Most humanities majors probably assume that if one didn't take physics, auto shop, and AP calculus in high school, that taking a college engineering course would be pure folly, like diving into shark-infested waters during a feeding frenzy.

But at the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) faculty are working to prove that their areas of expertise don't have to be so scary. In fact, to convince A.B. students that the water is safe, SEAS professors regularly create new courses that serve as engineering wading pools.

They teach some engineering basics, often combining engineering with other fields. These courses can teach students a great deal, without being as daunting as the deep, murky waters of Nonlinear System Theory or the Energetics of Biological Macromolecules.

Of course these courses aren't just for A.B. students. For engineering majors, these courses provide opportunities to think about the social implications of engineers' work. They provide chances for SEAS majors to exercise their brains in other ways, by combining engineering and computer science with art, drama, economics, and sociology. And, perhaps most importantly, these courses can be a lot of fun.

Four of these courses are featured on the following seven pages.

In ELE 222: Earth, Wind, and Fire, electrical engineering professors Sharad Malik, James Sturm '79, and Sanjeev Kulkarni let students in on a few fundamental secrets that prove that the land of technology isn't really a mysterious Shangri-la reserved for geniuses.

Computer Science Professor David Dobkin and Economics Professor Paul DiMaggio team up in FRS 129: Sex, Money, and Rock and Roll, to piece together a picture of the science and culture of information technologies.

In FRS 107: Computer Animation, Computer Science Assistant Professor Adam Finkelstein and Princeton University Press designer Grady Klein turn students into filmmakers as they train them in the art and science of computer animation.

Finally, Christopher Rogers, visiting professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, lets his students feel a little like Dale Earnhardt, and a little like Dr. Frankenstein, in FRS 137: Robots.

These four courses will help A.B. students and engineering underclassmen develop their SEAS legs.

Studying the elements: Earth, wind, and fire

This course looks at silicon, wireless, and fiber optics

by Sara Peters

"My favorite part of teaching this class has been the intellectual challenge of distilling the absolutely essential elements to transmit to students. Some may be interested, now, to dig deeper." -- Professor James Sturm '79 Photo by Frank Wojciechowski "We have a group of students who are very bright and actively engaged in the learning process. That is the best reward you can get when you teach." -- Professor Sharad Malik

Professor Sharad Malik does not go easy on you. His questions are not rhetorical. He patiently awaits responses from his students, perhaps giving a subtle hint, watching them connect the mental dots, slowly drawing the answers out of their minds.

By the end of class, though, Professor Malik has clearly done his job. Hands go up, eyes reflect the first light of comprehension, and answers come without coaxing. It's a fascinating process, watching students learn.

The course in which this impressive transformation is taking place is ELE 222: Earth, Wind, and Fire. Professor Malik teaches the course with Electrical Engineering Professors James Sturm '79 and Sanjeev Kulkarni.

In case you are wondering, ELE 222 is not a music class studying the popular '70s disco-funk group, Earth, Wind, and Fire. On the contrary, it is a study of the engineering of computing and communication technologies. The elemental references represent the materials used to create computing and communication infrastructure: silicon, wireless, and fiber optics, respectively.

The class examines the differences between various computing and communication technologies, and the materials, tools, and know-how used to develop new technology.

The course identifies and defines terms that are often cavalierly tossed around as part of the techno-geek jargon. And it addresses some of the political, economic, and social constructs that motivate and shape modern computing and communication technologies.

The professors designed the course hoping to appeal to A.B. and B.S.E. students. The professors said that even the most advanced computing and communication technologies are not nearly as cryptic as they're made out to be.

"Things like PDAs and wireless Web browsers all seem like magic," Professor Sturm said. "Just how do they really work? Can you understand the basics without five years of school?"

The wide range of technologies is all based upon just a few main concepts. The professors clearly outline these few concepts in class so that humanities students do not feel overwhelmed or out of their element.

Yet, Professor Malik said that ELE 222 might also serve as an introductory electrical engineering course, since the department offers no such intro class yet. Students say that the course is a good introduction to engineering because it shows how engineers deeply impact every aspect of our lives.

