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Brandon Sweet
University Communications
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Cue up some geometry lessons with Math's elliptical pool table
MathSoc president Jason P’Ng and Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics Stephen M. Watt unveiled North America’s first elliptical pool table.
On Tuesday, July 10, MathSoc president Jason P’Ng and Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics Stephen M. Watt unveiled North America’s first elliptical pool table. After a few words fromDean Watt and P’Ng, the MathSoc president squared off against the dean, winning the first game played on the table.
Full of cupcakes with pink icing and, students played in a tournament for the next 1.5 hours.
This unusual pool table was developed by Alex Bellos, a British journalist who covers sports and mathematics. His book,The Grapes of Math, required research that led him to be interested in the form of the ellipse and he decided to build a pool table using the shape.
He then developed a set of rules for a two-player game called Loop (yes, pool backwards). The rules are simple: there are 4 balls: 1 cue ball, 1 black and two colours, one for each player. If you sink your colour, and then the black, you’ve won.
If you’re ever in the MC Comfy Lounge and want to give it a try, here are some tips:
- If you remember your geometry, an ellipse has two focus points.
- Know where the focus point is – it will help you determine exactly where to hit the coloured ball.
- Remember the random variables – resistance, friction, irregular surface and how hard you hit the ball – so hit it with just the right amount of force.
Canadian Academy of Engineering honours ݮƵ faculty, alumni
New Canadian Academy of Engineering fellows inducted in June 2018.
This article originally appeared onthe ݮƵ Engineering website.
ݮƵ Engineering professors and graduateswere inducted into the
The new fellows include faculty membersFakhri Karray, electrical and computer engineering,Susan Tighe, civil and environmental engineering,John Yeow, systems design engineering, and adjunct professorMary Wells, mechanical and mechatronics engineering.
Also inducted were ݮƵ Engineering alumni Catherine Booth (BASc ‘ 88, SD, MASc ’90, ManSci), Jim Estill (BASc ‘80, SD), Fraser Forbes (BASc ‘82, MASc ‘84 Chem), Dianne Freeman (BASc, ’92, Civil), Josephine Hill (BASc ’91, MASc ’92, Chem) and David Ross (BASc ’91, Comp).
CAE President Eddy Isaacs inducted a total of 57 new Fellows and two new International Fellows into the academy during its annual general meeting and symposium held in Calgary.
“The new fellows are engineers of outstanding abilities and of widely varying backgrounds, from industry and academe and government,” said Isaacs during the ceremony. “What they all have in common is the demonstrated desire and ability to go beyond the normal practice of engineering and contribute in exemplary ways towards their fields and to their communities."
Founded in 1987, the CAEis the national institution through which Canada's most distinguished and experienced engineers provide strategic advice on matters of critical importance to Canada.
IST's East Campus 2 Service Desk to close in August
Information Systems & Technology has announced that the EC2 location of the IST Service Desk will be permanently closing following spring term final examinations. The location will close on Monday, August 13, 2018.
The closing, says the note from IST, relates to the current low usage of the EC2 location, and is being done in order to optimize customer service provided at the other service desk locations.
The only service unique to the EC2 location is the scanning of Scantron cards for mid-term and final examinations.
Scanning will be available during the mid-term exam period at EC2 by appointment only. To make an appointmentforscanning of mid-term exams, pleasevisit the Scantronappointment page.
"At this time, there are no planned changes to this service for final exam periods," says the note from IST.
Those seeking service after August 13 can visit the other IST Service Desks for IT support.Check out IST'sHelp & Support pagefor information on locations and contact information.
Anyone with questions is invited to contact the IST Service Desk,helpdesk@uwaterloo.caor ext. 44357 or submit an RT atrt@rt.uwaterloo.ca.
Arts UndergraduateOffice closures
The Arts Undergraduate office will be closed today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Monday, July 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Link of the day
When and where
,Thursday,July 12, 12:30 p.m., TC 1112.
