Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Secret Science Club After Action Report

Dr. Christoph Bregler, a NYU computer scientist and pioneer in CGI and motion capture techniques, gave last night's lecture, and presided over a rollicking game of squidball, hampered only by the large chandeliers in the Bell House. Dr. Bregler started the lecture with a mention of the Turing test, and the possibility of fooling a human observer into thinking a computer-rendered image was a real person. While some recent some recent stills can come close, the animated figures tend to lose any versimilitude, and the illusion is shattered.

Dr. Bregler also invited several of his grad students up to the stage, one of whom (Ian Spiro) developed the DotShow iPhone app. The first demonstrated DotShow video was a "Rick Roll", which the bastard immediately recognized.

All in all- a fun, interactive lecture, and a crack at a serious contender for "Sport of the Future".

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