"I'm B.S.E. but I don't know which field I want to concentrate in, which is why I'm taking this course," Bernard Rocca '06 said. "The best part about ELE 222 is that it teaches us about how some of the most important devices and machines of today work. These things are often taken for granted. To know how and why they work on a very deep level is very gratifying."

ELE 222 also provides a valuable service to students who don't intend to become engineers but wish to understand more about the Internet or cellular phones. Better understanding of the engineering behind such things will undoubtedly be important to students interested in finance, business, public policy, or social science.

"For the A.B. students, I hope the course demystifies technology," Professor Malik said. "This should enable them to be unintimidated by technological advances and provide them with the intellectual prowess to comprehend and analyze technological innovations in a policy or business setting."

In fact making the connection with the nonengineering students has been Professor Malik's favorite part of class.

"From class participation, it looks like we have been successful in our main objectives with the nonengineers," Professor Malik said. "Not only do we get back enthusiastic responses on factual issues, but also on the rationale behind various things."

By all accounts the class has been enjoyable for students and professors alike.

"Classroom feedback has been very positive," Professor Malik said. "We have a group of students who are very bright and actively engaged in the learning process. That is the best reward you can get when you teach."

Animation class helps students give life to abstract imaginings

by Sara Peters

Motion studies by Heather Larkin '06 for FRS 107: Computer Animation. Above: hand-drawn running deer. Below: Similar motion for rough computer model. Photo by Frank Wojciechowski Adam Finkelstein, assistant professor of computer science, teaches FRS 107: Computer Animation.

Some of us know Gollum and Dobby the House Elf from books. Jar Jar Binks, Buzz Light Year, Scrat, and Aki Ross on the other hand, won't be met on a black and white page.

There are many names we might not recognize, characters we might not have met, if not for the advent of sophisticated computer animation.

Animation has come a long way since Mickey Mouse's "Steamboat Willy" in 1928. Entire movies such as "Ice Age" and "Toy Story," and new video games such as "Grand Theft Auto" and "The Legend of Zelda" are 100 percent computer animated. These features create new worlds believable enough for audiences and players to imagine their way into with ease.

Computer-generated characters are also playing opposite human actors in movies such as "The Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter," and "Star Wars," and must maintain the realism presented by their human costars. Computer animation is an exhilarating and challenging field for computer experts and artists alike, a fact that is evident in a new freshman seminar, FRS 107: Computer Animation.

The class is taught by the dynamic, yet laid-back duo of Adam Finkelstein, assistant professor of computer science, and Grady Klein, a designer at the Princeton University Press.

The two teachers discovered their mutual interest in computer animation while enjoying another mutual hobby: ultimate frisbee.

They played frisbee games for months, before joining forces to teach COS 598: Animation, a graduate-level course. They decided the class would translate well to a freshman seminar, and began FRS 107 this fall.

Although they share an interest in the subject and a zest for teaching, they differ in expertise, which gives their students' a fuller experience.

"The benefit of working together is that we have complementary backgrounds, and therefore offer the students a broader range of experience," Professor Finkelstein said. "Grady is an artist and has a strong interest in both storytelling and the aesthetic qualities of the animation. I'm a technology person, and bring to the seminar insight into how the tools of computer graphics work, and how to use them effectively."

They allow their students to call them by their first names. They maintain an informal atmosphere to encourage class participation, discussion, and creativity.

And sure, they may occasionally watch clips of movies in class (like Yoda's big light sabre battle from "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones"). Do not, however, for a moment mistake this informality as an indicator of an easy A.

In "The Fellowship of the Ring," when Gollum's eyes scan across the screen, glowing, flickering with pain and envy, a viewer shivers like they're seeing a creature of flesh and cold blood, not a collection of computer bytes.

To learn how to create such a powerful effect, students must exercise both their right and left brains equally. The course work delves into computer science, drama, art, and more.

Topics such as plot flow, character development, character expression, movement, and realism are considered when creating a storyboard. Style, color, light, and shadow are all considered when creating the illustrations. The science behind light and motion are addressed.

Finally, when all of these elements are mixed together, the combination must be transmitted to the computer, so a proficiency in certain computer programs becomes necessary.

To cover all of these topics, the class met twice a week: once in a classroom like a seminar and once in the computer lab, which is more like a workshop. During labs students were trained in the use of appropriate software, such as Lightwave, a commercial computer animation system that creates astoundingly realistic light and shadow effects. But the fun didn't stop there.

