Do you know of any good science Sims?

[freespace2dotcom]

Yes, yes I did have to keep at it until I beat you. I wouldn't be who I am otherwise.

[AphelionHellion]

Freespace2: Heh, no you wouldn't!

Hey Shmi, congrats on 100 posts!
I realized just now I have a third star, too...
I'm gaining on ya Free!!!
Yeah right

[geoff]

Glad you like the nuke game!   A stand-alone desktop version is due out soon...

Geoff
www.ae4rv.com


ps: I have run Orbiter off and on for almost two years!

[AphelionHellion]

That's your site? Wow, small world!!
Great job with that reactor game, Geoff


Say, have you tried Nectioch's new Vespucci D? The reactor controls just reminded me very much of your Flash power
plant program...

[freespace2dotcom]

Indeed it is a small world. Now who are you again?

Seriously though, it's a great thing to pass the time. I just wish my air conditioner had so many controls.

[geoff]

Thanks a bunch.  Thrilled to see people enjoy my stuff, especially fans of Orbiter, which I like a lot.  Lately I have been
running Eagle Lander 3d ( http://www.eaglelander3d.com/ ).  I have a rather long mental wish-list for that program but it is
well done, interesting and fun.

"Say, have you tried Nectioch's new Vespucci D? The reactor controls just reminded me very much of your Flash power
plant program..."

- No I haven't.  Sounds cool.  I might someday use the power plant game as the basis (or a module) in a nuclear
sub/carrier/starship propulsion control game - maybe, if in a science fiction vein, the player would be something like Star
Trek's Scotty the engineer.  "Warp 7 or we're all dead" kinda scenarios...   It could happen....

Thanks again,

73,

Geoff
www.ae4rv.com

[freespace2dotcom]

I can't wait.. so much fun stuf. It's like it's christmas or something, but without the snow!

[Shmi]

I'm glad everyone has been enjoying this thread, I wish I had more time to play with all you've found especially
Geoff's Nuclear reactor ,but alas my 2 year old has decided she no longer needs a daytime nap!  

Keep up the good work.

Soon more guys will learn that science is FUN.

Be seeing ya

[McBrain]

Science *IS* FUN!!!

[freespace2dotcom]

Science is fun (when it's a game, not for school. )

[McBrain]

It's fun, also for School! DEFINATELY!!!!

Of course, computer science is the best....

[freespace2dotcom]

Ah, tell me that again when your teacher turn on one of those sleepy 3 hour documetaries on atoms (no relation to..
umm.. a certain forum member. ) and expects a 4 page essay on it by the end of class.

[AphelionHellion]

Atoms are easy - just think of 'em like little solar systems (with really rambunctious and unpredictable planets).

See, you can bring Orbiter into anything

Now I just hafta remember to stop hitting the brakes and switching to the inside lane when I want to pass someone
on the freeway

[DocHoliday]

Ah, but the Bohr model is so outdated. You have to think in terms of probability now, when it comes to atoms... now
probability was never my forte. I always think in terms of 50-50. I know that is the outcome, not the
probability, but for me, there is always 50% chance something happens or not Do or do not. There is no try, and
there is no maybe. totally wrong.

[Zamzara]

The Incredible machine:

http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=537

[Shmi]

freespace2dotcom wrote:
Ah, tell me that again when your teacher turn on one of those sleepy 3 hour documetaries on atoms (no relation to..
umm.. a certain forum member. ) and expects a 4 page essay on it by the end of class.

Perhaps such passive learning  is not best suited to your talents. Many believe, that teachers should only act as
facilitators enabling the student to actively learn for himself.

[DocHoliday]

I am one of them.

The sad thing is, to do that teachers would have to have state-of-the-art labs, so kids could actively learn. In
reality they have a blackboard, books, limited time and kids that have been indoctrinated by their older peers about
the "interestingness" of the class Now the really brilliant teachers are the ones, who inspite of that manage to
create the environment you described. And those as as rare as there are inhabited planets in the Solar System.

Cheers,

[Shmi]

teachers would have to have state-of-the-art labs, so kids could actively learn

Ah but thats why a lot of active learning should be via computer, this is not ideal, but at least learning could be more
tailored to the individual.  

I am in no position to criticise teachers, I didn't even last the year out, teaching in real schools.  

[DocHoliday]

I didn't criticize them. I'm just saying they have little to work with and bad starting conditions on top of that.

[Strogoff]

Oupps Geoff's Nuclear reactor is hard !!

I used to work in a french Nuclear Power Plant, and I found this game pretty hard to understand... perhaps because
the sim is lacking an indicator of reactance of the core. The physical phenomena are clear for me, (cooler the primary
loop will raise your reactance and your core temperature, etc ...)

Perhaps will geoff had some features like borax concentration of the primary coolant...

Why do you do this sim , Geoff ?

[P. Luna]

I am going to start a workshop at school to actually teach kids to fly Orbiter, in about 1 or 2 weeks.
This is the most insane thing I have ever attempted.

See details at http://orbit.m6.net/v2/read.asp?id=25691&recordnum=0
Wish me luck...

[Falcoleprof]

For grade 8 kids, I had a lot of success with the Sim Mania for kids package with Sim Park, Safari,Town and a strange
one called widget workshop that is really cool to build virtual machines. I even used it in grade 12 physics for some
pretty complicated stuff.

The lab cost is pretty affordable.

Sadly, in the past 3 years or so, grade 8 girls are a lot more interested in discussing new ways to expose
their skin or hang stuff on their body and the boys just are even more numb since the arrival of high speed internet
access.
If parents can't get them to go to bed at a decent hour, teachnig is hopeless.


To discover a principle by yourself is great as long as one important condition is there in the first place, wanting to
learn. This year I will use Orbiter extensively in my classroom along with Lego mindstorm kits. If that does not get
their interest, I'll give up !