Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist and science communicator has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund a unique kind of computer game. The game’s name is “Space Odyssey”, and the team behind it hopes to develop a game that is both educational and fun about physics biology, and space.

While they construct their own machines, players discover the design of vehicles and robots. They’ll travel to other worlds in an open-world “sandbox” setting. Minecraft Servers Some may even have life. One instance could involve a player piloting a ship through the asteroid belt or designing a robot capable of mining comets to extract precious resources. The team is planning to integrate virtual reality experiences too placing players at the middle of the action. In addition to Neil deGrasse Tyson are such prominent figures in science and communication, including rocket scientist Loretta Falcone, cosmologist Janna Levin, astrophysicist Charles Liu, planetary scientist Carolyn Porco, astronomer Amy Mainzer, former astronaut Mike Massimino and science communicator Bill Nye. He has also invited authors like Neil Gaiman, Larry Niven, Peter Beagle and George R. R. Martin to work on the creative world-building aspect. The effort is supported by a host of artists, scientists as well as game designers and other prominent figures in the creative and scientific fields.

While this is a new project, it’s not the first example of an educational computer game. From the old classics like “Oregon Trail” to modified versions of the game “Minecraft,” game designers and educators have long recognized the value of teaching through games. Tyson’s game, which’s full name is “Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents Space Odyssey – The Video Game”, appears to be ambitious.

The Kickstarter campaign, which has a goal of raising $314,159 (a seemingly arbitrary amount, until you consider the pi numbers) will close on the 29th of July, which is a Saturday. The administrators acknowledge that funding will only be part of the efforts of Whatnot Entertainment to help make “Space Odyssey” feasible. If everything goes as planned you may soon be able to explore the world from the comfort of your sofa.

This is interesting In a conversation with the HowStuffWorks podcast Stuff You Need to Know, Neil deGrasse Tyson said he wants to expand worldwide education to increase the chances of humanity’s culture becoming “another Einstein.