"Since this is my area of research, we can offer the students some access to tools we are developing here at Princeton that are not yet generally available in the animation community," Professor Finkelstein said. "This allows the students to do something really unique and pushes us to make our tools more accessible to nontechnical users."

Many students said that learning to use Lightwave was the favorite thing covered in class. Some expressed that learning to use this animation and illustration software makes it possible to take the more abstract imaginings of their minds and bring them to life.

"I have really enjoyed learning how to use the program Lightwave," said Eric Knauft '06, who plans to major in physics. "I am a very spacial thinker, and the notion of creating mathematical surfaces that approximate real objects satisfies both my desires for order and aesthetic grace. I think this class has allowed me to further explore combining order and beauty."

The students exercised tremendous skills of observation and put together many pieces that did not always look as though they were part of the same puzzle.

The interdisciplinary nature of the course is what made it so challenging, but also fun and attractive to a variety of students. The students enjoyed learning from each other as well as their professors.

"The focus on group work has forced me to see things from the position of my teammates," said Dan Recht '06, another potential physics major. "This has, on several occasions, been quite enlightening. I cannot draw, and (my groupmate) John Doherty '06 is a phenomenal artist. It was very interesting working with him to create an animated story reel composed of his drawings."

Group work is of paramount importance to the students, so they can learn from the differing perspectives of their classmates.

The ultimate assignment for the course was a group project to create a 30-second, three-dimensional, animated clip.

During the seminar, the professors and students critiqued the progress of the group work, discussed the challenges and benefits of giving an animal anthropomorphic characteristics, and added extra frames to express an idea more clearly.

Students varied in opinion on the question of whether the course would appeal more to A.B. students or computer science and engineering students. However, they all agreed that they had fun in the course; a sentiment shared by their teachers.

"I generally like teaching, but this is the most fun I've ever had in a course," Professor Finkelstein said. "It's really a terrific group of students -- all good spirits. They have a pretty broad range of perspectives but are doing a great job of teaching each other and collaborating on their projects. And how could anyone not have fun in a course about animation?" nimation.

For a peek at some of the projects and programs from FRS 107: Computer Animation, see www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall02/frs107.

Sex, Money, Rock and Roll

Class studies economy, policy, sociology of Internet republic

by Sara Peters

Photo by Frank Wojciechowski "FRS 129 has been a delight to teach. The freshmen are energetic and enthusiastic, so they are fun to teach." -- Professor David Dobkin

If one were looking for a class in which one could discuss communism, spud gun technology, and the benefits of a diet consisting solely of fruit, one would probably assume that such a course could not be found on the Princeton campus.

After all, what would communists, spud gun enthusiasts, and fruitarians possibly have in common? Yet, there is one trait they share with a thousand other groups...they all exist on the Internet.

In a small seminar room with a lovely view at the top of Blair Hall, a group of freshmen tour several virtual communities (including the aforementioned trio).

They discuss the various ways in which the Internet is used by these different communities--how their usage fits their personality, how the usage suits their purpose, how legislation has impacted information technology, how information technology affects society, and a stack of other questions.

It is a meeting of FRS 129: Sex, Money, and Rock and Roll: Information Technology and Society, a course as intellectually stimulating as the title would hint.

The FRS 129 seminar examines the social issues associated with new information technology, focusing on policy. The course description states that topic matter will span the fields of computer science, economics, engineering, information science, law, philosophy, political science, and sociology.

The professors believe that to have a truly comprehensive study of technology in a social context, the technological science and the social science must be closely examined.

The course is taught by Computer Science Department Chair David Dobkin and Sociology Professor Paul DiMaggio--a scholastic combination that is an asset to students and professors alike.

"Paul brings a very different expertise from mine, so I learn along with the students when he teaches," Professor Dobkin said.

Sex, Money, and Rock and Roll may not sound at first like an apropos name for a class about computers, but at second glance it's clear that these words resound loudly in Internet discussion, just like they would in discussions about television or other communication methods.

There are many issues regarding sex on the Internet. Pornography sites are commonly the first to have the most sophisticated technology. How accessible is pornography for minors? Should one's privacy be maintained when one is viewing a sexually perverse Web site? Should such sites even exist?

