A Second Life For LBJ, Lady Bird

LBJ might be coming back the only way dead folks can: virtually--through a site like Second Life. We're told that the Lyndon BainesJohnson Library and Museum in Austin is examining virtual sites to hook today's techie generation on his days.

Second Life allows users to build a virtual community, and the LBJ crew wants to create a world that touches on his major issues like civil rights and the Vietnam War. "Avatars" representing the president and others would be created. "Students," says library Director Betty Sue Flowers, "may be able to take the role of LBJ or a member of the cabinet or Congress, inhabiting realistic avatars as they grapple with presidential challenges."

By Paul Bedard