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Becoming Jane
National Geographic offers virtual tours of an exhibit exploring the life of intrepid explorer and renowned scientist, Jane Goodall
BY DOUG RULE
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Jane Goodall turned 86 on Friday, April 3, and the National Geographic Society celebrated by giving new life to a recent exhibition, developed in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute, whose run at the museum was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The exhibit, Becoming Jane, has been refashioned into a Virtual Tour, enhanced with 360-degree videos capturing the layout of the physical exhibition, allowing viewers to explore at their own pace and immerse themselves in whatever details they desire.
The portrait of Goodall that emerges is of an intrepid explorer and renowned scientist who has done so much to help humankind better understand our closest living relatives, chimpanzees.
Now, as before, the multimedia-rich Becoming Jane tells Goodall’s story through multi-screen experiences and iconic images, plus video captures of the original exhibition’s advanced projections and augmented-reality features — the latter including footage of a hologram-like projection of Goodall regaling viewers with her memories of Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, which is then shown and explored through a virtual expedition.
Gombe is where Goodall launched her groundbreaking career 60 years ago, ultimately helping pioneer the genre of nature documentary as the subject of National Geographic’s very first television program. The exhibition highlights the key breakthroughs and scientific achievements of Goodall’s career while also showcasing her more recent work in conservation. It ends with Goodall’s “five reasons for hope,” as inspiring now as ever: “The passion of young people, the human brain, the resilience of nature, the power of social media, and the indomitable human spirit.”
Additionally, on Wednesday, April 22, the National Geographic Channel will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with Jane Goodall: The Hope. The new documentary premieres simultaneously at 9 p.m. on Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo MUNDO, Disney+, and Hulu.
