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In Episode 69 of Realm News, host Greg Howard, a.k.a. The Dark Lord, takes listeners on a captivating journey into the intersection of Minecraft and academia. Join Greg as he interviews three accomplished scholars from Concordia University’s Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology, exploring their innovative research conducted within the virtual realms of Minecraft.
Discover how the Minecraft Bloc Team leverages Minecraft as a powerful tool for scholarly investigation, and learn about their groundbreaking project, SunBloc One. Delve into the project's mission to harness solar energy and rethink gaming's environmental impact, while uncovering the unique challenges and lessons learned from using Minecraft as a research platform. This episode reveals the potential of combining gaming with academia to create meaningful change—and offers a glimpse into future projects. Tune in for an enlightening and entertaining discussion that blends gaming, technology, and sustainability.
Become a Realm News Patreon Member:
https://www.patreon.com/RealmNews?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
Sources:
“About - Milieux.” Milieux, 26 Sept. 2024, milieux.concordia.ca/about/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Augustyn, Adam. “Allegory | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/art/allegory-art-and-literature.
Bart. “What Is SunBlock One? - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 12 Nov. 2024, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/what-is-sunblock-one/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
“Bart Simon Archives - Milieux.” Milieux, 2025, milieux.concordia.ca/member/bart-simon/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
“Education - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 13 Aug. 2021, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/education/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
“Gaia’s Riddle.” CurseForge, 2024, www.curseforge.com/minecraft/modpacks/gaias-riddle. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
“MC Bloc.” GitHub, 9 Jan. 2025, github.com/MC-Bloc. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
MC-Bloc. “.Github/Down_in_the_mines.md at Main · MC-Bloc/.Github.” GitHub, 2024, github.com/MC-Bloc/.github/blob/main/down_in_the_mines.md. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
Ophélie Queffurus. “How a Solar Minecraft Server Is Changing the Way We Play Video Games - Milieux.” Milieux, 19 Nov. 2024, milieux.concordia.ca/how-a-solar-minecraft-server-is-changing-the-way-we-play-video-games/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
---. “How a Solar Minecraft Server Is Changing the Way We Play Video Games - Milieux.” Milieux, 19 Nov. 2024, milieux.concordia.ca/how-a-solar-minecraft-server-is-changing-the-way-we-play-video-games/.
---. “UKAI Projects Residency at Milieux Presents “Shipwreck”: An Evolving Exploration of Resilience in a Changed World - Milieux.” Milieux, 24 Mar. 2025, milieux.concordia.ca/ukai-projects-residency-at-milieux-presents-shipwreck-an-evolving-exploration-of-resilience-in-a-changed-world/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
“Projects - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 13 Aug. 2021, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/projects/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
“Sunblock One.” Milieux.ca, 2025, sunblockone.milieux.ca. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
“SunBlock One - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 9 Oct. 2024, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/sunblock/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
“The Allegorical Build.” YouTube, www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuHBAtk3wHmFb_meOrJSqg. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Wershler, Darren, and Bart Simon. “The Allegorical Build. Minecraft and Allegorical Play in Undergraduate Teaching.” Gamevironments, no. 15, 29 Dec. 2021, journals.suub.uni-bremen.de/index.php/gamevironments/article/view/148/132, https://doi.org/10.48783/gameviron.v15i15.148.
By Greg HowardIn Episode 69 of Realm News, host Greg Howard, a.k.a. The Dark Lord, takes listeners on a captivating journey into the intersection of Minecraft and academia. Join Greg as he interviews three accomplished scholars from Concordia University’s Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology, exploring their innovative research conducted within the virtual realms of Minecraft.
Discover how the Minecraft Bloc Team leverages Minecraft as a powerful tool for scholarly investigation, and learn about their groundbreaking project, SunBloc One. Delve into the project's mission to harness solar energy and rethink gaming's environmental impact, while uncovering the unique challenges and lessons learned from using Minecraft as a research platform. This episode reveals the potential of combining gaming with academia to create meaningful change—and offers a glimpse into future projects. Tune in for an enlightening and entertaining discussion that blends gaming, technology, and sustainability.
Become a Realm News Patreon Member:
https://www.patreon.com/RealmNews?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
Sources:
“About - Milieux.” Milieux, 26 Sept. 2024, milieux.concordia.ca/about/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Augustyn, Adam. “Allegory | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/art/allegory-art-and-literature.
Bart. “What Is SunBlock One? - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 12 Nov. 2024, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/what-is-sunblock-one/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
“Bart Simon Archives - Milieux.” Milieux, 2025, milieux.concordia.ca/member/bart-simon/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
“Education - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 13 Aug. 2021, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/education/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
“Gaia’s Riddle.” CurseForge, 2024, www.curseforge.com/minecraft/modpacks/gaias-riddle. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
“MC Bloc.” GitHub, 9 Jan. 2025, github.com/MC-Bloc. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
MC-Bloc. “.Github/Down_in_the_mines.md at Main · MC-Bloc/.Github.” GitHub, 2024, github.com/MC-Bloc/.github/blob/main/down_in_the_mines.md. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
Ophélie Queffurus. “How a Solar Minecraft Server Is Changing the Way We Play Video Games - Milieux.” Milieux, 19 Nov. 2024, milieux.concordia.ca/how-a-solar-minecraft-server-is-changing-the-way-we-play-video-games/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
---. “How a Solar Minecraft Server Is Changing the Way We Play Video Games - Milieux.” Milieux, 19 Nov. 2024, milieux.concordia.ca/how-a-solar-minecraft-server-is-changing-the-way-we-play-video-games/.
---. “UKAI Projects Residency at Milieux Presents “Shipwreck”: An Evolving Exploration of Resilience in a Changed World - Milieux.” Milieux, 24 Mar. 2025, milieux.concordia.ca/ukai-projects-residency-at-milieux-presents-shipwreck-an-evolving-exploration-of-resilience-in-a-changed-world/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
“Projects - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 13 Aug. 2021, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/projects/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
“Sunblock One.” Milieux.ca, 2025, sunblockone.milieux.ca. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
“SunBlock One - Minecraft Bloc.” Minecraft Bloc -, 9 Oct. 2024, minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/sunblock/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
“The Allegorical Build.” YouTube, www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuHBAtk3wHmFb_meOrJSqg. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Wershler, Darren, and Bart Simon. “The Allegorical Build. Minecraft and Allegorical Play in Undergraduate Teaching.” Gamevironments, no. 15, 29 Dec. 2021, journals.suub.uni-bremen.de/index.php/gamevironments/article/view/148/132, https://doi.org/10.48783/gameviron.v15i15.148.