DOCSLIB.ORG

VELUM: a 3D Puzzle/Exploration Game Designed Using Crowdsourced AI Facial Analysis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
VELUM: a 3D Puzzle/Exploration Game Designed Using Crowdsourced AI Facial Analysis MQP MBJ-1701 & 1702 / JRW AA6L VELUM: A 3D Puzzle/Exploration Game Designed Using Crowdsourced AI Facial Analysis A Major Qualifying Project Report submitted to the faculty of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Bachelor of Science Nicholas Chaput, CS August Beers, IMGD/CS Connor Mattson, IMGD Connor Thornberg, IMGD Jie Weng, IMGD Submitted April 27, 2017 Advisors: Professors Brian Moriarty and Ralph Sutter, IMGD Professor Jacob Whitehill, CS This report represents the work of WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review. For more information about the projects program at WPI, please see http://www.wpi.edu/academics/ugradstudies/project-learning.html. Abstract Velum is a first-person 3D puzzle/exploration game set in a timeless version of the Boston Public Garden. The project’s narrative framework and aesthetics are based on one of the Garden’s most prominent features, the Ether Monument, which commemorates the 1846 discovery of diethyl ether’s effectiveness as a medical anesthetic. A sequence of nine abstract challenges is rewarded by a progressive revelation of the player’s mysterious identity and purpose. The puzzle design was informed by the use of crowdsourced playtesting involving 300+ volunteers, combining standard data telemetry with AI-based facial image analysis capable of mapping player emotions to gameplay events. Acknowledgements Our team would like to extend a special thanks to the following individuals for their continuous support throughout our project. Project advisors Brian Moriarty, Professor of Practice, IMGD Ralph Sutter, Instructor / Lecturer, IMGD Jacob Whitehill, Assistant Professor, Computer Science PAX East IQP team Dean O’Donnell, faculty advisor Eric Cerini, Matthew Szpunar and Kelly Zhang, coordinators Special thanks John Thornberg Mike Voorhis Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Development ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1. Game design ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1. Theme and inspirations .............................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.2. Experience goal .......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3. Narrative design ....................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.4. Puzzle design ............................................................................................................................................ 11 2.1.5. Player interaction ..................................................................................................................................... 15 2.2. Visual art .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.3. Audio and music ............................................................................................................................................... 25 2.3.1. Artistic focus ............................................................................................................................................. 25 2.3.2. Music selection ........................................................................................................................................ 27 2.3.3. Sound design ............................................................................................................................................ 28 2.4. Engineering ...................................................................................................................................................... 31 2.4.1. Choosing an engine .................................................................................................................................. 31 2.4.2. Coding ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 3. Playtesting ....................................................................................................................................................... 39 3.1. Professor Moriarty's class ................................................................................................................................ 39 3.1.1. Playtest results ......................................................................................................................................... 40 3.2. PAX East 2017 .................................................................................................................................................. 42 3.3. Study design ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 3.3.1. Inspiration ................................................................................................................................................ 44 3.4. Experimental design ......................................................................................................................................... 47 3.5. Methodology .................................................................................................................................................... 48 3.6. Hypotheses ....................................................................................................................................................... 54 3.7. Visualization ..................................................................................................................................................... 57 3.8. Log analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 59 3.9. Facial analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 63 3.10. Replay analysis ............................................................................................................................................... 65 4. Post mortem .................................................................................................................................................... 67 4.1. Connor Mattson ............................................................................................................................................... 