Splash! 2012
Course Catalog
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This is a previous year's Splash catalog. The course catalog for last year's Splash is available here.
Below is the Splash 2012 catalog. Feel free to look at it for examples of the types of classes ESP offers at a typical Splash, but keep in mind that the exact offerings vary based on what our teachers choose to teach.
Arts
A6401: Conducting Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Zhang
Learn the art of conducting! We will be going over the basics of baton technique, including beat patterns and phrasing. We will also be talking about orchestral repertoire as well as operatic repertoire.
A6503: Ballroom Dance - Swing Basic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lisa Merschen
Come learn how to Swing dance! You will learn the fundamental steps of Swing dance, Swing timing and rhythm, and the techniques of leading and following with your partner. Learn how to dance to up-tempo and big band music! Learn this important skill to give you confidence and social grace the rest of your life! Or maybe you’ll just become addicted to the fun!
Please come ready to move with comfortable shoes and clothing. No partner necessary; we will constantly be rotating and changing partners as we go.
Please come ready to move with comfortable shoes and clothing. No partner necessary; we will constantly be rotating and changing partners as we go.
A6653: Music Theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yalu Wu
Already know how to read music? This class will teach you the theory you need to back your skills and give you a more intuitive sense of music. We're not guaranteeing perfect pitch, but at least you'll be able to hear all the perfect fifths in any superhero's theme song. We will cover degrees, intervals, triads, and their respective qualities. We will also cover scales, major and the three types of minor, and be introduced to modes (Ionic, Dorian, Phrygian, etc). Ear training will be emphasized for intervals and scales.
We'll also cover some of the more miscellaneous topics, such as trills, mordents, pedaling, what it means for a stringed instrument to play pizz or arco, and whatever you wish to know.
If some of the words here are foreign to you, you should definitely come and find out!
Prerequisites
Ability to read music
We'll also cover some of the more miscellaneous topics, such as trills, mordents, pedaling, what it means for a stringed instrument to play pizz or arco, and whatever you wish to know.
If some of the words here are foreign to you, you should definitely come and find out!
Prerequisites
Ability to read music
A6504: Ballroom Dance - Waltz Basic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lisa Merschen
Come learn how to Waltz! You will learn the fundamental steps of Waltz, timing and rhythm, and the techniques of leading and following with your partner. Learn how to dance to smooth, ballad-tempo music! Learn this important skill to give you confidence and social grace the rest of your life! Or maybe you’ll just become addicted to the fun!
Please come ready to move with comfortable shoes and clothing. No partner necessary; we will constantly be rotating and changing partners as we go.
Please come ready to move with comfortable shoes and clothing. No partner necessary; we will constantly be rotating and changing partners as we go.
A6326: $treet Lyfe Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jacqueline Durazo,
Ramya Swamy
HIDY HO FOLKS, er, yo, G, sup fool? Uh... yeah, come make stencil, graffiti, awesomeness that will make yo' mama proud. Have a secret tag artist fighting to be let out? Come express yo'selves with us!
Peace.
-The Two best Gs at MIT...
Prerequisites
being awesome, breathing, and maybe some G Unit....
Peace.
-The Two best Gs at MIT...
Prerequisites
being awesome, breathing, and maybe some G Unit....
A6399: Jammin' With the Chorallaries Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Royal Morris
Wanna sing with the oldest co-ed acappella group on campus? Then come to the MIT Chorallaries Acappella Workshop! Come learn some of the songs from our current repertoire and see what a day in collegiate acappella can be like. There will be a perc shop also for all current and potential beatboxers. Come sing with us! It's gonna be awesome.
Prerequisites
Probably a good idea if you have some musical/ choral experience.
Prerequisites
Probably a good idea if you have some musical/ choral experience.
A6491: Fun and Easy Origami with Jazz! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Yoonjeong Cha,
Harry Richman
Origami!
Jazz!
Come if you like either of them! We'll listen to some jazz as we teach you basic origami. No experience necessary. We'll provide everything you'll need.
Prerequisites
None
Jazz!
Come if you like either of them! We'll listen to some jazz as we teach you basic origami. No experience necessary. We'll provide everything you'll need.
Prerequisites
None
A6506: Ballroom Dance - Rhumba Basic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lisa Merschen
Come learn how to dance the Rhumba! You will learn the fundamental steps of the Rhumba, timing and rhythm, and the techniques of leading and following with your partner. Learn how to dance to Latin and rhythmic music! Learn this important skill to give you confidence and social grace the rest of your life! Or maybe you’ll just become addicted to the fun!
Please come ready to move with comfortable shoes and clothing. No partner necessary; we will constantly be rotating and changing partners as we go.
Please come ready to move with comfortable shoes and clothing. No partner necessary; we will constantly be rotating and changing partners as we go.
A6243: History of Rock Music Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jacob Isenhart
Ever wonder, "How is Ke$ha even a thing??" Learn about the evolution of western popular music, from the Delta Blues to New Orleans jazz to the British Invasion to Rebecca Black!
A6542: Math-ish Beading: Dodecahedrons and C60 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Harriet Li
Math is pretty. Beads are shiny. Make pretty shiny round things* out of smaller shiny round things. Option to make keychains of 'em, if you want.
*namely, the dodecahedron, or C60 (shape of buckminsterfullerene) if you're a bit more ambitious/experienced
Prerequisites
ability to use needle and thread and to avoid swallowing small objects; some amount of patience would be helpful
*namely, the dodecahedron, or C60 (shape of buckminsterfullerene) if you're a bit more ambitious/experienced
Prerequisites
ability to use needle and thread and to avoid swallowing small objects; some amount of patience would be helpful
A6625: Learn to Knit Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Patrick Rodriguez,
Elizabeth Santorella
Learn basic knitting techniques! You'll leave with all the materials you need to make a basic scarf or hat, and all you need to know to make more complicated projects on your own.
