With a lively flash cartoon work, TKU Information & Communication master sophomore Po-hsiu Liu won the 2nd prize in the Competition of Analyzing Movies with Physics by Chiao Tung University. With theories of physics, his winning work explores the possibility if the hero in the famous detective Conan movie (animation) Count down to Heaven can drive from the top of a building to the top of another one that is about 10 meters higher and 20 meters apart. In the cartoon, the incarnation of Einstein is a very interesting and humorous commentator explaining the theories of physics. It finally captured the 2nd prize with about NT$30,000 among 88 competing films, works with charts and photos after 3 rounds of rigorous evaluations.

Among so many competitors, Po-hsiu Liu could have won the prize because he had a strong background in information and communication that enabled him to make the lively flash cartoon animation. Another reason was that his creative idea of incarnating Einstein as an interesting and humorous commentator explaining the theories of physics plus simple formulae of physics and easy calculations. The suitable accompanying music was also a factor of it. He explained, “If the car runs 108 kilometers per hour, it is possible for it to fly from one top of a building to another in 2 seconds. But in the movie, the space is not big enough, so the driver can do it only with the help of the driving force of the strong current of the explosion. The theory is the same as the one that drives the rocket into the outer space.

Even in high school, Po-hsu Liu chose to major in science. For the competition, he studied many phenomena of physics in movies. Because both his girl friend and he liked the famous detective Conan cartoon movie, he chose it as his subject. The most challenging part of it was finding out the theme and the presentation skills or techniques. He smilingly said, “I am grateful to my girl friend for her various ideas and suggestions, and I thank Information & Communication schoolmate Tien-mu Ding for his composition of the music for my work, which makes it more creative and enjoyable.” ( ~Dean X. Wang )