67 4.2. August Beers .................................................................................................................................................... 68 4.3. Connor Thornberg ............................................................................................................................................ 71 4.4. Jie Weng ........................................................................................................................................................... 74 4.5. Nicholas Chaput ............................................................................................................................................... 75 Works cited ......................................................................................................................................................... 79 Appendix A: Narrative script ................................................................................................................................ 81 Appendix B: Playtest notes .................................................................................................................................. 82 Appendix C: Playtest survey ................................................................................................................................. 84 Appendix D: PHP scripts ....................................................................................................................................... 94 Appendix E: Raw data in TSV format .................................................................................................................... 98 Appendix F: Sample of formatted log data........................................................................................................... 99 Appendix G: Fear dearg brainstorming notes .................................................................................................... 101 Appendix H: PQP meeting notes ........................................................................................................................ 102 Appendix I: Two-worlds game concept .............................................................................................................. 104 Appendix J: Personal meeting notes .................................................................................................................. 105 Appendix
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Medline: a Guide to Effective Searching in Pubmed & Other
    Ⅵ REVIEWS OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL Mark A. Warner, M.D., Editor Written in Granite: An Illustrated History of the Ether for the reader. The themes of war and religion are apparent in the Monument. By Rafael A. Ortega, M.D. Boston, Plexus Manage- design of the monument. The book briefly explores the controversies ment, 2006. Pages: 71. Price: $100 (or larger donation). the discovery of ether stirred in both these areas and the events that led to the acceptance of anesthesia in battlefield hospitals and to treat the Harper’s Weekly of September 26, 1868, in consecutive short arti- pain of childbirth referred to in Genesis 3:16. cles, describes the unveiling of two monuments. One in Guilford, The historic photographs of the Boston Public Garden included in Connecticut, is 17 ft tall, made of Rhode Island granite, and commem- Written in Granite show a public space much different from today. orates Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790–1867), an American poet of renown The Ether Monument stands in an open area not overshadowed by in the mid-1800s. The article concludes with the commentary, “The trees. The buildings across Arlington and Beacon streets are easily seen. present predisposition of the American people to honor with monu- The book contains lovely color photographs showing the monument Downloaded from http://pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/article-pdf/107/2/360/364378/0000542-200708000-00033.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 mental designs the memories of their great and good men, and to in modern day taken by Dr. Ortega. Some show the monument dap- preserve, in like manner, the record of their noble and heroic achieve- pled with light and overhung with arching branches of green foliage ments, is a gratifying proof of increased civilization.
    [Show full text]
  • Boston Common and the Public Garden
    WalkBoston and the Public Realm N 3 minute walk T MBTA Station As Massachusetts’ leading advocate for safe and 9 enjoyable walking environments, WalkBoston works w with local and state agencies to accommodate walkers | in all parts of the public realm: sidewalks, streets, bridges, shopping areas, plazas, trails and parks. By B a o working to make an increasingly safe and more s attractive pedestrian network, WalkBoston creates t l o more transportation choices and healthier, greener, n k more vibrant communities. Please volunteer and/or C join online at www.walkboston.org. o B The center of Boston’s public realm is Boston m Common and the Public Garden, where the pedestrian m o network is easily accessible on foot for more than o 300,000 Downtown, Beacon Hill and Back Bay workers, n & shoppers, visitors and residents. These walkways s are used by commuters, tourists, readers, thinkers, t h talkers, strollers and others during lunch, commutes, t e and on weekends. They are wonderful places to walk o P — you can find a new route every day. Sample walks: u b Boston Common Loops n l i • Perimeter/25 minute walk – Park St., Beacon St., c MacArthur, Boylston St. and Lafayette Malls. G • Central/15 minute walk – Lafayette, Railroad, a MacArthur Malls and Mayor’s Walk. r d • Bandstand/15 minute walk – Parade Ground Path, e Beacon St. Mall and Long Path. n Public Garden Loops • Perimeter/15 minute walk – Boylston, Charles, Beacon and Arlington Paths. • Swans and Ducklings/8 minute walk – Lagoon Paths. Public Garden & Boston Common • Mid-park/10 minute walk – Mayor’s, Haffenreffer Walks.
