Inevitable becomes more inevitable

Last year I got into something called Paranoia.

It is a dystopia-themed sci-fi RPG in which players are not allowed to know the rules (except maybe that one, maybe, oh dear, I’ve probably said too much…) as they try to the bidding of the omnipresent planet-ruling AI, Friend Computer (which mostly involves killing commies, mutants and traitors, which the players invariably are at least guilty of three of those crimes).

You can get a digital dose of Paranoia through Java via the Paranoia-Live community.

Through that network I’ve come into knowledge of a similarly themed boardgame on the precipice of release – Inevitable.

Inevitable is a satirical board game set in a slapstick dystopian future. Every play is designed to provide 2-6 players with hours of quality entertainment, danger, violence, betrayal, mayhem, and laughs. It contains a robust amount of high explosives and dead things. It was designed by people who think Orwell’s 1984 is a comedy and the Necronomicon is a romance.

If you are willing to fork out $75 in the next 48 hours you can get yourself a special print copy of the game, and your name in the credits. The game includes references to The Flying Spaghetti Monster, The Church of the Sub Genius, Kali the Destroyer and more – and that’s just the play money.

Don’t worry nurse, its a *healing* sword

I’m all up for learning in gaming, and even for gaming in learning (more on that story later), so the story of Healing Blade intrigues me. It even has a trailer.

A company called Nerdcore Learning has released what looks like a Magic: The Gathering Style Trading Card Game (TGC) that is supposed to help medical students remember what antibiotics they should be using for particular infections. It also mixes things up with cards for antibiotic resistance, as well as broad-spectrum antibiotics. I’m am quaking at the sight of Bacillus athrancis and his hordes of sparkly butterflies.

Yes. Your future doctor will have learned how to cure your ails by playing a medical-themed version of Yugi-Oh. Oh, dear, what?*

I wonder if they will release an OVA, or at least a web-comic.

If your interested in medical card games for younger demographics, there’s always Zygote Games’ Parasites Unleashed.

*Actually I’m far more worried about the med student likening his practice of medicine to Mass Effect…

Surely a ball of string is cheaper

I’ve seen some videos circling about the place of children using the iPad but this is just silly.

Actually, you know what I would like to see: those talking/language proficient non-human apes getting a spin on this device. That might actually be some productive. (Not the only one who thought about this apparently).

Clown science

Misconceptions and wonder can be a great way to teach science.

Last year I had a thirteen year-old doubt me when I said that grasses were plants, which was surprising, but was a good place to start a discussion.

It’s all about asking questions, rather than making statements. The student didn’t tell me I was wrong, and I didn’t do the same for that. I was asked  something like “Is grass really a plant?” and I responded, “Well, what have we discussed plants are? Does grass match the description? If it’s not a plant what is it?” Perhaps to many questions at once, but I was only starting out.

Problems can happen when the questions are treated as the answer. “What is up with that?” is treated as “Whatever.” It’s enough to make a clown’s head hurt.

If this doesn’t make sense you may have to check the ICP original.

Drama, drama, drama

Some classroom dramas I can do without. But classroom drama is another thing entirely.

I’ve been slowly trying out a few theatre-games I’ve found on this website. Some with after-school care and some in the classroom.

I’m finding theatre games can be tricky with younger kids. For one, even the most attention-seeking children can become shy when put on the spot, and secondly, they often have trouble expressing more complex ideas.

I really enjoy the Name Game #2 – very useful in learning students names. I also tried Emotion Party, The Park Bench and You (the last is a little crazy).

I think next I might like to have a go with Open Scenes, which could solve the problem of not being able to come up with dialogue.

Free Science! No ulterior motive necessary!

Ulterior motive may be included anyway.

Valve has released steam for mac (squeee!), and for the next couple of weeks is offering award-winner Portal for free download to everyone*. Enjoy some portal fun and the eternal promise of cake!

Okay. I managed to finish it in under 3 hours gameplay (at least that’s what Steam is telling me), but Portal is an awesome game, and I’ll put that down to me having already played the last quarter of the game (which is plenty crazy when you haven’t gone through the original training levels).

And that was my Saturday.

*Which may or may not have something to do with Portal 2 being imminent.

Jim’s Story: Engine bodies and body engines

This is taken from my Science Education textbook, The Art of Teaching Science. Is this a science lesson gone wrong? or a science lesson gone right?

Snapshot 10.1

Jim (not his real name) was explaining homeostasis to his Year 12 biology class. Homeostasis is the process where bodily inputs and outputs are balanced to maintain a constant internal environment. To model body temperature regulation, Jim used a car engine’s cooling system to show how heat input and output are balanced.

Is this anti-racism comic being racist?

Take a look at this comic:

This is clearly a comic against racism, but is this particular page racist?

Click the image for the complete comic.

Hello. What’s your name? Aaaaaaaaagh!

Pink titty woman. Hehehehe...

No, it is not my Friday night pick up line.

While I’m busy stressing over my last two pieces of assessment – both taking an indigenous angle – enjoy this delightful Aussie short I rediscovered during my research, Mimi by Warwick Thornton, courtesy of australianscreen.

It does not embed. It is also incomplete. Which is disappointing because the ending is just wonderful.

Rated PG. May contain names, images, or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons.

Clip 1.

Clip 2.

Clip 3.

The ending involved a raw chicken and body paint. I’ll leave that as a tantalizer for you to go looking for it.

Suspected zombie outbreak in Melbourne

Warning: We have a possible patient zero…

(Image: xkcd)

I hope this new-fangled national health reform has some sort of measures that prevent the dead just up and walking out into the streets and cause the zombie apocalypse.

To be fair, Mr. Thornton is still speaking, however may be deluded as he still professes disbelief in his death despite documents clearly stating otherwise. He may not be a zombie, perhaps a vampire or post-mortem deity?