From: Hopkins, Don [mailto:Hopkins, Don] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 1998 3:16 PM
To: 'Arthur van Hoff'
Cc: Hopkins, Don
Subject: RE: home address

Hi, Arthur! How are Marlene and Queen B@rix?

I'm having fun like usual! A while ago the Mathematica journal had an
article about a cellular automata that simulates traffic flow and
congestion. I coded up a more general version with stationary rubber
baby buggy bumpers that play sounds when the cars bounce off of them,
the color of the bumper selecting between different sets of sounds,
and the color of the car selecting from the sound set, so you can
sprinkle different cars and bumpers to get all kinds of weird ambient
effects. No rhythm whatsoever, though. I'm still trying to think of a
way to make a musical gas with rhythm... How could I arrange for
hundreds of gas particles to beat against simulated eardrums, in
interesting rhythms? Very carefully, seems to be the only way. But I'm
looking for a more spray-on solution, like aerosol rhythm gas, the
more you spray the faster the beat. Maybe the heat of the entire
system could build up and effect the particles globally, so they all
reach a boiling point at once, blow off some steam, and start the
cycle again.

    -Don