Every time one makes a purchase from Amazon.com, banks online, or reads a pop-up advertisement, money becomes an issue.

Rock and roll has been a major presence on the World Wide Web since Napster first made headlines inspiring celebrity-studded debates about copyright laws.

This just scratches the surface of social issues that arise around the Internet. These professors have a lot to cover.

"I think this is a very important class because the Internet will be important throughout the lives of our students," Professor Dobkin said. "So the course content is relevant to things they'll be reading in the newspaper for the rest of their lives. For many of the students, their focus at Princeton will either be policy or technology. Without courses like this, it is difficult for students to be educated in both, and as a result, they are either technology people who come to policy late in life or vice versa. Letting people grow up in both worlds is important."

Students in the course said that it made their entry into their college career very exciting by challenging and stimulating their intellect, as well as causing them to examine their belief systems.

"Since this class deals with some controversial questions," Vidal Sadaka '06 said, "it taught me that many contemporary issues surrounding information technology are rooted in ideological differences."

Vidal explained that many of the topics discussed in class force students to examine their place on the plane between free speech and accountability.

Web sites that are sexually explicit, politically incendiary, or dangerously inaccurate may inspire disgust, rage, or worry. The students often have to ask themselves "how free do I really want my free speech to be?"

When online shopping, banking, and communication makes life easier, it does so at what expense to an individual's privacy?

The students all agree that their participation in the course has expanded their perspectives on technology in their world.

"There's something refreshingly genuine about the way our class approaches each week's material," Robert J. Moore '06 said. "It's as though everyone knows a lot about something and a little about everything, but no one, not even our professors, leaves without having learned something."

Students also appreciate the fact that the seminar gives them a chance to expand their minds, while giving them a break from the endless tedium of textbooks.

"As a student currently on the rigorous and fairly structured engineering track," said James Schrader '06, who's considering majoring in civil and environmental engineering, "this freshman seminar gives me the opportunity to do more than simply learn scientific concepts and do problems.

"It allows me to critically consider important current events and current policy issues that begin within the realm of science but whose implications extend very far into the realm of everyday life."

"This class is so important because it deals with the issues in technical terms, but it also focuses on the impact that innovations have on society," Vidal said. "I believe this dual perspective is necessary in all fields, but especially in information technology because it has such a large place in people's lives and society's development."

The students said FRS129 appeals to A.B. students as well as those studying computer science and engineering, but the course material is easier to digest for those who already have some understanding of the technology.

"The class certainly doesn't have any natural inclination toward B.S.E. or A.B. students," Robert said. "In fact, its appeal lies in the interdisciplinary nature of its content."

The students and professors express an overall sense of joy and satisfaction when they discuss this class, describing it like a breath of fresh air for the mind.

"FRS 129 has been a delight to teach," Professor Dobkin said. "The freshmen are energetic and enthusiastic, so they are fun to teach."

"Every week is like a fresh taste of the real world," Robert Moore said, "where progress is made not by the application of some specific discipline, but by the combination of several, and the innovation and creativity of intelligent people."

Students learn lessons from Legos^®

Nothing robotic about response to this seminar

by Steven Schultz

Photo by Denise Applewhite Christopher Rogers, standing, uses technology -- in the form of robots made from Legos® -- to engage students in his freshman seminar. The reaction has been enthusiastic among humanities, science, and engineering students alike. Photo by Denise Applewhite The team of John-Paul Mitchell, Olachi Opara, Chris Rogan, and Lusann Yang placed first in team competition in FRS 137: Robots, for a programmable odometer that feeds the robot information about how far it has traveled.   "It's a dream. This is one of the best classes that could ever happen. You work, but it's fun. It has everything."

Mr. T was going in for the kill. The squat, four-wheeled robot made of Legos^® motored across the floor, dragging a blue microphone cable behind it.

As the freshmen who created it looked on, Mr. T made a series of left turns until the cord lassoed a smaller robot that limped aimlessly across the floor. The loop tightened; the hapless robot was caught.

It was the start of a session of FRS 137: Robots, a freshman seminar created by visiting professor Christopher Rogers to introduce students to concepts of engineering and physics.

