[Catalist] Online Physics Resource: MIT: “Visualizing Electromagnetism”

[Ray Forma]

Mike,

apparently the problems with the MIT Java apps stem from the security certificates attached to the Flash animations. There also seems to be a problem with the Java programming of the animations themselves.

To bypass the dud certificate attached to these apps I had to add the http://web.mit.edu site to the exceptions site list in the Security tab of my Java Control Panel before security would allow me to download an app from that site.

Then, upon launching one of the apps I received the following arcane information about the programming error:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<!-- JNLP File for TEAL Simulation Application --> 
<jnlp spec="1.0+" codebase="http://starapp.mit.edu/viz/EM/simulations" href="pentagon.jnlp"> 
  <information> 
    <title>Pentagon Simulation</title> 
    <vendor>Studio Physics</vendor> 
    <homepage href="docs/help.html"/> 
    <description>Pentagon Simulation</description> 
    <description kind="short">Pentagon Simulation</description> 
    <offline-allowed/> 
  </information> 
  <security> 
      <all-permissions/> 
  </security> 
  <resources>
    <j2se version="1.4+" initial-heap-size="64m" max-heap-size="512m"/>
    <jar href="lib/TEALsim-simulations.jar" download="eager"/>
    <jar href="lib/TEALsim-core.jar" main="true" download="eager"/>
	<extension name="Java3D" href="java3d/java3d.jnlp"/>
  </resources> 
  <application-desc main-class="teal.app.SimPlayerApp">
	<argument>-n</argument>
	<argument>tealsim.physics.em.Pentagon</argument>
  </application-desc>
</jnlp>

You should be pleased that the security features of MacOS has detected these security flaws and is protecting you from them.

If these apps are important to you then do use Windows to view them, as long as you are comfortable with the many security exploits that still afflict Widows. Nearly all of the ‘computer’ malware that exist should really be referred to as ‘Windows’ malware.

My experience with the MIT apps are under MacOS 10.10.5 using Firefox 48.0.1, Java 8 Update 101, and Flash Player NPAPI Plug-in version 23.0.0.162
 
> On 18 Sep 2016, at 19:39, Michael McGarry <mmcgarry44 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Online Physics Resource: MIT: “Visualizing Electromagnetism”
> 
> Greetings Upper Secondary Physics Teachers,
> 
> I used PC’s until the end of 2013 when I switched from PC’s to Apple devices including a MacBook Pro, an iPad Air, and an iPhone 5S. I switched from PC’s to Apple products because of bug fixes nearly every time I installed Windows OS upgrades and because of frequent problems with loaded software integration.
> 
> I regret the switch from PC’s to my MacBook Pro in that I have difficulty in trying to play Adobe Flash Player on my MacBook Pro when accessing websites that use Adobe FP, as the Flash Player Debugger invariably loads.
> 
> I have updated FP on my MacBook Pro in accordance with this Apple Support 2016 URL: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT202681, which did not solve my problem with Flash Player.
> 
> Software Question: Can I assume that ‘old’ Physics websites use earlier versions of FP that will not open with the latest 2016 version of FP on my MacBook Pro?
> 
> For Example: My MacBook Pro will not play the wonderful “Visualizing Electromagnetism” Flash animations available at these MIT URL’s: http://web.mit.edu/viz/EM/ and http://web.mit.edu/viz/EM/visualizations/visualizingE&M/VisualizingE&M.htm.
> 
> At least the MIT “Visualizing Electromagnetism” PDF course notes open on my MacBook Pro: URL: http://web.mit.edu/viz/EM/visualizations/notes/index.htm.
> 
> Please Note: The MIT “Visualizing Electromagnetism” PDF course notes are, in my opinion, an excellent resource from which to construct Physics 12 test/exam Questions.
> 
> Computer Question: Can any CATALIST/ASTARIX 2.0 Forum subscribers play the “Visualizing Electromagnetism” Flash animations on their computers, PC or Mac?
> 
> Many Thanks,
> 
> Michael John McGarry
> 
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Regards,

Ray Forma
50 Harvest Road, North Fremantle WA 6159, Australia
Tel +61 (0) 428 596938