Hi All,

 

If like me you read the list, but don’t normally have the time to follow the links provided I’d like to second the plug for armadillorun having tried the demo – thanks Julia. It’s a great game, entertaining with potential to inspire (and educate if you must) all sorts about engineering. It has the potential to do “set-ups” like the famous recent Honda ads using real principles (check out the examples if you finish the demo). Plus it considers the trade-off between functionality and cost of materials. I think a national schools Armadillo championship would be great. So if any of you out there agree then who wants to run the competition and who wants to fund it? Just a thought.  

 

2 extra thoughts on the game (for those who’ve tried it)… Can we convince the makers to give an option of more than 1 Armadillo? – I don’t want our future Engineers designing products that are very efficient (economically) but that break after one use! Secondly bonus points for “products” that work with a variety of size Armadillos – Also a useful lesson (I hope).

 

Best,

 

Tom

 

From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Julia Maddock
Sent: 05 February 2007 14:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PSCI-COM] You Tube and Physics

 

A friend of mine pointed me at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5nmspVOz_Y

I think it is designed to advertise a Japanese TV show, but its a wonderful collection of Heath Robinson-esque machines that beautifully demonstrate coverting potential to kinetic energy and back again, plus key concepts in momentum.

 

Playing with related links, led me to http://www.armadillorun.com/ which is a physics puzzle game, but in effect a modelling tool that is quite fun.

 

Sharing these in the hope that other people find them useful or at least as entertaining as I did.

 

Julia


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