The class revolved around competitions between robots that students constructed from advanced Lego^® kits that include a small computer, motors, gears, light and touch sensors, and other gadgetry.

Professor Rogers introduced students to subjects such as mechanics and circuit design and laid out the ground rules for the competition.

"For the liberal arts majors, they see that the engineering stuff is not that scary," said Professor Rogers, the Kenan Trust Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). "For the engineers, they see why they want to take the next two years of math and physics so they can actually do the engineering."

Among the students in the class--13 of whom were planning to major in engineering or science and four who were to considering major in the humanities--the reaction was enthusiastic.

"It's a dream," said John-Paul Mitchell. "This is one of the best classes that could ever happen. You work, but it's fun. It has everything."

"I really like that it's so different from anything else I am taking," said Morgan Galland, who is leaning toward a major in the humanities. "I had never taken physics before. Now I am learning some physics in a class that's really interesting, and I'm having a lot of fun doing it."

Applying principles

The assignment for week four was to create a "bug" and a "bug catcher." The only requirement for the bug was that it move, if only very slowly.

Solutions for the catchers ranged from the spartan Mr. T, which had no way of detecting the bug but drove in big loops that were likely to circle it, to a complex robot that used light and touch sensors to track its bug and snare it with crab-like pincers.

As the students filtered into the Friend Center classroom, they began making last-minute adjustments, but they were also looking with open admiration at the creations of their competitors.

"Some of them are so elaborate I almost feel guilty ... but not quite," said Ethan Clarke, as he looked over the entrants. Ethan helped create Mr. T and its victim bug along with classmates Nate Domingue, Sameer Sharif, and Mark Spano.

"We are really good at finding the simplest solution," Nate said.

"You mean you're really good at defeating the purpose of the assignment!" another student interjected.

"No, we finished it," Nate insisted. "Isn't the goal of engineering to do the job as efficiently as possible with as little material as possible?"

Seeing others apply the principles from the lectures often brings home the point best, said Lusann Yang. "We'll walk into class on Tuesday and say, 'Wow, I didn't even think of that. That's just plain cool. Now how do I fix my robot in the space of this one hour so it can be cooler than that one?'"

The competitive spirit also carries students through the lecture sessions.

"I learned about torque and gearing in physics class, but it wasn't fun because I didn't apply it," Yang said. "But here we want to learn everything, because if we learn it well, it will help us beat everyone else in the next competition."

The power to motivate makes robots a great teaching tool from kindergarten to college, said Professor Rogers, who, as a faculty member at Tufts University, worked with Lego^® to develop robot kits, which the company now markets. The project is part of Professor Rogers' broader effort to combat what he sees as a lack of attention to math, science, and engineering in primary schools.

"Kids, from day one, love to build stuff," said Professor Rogers, whose main research is in fluid dynamics. "If we can use that love for building to teach them math, science, engineering, and even reading and writing, it could be a lot more powerful than just teaching reading," he said.

Engaging students with technology remains important in college, he said.

"The average graduate from high school these days has woefully poor self-esteem when it comes to taking things apart and figuring out how to fix them," he said. "In this class, they realize they are able to do it, that they can figure it out, that they take things apart and understand how they work."

In the bug-catcher challenge, no clear winner had emerged after several rounds. Professor Rogers ordered an impromptu winner-takes-all finale, with all the catchers racing for a single bug. The students stood in a ring, cheering their creations.

One catcher quickly hit the bug and efficiently lowered its box-like cage over it.

"That bug is seriously caught," acknowledged a student whose catcher was foundering. Meanwhile, Mr. T doggedly circled. A fresh cheer rose from its partisans as, for a moment, it looked as though the mic cord would lasso the whole group. Then Mr. T ran into a wall.

Professor Rogers handed out the victory prize--a programmable odometer that feeds the robot information about how far it has traveled--to the team of Yang, Paul, Allen Hsu, Olachi Opara, and Christopher Rogan.

But class was not quite over. Professor Rogers grew serious for a last announcement: It had been a poor showing the previous week at the Frisbee^® game that he instituted after every Tuesday class. A group soon assembled on the green in front of Fine Hall.

Professor Rogers heartily urged a visitor into the game. "It's educational," he said, stripping down to gym shorts and heaving an opening throw to one of his students. "It's all about fluid dynamics."