How to lie and get away with it: How computers and CDs store information reliably using error correcting codes
Speaker:
Professor Chris Budd
Curriculum links:
Maths and ... ICT
Age range:
12 to 14
Cost:
£195 for up to 40 students, more pro rata (cancellation policy)
Date of VC1:
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Date of VC2:
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Time of VC(s):
75 mins approx (but allow 10 mins either way)
Participating schools:
St Joseph's College, London
Participating schools:
Wyvern Technology College, Hants
Places still available?:
Yes - book a place / create an account: you will need to create an account for your school if this is the first VC you've booked with us since September 2009. 
Suggestions for follow-up work
If you have ever wondered how your IPOD works then this video conference is for you!!!
The digital revolution is upon us! We are promised a huge change in the quantity and quality of information that will be available to us at the touch of a button, and we are all supposed to convert our TV sets to make this possible. Because of the change to digital, every day, vast amounts of information are sent all around the world including movies on the internet, music documents or family photos. It is vital that this information is sent quickly and reliably, otherwise our photos will all look wrong and our CDs will sound rotten.
In this video conference Chris Budd will show you how computers store information and can send it to other computers, IPODS and CDs so reliably that even if the CD is scratched you can stil hear the music perfectly.
You will learn about:
- binary numbers
- detecting errors (lies)
- correcting errors (lies)
- compressing data .. so that you can fit all of your music collection onto an Ipod
There will be lots of audience participation!
Powerpoint version of Chris Budd's talk
Follow-up project work
We will ask each participating school to give a 10 minute presentation in VC2.
More information on presenting by VC
You could investigate:
- How is music stored on your Ipod?
- How do satellites communicate from deep space?
Worksheets - these are required for VC1, and will also get you started on investigating the topic further. (These worksheets were used by Chris Budd in Masterclasses in the Bristol/Bath area).