    [Show full text]
  • Boston a Guide Book to the City and Vicinity
    1928 Tufts College Library GIFT OF ALUMNI BOSTON A GUIDE BOOK TO THE CITY AND VICINITY BY EDWIN M. BACON REVISED BY LeROY PHILLIPS GINN AND COMPANY BOSTON • NEW YORK • CHICAGO • LONDON ATLANTA • DALLAS • COLUMBUS • SAN FRANCISCO COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY GINN AND COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 328.1 (Cfte gtftengum ^regg GINN AND COMPANY • PRO- PRIETORS . BOSTON • U.S.A. CONTENTS PAGE PAGE Introductory vii Brookline, Newton, and The Way about Town ... vii Wellesley 122 Watertown and Waltham . "123 1. Modern Boston i Milton, the Blue Hills, Historical Sketch i Quincy, and Dedham . 124 Boston Proper 2 Winthrop and Revere . 127 1. The Central District . 4 Chelsea and Everett ... 127 2. The North End .... 57 Somerville, Medford, and 3. The Charlestown District 68 Winchester 128 4. The West End 71 5. The Back Bay District . 78 III. Public Parks 130 6. The Park Square District Metropolitan System . 130 and the South End . loi Boston City System ... 132 7. The Outlying Districts . 103 IV. Day Trips from Boston . 134 East Boston 103 Lexington and Concord . 134 South Boston .... 103 Boston Harbor and Massa- Roxbury District ... 105 chusetts Bay 139 West Roxbury District 105 The North Shore 141 Dorchester District . 107 The South Shore 143 Brighton District. 107 Park District . Hyde 107 Motor Sight-Seeing Trips . 146 n. The Metropolitan Region 108 Important Points of Interest 147 Cambridge and Harvard . 108 Index 153 MAPS PAGE PAGE Back Bay District, Showing Copley Square and Vicinity . 86 Connections with Down-Town Cambridge in the Vicinity of Boston vii Harvard University ...
    [Show full text]
  • A Souvenir Guide to Boston and Environs (1895)
    DOOK A ^rmtk W.s. .no COFYRIGirr DEPOSai ^ c,rON ^^ AND ENVIRONS D I G.W.ARMSTRONG ^ PUBLISHER-BOSTON ! Jos. Schlitz's Arnold & Go's Ogdensburg Famous India Pale Ale and Milwaukee Beer Porter In Wood and Bottles, for the trade and family use. Send orders to . JOSEPH GAHI^, N. E. Agent, TELEPHONE 954. 125 Purchase Street, BOSTON. O O Schlitz's Schlitz's Pale Export Schlitz's and Dark Porter O O Put up in pints and quarts, a id warranted to keep their natural flavor for months in any climate . Also bottler of Imported Kaiser, Pilsener, and Culinbach Beers. Gahm's Malt Extract A FOOD! ATONIC! AN INYIGORATOR! It builds up and strengthens the system of the weak and debilitated ; it aids and hastens the recovery to health and vigor of the Si'c^ and Convalescent and is especially recommended to persons suffering from Indigestion and Dyspepsia. It is an easily assimilated Food which possesses all the invigorating and tonic properties dor- mant in malt in the most pleasing and palatable fortpt. For Sale by all Druggists and Grocers. Otis E. Weld & Co. Successors to JOHN D. & M. WILLIAMS, . IMPORTERS OF Wines and Spr'rits AGENTS Louis Roederer Champagne 1 85 and 1 87 State Street, BOSTON, MASS. THE SEASHORE, LAKE, AND MOUNTAIN HEALTH AND PLEASURE RESORTS OF Eastern and Northern New England Are easily accessible by the frequent trains of the Boston & Maine RAILROAD If you desire to visit some of the historic towns within easy reach of Boston, a short journey will take you to Salem.
    [Show full text]
  • Mayor's Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events Boston Art
    Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events Boston Art Commission 100 Public Artworks: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the Financial District and the North End 1. Lief Eriksson by Anne Whitney This life-size bronze statue memorializes Lief Eriksson, the Norse explorer believed to be the first European to set foot on North America. Originally sited to overlook the Charles River, Eriksson stands atop a boulder and shields his eyes as if surveying unfamiliar terrain. Two bronze plaques on the sculpture’s base show Eriksson and his crew landing on a rocky shore and, later, sharing the story of their discovery. When Boston philanthropist Eben N. Horsford commissioned the statue, some people believed that Eriksson and his crew landed on the shore of Massachusetts and founded their settlement, called Vinland, here. However, most scholars now consider Vinland to be located on the Canadian coast. This piece was created by a notable Boston sculptor, Anne Whitney. Several of her pieces can be found around the city. Whitney was a fascinating and rebellious figure for her time: not only did she excel in the typically ‘masculine’ medium of large-scale sculpture, she also never married and instead lived with a female partner. 2. Ayer Mansion Mosaics by Louis Comfort Tiffany At first glance, the Ayer Mansion seems to be a typical Back Bay residence. Look more closely, though, and you can see unique elements decorating the mansion’s façade. Both inside and outside, the Ayer Mansion is ornamented with colorful mosaics and windows created by the famed interior designer Louis Comfort Tiffany.
