Smoke and Mirrors? - Computer Simulations in Games and Movies

1. “Science in Hollywood Movies: True or False?” by Milan Mijic, October 29

The rapid development of computer technology brought impressive special effects in the main stream Hollywood productions. These are no longer simple tricks, but expensive productions based on serious modeling, run by artistically and technically knowledgeable people using some of the most powerful software and hardware tools in the world. We often see stars and galaxies, comets and asteroids, spaceships, terrifying explosions, and numerous smart gadgets. But how much of it is true? Is this an effective visualization of objects and processes that are beyond our everyday experience or product of pure imagination without the roots in reality? Can we learn something from Hollywood movies? Professor Mijic will discuss these questions using clips from some of our favorite films.

2. “Game physics – to make the effects more real” by Eun-Young Elaine Kang, November 19

Game physics introduces the laws of physics into game engines to create realistic effects in a virtual world, such as smoke and fire, explosions, colliding billiard balls, missile trajectories, etc. By applying the laws of physics, the computer program (physics game engine) can realistically model many objects in games that bounce around, fly, roll, or slide, to create compelling content for simulations and animation. But how? In this talk Professor Kang will provide game physics basics, an overview of physics engines and several show cases in video games.

* All lectures will be on Wednesday evenings at 8:00 PM in the Physical Sciences Building, room 158. Lectures are free and open to the Public. Metered parking is available adjacent to the Physical Sciences Building in Parking Lot B and in the parking structure adjacent to the Luckman Theater.

http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/physics/scienceseriesF08.pdf