Tag Archives: science gaming

Games for Geoscience #EGU18 @EuroGeosciences

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I am super-excited to be Convening a session on Games for Geoscience at the 2018 General Assembly of the European Geoscience Union (EGU). In fact, I am so super-excited, I am prepared to use the phrase ‘super-excited’. I am also super-excited to be co-convening alongside two of my favourite people, Sam Illingworth and Rolf Hut.

I like playing games. Personally, I’m not a fan of board games, I prefer games with a narrative – I like tabletop strategy games, having been addicted to Games Workshop games since the age of 10. I like computer games, but having slow reactions and no hand-to-eye co-ordination, I have to stick to games like Football Manager (which my wife describes as ‘just answering emails’).

It’s probably not surprising then my research revolves around numerical modelling. There is great potential for game-like application for numerical modelling – I once got a group of 40+ 9-year olds running CAESAR-Lisflood by describing it as ‘Minecraft with worse graphics’ – and those who work with them often have a playful curiosity. We like to ask questions like ‘I wonder what happens if I do this?’, and this playful curiosity can lead to the discovery of some of the most fundamental knowledge about how our planet works.

From the original hacked version of CAESAR-Lisflood, through to TideBox and the Defend the City workshop, I’ve found that the numerical model has lent itself to a gaming environment extraordinary well for the use in teaching and public engagement.

Games are pervasive throughout Geosciences, finding use in research, in teaching, and in wider communication. They are powerful training tools. I bet you have used or played games in your work, maybe without even realising it. If you have, then this is the session for you! We are not going to be strict about definitions for what is considered a game or not, just as long as it is playful, interesting, and most importantly, fun.

Abstract submission is open from 13th October 2017, and closes 10th January 2018.

If you’ve never submitted to an Educational and Outreach Symposia (EOS) session before, I would encourage you to do so – they are very enjoyable, and as they don’t prohibit you submitting another Oral abstract for another session they are great way to maximise the exposure of your research.

You find more details here.

Alongside the session we are hoping to host a related gaming session, giving us all the opportunity to try each other’s games – have something you want to bring along? Let us know.

EGU Blood Bowl Cup – I’m also interested in running the first ever EGU Blood Bowl Cup. I only need at least one opponent to make this happen, so let me know if you want in. I might even make a special pitch for the occasion.

Hull University Science Festival with @SeriousGeoGames

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It’s that time of year again, one of the most exciting times of the year for me. This weekend, on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th, is the Hull University Science Festival. It’s my fourth time presenting an exhibit here, and it’s come a long way. This year, I will be leading a team of helpers with an exclusively SeriousGeoGames exhibit – on behalf of the Department of GEES.

In 2013, when the event was called the Science Showcase and took part in Hull Town Hall, I was inexperienced (still to submit my thesis!), and was asked to present the Dynamic Humber Project I was employed on. Our exhibit was not very good, composing a stale poster and an informative, but not very interesting, presentation we had to project on to the ceiling! We were later joined on the ceiling by the plastic balls from Becky Williams’ awesome liquid nitrogen volcano demonstration!

My Mother-in-law, Beverley, trying Humber in a Box

In 2014, I stepped up my game a little and so did the event. The first true Hull University Science Festival, we were housed in a large marquee on Campus. I presented a hacked version of the Humber CAESAR-Lisflood model, with a slider to raise sea level – it was the precursor to Humber in a Box. The participants found it interesting when they used it, but many people bypassed us as we were sandwiched between a 3D Printer and HIVE – to be honest, I would have done the same.

My favourite ever interaction came during this event, which went something like this –

Me – You move the slider and you raise the sea level in the Humber.

Schoolgirl 1 – (With full sincerity) In real life?

Me – (Struggling to come up with a reply) No, just in the model.

Schoolgirl 2 – (Said in a way only a close friend could) Don’t worry about her, she’s really thick.

I’m not sure you can every really train or prepare yourself for conversations like this! She wasn’t “thick” as her friend cruelly suggested, and I am constantly blown away by how bright and engaged the school pupils who visit us are – it really is a joy explaining our science to them.

Last year, I had Humber in a Box at my disposal for the first time. The exhibit I was part of also featured the River in a Box mini-flume, and the this and the excitement of the VR headset ensured a busy couple of days!

Now in 2016, we will be presenting Humber in a Box, but also Flash Flood! for the first time. We have be demonstrating the application on a large TV, and you’ll get the chance to explore our virtual river valley. We will also have some of the field equipment used to make the application on display. I’m really proud of Flash Flood! and am very excited about demonstrating it in public for the first time.

Looking forward to seeing you there! Details here.

The “in the Boxes” at @FreedomFestHull via @SeriousGeoGames

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I’m very excited to let you know that Humber in a Box and River in a Box will both be part of the University’s Science Corner, part of Hull’s Freedom Festival 2015*.

Humber in a Box

This year, the University of Hull will have a Science Corner in Queen’s Gardens on the 5th and 6th of September, from 12 til 6 – it is free. As well as in the Boxes, their will be plenty more including Lab on a Chip and Angry Birds Physics, as well as the ever popular Battle of the Slime. More details here.

Hope to see you there!

*The Freedom Festival began as part of the 2007 celebrations to commemorate Hull born William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was instrumental in the abolition of the slave trade by the UK through his work as an MP, first with the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 and with the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, shortly before his death.

FULL Humber in a Box Demo Video (@SeriousGeoGames)

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I anticipated it would be much harder and take much longer for me to make a full video demonstration of Humber in a Box. Actually, once I got the hang of things it was pretty straight forward. I even managed to record audio with my phone and add that to it too.

The video shows the basic functionality of Humber in the Box, demonstrating the graphics, as viewed in an immersive VR environment, and how the CAESAR-Lisflood model behind is calculating the tidal flows. The second part shows the sea level change function, increasing the water level by 1m in line with predictions for 100 years in the future. This is shown to not be as dramatic as other methods of showing the effects of future sea level rises, as it accounts for the flood defences in place (don’t forget, these will be significantly improved and raised also).

Part three gets into the hypothetical, looking at a 10m high tsunami wave travelling down the estuary. It is very dramatic, but really isn’t much of a possibility in the Humber. Finally, the video shows what would happen if all of the planet’s ice instantaneously melted, adding 74m to sea level.

You will, of course, need a Google Cardboard, or a VISR, or similar, to view this video in the way it is intended. Hopefully, before long I will be able to produce a 2D equivalent but I don’t have a version of Humber in a Box to achieve this yet. Hope you enjoy, and I really would appreciate any feedback or comments you might have.

Google Cardboard Demo for Humber in a Box (@SeriousGeoGames)

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I’ve been playing around with getting a Humber in a Box demo up on YouTube, intended for view using a Google Cardboard headset. I’ve got a first test after much faffing around.

I used some freeware to record off my desktop, but as the video needs to be high quality (both resolution and framerate), it’s rather limited. After the clip reached 4GB it keeps looping back, so about 2 minutes is my limit. I can get around this by recording lots of clips and stitching them together later.

To view the clip, start this video on your smartphone and place it within the Google Cardboard. Simple really.

The final video will have an audio track with my commentary over it, explaining what the simulation is and what it is showing. Still, it’s much better in person and I hope to bring you some exciting news in that area soon!