Hollywood magic meets scientific research at a Sydney university

Revolutionary visualisation technology has been rolled out at a Sydney university, combining the magic of Hollywood special effects with scientific research.

The new Data Arena Sydney's University of Technology takes research in science, medicine and engineering from flat, 2D computer screens into a whole new world.

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University of Technology's lead developer Ben Simons is a former DreamWorks Animation employee, who brings the same creative imagination to the scientific academy.

"So instead of just looking at a computer screen, it's now all around you," Simons told 7News.

"It's just impossible to imagine any other way to see it except in three dimensions."

For researchers long accustomed to looking through a microscope, the new Data Arena takes their work from the microscopic to the fantastic.

And there's no end to where these creative minds and their research could go from here.

News break - August 13