Minecraft users are known for their creativity. Power gamers have used the virtual lego-like cubes to build entire towns, cities, and even Middle-Earth from The Lord of the Rings. Now, Christopher Slayton has raised the bar by building the entire known Universe in Minecraft.
The 18-year-old San Diego, California, resident's approach to copying the cosmos was very methodical. Before creating Earth, he went skydiving to observe its beauty from above. To ensure our planet was to scale, he used a globe to measure the distance between each continent.
Once Earth had been perfected, Slayton turned his attention to the rest of the Solar System. His virtual Sun was created using the "brightest blocks" in Minecraft. It even includes solar flares!
Before building the cluster of galaxies, Slayton spent time observing real-world stars through a telescope. The 18-year-old's model universe even includes a black hole and plumes of gas and dust!
Slayton's two-month-long effort has not gone unnoticed. His YouTube video outlining the process and showcasing the model universe has garnered over 7.5 million views since it was published in mid-October 2022. And the numbers keep increasing daily!
Resources: Smithsonianmag.com, Space.com, Interestingengineering.com
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