Weird Science Offered As University Class

ludwigvan968 writes "The ACTLab at the University of Texas at Austin is making waves with its Weird Science class. The link is to the TA's blog with documentation of some of the projects: a laser harp, a 3D environment constructed with fog and an LCD projector, and a 'water bridge' using a 50,000-volt transformer. Next semester, they're introducing a new class called 'Disruptive Technologies.'"

Comments

What about the girl

[CaptainPatent]

This is not a complete class... I read nothing about animating an uber-hot girlfriend!

I want a mythbusters class as well

[Joe The Dragon]

I want a mythbusters class as well

Re:I want a mythbusters class as well

[Lane.exe]

Not to cramp the style of your joke, but they do have that class. It's Physics 471 -- Pseudoscience and the Paranormal. One of my favorite classes at UT.

Disruptive?

[Colin Smith]

Next semester, they're introducing a new class called 'Disruptive Technologies.'" Would that be like a Tazer/Stun Gun?

Re:Disruptive?

[beavioso]

I think the class requires students to use cell phones with "catchy" ringtones.

The next logical step...

[billius]

Mad Science. Seriously, I'm dying for some funding on my research dealing with the re-animation of human flesh.

Great

[LostInTransportation]

Now we're all stuck with thoughts of gym class taught by Kelly Brock.

Heard in class

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves]

"We'll be having a lab session today, so get a bra from the cabinet by the door and make sure it is securely fastened over your head before going to your lab station"

former actlabbie here

[CharlesV]

You end up making so much awesome stuff you never knew you had in you in these programs. definitely made my college experience worthwhile. some of mine:

http://home.actlab.utexas.edu/~charlesv/

And I want a Real Genius class

[plover]

As long as we're going along with the '80s "edu-movie" theme, I always liked Real Genius. Iced stairwells, auditorium beach parties, disassembled-and-reassembled-in-the-dorm-room vehicles (oh, wait, I already did that one) and Big Fscking Lasers.

And popcorn. LOTS of popcorn!

Re:Baseless assertion?

[gomiam]

Missing Objects office here. A humour sense unit has been found. Please come and check whether it is yours.

This is science, not fiction, DOH!

[Spy der Mann]

I read nothing about animating an uber-hot girlfriend!

You dumb - any decent slashdotter would know that there are NO SUCH THINGS as girlfriends. Face it, IT'S A MYTH!

Re:Baseless assertion?

[Nefarious Wheel]

Care to respond or are we all going to just let these anachronistic and misogynistic myths perpetuate ad infinitum?

Can we all join the fun?

My wife is smarter than me, more fit, better educated and a better programmer. I'm just barely more qualified with networks and architecture, and I'm definitely less of a cook. I have an extraordinary amount of respect for her.

But if I ever accused her of being a rational being, she'd break my cranium, and then subtly change something to keep me off balance.

See? Geeks do know about women. Just not very much.

Re:Obligatory --and how!

[El Yanqui]

I only recently moved to London. Sadly, I missed the opportunity to rear Ms. LeBrock.

Re:3D Fog Environments

[JohnFluxx]

Actually that's not quite true - photons can bounce off each other. It's just rare.

On a different note, what you can do is have the beams have enough energy density to be close to breaking down the air. Then where they intersect there will be enough energy to break down the air and create a plasma. This will be a reflective point. It's kinda loud though.