Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The right textbook

Suppose you have to give a class about 3D animation for computer science majors; what textbook would be appropriate for such a course? A book about the software program being used that talks about all the hidden tools it has? No! The appropriate book is an animation bible.

Image: The Animator's Survival Kit, by Richard Williams.
This is the book we've been working with

Friday, April 6, 2012

It's only polite, 2 of 5

Image: Frank the mouse bows


Continuing my little "what has made real-life tolerable" series, today I have a rather short post. This is a quick thank you to Turtleleaf and Camtheman.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Walk through walls

Image: Frank the mouse steps through a portal (from the video game "Portal") holding a portal gun in his right hand, which he is steadying with his left hand. Caption:
Could scientists be “thinking with portals”?

Physicists of the University of Athens have discovered a controversial mechanism that may allow people to walk through walls. Curiously, what has created the controversy is not whether it is safe or whether it violates the laws of physics; it’s the fact that the invention has been around for a long time.

The mechanism would allow people to walk from one side of a wall (or any physical barrier for that matter) to the other seamlessly; as if the barrier weren’t there. Such technology could completely change the way walls are built.