A6650: Opera for Beginners
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Yalu Wu
Do you like music? Do you like plays or musicals? Are you interested in learning about Opera? Well you are in luck, and no previous experience is required here!!
In this class, we will go over the basics of Western Opera. We will talk about and listen to some clips from famous operas starting from the 1600s until the 1950s. We will learn about Operatic style and talk about what the terms libretto, aria, and recitative mean. We will cover the Operas of the works of Gluck, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, and more!
In this class, we will go over the basics of Western Opera. We will talk about and listen to some clips from famous operas starting from the 1600s until the 1950s. We will learn about Operatic style and talk about what the terms libretto, aria, and recitative mean. We will cover the Operas of the works of Gluck, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, and more!
A6502: Intro to Swing Dancing
Difficulty: **
Impress all your friends with some super classy swing dancing!
Learn the basics of swing, and a few fun moves to get you started. Beginners welcome; it’s a ton of fun.
Learn the basics of swing, and a few fun moves to get you started. Beginners welcome; it’s a ton of fun.
A6334: Playwrights' Workshop
Difficulty: *
Interested in writing plays? Come and get some hand-on experience in this class taught by the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble!
In the first hour, we will teach you the basics of writing scenes for the stage. We will address stage space, character voice, and conflict structure.
In the second hour, you will write scripts in groups of four. After dinner, we will PERFORM as many of these scenes as possible for you and your friends!
In the first hour, we will teach you the basics of writing scenes for the stage. We will address stage space, character voice, and conflict structure.
In the second hour, you will write scripts in groups of four. After dinner, we will PERFORM as many of these scenes as possible for you and your friends!
A6554: The Funkiest Geometric Origami You'll Ever See
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yongquan Lu
Bored of folding cranes and planes? In this class, we’ll explore ways to use origami to create three-dimensional geometric patterns so funky you’ll think they couldn’t possibly be made out of a single sheet of paper. Fold corrugations that undulate like a snake skin, pleats that appear to weave through the sheet and curves that spiral in continuously upon themselves, all from single giant sheets of paper. By the end of the class you’ll be exposed to many techniques out there and be ready to create your own crazy paper sculptures!
Prerequisites
No experience required, just the patience to crease tiny intricate patterns and an excitement for pretty geometric shapes.
Prerequisites
No experience required, just the patience to crease tiny intricate patterns and an excitement for pretty geometric shapes.
A6703: Intermediate Drawing: Portraiture and Figure Studies Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Annie Tang
Knowledge and understanding of the face and head are vital to the portrait artist. With practice and an understanding of proportion and structure, it is much easier to draw evocative and accurate portraits. In this class we will learn how to draw the human portrait and figure in photorealistic form. No formal prerequisites are required, however it is recommended that you have had some experience with drawing in the past
Prerequisites
Previous experience in drawing recommended
Prerequisites
Previous experience in drawing recommended
A6527: Intro to Circular Gallifreyan
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ceri Riley
Perfect for any Whovian (or really anyone who thinks bow ties are cool or loves wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff), this course goes over the basics of writing in Circular Gallifreyan as per a standardized fan version.
Combining basic cryptography skills with an artistic eye, translate any word or phrase you desire into the language of the Time Lords. Allons-y!
Prerequisites
Be able to draw circles, lines, and dots!
Combining basic cryptography skills with an artistic eye, translate any word or phrase you desire into the language of the Time Lords. Allons-y!
Prerequisites
Be able to draw circles, lines, and dots!
A6239: Swing into the Cha Cha Cha!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kuang Xu
Awesome crash course on Ballroom dances (Standard and Latin Style) taught by members of the award-winning MIT Ballroom Dance Team. NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED!
Prerequisites
comfortable shoes and a joyful mind
Prerequisites
comfortable shoes and a joyful mind
A6300: Typography and Typesetting
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tana Wattanawaroon
Typography and Typesetting are about arranging text into a piece of publication, which is in no way simple. It is about choosing fonts, size, spacing, and everything. Modern word processors have made publication accessible to anyone with computers, while taking some beauty away from this extremely delicate craft.
Take this course to learn about the basics of typography and typesetting! We will look into publications at different levels: glyphs, lines, paragraphs, and pages. We will learn how to maximize beauty while preserving readability and legibility. We will explore how technology has transformed the era of good old press into the age of digital typography.
Take this course to learn about the basics of typography and typesetting! We will look into publications at different levels: glyphs, lines, paragraphs, and pages. We will learn how to maximize beauty while preserving readability and legibility. We will explore how technology has transformed the era of good old press into the age of digital typography.
A6160: Not Your Grandma's Crocheting Class Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hope Harrison
Are you tired of learning how to make a boring hat? In this class you will vote on your favorite TV show character (live action or cartoon, anything you want!). Then I'll teach you the basic crochet stitch, we will design a pattern, and the whole class will work together to make that character out of yarn!
Prerequisites
none
Prerequisites
none
A6395: Infographic Design: Turning Data Into Art
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Joanna Kao,
Connor Kirschbaum
Representing data visually can be a challenge, but learning to do it well can make your research and presentations engaging and accessible.
This one hour seminar, taught by a team of designers from MIT’s student newspaper The Tech, will teach you to create effective and visually appealing infographics. You’ll even get a chance to draft a few yourself! Feel free to bring in your own set of data to work with (If you don’t have any, don’t worry — we’ll give you some!). Evolve beyond Excel pie charts!
This one hour seminar, taught by a team of designers from MIT’s student newspaper The Tech, will teach you to create effective and visually appealing infographics. You’ll even get a chance to draft a few yourself! Feel free to bring in your own set of data to work with (If you don’t have any, don’t worry — we’ll give you some!). Evolve beyond Excel pie charts!
