This undated handout photo provided by the Smithsonian Institution shows Smithsonian 3-D Digitization coordinators Adam Metallo, left, and Vince Rossi …
This undated handout photo provided by the Smithsonian Institution shows Smithsonian 3-D Digitization coordinators Adam Metallo, left, and Vince Rossi using 3-D technology to scan a fossilized whale discovered beside the Pan American Highway in the Atacama Desert near Caldera, Chile. the Smithsonian is launching a new 3D viewer online Wednesday Nov. 13, 2013 to give people a closer look at artifacts in their own homes. The data can also be downloaded, recreated with a 3D printer and used to help illustrate lessons in history, art and science in schools. Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough says museums face a greater challenge than the digitization of documents in libraries or archives because artifacts are three-dimensional. He’s calling on museums to speed up their work to innovate and digitize collections to make artifacts accessible online for a generation born in the Internet age. (AP Photo/Smithsonian Institution)
