HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: steve@hsvaic.boeing.com (Steve Tanner)
Subject:  Re: SCI: More Vr and Psychology
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 14:49:25 GMT



> From: AKOSSOWSKY@TURBO.kean.edu
> 
> Underwater, your mask magnifies images and give a sense of tunnel
> vision simalar to the lack of peripheral vision in an HMD.  Add that
> to the fact that you can 'fly' around objects from all directions, and
> the effect is very 'VR' indeed!
> 
>    I'm not sure now if this realization would suggest that diving
> makes a good comparative environment for VR, or if a simulated, VR
> dive would be an unusually realistic experience!  Any other divers
> here?
> 

On a somewhat related note:

Using VR as a zero-g simulator to enhance or to help plan the tests
done in a neutral buoyancy tank (NBT) is the subject of several
applications.  We are looking at using VR to support the planning of
these tests. (Note that I said looking, not doing.  At least not yet.)
For those not familiar with NBTs, these are large deep pools used to
simulate zero-g to test prototype designs and operational plans of
space related stuff (a technical term) and to train personnel on using
this stuff (e.g. practice putting together the space station support
structure).  We hope as our modeling abilities and HW improve, we can
use VR to help plan these rather expensive tests to get the most bang
for the buck.

So, in a sort of twisted logic, we are looking at using VR to simulate
a scuba experience which in turn is used to simulate a zero-g space
experience.  A sort of meta-simulation.  

Steve Tanner               Boeing Huntsville Advanced Computing Group
Virtual Reality Lab        Internet: steve@hsvaic.boeing.com  [preferred]
POBox 240002, M/S JY-58    UUCP: ...!uunet!uw-beaver!bcsaic!hsvaic!steve
Huntsville AL 35824-6402   Phone: 205+464-4965 FAX: 205+464-4930 BTN: 464-4965
From: msharp@Apple.COM (Maurice Sharp)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: PHIL: "Cyberspace" - did Gibson really coin the term?
Date: 20 Nov 92 03:01:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov21.051215.24843
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu




The short answer to your question is no, he did not coin the term. I
do remember a discussion about this at the first conference on
Cyberspace. I think the person who coined the term was Ruddy Rucker
(sp?).

maurice
From: rnkazman@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca (Rick Kazman)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: INFO: UW Virtual Reality Group
Date: 17 Nov 92 16:03:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: watdrago.BxvB9H.HEz
Organization: University of Waterloo
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



                  U of Waterloo Virtual Reality Group

Bernie Roehl and I have been working on the high-level design of a
distributed Virtual Reality system for the past few months.  We are now
ready to go public with the design and are looking for a few good
collaborators--people with an interest in VR who are willing to do some
research and/or software hacking and/or component building, or who have
interesting ideas of their own regarding the architecture of such a
system.

If you are interested in Virtual Reality software or hardware, and would
like to contribute some aspect of your expertise, there will be an
organizational meeting in room 1302 of the Davis Centre, Thursday the
26th of November at 4:30.  We will give a brief description of the
architecture, outline our plans for development and field questions.

If interested, please contact either me or Bernie.

rnkazman@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca
broehl@sunee.uwaterloo.ca


-- 

Rick Kazman (rnkazman@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca)                 | Disclaimer:
Department of Computer Science, University of Waterloo        |    Nope
Waterloo, Ontario  N2L 3G1  519-888-4870  Fax: 519-885-1208   |
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: "Richard M. Coffey" <c-crm@math.utah.edu>
Subject: Re: INDUSTRY: Future short/long term forcasts?
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 06:29:28 GMT


in response to tolman@asylum.cs.utah.edu...

        I tend to agree with ya Kenneth about the biggies taking over, but
there may be a five - ten year lag time for this to take place.  So everyone
and their uncle will put out VR systems until someone decides that this or
that is the best way to do things; and there's your five - ten years.  Our
mod seems to think that we won't see this flooding of the market for another
five years, but our friends at Ono Sendai (TM) say that they are very close. 
Here another clue at how close we are (At least this is my interpretation...)
look at SEGA's latest series of commercials.  At the end of these commercials
what sense do you get when you look at the SEGA logo.  Perhaps they are
hinting at some VR brewing at their labs.  There are lots of rumors flying
about both Nintendo and SEGA trying to put out the first HMD video game!

