Let us all share a moment of silence for the glorious free tail bat who bravely ventured into the depth of space. Our nameless hero clungly resolutely to the fuel tanks of the spaceshuttle Discovery, as it launched itself into orbit a mere 3 days ago. The fate of the bat so far, remains unknown, though NASA officially speculate that it was either frozen in the void of space or charred during the fiery lunch sequence. Whatever the case, all bats today can hang proud, knowing that one of their own has made the first steps towards space.

Oh, you can also read NASA’s much less inspiring statement on the matter.

Starcraft is now an official course at Berkeley

Starcraft, the computer game that has destroyed the grades of many promising students in the past decade, may now help the same students achieve better grades… at least if you live in Berkeley. The university is now offering a fully accredited course on playing Starcraft.

Nope, we’re not talking about programming games, or game design, but actually playing the game. Well, just that would be too easy, the course also involves theoretical components, such as this most academic question:

A Terran Siege Tank in Siege Mode attacks for 70 damage, has 150 hp, and 1 armor. This means that after two upgrades, a Siege Tank can kill another Siege Tank in two hits instead of three. What are other significant damage combos? Be sure to investigate not just upgrades and numbers of hits, but also unit group combinations. Which numbers are worth noting?

Now, I bet you haven’t seen a question with such depth, and I am sure Prof. Vidal would agree. I mean, just check out the full course description:

This course will go in-depth in the theory of how war is conducted within the confines of the game StarCraft. There will be lecture on various aspects of the game, from the viewpoint of pure theory to the more computational aspects of how exactly battles are conducted. Calculus and Differential Equations are highly recommended for full understanding of the course. Furthermore, the class will take the theoretical into the practical world by analyzing games and replays to reinforce decision-making skills and advanced StarCraft theory.

If you’re interested, you can enrol in a degree at Berkeley now. 

Source: 1up