Anybody hear of this Spintronics game/teaching-tool?

[swampwiz]

No, it's not THAT Spintronics ...

I must say that I am impressed and might have to add this to my "geek toy" collection:

 

[pbuk]

It looks like a terrible idea that has been executed really well. Analogies are (arguably) useful, but only up to a point. They have gone far beyond that point.

 

[vela]

It looks like a terrible idea that has been executed really well. Analogies are (arguably) useful, but only up to a point. They have gone far beyond that point.

Why do you say that? For a damped harmonic oscillator, it's the same differential equation that describes both systems.

 

[pbuk]

Why do you say that?

See the purple thing top right in the still from the video? That's an ammeter, connected of course in series. Does it look like it's in series? And the blue thing in the middle at the bottom (which is internally a differential gearbox). That's a junction. Actually it's two junctions: both ends of the "resistor" and "capacitor" connected in parallel.

it's the same differential equation that describes both systems.

I think if your aim is to educate people in basic electronics then getting the differential equations right at the expense of serial vs parallel connections is a fail.

 

[swampwiz]

See the purple thing top right in the still from the video? That's an ammeter, connected of course in series. Does it look like it's in series? And the blue thing in the middle at the bottom (which is internally a differential gearbox). That's a junction. Actually it's two junctions: both ends of the "resistor" and "capacitor" connected in parallel.I think if your aim is to educate people in basic electronics then getting the differential equations right at the expense of serial vs parallel connections is a fail.

I agree that for folks learning this - especially kids - it's a hard leap. And therefore it's use is mostly as a cool geek toy, which is good enough for me.

 

[swampwiz]

Why do you say that? For a damped harmonic oscillator, it's the same differential equation that describes both systems.

That's about the only thing it does that does a good job at the analogy.

 

[robertphy]

No, it's not THAT Spintronics ...

I must say that I am impressed and might have to add this to my "geek toy" collection:

Sorry, I don't know it at all.