A6418: Beading 3D Figures Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Wei-En Lee
Learn how to make three-dimensional figures using fishing line and plastic beads!
A6586: Intro to Contra Dance
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ruth Byers,
Louis Wasserman
Come learn to contra dance! Contra is a type of traditional social dancing that's high energy and a lot of fun. It's done as couples in a long line, so you end up dancing with everyone else in your set. We'll be starting from the very beginning, so no experience is needed, but come ready to dance; wear comfortable shoes and clothing and bring a water bottle if you can. We'll teach how contra works and go over some basic moves, then spend the rest of the time dancing.
A6216: Guitar Building
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nicholas Fine
Fender, Gibson, Taylor, (Your Name Here). You love to play them, now it's time to BUILD them. Come take this introductory class focusing on the tools, techniques, and design needed to start you on your way to constructing your very own electric guitar!
A6164: Cosplay, Propmaking, and Design Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Alyssa Waln
I like cosplay. Do you like cosplay? I'll be talking about the costumes I've made, the mistakes I made along the way and how to avoid them, Things to Consider when designing from a reference photo, materials that work, materials that don't, and a few tips and tricks to make you stand out. There will be time for general questions about cosplay and conventions, or cosplay-specific questions if you're in a bind and need some ideas.
A6169: Country Music 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Emily Pries
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - Confucius
Let's be honest. You don't listen to country music. That's okay, though, because the admitting it is the first step!
Whether you are a lifetime ABCer (aka you listen to Anything But Country) or have a life-size cutout of Brad Paisley in your bedroom, come learn about the history of country music and listen to some amazing songs. We'll check out the themes that define the genre as well as the unique culture that surrounds it.
I promise you'll leave with an appreciation of country music worthy of any patriotic American.
Let's be honest. You don't listen to country music. That's okay, though, because the admitting it is the first step!
Whether you are a lifetime ABCer (aka you listen to Anything But Country) or have a life-size cutout of Brad Paisley in your bedroom, come learn about the history of country music and listen to some amazing songs. We'll check out the themes that define the genre as well as the unique culture that surrounds it.
I promise you'll leave with an appreciation of country music worthy of any patriotic American.
A6331: Animation in Adobe Flash Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ramya Swamy
Ever wondered how cartoons are made? Breathe some life into your drawings! Learn how to use Adobe Flash to create a small animation of your own. We’ll discuss animation techniques from frame-by-frame animation all the way to "tweening" and inverse kinematics (come learn what these are!). This course will go pretty rapidly (but don’t let that deter you) so come with a crazy awesome DESIRE TO LEARN :D
Prerequisites
Be comfortable drawing with a mouse.
Prerequisites
Be comfortable drawing with a mouse.
A6427: Intro to Techno Music Composition
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Grant Falkenburg
What is techno music? What makes it so catchy? How can I make my own, you ask? In this class, you'll learn all of the secrets of techno and how to make it! We'll analyze the different elements and styles of techno music and work our way up to song composition.
Topics include: sound synthesis, usage of different sounds and effects, types of progressions, and song making using software (FL Studio). The focus is on general techno, however, I can provide tips if you are interested in a certain style. Get ready to drop the bass!
Prerequisites
Any knowledge of music is useful, but not necessary.
Topics include: sound synthesis, usage of different sounds and effects, types of progressions, and song making using software (FL Studio). The focus is on general techno, however, I can provide tips if you are interested in a certain style. Get ready to drop the bass!
Prerequisites
Any knowledge of music is useful, but not necessary.
A6446: Lights! Camera! Improv! Full!
Difficulty: *
We love improv. Do you love improv?
If you like being spontaneous, crazy, acting, and thinking on the spot,
TAKE THIS CLASS!
Just do it.
Spontaneously.
We'll teach you a bunch of games from plain charades to elaborate storytelling.
Prerequisites
Your body and your voice. Brains are optional.
If you like being spontaneous, crazy, acting, and thinking on the spot,
TAKE THIS CLASS!
Just do it.
Spontaneously.
We'll teach you a bunch of games from plain charades to elaborate storytelling.
Prerequisites
Your body and your voice. Brains are optional.
A6383: War in Film Closed!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nicholas Richardson
Everyone likes movies; no one likes war. So why combine the two? Because war is a basic part of the human condition and film, more than any other medium, allows us to explore the human condition. The films shown in this course will explore the effect of war on its participants through a variety of perspectives from multiple conflicts.
A6674: Hand Drawn Holograms Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Robin Deits
Holograms are awesome, but they're too expensive and difficult to produce to be an easy art form...until now!
In this class, I will teach you how to make abrasion holograms by hand using just a compass and a sheet of plastic. You can create a simple 3D hologram in just a few minutes, or you can spend hours creating your holographic masterpiece.
You'll be able to create 3D shapes and images, and even create pictures that change as you move them around. It's going to be awesome!
In this class, I will teach you how to make abrasion holograms by hand using just a compass and a sheet of plastic. You can create a simple 3D hologram in just a few minutes, or you can spend hours creating your holographic masterpiece.
You'll be able to create 3D shapes and images, and even create pictures that change as you move them around. It's going to be awesome!
A6470: Juggling - Course 16 Aero-Disastro
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ian Chesser
Balls, rings, clubs, diabolos, devil sticks, unicycles, we have it all. Want to learn the basics of juggling? Already know how to juggle? Come learn how to throw down some sick tricks!
A6495: Comedic Improvisation Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Solomon Spigel
Similar to 'Who's Line Is It Anyway' we will be playing improve games and learning how to improvise.
A6645: Irish Dance
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kira Glynn
Ever seen the IRISH dancers of RIVERDANCE? Want to learn the basics of the COOLEST DANCE form out there? Enroll today!! ALL skill levels are welcome, with or without experience!
A6535: What is Creativity? Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
James A Beauton
What is sound? And what is creativity?? Explore these questions with different percussion instruments from around the world!