Open House - Harnessing Quantum Technologies, Friday, July 13, 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre.
, WISE Senior Research Fellow, "Decoding the Energy Access Puzzle: An Overview of an Experiment at the Grassroots Level," Friday, July 13, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., DC 1302.
CS seminar: The prehistory and history of RE (+SE) as seen by me, featuring Dan Berry, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, Friday, July 13, 3:00 p.m., DC 2585.
The Promise of Living: University Choir, Saturday, July14, 7:30 p.m., Cedars Worship Centre, ݮƵ.
Book Store Summer Reading Sale, Monday, July 16 and Tuesday, July 17, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., SCH concourse.
Arts 101 Day, Monday, July 16.
(for graduate students and post-docs only), Tuesday, July 17, 10:00 a.m., TC 1208.
Coping Skills Seminar - Cultivating Resiliency, Monday, July 16, 4:00 p.m., HS 2302.
Say it in your own words: Paraphrase & summary, Tuesday, July 17, 1:00 p.m., SCH 228F.
, Tuesday, July 17, 1:00 p.m., TC 2218.
Coping Skills Seminar - Strengthening Motivation, Tuesday, July 17, 4:00 p.m., HS 2302.
Getting it done: Productive writing strategies for big projects, Wednesday, July 18, 10:00 a.m., SCH 228F.
Math 101 Day, Thursday, July 19.
, Thursday, July 19, 12:30 p.m., TC 1112.
5th Annual UWSA Golf Social Tournament,Thursday, July 19,3:30 p.m.,. Deadline to register is Friday,July 6.
,“Get introduced to five different billion-dollar problems,” Thursday, July 19, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2ndFloor.
Beautiful Wanderings: orchestra@uwaterloo, Thursday, July 19, 7:30 p.m., First United Church, ݮƵ.
Instrumental Chamber Ensemble Concert, Sunday, July 22, 7:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel Chapel.
WISE Public Lecture: Biogas - Resource Recovery & Clean Tech, Tuesday, July 24,10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.,DC 1304.
presented by CoreSolutions, Tuesday, July 24, 1:00 p.m.,DC1304.
Hallman Lecture: Whiteness, Women and Sex Tourism, Tuesday, July 24, 3:30 p.m., AHS 1686.
Lectures and classes end, Wednesday, July 25.
More Feet on the Ground - Mental Health Training, Wednesday, July 25, 9:00 a.m., NH 2447.
, “20 startups compete for $130,000,” Wednesday, July 25, 11:00 a.m., SLC Great Hall.
ݮƵ Women's Wednesdays: Lunchtime Yoga,Wednesday, July 25, 12:00– p.m. to 1:00 pm., NH 3407.
Pre-examination study days, Thursday, July 26 and Friday, July 27.
Environment 101 Day, Thursday, July 26.
Examinations begin, Saturday, July 28.
Online examination days, Saturday, July 28 and Friday, August 3.
featuring Vern Paxson, University of California, Berkeley, Tuesday, July 31, 11:00 a.m.,DC 1304.
PhD oral defences
Applied Mathematics.David Deepwell, "High Resolution Simulations of Mode-2 Internal Waves: Transport, Shoaling, and the influence of Rotation." Supervisor, Marek Statsna. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Tuesday, July 24, 10:00 a.m., MC 4042.
English Language and Literature.Emma Vossen, "On the Cultural Inaccessibility of Gaming: Invading, Creating, and Reclaiming the Cultural Clubhouse." Supervisor, Neil Randall. On deposit in the Arts graduate office, PAS 2428. Oral defence Wednesday, July 25, 10:00 a.m., HH 232.
Management Sciences.Gizem Sultan Nemultu, "Use of Markov Decision Process Models in Preventive Medicine." Supervisor, Fatih Erenay. On display in the Engineering graduate office, DWE 3520C. Oral defence Wednesday, July 25, 10:00 a.m., MC 2009.