        So, what does this all mean for our Mr. Tolman?  Well, it seems to me
the more you know about everything the better off you are.  Go to school,
talk to Dave Johnson, and create VR's!  Then show us how good you are, and
then ask Bob Jacobson for a job... or maybe John Sculley... or maybe Ivan
Sutherland... or maybe Jaron Lanier... (And you hear in the distance the
theme song from Man From LaMancha)... or if you're really good you can ask Al
Gore for some grant money and start your own VR company ( the music's getting
louder now)... or maybe Steve Jobs... or (O.K. I'm being overpowered by the
music).

        I am also seeking to be a professional in the VR/VE/AR field.  I am
going in with the attitude that no matter what, I will have enough knowledge
to be involved in some part of this exciting development of science.  This is
what I want to do and I am going to do it!

       ---Richard---          +------+  email: c-crm@math.utah.edu
       -the doorman-          |      |  I am:
"Those who feel look at life  |      |  seeking CE/Physics degree
as a tragedy,                 |     o|  seeking greater wisdom
 Those who think look at life |      |  seeking new worlds
as a comedy."                 |      |  seeking the fundamental particle
                              +------
From: nucsrl!ddsw1.mcs.com!barnhart@uunet.UU.NET (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: PHIL: Virtual Communities & Rights
Date: 23 Nov 92 05:26:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov23.161940.25771
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



:From: Rick.Horowitz@lambada.oit.unc.edu (Rick Horowitz)
:Subject:  PHIL: Virtual Communities & Rights
:
:Part of my feeling is summed up simply by saying that virtual
:communities are no different than so-called real communities...they
:just don't allow "face-to-face" contact of physical bodies.
[...]
: 
:I note that there is really nothing in the UCS policy (a copy of which
:I was sent) which directly addresses the rights of the users of the
:system.  Apparently the university still does not understand that
:whether they own the system or not, the mere existence of the system,
:along with the fact that a significant group of users like ourselves
:are given access creates a de facto virtual community.  With respect
:to virtual communities instantiated on systems located in the United
:States,  persons in those virtual communities should have all the same
:rights under the Constitution of the United States as persons in
:(actual) physical communities.  This is especially true if one
:considers what Mary Hawkesworth calls 'socialized individualism' as
:opposed to the view favored by UCS personnel, Republicans and other
:fascistic folks who fail to understand how communities are constituted,
:which is known as 'atomistic individualism.' 

Just to clarify -- you wouldn't have any trouble with people who use
their net access to post Usenet articles, signatures, and .plans carrying
materials that may be objectionable to the majority of the collective?

What I'm getting at is that in railing against "Republicans and other
fascistic folks" and arguing for 'socialized individualism' you are in
effect implying that >Republican< points of view advocating things like
pro-life, pro-de Klerk, pro-Himmler for all I know, are obviously the
work of 'atomistic' individualists who clearly have no interest in
supporting the socializing aims of others on the net and need to be
disciplined, because obviously they are using their net access just
to piss people off.  Or are you prepared to go to the mat for anybody
in the virtual community, even those with anti-communitarian aims?

Aaron


[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  This seems to be veering considerably off the axis
of virtual world technology and the science thereof.  I advise further
posters to transfer this discussion to the EFF conference or another
specifically set up to deal with issues of virtual communities, as 
they will cease to appear here.  Thanks. -- Bob Jacobson]
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: STU0590@RIC.EDU
Subject: Re: TECH: Power Glove and REND386?
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 15:07:02 GMT



Yes you can hookup Nintedno's Power Glove to your PC. 

See Byte Mag.  July 1990 p 288 

Also there is a file at sunee.uwaterloo.ca you can get I think it is
a racquet ball demo that has the file THEGLOVE.DOC which also tells
you what you have to do to make it sing...
 
