Physics Engine Development

A physics engine is an oddly named piece of computer software (often utilizing specialty hardware to help with the massive computational requirements) which seeks to realistically portray the interactions of an object or objects with each other and/or their environment. This portrayal most often utilizes graphical elements being displayed within a visual space on a computer. This all adds up to an attempt at the display of seemingly realistic interactions between the objects and their environment with respect to collision characteristics.

Physics Engines are used not only to approximate interactions between disparate items; but, also interactions between the multiple parts of a singular object or body. The primary example of this would be a human body depicted as several stiff members dynamically attached at various points with their respective motion ranges properly restricted. A model in this form can show a more realistic depiction of the body's reaction to external forces acting upon it as a group of attached objects, which in fact it is. This gives the name "ragdoll" physics.

Students engaged in this major have bright futures, if they can stay out of prison. They clearly have far too much interest in seeing how the human body reacts to any number of terrible and unhappy incidents. How healthy can that be? It is our great hope to harness this unhealthy interest, shared by our students almost to a man, for the purposes of good for as long as possible.

Rocket Launchers and the Body's Reaction

Students will observe and analyze the reactions of someone firing a Rocket launcher. With careful viewing we can see the truth promised by classical physics. That the person firing the rocket is indeed affected in an equal and opposite manner to the rocket itself as it is launched. That's all well and good. But, what we really want to see is the reaction of the body the rocket is fired at! Through the use of time lapse photography and a huge supply of plastic sheeting and airsick bags we will make careful and detailed study of exactly what happens to all parties involved.

This testing is mostly achieved through the use of stand in targets and not real human targets. We have a steady supply of blow up dolls, over sized stuffed animals, and special high tech plastics and gels to fire our rockets at most of the time. But students should be aware that scientific discipline often demands sacrifice and if we run low on targets toward the end of the semester then a lottery system may be initiated. For in the words of one of the most profound T.V. thinkers of the Twentieth Century, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

(ERP101)Crowbar, The Every-tool

The study of the multiple ways a crowbar can be used. Looking at the ways it can be used as a weapon, a repair tool, and its numerous uses as a tool for breaking into, out of and through enemy installations. All in all, it's really much better than those little red knives the Swiss dilly-dally about with.

Students spend most of the semester with their own personal bars, available through the campus bookstore, and a journal. They are encouraged to utilize the crowbar for anything they can possibly think of and then record how it fares at the given task and how everything else in the vicinity fares. Students should be aware that this class is always full within minutes of registration opening. Every year a few enterprising self starters do have a go at using their crowbar to try to open up seats in the class.