How are we going to stop Contagion if it hits? Why do flocks of birds move in the way that they do? How do we stop current population growth that seems to be shooting out of control? What is the best strategy to stop the zombie apocalypse?!
Any of these questions can be answered by use of a simulation program called NetLogo. At NDQC this summer, a group of high school students and teachers are attempting to find answers to some of these questions. By running simulations on this program, students are able to test certain variables on these situations to examine what the important variables are. In a Contagion simulation (screenshot below), the student can change how contagious a disease is to watch the effect on how it spreads. In a bird flocking simulation (screenshot above), the student can examine the effects of a hawk flying through the flock might have. In a zombie apocalypse simulation the student can change whether or not the military can use nuclear power to destroy the zombies.
There are a multitude of possibilities to research with or just to play around with. Science can be fun! Take a look at the program for yourself…