Prerequisites
It is preferred, but not mandatory that students enrolled in this course are taking (or have taken in the past) some sort of general or instrumental music class.
Prerequisites
It is preferred, but not mandatory that students enrolled in this course are taking (or have taken in the past) some sort of general or instrumental music class.
A6315: An overview of Producing, Engineering and Mixing Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matt Russell
MIT Senior Audio Engineer, Matt Russell, will take you through the production of a rock song he produced, engineered and mixed - from the demo to the finished product. Basic Pro Tools knowledge is helpful, but not needed.
A6322: Crayon Melting Art Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Angel Carvajal,
Harini Suresh
MAKE CRAZY AMAZING WORKS OF ART WITH JUST CRAYONS AND A HAIRDRYER!
Prerequisites
childhood 101
Prerequisites
childhood 101
A6321: Art of Improv
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rahat Bathija
This course will focus on beginner Improv techniques. We'll be doing some warm up exercise and move onto Who's Line is Anyway type Improv Games.
A6392: Shaolin Martial Arts aka Chinese Kung Fu!!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Wai Lok Lai
Kung Fu! Ever watched a Chinese martial arts film and wanted the mimic those super-cool maneuvers? Here's your chance to learn an actual Shaolin Martial Arts Routine!!
Intro to the different types of stances, fists, and kicks. You will learn a short (but complete) routine by the end of the class
Prerequisites
None. Please plan to wear loose-fitting clothing and trousers.
Intro to the different types of stances, fists, and kicks. You will learn a short (but complete) routine by the end of the class
Prerequisites
None. Please plan to wear loose-fitting clothing and trousers.
A6578: Rope Corsets Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alicia Singham Goodwin
This class will teach you how to tie a couple of different styles of rope corsets using basic knots. In addition to learning practical tricks we will also go over how to make your corsets comfortable and beautiful! Rope will be provided for you to practice with during class.
Prerequisites
You don’t need a partner or any previous experience. Your own thigh or leg is perfectly good to practice on.
Prerequisites
You don’t need a partner or any previous experience. Your own thigh or leg is perfectly good to practice on.
A6695: Intro to Drawing: Still Life Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Annie Tang
Working from simple still life setups students will learn the fundamentals of drawing. Step-by-by-step instruction in building the form through line and value will be given, and individual critiques covering the basics of drawing such as proportions, value, construction and perspective will be offered. Class will be small in size so that there is interaction and feedback.
Prerequisites
N/A
Prerequisites
N/A
A6400: Arabic Language/Calligraphy
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mahmoud Ghulman
This course will introduce participants to the Arabic language and Arabic calligraphy. Students will be introduced to various Arabic letters/phrases, arabic music, and calligraphy scripts and will be provided with persistent hands-on practice including in-class practice and individual/group instruction. This course will combine lectures with visual materials, discussion of reading and/or visual evidence, and hands-on practice with special calligraphy pens. Each student will leave with a sketch paper with his name written in Arabic calligraphy on it.
A6090: An Introduction To Claymations Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
William Little
Have you seen Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wallace and Grommit, or any other frame-by-frame based movie? Have you ever wondered what goes into making such amazing works of art?
In this class, I'll not only show you what claymation is and how to do it, but I'll be letting you all try it yourselves! Plan to have some fun and get your hands dirty while making your own animations.
Bring a flash drive if you want to save your work!
In this class, I'll not only show you what claymation is and how to do it, but I'll be letting you all try it yourselves! Plan to have some fun and get your hands dirty while making your own animations.
Bring a flash drive if you want to save your work!
A6278: Learn How to Chain Mail
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Pi Fisher
This course will teach the standard chain mail weave—European 4 in 1. If you already know how to do this but want to learn other weaves or work on a project, know that my priorities will be teaching beginners.
Prerequisites
Patience and a reasonable attention span: a lot of time and repetitive effort goes into making chain mail.
Prerequisites
Patience and a reasonable attention span: a lot of time and repetitive effort goes into making chain mail.
A6366: Comedic Improvisation
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Solomon Spigel
Similar to 'Who's Line Is It Anyway' we will be playing improve games and learning how to improvise.
A6610: The History and Theory of Musical Tuning
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Benjamin Boyajian
You are probably familiar with the practice of dividing the octave into twelve equal parts to create the chromatic scale - but it has not always been this way. Over the centuries, musicians have experimented with different tuning systems that make some intervals particularly consonant and others particularly dissonant. In this class, we will discuss how ratios of frequencies are the mathematical basis behind tuning, and we will look at famous tuning systems such as Pythagorean, meantone, and equal. We will also discuss how the increased prevalence of chromaticism in music led to the prominence of equal temperament, and vice versa. If we have time, we will look at the theory for nonstandard scales, such as the scales of 19 or 31 notes.
A6223: Piano Improvisation!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Justin Yuan
HEY YOU! Do you play piano? Do you want to learn how to improvise? After this class, you won't have to memorize any more songs again, because you will be able to improvise on the spot anywhere there's a piano. AWESOME SKILL! Girls dig it. Guys dig it. So come and jam out
!
*No improvising experience necessary.
Prerequisites
Basic piano playing skills.
!
*No improvising experience necessary.
Prerequisites
Basic piano playing skills.
A6492: Lights! Camera! Improv!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Neerja Aggarwal,
Rin Yunis
We love improv. Do you love improv?
If you like being spontaneous, crazy, acting, and thinking on the spot,
TAKE THIS CLASS!
Just do it.
Spontaneously.
We'll teach you a bunch of games from plain charades to elaborate storytelling.
Prerequisites
Your body and your voice. Brains are optional.
If you like being spontaneous, crazy, acting, and thinking on the spot,
TAKE THIS CLASS!
Just do it.
Spontaneously.
We'll teach you a bunch of games from plain charades to elaborate storytelling.
