the past few years. Other ways in which the technology is being used include..