BSC 4454C - Digital Dinosaurs

Science is increasingly becoming more digital, and this is particularly true for paleontology, the study of ancient life. New digital tools are allowing paleontologists to image, study, share, and interact with fossils in powerful and exciting ways. From unlocking secrets hidden in ancient fossils to bringing dinosaurs “back to life” in 3D form, motion, and even color, these new insights also provide a better understanding of the evolution of living dinosaurs: birds.

Digital Dinosaurs will provide a comprehensive exploration, including some hands-on training, of such cutting-edge hardware and software tools. Lectures will include the history, theory, and application of these approaches: what did the Beatles have to do with the development of X-ray scanning? How can a piece of cardboard transform a smartphone into virtual reality headgear? And how fast could Tyrannosaurus rex actually run? While the subject matter will focus on dinosaurs, the techniques will be applicable to a variety of other STEAM disciplines, from biology and geology to art and architecture. Labs will span the entire virtual workflow:

• digital scanning of “analog dinosaurs” (fossils)

• 3D reconstruction and analysis

• visualization approaches, including virtual reality

• the animation techniques (and dinosaurs) used in Jurassic World

• rapid prototyping methods such as 3D printing

The “real-world” exams will represent the entire scientific pipeline in professional academia: idea/ hypothesis generation, research, and proposal writing (Midterm), followed by data generation/ analysis, publication, and presentation (Final Project). 

Prerequisite(s): BSC 2011  (min grade C-)