9/12 class

Today I was given a unique assignment: help find Steve Fosset (the first person to fly a plane around the world without refueling and the first person to fly around the world in a balloon). He has been missing since September 3, 2007 when he went on a flight in his private plane, and is believed to be somewhere in Nevada. Google Earth has supplied satellite images on the amazon website, which people can visit and help aid the search by reviewing these images and reporting "hits" of any suspicious objects that resemble a plane. I participated in the search efforts; however, I feel that in some shots the image quality is too pixelated to be read easily. Still, it is good that the public has a chance to be involved in this noble cause.

9/5, 9/7 classes

During these periods the class was devoted to the work of the digital art "pioneers." We viewed the assignments the class had created using a program called Scratch. The assignment was to develop a method to produce a work of art inspired by the pioneers of digital art. Lots of vareity in the pieces people chose to emulate. Also interesting was seeing how different people had created similar works using completely different methods.

8/29 class

Today I was shown images of the "Water Cube" the revolutionary design for the 2008 Olympics National Aquatics Centre in Beijing. The unique structure emulates the formation of soap bubbles, concentrating the support along the edges, and allowing for a column-free span. As a former competitive swimmer and aquatic sport enthusiast I can trully appreciate this space for its ingenuity and aesthetics. The building mirrors the water that it encloses...form following function...or is function following form? Either way it is a unique space that is successful and demonstrates how computers and digital technology are allowing designers to accomplish things that would not have been imagined in the past.