Today is the last day of c++ with Adam. We are finishing up with some classes and multiple inheritance principles. We wrote a “shape” class with square, circle, and triangle subclasses. I really enjoyed these classes and have learned a lot. It has been some time since I wrote in c++ and I was nervous when the classes started. I now feel much more confident in c++ and feel like I do have the background knowledge to meaningfully contribute to my group and to the program. We had our first wet lab class with Lotte about how stress hormones are regulated and the adverse effects of both too much and too little cortisol in the bloodstream. Our group has also been given some very interesting literature about the effects of stress, the best ways to elicit a strong stress response, and some of the other important research in the field that we will be building upon. Tomorrow we will be doing a team building activity and a ropes course. I am excited to see how well our team performs together and what we can learn about each other. Yesterday we tested a few VR models on the vive to get a better feel for the equipment and the possibilities. We first experimented with a model where the participant walks on a plank high above a city. This was very unnerving and far more realistic than I would have expected. Next, we experimented with a zombie model. In this model, the participant has to shine the light and spot the zombies before they get to you and eat you. This was scary as well. Lastly, we were in a model of a room that had just caught on fire. This was by far the more real experience, but not as stressful as the first two models. We have a lot more research and brainstorming to do before we come to any conclusions about what we are going to build. one of our latest interesting ideas is a virtual dance battle with a crowd watching. We think that this would elicit a strong social evaluative threat as was as uncontrollably and unpredictability. These are the key ingredients for a strong stress response. This is why the traditional public speaking test works so well. We also have tossed some other ideas around like getting pulled over by a police officer and defusing a bomb. Hopefully, we will have time to make a few different models to test before we pick one to collect data with.