    [Show full text]
  • Jefferson Stereoptics & SADDY STEREOVIEW CONSIGNMENT AUCTIONS ($5.00)
    Jefferson Stereoptics & SADDY STEREOVIEW CONSIGNMENT AUCTIONS ($5.00) John Saddy 787 Barclay Road London Ontario N6K 3H5 CANADA Tel: (519) 641-4431 Fax: (519) 641-0695 Website: https://www.saddyauctions.com E-mail: [email protected] AUCTION #16-2 Phone, mail, fax, and on-line auction with scanned images. CLOSING DATES: 9:00 p.m. Eastern Thursday, December 15, 2016 Lots 1 to 527 (Part 1) & Friday, December 16, 2016 Lots 528 to 1061 (Part 2) In the event of a computer crash or other calamity, this auction will close one week later. “BUYER’S PREMIUM CHARGES INCREASE TO 9%” TO ALL OUR STEREOVIEW BIDDERS: PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE’S AN INCREASE IN OUR “BUYER’S PREMIUM CHARGES; IT IS NOW 9%. (We will absorb Paypal charges.) The amount will be automatically added to the invoice. We thank you in advance for your understanding. Your business is very much appreciated. BIDDING RULES AND TERMS OF SALE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. All lots sold to the highest bidder. This auction contains some lots which are less older formats such as View- 2. Minimum increments: Up to $100, $3., $101 or higher, $10. (Bids only Master, Tru-Vue and others. These lots are prefixed with “(VM)” so if they even dollars, no change.) come up in a list from the Search Engine, you’ll know by the prefix that they 3. Maximum Bids accepted, winning bidder pays no more than one are Not stereoview cards. There is a separate Table of Contents for them increment above 2nd highest bid. Ties go to earliest bidder.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Guide to the Hub's Hottest Venues for Rock, Pop, Jazz and Classical
    September 11–24, 2017 THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BOSTON PANORAMAEVENTS | SIGHTS | SHOPPING | MAPS | DINING | NIGHTLIFE | CULTURE LIVE MUSIC IN BOSTON Our Guide to the Hub’s Hottest Venues for Rock, Pop, Jazz and Classical MULTILINGUAL SECTION INSIDE! 中文 日本語 FRANÇAIS ESPAÑOL See p. 10 bostonguide.com OYSTER PERPETUAL GMT-MASTER II rolex oyster perpetual and gmt-master ii are ® trademarks. September 11–24, 2017 THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BOSTON Volume 67 • No. 9 contents Feature PANO’s Guide 8 to Live Music in Boston The venues and shows that are a must-see (and listen) this fall Departments 6 5 A Peek at the Past Orpheum Theatre 6 Hubbub Copenhagen Beer & Music Festival at City Hall Plaza, the Boston Symphony Orchestra makes its season debut and celebrating the 100th anniversary of Marshmallow Fluff in Somerville 10 Boston’s Official Guide 10 Multilingual 15 Current Events 21 On Exhibit 25 Shopping 8 29 Cambridge 32 Maps 38 Neighborhoods 42 Sightseeing 47 Beyond Boston 49 Freedom Trail 51 Dining 62 Boston Accent Gil Rose of Odyssey Opera ON THE COVER: Live music in Boston (refer to story, page 8). 47 PHOTOS (TOP TO BOTTOM): COURTESY OF WHAT THE FLUFF?; COURTESY OF HOUSE OF BLUES; PLIMOTH PLANTATION COURTESY OF MASS. OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM BOSTONGUIDE.COM 3 BRING YOUR THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BOSTON bostonguide.com EVENT TO September 11–24, 2017 NEW HEIGHTS Volume 67 • Number 9 Tim Montgomery • Publisher Scott Roberto • Art Director/Acting Editor Laura Jarvis • Assistant Art Director Andrea Renaud • Senior Account Executive Olivia J. Kiers • Editorial Assistant Tim Montgomery • President & CEO Tyler J.