 Ken
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: x90sanson@gw.wmich.edu
Subject: Re: TECH: SEGA glasses
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: Western Michigan University
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 21:52:21 GMT



In article <1992Nov16.095750.10195@u.washington.edu>,
sim@niscale.LeidenUniv.nl (Sim Yskes) writes:

>>I can get SEGA 3D glasses for approximately $38 a pair.  Is this a
>>good price?
> 
> We read this message in the news, and we are wondering where you can
> order those segaglasses in the states. We are looking for a non 800
> number because they cannot be called from out of the USA.

Can they be used for a PC, with some kind of electronics???

Just wondering....


Enrique
From: AKOSSOWSKY@TURBO.kean.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: re: Sci-VW: Re: TECH: 2 video cards?
Date: 22 Nov 92 04:37:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov22.205135.29850
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


I recal sseeing advertised a box which has one VGA input and serveral 
outputs and box would map parts of the VGA input to the various output 
monitors.  With a system like you could:
1. Build a video wall like they have at the trade shows (a wall full of
monitors all making up one image)
2. send various windows of info to different monmitors for a multi-monitor
set up, or
3. map a left and right eye view to two little lcd's and all your
program would have to do in reality is draw the views side-by-side on
your regular display!

Has anyone heard of this?
From: dstampe@psych.toronto.edu (Dave Stampe)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: 2 video cards?
Date: 21 Nov 92 14:43:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov22.040145.6361
Organization: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


davidr@davidr.mentorg.com (FPD - D1434) writes:
>
>This may not be useful, but what the hey...
>
>Borland C++ 3.1 allows you to add a monochrome card and monitor and when you
>invoke the debugger on some application, the application comes up normally
>on the color monitor and the debugger on the monochrome.
>
>I'm told this works because the color and monochrome cards use different
>memory areas. (I'm new to PCs so I can't get more technical than this.)
>
Unfortunately, it's not that useful, because you can'r really draw stuff
on the monochrome card, or if you use a VGA card the control registers
addresses conflict.  The goal is to draw graphics in exactly the same
resolution and mode on each display, so you get stereoscopic depth.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| My life is Hardware,                    |         Dave Stampe          | 
| my destiny is Software,                 | dstampe@psych.toronto.edu    |
| my CPU is Wetware...                    | dstampe@sunee.uwaterloo.ca   | 
| Am I a techno-psychologist, or just an engineer dabbling in psychology?|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: AKOSSOWSKY@TURBO.kean.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: 4SALE: PowerGloves
Date: 20 Nov 92 05:39:07 GMT
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


  V R A S P   A N N O U N C E M E N T

VRASP is the Virtual Reality Alliance of Students and Professionals.

We are a non-profit organization created to further interest and research
in virtual reality.

VRASP has found two Toys 'r' Us stores in our area which have a small
clearance inventory of size large Power Gloves, new and under warranty, for
$29.99 a piece.

For the price of the glove, plus a $10.00 donation to VRASP, we will
purchase a glove for any VRASP member or sci.V-W member (anyone reading this)
and ship it via UPS ground anywhere in the US.

Your donation will also get you a diskette containing instructions
for interfacing the glove to a PC and a driver program written by
VRASP member Mark Pflaging.

All gloves and disks will be shipped within 48 hrs of receiving your
orders, and if gloves are no longer available, your payment will
be returned immediatly.

ONE GLOVE per PERSON PLEASE--SUPPLY is LIMITED

Send check or money order for $45.00 (glove and donation + $5.00 shipping)
to:

VRASP
POB 4139
Highland Park, NJ 08904-4139

MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO KARIN AUGUST

Thank you,

Karin August
President
VRASP

Andy Kossowsky
On-Line Services Manager
VRASP
AKOSSOWSKY@TURBO.kean.edu
From: slb96@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: PG HMD...Is it possible?
Date: 17 Nov 92 13:13:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: cc.1992Nov17.071315.60908
Organization: Utah State University
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


    This is just a thought, but I am puzzled by it.  What if you took a second
Nintendo Power Glove and take the sensors out.  Take those sensors and wire
them to your head somehow, but aim them backward so they don't interfere with
the PG on your hand.  Then you could just do a little reprograming to get the
computer to know where you are looking.  Well, what do you think?