Prerequisites
Your body and your voice. Brains are optional.
A6783: Trash Can Drumming! Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kevin Rustagi
Drum on Trash Cans! Must have basic music background! Check out this video for details on our past January MIT class: http://tinyurl.com/trashcandrumming
We will go over drumming technique and end with an awesome jam!
Prerequisites
Basic Musical Background, ideally playing experience. Only basic experience with rhythm required - up to sixteenth notes and dotted eighth notes.
We will go over drumming technique and end with an awesome jam!
Prerequisites
Basic Musical Background, ideally playing experience. Only basic experience with rhythm required - up to sixteenth notes and dotted eighth notes.
A6303: Bad Web Design Bashing Session Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tana Wattanawaroon
You pick a website you love to hate, and we will discuss its design. Learn a thing or two about UI/UX/usability design.
A6521: Do Artists Dream of Electric Sheep?: Using Electronics in Art!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kaity Reilly,
Valerie Young
Leave your left and right brained notions at the door!
In this class, you'll make your very own tech-based artwork, no previous experience required!!
These days, artists have another kind of paint to play with: Technology! We'll show you what today's artists are doing with it and why you should consider using it in your artwork, too!
Prerequisites
An interest in making art in 2012 and beyond!
In this class, you'll make your very own tech-based artwork, no previous experience required!!
These days, artists have another kind of paint to play with: Technology! We'll show you what today's artists are doing with it and why you should consider using it in your artwork, too!
Prerequisites
An interest in making art in 2012 and beyond!
A6329: Conquering Artist's Block
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Laura Standley
Ever get the urge to draw something but find yourself just staring at a blank piece of paper? Yup, we've all been there (or at least I know I have). Come learn some of my tips and tricks to help you overcome that pesky artist's block! No actual drawing experience required.
A6466: Gift Wrapping Extravaganza!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Cris Jeevas-Kiddo
With the holiday season right around the corner, most people are worrying about what gifts to get for their friends and families, but not you of course - you already have a perfect gift - the problem is, you have no idea how to wrap it! Maybe it's an unusual shape or extremely delicate; whatever the reason, you're stuck, and you need to know what to do to make sure this is the best present anyone's ever received.
This class will show you interesting new ways to wrap everything from spherical gifts to fancy hats to food items! Armed with this unusual knowledge, you'll blow everyone away at any gift-giving occasion with your mad gift-wrapping skills!
Prerequisites
-Be focused and patient - working with wrapping paper is one of the most aggravating experiences of special occasions, so be prepared to endure paper cuts, tape stuck to your fingers, and general frustration. -If you have a present that you want to wrap, bring it with you! We'll help yo make it extra-special :D
This class will show you interesting new ways to wrap everything from spherical gifts to fancy hats to food items! Armed with this unusual knowledge, you'll blow everyone away at any gift-giving occasion with your mad gift-wrapping skills!
Prerequisites
-Be focused and patient - working with wrapping paper is one of the most aggravating experiences of special occasions, so be prepared to endure paper cuts, tape stuck to your fingers, and general frustration. -If you have a present that you want to wrap, bring it with you! We'll help yo make it extra-special :D
A6459: Learn to Knit Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Patrick Rodriguez,
Elizabeth Santorella
Learn basic knitting techniques! You'll leave with all the materials you need to make a basic scarf or hat, and all you need to know to make more complicated projects on your own.
A6236: Phonetics for Singers
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Alioth Drinkwater
Whether you sing in choir or take solo voice lessons, you've probably encountered the difficulty of learning to pronounce foreign languages well enough to sing them -- and the difficulty of getting the whole choir to sing the same sound -- and the difficulty of trying to spell things phonetically in English.
In this class, we'll study how different sounds are produced in the mouth, and learn some of the International Phonetic Alphabet, which allows you to transcribe sounds unambiguously. We'll also learn some tricks you can use to teach other English speakers to pronounce tricky sounds, so you can help out your home choirs or your friends. Finally, we'll warm up and sing some examples -- from common languages like German to uncommon languages like Maori and Old Church Slavonic.
Prerequisites
Ability to sing. Ideally, have sung something in a foreign language. Ability to sight-read is nice but not required. Wear comfortable clothing that you can stretch in.
In this class, we'll study how different sounds are produced in the mouth, and learn some of the International Phonetic Alphabet, which allows you to transcribe sounds unambiguously. We'll also learn some tricks you can use to teach other English speakers to pronounce tricky sounds, so you can help out your home choirs or your friends. Finally, we'll warm up and sing some examples -- from common languages like German to uncommon languages like Maori and Old Church Slavonic.
Prerequisites
Ability to sing. Ideally, have sung something in a foreign language. Ability to sight-read is nice but not required. Wear comfortable clothing that you can stretch in.
A6806: Infographic Design: Turning Data Into Art, Hands-on Workshop Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joanna Kao,
Connor Kirschbaum
This one hour hands-on workshop, led by a team of designers from MIT’s student newspaper The Tech, will teach you to create effective and visually appealing infographics. We'll provide a compelling data set, and everyone will get a chance to take a crack at creating an infographic using the Adobe Creative Suite (we'll provide it). And we'll print the final product in an issue of MIT's newspaper The Tech!
Prerequisites
We encourage you to attend our Infographic Design: Turning Data Into Art session earlier in the day before taking the hands-on workshop but it's not a requirement.
Prerequisites
We encourage you to attend our Infographic Design: Turning Data Into Art session earlier in the day before taking the hands-on workshop but it's not a requirement.
A6782: Pop Music Improvisation
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jeffrey Sun,
Kevin Tian
Following a short introduction to the essentials of music theory, this class will teach and provide hands-on experience in instrumental improvisation, focusing on popular music.
