Visualization of the data helps in the critical issue of understanding the model, he says. Suppose that you had the perfect simulation and it exactly reproduced the real universe, and when you visualized it, it looked just like the real universe, he says. You wouldn t have learned very much, because you cannot understand the real universe very well just by looking at it. You have to be able to take it apart and look at all the moving elements. In the end, quantitative questions require quantitative analysis.
Visualization is useful in pointing out errors, in gaining insight, and in explaining to the public.
Some of the GC 3 simulations have been made available to the public. The IMAX film Cosmic Voyage , released last year, included several segments developed as part of the GC 3 effort. The End of the Dark Ages , which portrays the epoch when the first stars were formed. Copyright 1998, David I. Lewin.