Jeremy Auman
slb96@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: sci.math
Subject: 1+1/2+1/3+...+1/n > x (SOLUTION)
From: blom@husc15.harvard.edu
Date: 20 Nov 92 10:16:43 EST
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

The harmonic series with which you are dealing is closely related to
the psi function, defined as
                         
                         d            
                         -- GAMMA (z) 
                         dz           
             PSI (z) := --------------
                           GAMMA (z)  

where the gamma function is defined as

             GAMMA (1) = 1!

             GAMMA (n) = (n - 1) GAMMA (n - 1)

the gamma function is also defined for non-integral values, but it
gets hairy.  Anyway, these properties result:

                                      1 
             PSI (z + 1) = PSI (z) + ---
                                      z 


If n is an integer, then


                                 n - 1  1 
             PSI (n) = PSI (1) +  SUM  ---
                                  k=1   k 


             PSI (1) = -euler_gamma
                     = -0.5772156649015328606065120900824024310421593359


                                inf  BERNOULLI (k) 
             PSI (z) = LN (z) - SUM ---------------
                                k=1          k     
                                          k z      


Where BERNOULLI (k) is the kth Bernoulli number.  From the above equations,


                                inf  BERNOULLI (k) 
             PSI (n) = LN (n) - SUM ---------------
                                k=1           k  
                                         k (n)   


                                  n   1     1
             PSI (n) = PSI (1) + SUM --- - ---
                                 k=1  k     n


Combining these, we find that


              n   1                            1    inf  BERNOULLI (k) 
             SUM --- = LN (n) + euler_gamma + --- - SUM ---------------
             k=1  k                           2 n   k=2           k
                                                             k (n)


The Bernoulli numbers can be generated as follows:                                  

                                1
             BERNOULLI (1) = - ---
                                2

                                  1      n - 1  n! BERNOULLI (k) 
             BERNOULLI (n) = - ------- -  SUM  ------------------
                                n + 1     k=1    k! (n - k + 1)! 

The odd Bernoulli numbers B3, B5, etc. are all zero.

By expanding the above sequence, we can find the sum of the first n
reciprocals quickly and easily.  My computer gives anomalous results
for n in the range in which the sum > 100, but maybe someone else could
use this formula to verify the exact value for which we are looking.
The greatest integer less than

              100 - euler_gamma
             e

is a good estimate, but it might be a little off.
From: ara@zurich.ai.mit.edu (Allan Adler)
Newsgroups: sci.math
Subject: Help Proofreading Manuscript
Date: 20 Nov 92 07:04:03 GMT
Distribution: sci
Organization: M.I.T. Artificial Intelligence Lab.


My article "Eisenstein and the Jacobians of Fermat Curves" has been
provisionally accepted for publication, subject to revision and subject to
final approval by editor in chief. I am now going through the manuscript
and trying to correct typographical and other errors in it. The manuscript is
about 60 pages. If you would
like to help, you can obtain a copy of the manuscript by anonymous ftp
from altdorf.ai.mit.edu in the directory pub/adler. It is in the compressed
tar file eis.tar.Z. You will need to be able to uncompress and untar
the tar file. Doing so will produce a subdirectory named eis. If you enter that
subdirectory and type 

tex eis

Plain TeX will produce a dvi file and you can take it from there. I will
also create a subdirectory of pub/adler named eis which contains the
tex files themselves, in case you do not have UNIX tar or compression
facilities.

I regret that I do not have time to print out copies of the article and mail 
them to people.

The following errors have already been reported to me, although I have not
checked them myself yet:

 p.2,l.17 : "been" instead of "be"
 p.5, last line :there should be a summation sign which is refered to later.
You should say that the biquadratic non-quadratic residues are a coset of
A0.
 p.6,l.4: the expression "(-1)^n" should go into the equation .That line is
not clearly written either.
     last line : (1.10) is not an equation, it lacks the "=0", I think.
 p.8, (1.18): the word and is out of place.
      (1.22): unnecessary parenthesis.
 p.20 has sign errors and miscopied symbols. (unspecified)
 p.34,l.15: the word "that" is unnecessarily repeated.
 p.38,l.1: "equate" instead of "equation"
 p.41, l.2: "it" instead of "is"
 p.42, l.14: insert "to"
 p.56, l.13: should say "Omnem Numerum Primum", not "Omnem Numerorum Primus"
       l.15: the title doesn't make sense and I dont see what the original
may be. "comparatio" instead of "compartio". Check the correct title.
       l.18: "Aequationis Differentialis" instead of "Aequationes Differentials" 
 p.57, l.3: "les" instead of "less"
       l.11: "Commentatio Prima" instead of "Commentatione Prima"
       l.12: "scientiarum" instead of "scientarym"
 p.58, l.14: "Transcendentibus " instead of "Transcentibus"
 p.59, Legendre's reference should include year and place of publication 