A6421: Improv Comedy: Embracing Faliure
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Zachary Barryte
Play improv games with us, learn how to embrace your failure and make it into something special
A6338: What's Funny?
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jacob Bailey,
Mark Wittels
In this class, we'll look at various examples of comedy - from the sketches of Monty Python, Mitchell and Webb, and SNL to great theatrical comedies like Airplane and Young Frankenstein - and analyze what it is that makes us laugh. We'll then open the class into a comedy writing workshop, wherein students will write their own sketches.
Prerequisites
Sense of humor, levity
Prerequisites
Sense of humor, levity
A6478: Swing Dancing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Amy Ishiguro,
Ken Takusagawa
Come have fun, and leave with moves to impress your friends! No experience or partner necessary--just wear comfy shoes.
Computer Science
C6089: How To Host Servers! Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
William Little
Onto the advanced side of the computer realm!
Let's say you like working with computers, what's next? You can only do so much with what you work with. What's the next step?
Servers! The reason why the Internet, the stock market, and everything else digitally connected is able to work!
Maybe you're a bit of a gamer, and you want to be the cool person who can make your own server. You want to ride pigs with your friends in Minecraft or bonk Heavy's in Team Fortress 2 on a server you can call your own. Or maybe you want to be on the more serious side by hosting your own website or your own "cloud" system!
Of course this is a lot to cover, I'm going to give you the basic knowledge of what it takes to make and run your own server (usually for free!) and have fun in the process.
Let's say you like working with computers, what's next? You can only do so much with what you work with. What's the next step?
Servers! The reason why the Internet, the stock market, and everything else digitally connected is able to work!
Maybe you're a bit of a gamer, and you want to be the cool person who can make your own server. You want to ride pigs with your friends in Minecraft or bonk Heavy's in Team Fortress 2 on a server you can call your own. Or maybe you want to be on the more serious side by hosting your own website or your own "cloud" system!
Of course this is a lot to cover, I'm going to give you the basic knowledge of what it takes to make and run your own server (usually for free!) and have fun in the process.
C6370: TI-83 programming Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Wesley Rian
Bored in math class? Want to automate your homework? Learn to program your TI-83-compatible calculator!
Prerequisites
Bring a TI-83, 83+, 84+, 84+SE, or Nspire in 84+ mode.
Prerequisites
Bring a TI-83, 83+, 84+, 84+SE, or Nspire in 84+ mode.
C6154: Promiscuous Mode-Network Protocol Analysis
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Harvey Yee
Do you want to be in Promiscuous mode(Monitor Mode)? You may if you are a network engineer. Join us in learning what is involved in Network Protocol analysis, and along the way learn about network architecture and protocols. Depending on what is available in the class room, a demonstration of a wired or wireless network session will be provided. A free copy of Linux LiveCD will be provided so that you can continue your learning of network protocol analysis after this class.
Prerequisites
A sense of curosity
Prerequisites
A sense of curosity
C6628: Introduction to Programing a la Fractal Forgeries
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
Want to learn how to program a cloud? or a rough, and unpredictable mountain? or an infinitely precisely shaded fern? Then sign up for this class and I will BOTH introduce you to JavaScript, a powerful visual programming tool, and show you around the psychedelic world of Fractals!
Check out some of these images and see if you can tell which are real and which are mathematically-generated forgeries: http://tinyurl.com/8erkfxy
Those which are forgeries are made using Fractals: mathematical objects which are produced by repeating very simple instructions over and over again. You'd never want to draw these images by hand, but with the aid of computers, we can plot hundreds of thousands of points in seconds. This ability enables us to decode natural objects which the "smooth" curves and platonic solids you learn about in high school can never emulate.
Check out some of these images and see if you can tell which are real and which are mathematically-generated forgeries: http://tinyurl.com/8erkfxy
Those which are forgeries are made using Fractals: mathematical objects which are produced by repeating very simple instructions over and over again. You'd never want to draw these images by hand, but with the aid of computers, we can plot hundreds of thousands of points in seconds. This ability enables us to decode natural objects which the "smooth" curves and platonic solids you learn about in high school can never emulate.
C6707: Put Together The Pile of Junk! Full!
Difficulty: ***
Ever wondered how to put together a computer, or what all of those random parts do? Come put together computers that are older than you are, and learn about the innards in the process! (just basic material; you will not learn much if you know anything)
Prerequisites
Interest in computer hardware, patience, not much experience in computer hardware
Prerequisites
Interest in computer hardware, patience, not much experience in computer hardware
C6510: How Operating Systems Work Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Dan Noe
If you've used a computer you've used an operating system. Whether Microsoft Windows, Linux, MacOS, or a mobile operating system the same basic concepts are the same. We'll talk about how user programs run cooperatively with the OS Kernel code, how the kernel schedules tasks, and memory management. If we have time we'll talk about file systems and a bit of networking too.
Prerequisites
You don't need to know a programming language but you should have a basic understanding of the components of a computer (for example: Processor, RAM, hard disk).
Prerequisites
You don't need to know a programming language but you should have a basic understanding of the components of a computer (for example: Processor, RAM, hard disk).
C6555: The limits of computation
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Leonid Grinberg
Believe it or not, there are some problems computers simply can't solve, even if you give them unlimited memory and time. These aren't some wishy-washy philosophical meaning-of-life problems either but very well-defined, fairly simple mathematical statements. This class will focus on the absolute limit of what a computer can do and what implications this has both in theory and in practice. It turns out there are a fair number of philosophical implications here as well, so we'll talk about some of those too.
Prerequisites
It would be great if you've seen a mathematical proof before (two-column proofs like in geometry class are fine)
Prerequisites
It would be great if you've seen a mathematical proof before (two-column proofs like in geometry class are fine)
C6087: What Makes Everything On The Internet Work?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
William Little
What happens when you log into Facebook? Or place a bid on eBay? Or check your email? Or send a tweet? Or anything else that you do on the internet? This talk will give you an explanation on how everything works, what makes it all tick, and why some very powerful hardware is needed for everything. Prepare to have your mind blown as I show you the inner workings of the technological world we live in!
