Was That a Real Hologram on CNN?
A live hologram-like presentation of reporter Jessica Yellin was used in election coverage on CNN. Yellin was in Chicago covering the Obama campaign, and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer was back in the studio.
Yellin describes her 'hologram' experience:
The CNN special effect is not a hologram. A true hologram is a technique that gathers laser light scattered from an object, and then presents it in a way that appears truly three-dimensional.
Even though this is not a true hologram, the technique does show a three-dimensional simulacrum of a person. As such, it reminds me very strongly of the telestereo, a long-distance 3D display described by sf great Edmund Hamilton in his 1928 classic Crashing Suns. Note that the image of the person is depicted as standing on a disk - that's just the way CNN did it (see the CNN hologram video)!
This use of technology reminded many viewers of the 3D presentation of Princess Leia in Star Wars. "Help me, Wolf. You're my only hope!' (Apologies to George Lucas.)
(This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission of Technovelgy.com)
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