Allan Adler
ara@altdorf.ai.mit.edu
Newsgroups: sci.math
From: news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System)
Subject: Re: Arch algorithm
Organization: Massey University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 02:39:51 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.210719.16933@massey.ac.nz>, news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System) writes:
> 
> > > I doing some design work of hyper parabolic (saddle shaped) structures 
> > > it occurred to me that cantary (absolutely unsure of the spelling) arch, .
> > > if a chain is hung by its ends it forms the arch I am interested in, would
> > > give much better use of the floor space near the walls. 
> > > 
> Of course, the structure with maximal strength to weight ratio will have
> tapering arches and will not be a catenary. My calculus of variations is a
> bit rusty so I won't try to solve this :-)

The strength depends on the sort of loads likely to be experienced
(e.g. earthquake and wind). I won't attempt a realistic solution, or
any kind of optimisation, but if anyone is interested, here is a
reasonable kind of arch. The arch which has cross sectional area
proportional to load, and pure compressive loads (no bending moment)
has the formula -y = ln(sec(x)), the thickness of the arch being
proportional to sec(x) = exp(-y). [ The top of the arch is the point
x=0, y=0].

Proof: an exercise.
Newsgroups: sci.math,comp.edu,misc.education
From: petry@corona.math.washington.edu (David Petry)
Subject: Re: Minimum standards for math "competency"
Keywords: math competency education university college standards
Organization: University of Washington, Mathematics, Seattle
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 02:23:27 GMT

In article <1992Nov23.021123.22797@linus.mitre.org> crawford@boole.mitre.org (Randy Crawford) writes:
>In article <1339@kepler1.rentec.com> rjfrey@rentec.com (Robert J Frey) writes:
>>If you want I can snail mail you a copy of the presentation. Here however are a
>>few facts:
>>
>>	o	The Jobs Almanac's top 5 jobs are all mathematically based:
>>		actuary, computer programmer, systems analyst, mathematician
>>		and statistician.
>
>A greater need is anticipated for systems analysts and mathematicians than for
>nurses or accountants?  First time I've heard that.  Sounds dubious.

Maybe the jobs are "top" jobs in the sense of the satisfaction they bring to 
those who have the jobs?


>>	o	The math scores of the top 1% of American high school students
>>		would place them in the 50th percentile in Japan (that's not
>>		a typo). How can we expect to compete with Japan in high tech
>>		manufacturing?
>
>I'll step out on a limb here and say: RUBBISH!  Such a statement _has_ to be
>completely wrong. 

It wouldn't surprise me much if the MEAN score of students in the American 
high schools which rate among the top 1% of all American high schools is 
about equal to the MEAN score of students in the Japanese high schools which 
rate in the 50th percentile among Japanese high schools.  That's the kind of
statistic which appears in the recent Scientific American article comparing
Asian and American students.



David Petry

Newsgroups: sci.math
From: twt@mindlink.bc.ca (Tom W. Tomlinson)
Subject: Values of p(10^n)
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 18:12:54 GMT

Hi.  I am writing various programmes dealing with prime numbers.
For verification purposes, could someone e-mail me the values of
p(10^n) for n=1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... where p(x) is the xth prime?

Thanks,
Tom
--
   ----------------------------------------------------
  |   Thomas W Tomlinson  |  Vancouver, B.C., Canada   |
  |       aka: Hylas      |        `Lotusland'         |
  |....................................................|
  |   twt@mindlink.bc.ca  | English/francais/italiano  |
   ----------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.math