Students get serious about fun
“This is the funnest class at MIT,” declared Maria Yang, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and an instructor of course 2.00b (Toy Product Design), as she introduced the final presentations of toys that 16 teams had spent a semester dreaming up, designing, and prototyping. And sure enough, the students in 2.00b, now in its eighth year, proceeded to demonstrate a wide array of colorful, intriguing, and imaginative devices. These included building blocks with unexpected properties; board games with extra dimensions; live-action battle games and toy weapons; and unusual construction toys that sometimes unleashed earthquakes to destroy their constructions. Teams of four to six students — mostly freshmen — introduced their creations with corny skits or elaborate costumes, fielding questions from the crowd in Room 10-250 on Tuesday evening. Attendees included many families with young children — for the most part, the intended customers for the prototype toys and games. Infectious fun One of...