C6437: Intro Programming for Newbs
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Wilson Louie,
Allen Park
Don't know programming? Excited to learn? We'll try to help out! Warning: expect no pity. No seriously, you won't remember anything =D!
Prerequisites
no programming experience
Prerequisites
no programming experience
C6159: Why LabVIEW Is Better Than Your Programming Language
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Hope Harrison
Heard about LabVIEW and think it sucks? Well, come learn some ways LabVIEW pwns your favorite text based language. Seriously, though, come learn fancy programming topics like parallel threads (multiple "lines" of code running at once), and nice user interface creation - you'll be surprised what cool stuff you can code in LabVIEW!
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of programming
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of programming
C6309: Computer Building 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joseph Lodin
Ever thought about building your own computer? Maybe the possibility of potentially saving HUGE gobs of cash is enticing, perhaps the prospect of playing Skyrim on MAXIMUM settings may lure you in, or maybe you’re just a hobbyist who’s curious about how to build a desktop computer.
In this class, we’ll go over the process of picking out the right parts for your specific needs, what those parts actually do in your computer, how to survive the interminable wait for your parts to arrive (curse you, Newegg 3-day shipping!), how to actually put the parts together once they DO arrive, and we’ll also go over some questions like “which operating system do I use” and “why is this actually way easier than I thought it would be.”
If you’ve ever considered building a desktop computer so you don’t have to deal with the painful process of owning a Dell or HP, or maybe just want to learn a thing or two about computers, this is definitely the class for you!
Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of computing would be good, like knowing the difference between a desktop and a laptop, but anyone should be able to get some good stuff out of this class. -IMPORTANT NOTE- This is just a crash course in the fundamentals of computing hardware, we’re only going over the basics - if you’re looking for a hardcore discussion on the merits of Intel vs. AMD or some other in-depth lecture, you probably won’t find it here. Find me after class if you want to duke it out over which graphics card is superior.
In this class, we’ll go over the process of picking out the right parts for your specific needs, what those parts actually do in your computer, how to survive the interminable wait for your parts to arrive (curse you, Newegg 3-day shipping!), how to actually put the parts together once they DO arrive, and we’ll also go over some questions like “which operating system do I use” and “why is this actually way easier than I thought it would be.”
If you’ve ever considered building a desktop computer so you don’t have to deal with the painful process of owning a Dell or HP, or maybe just want to learn a thing or two about computers, this is definitely the class for you!
Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of computing would be good, like knowing the difference between a desktop and a laptop, but anyone should be able to get some good stuff out of this class. -IMPORTANT NOTE- This is just a crash course in the fundamentals of computing hardware, we’re only going over the basics - if you’re looking for a hardcore discussion on the merits of Intel vs. AMD or some other in-depth lecture, you probably won’t find it here. Find me after class if you want to duke it out over which graphics card is superior.
C6119: Introduction to Graph Algorithms
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Favyen Bastani
Systems as diverse as road networks, images, the world wide web, and social networks can be modeled as graphs. Learn how to efficiently search a graph, compute minimum spanning trees and shortest distances, and more!
C6158: Introduction To Programming Using LabVIEW
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hope Harrison
Do you want to make cool games for you and your friends? A program that does your math homework? A robot that does your chores? We will learn how to at least start off doing each these in LabVIEW! No programming experience is necessary - we will start from the very beginning.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
C6511: Concurrency and multithreaded programming
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Dan Noe
I started teaching this course in 2006 when dual core processors were a newfangled thing. Now even cell phones have multicore processors! Programming to take advantage of today's multicore processors is tricky and filled with pitfalls. We'll talk about Amdahl's law and how it benefits the performance increases from adding processors. I'll discuss how programming language locks are actually implemented under the scenes. And I'll talk about different ways computer scientists like to abstract concurrency to make it easier to program.
Prerequisites
You should know the hardware parts of a computer (Processor, RAM, etc) and have some experience with any programming language.
Prerequisites
You should know the hardware parts of a computer (Processor, RAM, etc) and have some experience with any programming language.
C6165: Make Your Own Website! (Introduction to web design using HTML)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Abhishek Nagaraj
Have you always wanted your own webpage? Where you can put cool stuff about yourself? Where you can share pictures, paintings, stories? Then this is the place! We will make webpages with HTML and upload them so that the whole world can see them!
C6753: Z'OMG Fractals
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katie Bartel
Familiarize yourself with fractal theory by first using pre-programmed fractal generators, and then delve into programming your own. Learn about the Mandelbrot set, create some funky trees and snowflakes, and learn about fractals in the process.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with recursive and object-oriented programming. Knowledge of algebra.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with recursive and object-oriented programming. Knowledge of algebra.
C6436: Intro to Python for Experienced Programmers
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Wilson Louie,
Allen Park
Know Java from AP CS and want to learn Python too? Come learn in this uber-fast crash course! Note: Expect no pity!
Prerequisites
experience with programming, no/little experience in Python
Prerequisites
experience with programming, no/little experience in Python
C6569: How to make a computer smart (and why they are still dumb) Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Harrison Hunter
Learn about Artificial Intelligence.
Make your own computer brain to compete against people or other computer brains in basic games. Learn about some of the cool advances in the AI field and why humans can still kick computers butt (sometimes).
Prerequisites
Algebra. Interest in computers.
Make your own computer brain to compete against people or other computer brains in basic games. Learn about some of the cool advances in the AI field and why humans can still kick computers butt (sometimes).
Prerequisites
Algebra. Interest in computers.
C6374: TI-89 programming
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Wesley Rian
Have a TI-89? Not sure what it can do? Learn to program the calculator that has such advanced features as functions and more than 27 variables.
