Benjamin E. Weiss

Summary

I've always been interested in math and science, and in my childhood I was no less fascinated by video games and computer graphics. So it seemed quite natural that I would develop a talent for writing my own computer software, as a sideline of my progression through the world of mathematics. After all, any computer program boils down in the end to applied math and logic, even the ones that draw the prettiest pictures, or perform the most fluid calligraphic brushstroke-based artwork. I began to experiment with simple programs, drawing simple pictures on the screen of my Apple IIc computer.

As I gradually explored new areas of science, more and more artistic possibilities came within my computational grasp. Linear algebra provided tools to flip and rotate graphics in three-dimensional perspective, the basis for countless computer games. Physics and optics opened the door to use the computer as a virtual camera, taking color snapshots of imaginary landscapes and panoramas. All this, of course, as a mere hobby, while I dutifully made my academic way through high school and college.

Then, just after my sophomore year at HMC, my life turned upside-down. In the mundane process of looking for a temporary summer job, I stumbled onto an amazing opportunity; a small startup software company, which was willing to hire me to create computer-graphics programs for them! Suddenly, the roles were reversed.