A dramatic portrait of Cedric Villani, winner of the 2010 Fields Medal, the Nobel Prize of Mathematics, was a compelling start to a gripping piece about France’s domination in Mathematics.
I eagerly devoured every word of the article that appeared in a prestigious international magazine. Among numerous fascinating facts that I learnt was Napoleon’s role in setting up an institution to train the nation’s elite administrators in critical maths and engineering.
Ragdoll Cannon 3 on www.gamenode.com [1] instantly reminded me of the article. Napoleon apparently rated the skill with a saber no more important in battle, than the ability to estimate the correct angle of cannon elevation. Swivel the canon. Set elevation. Decide on velocity. Fire a sorry looking rag doll to hit the target marked “here”. A successful hit moves you to the next level. I graduated to level 9 and stayed there. A gruesome number of rag dolls met a gory end, crumpling in untidy heaps, as I tried every assault approach.
The music is gorgeous. The square ruled blue paper with hand sketch illustrative style is exquisite. Ragdoll Cannon 3 is fundamental physics brought alive. Every puzzle poses a delicious challenge. Success always involves graceful trajectories, and setting up a domino topple effect to finally reach an otherwise inaccessible target.
Ragdoll Cannon 3 is a reminder of the time before PS, Wii and Kinect came to seen. When Dr Brain from Sierra played on Windows 98 PCs, and games elevated the soul, no matter how bleak the day was!
The author may be contacted at arup_kavan@yahoo.com [2]
Links:
[1] http://www.gamenode.com
[2] mailto:arup_kavan@yahoo.com