The special effect of physics
PhysicsWeb: Feature: February 2004

From Hollywood blockbusters to the design of aircraft cockpits, the visual-effects industry relies on tracing the path of light to create scenes that do not and may never exist

Optical physics
From the dawn of history people have tried to convey to others an impression of the mental images they see in their mind's eye. We have come a long way since the Renaissance times of Albrecht D�rer and his attempts to use Euclid's mathematical methods as a basis for painting. Today, movie directors want to make us believe that worlds that never were and never will be are as real as our living room. One is well advised to remember, however, that 'movie physics' is an approximation of reality, and that it may differ substantially from the real world if artistic vision or viewing conventions demand it."
- posted by Sophont @ Saturday, March 13, 2004