    [Show full text]
  • National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form 1
    NPS Form 10-900 0MB No. 1024-0018 042) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior •National Park Service For NPS UM only National Register of Historic Places received Inventory—Nomination Form date entered See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries—complete applicable sections_______________ 1. Name historic Boston Public Garden and or common 2. Location street & number Beacon, Charles , Boylston, and Arlington Streets not for publication city, town Boston __ vicinity of state Massachusetts code 025 county Suffolk code 3. Classification Category Ownership Status Present Use X district X public occupied agriculture museum building(s) private unoccupied commercial park structure both work in progress educational private residence site Public Acquisition Accessible entertainment religious object in process X yes: restricted government scientific being considered - yes: unrestricted industrial transportation no military X other- Recreatio 4. Owner of Property (botanical garden) name City of Boston street & number City Hall city, town Boston __ vicinity of state Massachusetts 5. Location of Legal Description courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Suffolk County Registry of Deeds street & number Pemberton Square city, town Boston state Massachusetts 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Boston Landmarks title Commission Survey has this property been determined eligible? yes no date 1969 federal state county X local depository for survey records Boston Landmarks Commission, City Hall city, town Boston
    [Show full text]
  • Full Version
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 PUBLIC 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 PUBLIC24 25 26 27 WALK MAP & GUIDE TO 100 PUBLIC ARTWORKS BOSTON 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 WALK38 39 40 MAP & GUIDE TO 100 PUBLIC ARTWORKS BOSTON 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 PublicArtBoston.com PublicArtBoston.com Mayor Thomas M. Menino Mayor Thomas M. Menino 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 1 Leif Eriksson (1887) Anne Whitney Bronze on red sandstone pedestal Commonwealth Ave. Mall, at Charlesgate East Map & Guide to + 2 Ayer Mansion Windows (1899) Public Artworks in Boston Louis Comfort Tiffany 16 Patrick Andrew Collins (1908) 45 Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument (1877) Mosaic and stained glass 100 Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson and Henry Hudson Kitson Martin Milmore 395 Commonwealth Ave. Bronze on granite base Bronze and qunicy granite 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 3 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (1973) Commonwealth Ave. Mall, between Clarendon St. and Dartmouth St. Boston Common, Flagstaff Hill Ivette Compagnion 17 General John Glover Statue (1875) 46 Frogs of Tadpole Playground (2002) Bronze on cement base Martin Milmore David Phillips Commonwealth Ave. Mall, between Hereford St. and Gloucester St. Bronze on granite base Bronze 4 Quest Eternal (1967) Commonwealth Ave. Mall, between Berkeley St. and Clarendon St. Boston Common, at Beacon St. near Frog Pond Donald De Lue 18 Alexander Hamilton Statue (1865) 47 Mosaics in Tadpole Playground (2002) Bronze on granite base William Rimmer Marvin and Lilli Ann Killen Rosenberg Prudential Center, at 800 Boylston St.
