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My name is Yang Zhou, and I am a computer graphics researcher/game programmer. I am a phd student in computer science at University of California, Santa Barbara, specializing in physically-based rendering.

 

Before I came to phd, I worked at Apple as a rendering engineer. I received my master degree from Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University. During my master study, I interned at Oculus Research Pittsburgh (now Facebook Reality Lab), and Insomniac Games. Prior to my master study, I received my undergraduate degree in computer science in Southeast University, Nanjing, China.

 

The reason why I desire to make game stems from the emerging potential of game. Despite over decades of experience being a player, the decisive factor was the book "A New Kind of Science", which I read in my freshman year. Cellular automata, or Conwey’s Game of Life, prove that even a naive Democritus style world yields astonishing complexity. Since then, I have been addicted to the pleasure of being the "creator" of my world.

 

From another slightly abstract view, game is no more different than literature or music. They are all representation of the author's thoughts, and his desire of expressing the thoughts. However, I do believe game is a more powerful media than literature or music, since it involves multiple senses and interaction.

 

I sometimes imagine myself as a reckless Glider that cannot tolerate the established rules by which it is programmed, and decides to exile itself to the boundary of the planar world. It is nerdy, I admit, but somehow I can also feel a sense of poetry.

"All hail the great MangoSister!" -- Mostly a meme

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