Something fun I ran into at the St. Louis Science Museum during a recent visit...
July 14, 2002 11:29 AM Subscribe
Something fun I ran into at the St. Louis Science Museum during a recent visit... I ran into this virtual fishtank exhibit when in St. Louis, and found it interesting as a hybrid web site/exhibit. You can create fish in any museum featuring it, or via the web site, then run the fish in a personal tank or in a museum's tank. Then you can see it's impact on that tank.
I need to go by tonight and pick up my fish from St. Louis.
I do wish the there was a bit more physical customization available though...
posted by Samizdata at 4:03 AM on July 16, 2002
I do wish the there was a bit more physical customization available though...
posted by Samizdata at 4:03 AM on July 16, 2002
Doh! Don't try to post first thing in the morning after only 4 hours of sleep...
posted by Samizdata at 4:03 AM on July 16, 2002
posted by Samizdata at 4:03 AM on July 16, 2002
I created a fish for myself in the Boston MOS virtual fish tank a long time ago. I watched it for a while, but not much happened, so I lost interest.
posted by briank at 6:31 AM on July 16, 2002
posted by briank at 6:31 AM on July 16, 2002
I do wish the there was a bit more physical customization available though...
Well, it's an exhibit about emergent behavior - that simple rules can lead to complex behavior. The exhibit just happens to use fish as an example. So, any physical trait that you're changing is reflective of a single rule and the physical change only gives you feedback that you've really changed the rule, so the changes are variations on a theme. For example, the mouth changes shape as you determine how hungry the fish is, with four levels of hunger to choose from.
All told, off the top of my head, there are over 1000 possible fish, not including the shape change as a result of depth. The online version has a slightly smaller subset.
posted by warhol at 6:31 AM on July 16, 2002
Well, it's an exhibit about emergent behavior - that simple rules can lead to complex behavior. The exhibit just happens to use fish as an example. So, any physical trait that you're changing is reflective of a single rule and the physical change only gives you feedback that you've really changed the rule, so the changes are variations on a theme. For example, the mouth changes shape as you determine how hungry the fish is, with four levels of hunger to choose from.
All told, off the top of my head, there are over 1000 possible fish, not including the shape change as a result of depth. The online version has a slightly smaller subset.
posted by warhol at 6:31 AM on July 16, 2002
Just picked up my fish from Srt. Louis and am dropping it off in Boston. Hopefully the Boston tank will be a bit busier.
posted by Samizdata at 3:46 AM on July 17, 2002
posted by Samizdata at 3:46 AM on July 17, 2002
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Are hybrids like this interesting? What's missing in the experience? What does *anyone* want to know about the experience?
Disclaimer: I helped design and create it.
posted by warhol at 8:21 PM on July 15, 2002