    [Show full text]
  • Enjoy Classic French Countryside Cuisine on Beacon Hill
    February 27–March 12, 2017 THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BOSTON PANORAMAEVENTS | SIGHTS | SHOPPING | MAPS | DINING | NIGHTLIFE | CULTURE Enjoy Classic French Countryside Cuisine on Beacon Hill DINING DEALS TO SAVOR AT DINE OUT BOSTON THE 247TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON MASSACRE THE CIRCUS COMES TO THE WANG STAGE +300 MORE THINGS TO DO IN bostonguide.com BOSTON RIGHT NOW! OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST 36 rolex oyster perpetual and datejust are ® trademarks. February 27–March 12, 2017 THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BOSTON Volume 66 • No. 21 contents Feature PANO’s Guide 8 to Classic Boston Dining Ten Hub restaurants that have stood the test of time Departments 5 A Peek at the Past The Boston Massacre Memorial 7 6 Hubbub Dine Out Boston, the Harlem Globetrotters at TD Garden, Circus 1903 at The Wang Theatre, the 247th anniversary of the Boston Massacre and a best-seller comes to the Boston Opera House stage 10 Boston’s Official Guide 10 Multilingual 15 Current Events 21 On Exhibit 25 Shopping 29 Cambridge 9 32 Maps 38 Neighborhoods 42 Sightseeing 47 Beyond Boston 49 Freedom Trail 62 51 Dining 62 Boston Accent Peter Ballarin of The Hungry i ON THE COVER: The Hungry i (refer to listing, page 53). Photo: Andrew Swaine. Models: Ruben and Melissa Donovan for Model Club Inc. PHOTOS (TOP TO BOTTOM): CIRCUS 1903 BY MARK TURNER; COURTESY OF YE OLDE UNION OYSTER HOUSE; PETER BALLARIN BY MARGARITA POLIVTSEVA BOSTONGUIDE.COM 3 THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BOSTON bostonguide.com February 27–March 12, 2017 Volume 66 • Number 21 Tim Montgomery • Publisher Scott Roberto • Art Director/Acting Editor Laura Jarvis • Assistant Art Director Andrea Renaud • Senior Account Executive Olivia J.
    [Show full text]
  • Learn More About the History of the Boston Public Garden
    BOSTON Boston Public Garden History In Colonial times, the area now encompassing the Garden building and replacing it with an equestrian statue of was tidal marshland, sometimes known as Round Marsh, George Washington by Thomas Ball. The plan contained on the western edge of the venerable Common. In 1794 many features notable in today’s Garden, including the parts of the area were granted to ropemakers. The City serpentine pond and winding paths. repurchased this ropewalk property in 1824 and reserved it The 1860s brought many additional enhancements: four for public use. granite basins with fountains; the perimeter iron fence and 1821 The Mill Dam was built, extending Beacon Street gates; the bridge crossing the lagoon, designed by William from Charles Street to Brookline. Three years later, the G. Preston; the equestrian statue of George Washington by exasperated citizens voted to keep the area public and Thomas Ball; and the Ether Monument. In 1877 the Swan began the process of filling it in. Boats, designed by Robert Paget, first appeared on the lagoon. By 1880 the Garden numbered 1,500 trees among 1837 The City Council received a petition from a private its choice collection of plants, and each spring bedding association of 17 Bostonian horticulturists headed by plants provided ribbons of color along the principal paths. Horace Gray to establish a botanical garden. The Council promptly leased about 20 acres to the group, incorporated 1897 Despite strenuous opposition, the Garden became as “Proprietors of the Botanic Garden in Boston,” and in the site of an “incline entrance” to America’s first subway.
    [Show full text]
  • The Surprising (And Long) Story of the First Use of Ether in Surgery March 28, 2019 6.39Am EDT Theconversation.Com
    1 The surprising (and Long) story of the first use of ether in surgery March 28, 2019 6.39am EDT TheConversation.com An illustration of Crawford Long removing a tumor from the neck of James Venable. Crawford W. Long Museum, CC BY-SA 2 Author 1. Roger K. Thomas Professor Emeritus, Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Georgia Disclosure statement Roger K. Thomas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. In the small town of Jefferson, Georgia, about 20 miles from the University of Georgia in Athens, a 26-year-old physician named Crawford Williamson Long removed a tumor from the neck of a man named James Venable while Venable was anesthesized with ether. The date was March 30, 1842. More than four years later, in Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 16, 1846, Thomas Morton, a dentist using ether, served as anesthesiologist while Dr. John Warren, a surgeon at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital, performed surgery on a patient’s neck. A physician observer rushed the news to local newspapers and medical journals, and thus history was written – inaccurately. For years, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston’s storied hospital that is Harvard’s main teaching hospital, has featured “the Ether Dome,” the site of what many believed was the first surgery using ether. A donor provided money to the city of Boston to erect an “Ether Monument,” which was installed in 1868. And for years, medical historians credited Morton with the accomplishment of being the first person to use ether to anesthetize a patient.
    [Show full text]