基礎科學課程 相對論

一、課程簡介、相對論的總覽

國立臺灣大學物理系 高涌泉 教授

2011.2.21　新物111

本堂課講授下列概念：

美哉！相對論
由狹義相對論談起
相對論的總覽（Overview of Relativity）
Michelson-Morley 實驗
光速恆定：C=constant !?
Einstein 的靈感

Video: Japanese University Uses Fish Scales To Develop Stronger Artificial Bones

Ceramics, metallic alloys, bone powder, wood or stem cells are just some of the substances doctors have used to replace or heal broken bones so far. Now a group of researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, led by Professor Junzo Tanaka, has come up with an alternative: fish scales.

According to the professor, using fish scales comes with three advantages (when compared to using collagen from pig skin, for example): it’s safer (viruses don’t migrate from fish to humans), the artificial bones are stronger, and the material converts to bone about two times faster.

German Robot Plays Pool

Thomas Nierhoff, a masters student at the Technische Universität München (TUM) programmed a humanoid robot to play pool. Of course we have seen PR2 play pool in the past but this robot does not need any special accessories to hold the pool cue. As shown in the video below, the robot can be very accurate and even the pool table can be augmented with the software developed for the robot in order to help humans play better.

We are eager to see this new contestant play against PR2, this could sprout a new kind of robotic competition.

Robots Shift Shape and Fits In Your Clothes

As shown in the video, the robot can adapt to take pretty much any shape a human can have by shifting the soft panels that make up its body.

Obama is the Friend of Robots, Announces Robotic Revolution

United States president Barak Obama announced a major manufacturing initiative from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The idea is to create an ”Advanced Manufacturing Partnership” (AMP) that brings together major U.S. manufacturers and top U.S. universities in order to invigorate the local manufacturing activities.


The video above features the full Obama speech at CMU. The video is 22 minutes long, but is filled with interesting information about the current robotic market and nice bits of humor.

Robots Cannot Eat Hamburgers… Yet

The premise of the commercial is that if a robot can not eat or use a product, then it should not make it. Although we know this is just for fun, it is important to point out that robots are commonly involved in producing many foods and consumption goods, so using that reasoning, we would not be able to use or eat much of what is available.

One fun aspect of the commercial is that they posted the making-of the video which is rather interesting to watch.

Robots for Humanity, PR2 Helps Humans in Need

PR2 from Willow Garage is now able to help people with disabilities to perform everyday tasks such as manipulating objects shaving and more. The video below illustrates the scope and the results of the Robots for Humanity project that Willow Garage, the Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech, and Henry and Jane Evans are pioneering.

Learn Artificial Intelligence at Stanford for Free

If you ever wanted to learn about AI in a prestigious university, this is your chance. Stanford University is offering its fall Introduction to Artificial Intelligence class I for free for everybody willing to register. All the class contents and lectures will be made available on-line and web students will need to submit assignments and pass tests just are regular students do. They will be also graded at the end of the semester.


Artificial Intelligence is the science of making computer software that reasons about the world around it. Humanoid robots, Google Goggles, self-driving cars, even software that suggests music you might like to hear are all examples of AI. In this class, you will learn how to create this software from two of the leaders in the field. Class begins October 10. Details on the course, including a syllabus are available here.

Swarmanoid, Robot Collaboration At Its Best

Swarm robotics -using several simple collaborating robots to accomplish very complex tasks, instead of using a single very complex robot- is becoming increasingly popular. The Swarmanoid project is a perfect example of what can be achieved by using a swarm of small robots.

As illustrated in the video above, each type of robot concentrates on a single task (e.g. navigating, grasping, or seeing) and combined they can produce emerging behaviours that are more than just the sum of their individual capabilities.

Child Gets Robotic Hand From Mercedes and Touch Bionic

Child Gets Robotic Hand From Mercedes and Touch Bionic
August 18th, 2011

What happens when a 14 year old Formula 1 enthusiast emails Mercedes-Benz asking for a contribution for a new 58 000 $ bionic arm? If Matthew James (from Woking , UK) serves as a reference: he gets it.

Matthew was born missing part of his left arm and hand and is now the owner of a very advanced “iLimb” bionic hand. When he mockingly offered Mercedes-Benz to post sponsor logos on the limb in exchange for financial help, the car manufacturer was touched by the request and actually helped him raise the funds. Then they partnered with Touch Bionic to make a custom fitted robotic hand.

iRobot 110, A Robot You Can Throw

iRobot has been working for some time now on an inexpensive (relatively speaking) military robot that would allow soldiers to explore hard-to-reach areas without risking their lives. You can see the results of their efforts in the video below, the iRobot 110 throwable robot.

As shown in the video above, not only does the robot need to be rugged, it also needs to be light so it can be carried and thrown without requiring too much extra effort from the soldiers.

Documentary about Cyborgs by a Cyborg

The recently released Deus Ex: Human Revolution video game is raising some very interesting questions regarding Cyborgs, bionic implants (or augmentations as they are referred to in the game). The documentary below explores the similarities between the fictitious augmentations and the current state of the art in bionic technology. Not only does this 12 minutes documentary feature some of the most advanced cyborgs out there, it is presented by a cyborg.