Methodology for the Construction of a Virtual Environment for the Simulation of Critical Processes

In the so-called real world, any given process occurs simultaneously with a myriad of other processes. All these processes take place on a continuum of mass, energy and time (the world). All things in this continuum are interlinked in some way. Defining a process as such is in itself already an act of abstraction. One way to study a process is to split it into three entities: the observer, the process itself and the rest of the continuum. The observer usually simplifies a process in his or her attempt to understand it. The observer considers some factors and variables as taking part in the process while ignoring or excluding others. All the variables involved in a given process form a type of microcosm. Using the scientific method, researchers aim to determine laws that govern the interplay among certain entities. To this end, different models and techniques may be used.