I plan to flesh this out into a full fledged blog post in the future. For now, this page contains links that complement my presentation at the Visualization Workshop during BEACON Congress 2013.
First and foremost, what is WebGL and why should I use it? In short, WebGL is a Javascript API for creating 2D and 3D graphics that runs in a modern Internet browser. In lieu of creating a separate executable for multiple systems (Windows, OS X, Linux, Mobile), a single implementation can be created in Javascript and placed on a webpage. Users can then access that site from any operating system and see the simulation without the headaches associated with trying to install packages on a system.
Coupled with supplementary code, WebGL can be used to create interactive demos or even present simulations directly in a web browser. Conway’s Game of Life has been implemented many times in WebGL, but I have found this one to be particularly interesting. Additional demos for games, simulations and scientific visualizations can be found at http://www.chromeexperiments.com/webgl/. Disclaimer: Try not to spend too much time on the site!