Prerequisites
Bring a TI-89.
Prerequisites
Bring a TI-89.
C6168: Basic Web Development
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Edward Tremel
Have you ever wanted to build your own website? It's easier than you might think. You don't have to be a programmer to create a functional, elegant website from scratch - you just need to know the markup languages HTML and CSS. This class will teach you the basics of using HTML and CSS to set up and format a website, with plenty of interactive examples. No prior experience is required.
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with computers.
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with computers.
C6161: Video Game Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matthew Milano
Learn the techniques behind the most moving and effective scores and sounds in the video game world, from both a computer science and music composition perspective.
C6553: Information Theory 101
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Betsy Riley
Ever wonder how we can send so much data around the world every day without clogging the networks? Or what's behind a .zip file? Learn how to turn lots of data into only a little data with information theory!
C6567: Learn You A Haskell: Functional Programming
Difficulty: **
FUNCTIONS ARE DATA
LISTS ARE INFINITE
HASKELL IS FUN
Haskell is a purely functional, strongly typed programming language with non-strict evaluation. If none of those words made sense to you, you should take this class to fix that! We'll talk about the basics of programming in Haskell, why it's the best programming language, and how you can fit an infinite list in your computer's memory.
Prerequisites
You should have experience programming in some language, but no knowledge of Haskell is necessary.
LISTS ARE INFINITE
HASKELL IS FUN
Haskell is a purely functional, strongly typed programming language with non-strict evaluation. If none of those words made sense to you, you should take this class to fix that! We'll talk about the basics of programming in Haskell, why it's the best programming language, and how you can fit an infinite list in your computer's memory.
Prerequisites
You should have experience programming in some language, but no knowledge of Haskell is necessary.
C6632: Introduction to Algorithms
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Gurtej Kanwar,
Timothy Yang
Algorithms describe a "recipe" for doing something. Having good algorithms that are fast and easy to use is important for every area of life.
In this class we'll talk about computer science algorithms in particular. We'll talk about how to use algorithms to sort a list of things, create tables that make looking up values really easy, and find shortest paths in graphs.
Prerequisites
Knowing a programming language is strongly recommended.
In this class we'll talk about computer science algorithms in particular. We'll talk about how to use algorithms to sort a list of things, create tables that make looking up values really easy, and find shortest paths in graphs.
Prerequisites
Knowing a programming language is strongly recommended.
C6123: Optimization with Genetic and other Heuristic Algorithms
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Favyen Bastani
For many optimization problems, such as finding the best way to schedule Splash or minimizing delay in a traffic network by altering intersection light settings, is it too hard to find an exact solution. However, heuristic algorithms like the genetic algorithm can provide a near-optimal solution that is often good enough.
In this class, we explore several heuristic algorithms including simulated annealing, particle swarm optimization, and the genetic algorithm. Then, we consider multi-objective optimization problems, and look at modern genetic algorithm approaches to solve them.
In this class, we explore several heuristic algorithms including simulated annealing, particle swarm optimization, and the genetic algorithm. Then, we consider multi-objective optimization problems, and look at modern genetic algorithm approaches to solve them.
C6266: How Websites Work, Home Networks, and Run Your Own Game Server: Networking 101 in Three Parts
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joseph Lodin
You may not realize it, but 99% of things you do on your computer require an Internet connection. Computer networking is an extremely advanced field with countless different uses, protocols, and experimental research making things faster and more reliable. To save time, I'm gonna summarize basic networking with three short topics:
-How Websites Work: When you click a link, what happens in the seconds between that click and when the next page is displayed on your screen? It's not as simple as it sounds, and often it involves a hundred (or even thousand)-mile journey happening in the blink of an eye. Also, I promise I'll briefly address why Splash registration always seems to hang. ;)
-Home Networks: So you probably know about the big Internet, the World Wide Web, right? Did you know that in most of your homes/apartments/wherever, you have a mini "internet" that functions all on its own? Let's look into the setup of a normal home network, and I'll even explain how to host your very own LAN party!
-Run Your Own Game Server: Ever feel like hosting your own Minecraft server, just so you can be the evil game admin for once? Maybe host a TF2 server and go crazy with mods. The sky's the limit! We'll go over just what a game server is, how to run your own, and even how to set it up so people across the world can join!
Prerequisites
Anybody who uses a computer can come to this class and learn something! We really won't go into too much technical detail, so if you already run your own game server or make/host your own websites, you probably won't see much new information.
-How Websites Work: When you click a link, what happens in the seconds between that click and when the next page is displayed on your screen? It's not as simple as it sounds, and often it involves a hundred (or even thousand)-mile journey happening in the blink of an eye. Also, I promise I'll briefly address why Splash registration always seems to hang. ;)
-Home Networks: So you probably know about the big Internet, the World Wide Web, right? Did you know that in most of your homes/apartments/wherever, you have a mini "internet" that functions all on its own? Let's look into the setup of a normal home network, and I'll even explain how to host your very own LAN party!
-Run Your Own Game Server: Ever feel like hosting your own Minecraft server, just so you can be the evil game admin for once? Maybe host a TF2 server and go crazy with mods. The sky's the limit! We'll go over just what a game server is, how to run your own, and even how to set it up so people across the world can join!
Prerequisites
Anybody who uses a computer can come to this class and learn something! We really won't go into too much technical detail, so if you already run your own game server or make/host your own websites, you probably won't see much new information.
C6350: Beginners Chess and ChessBots
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Michael Fu,
David Perez
Want to learn how to play chess, or just how to play chess better? Come learn and play against some of our best, and build a chess AI from the ground up to beat all your friends.
C6518: Introduction to Python
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Xinkun Nie,
Adityanarayanan Radhakrishnan
Come and discover why PROGRAMMING IS FUN! This is an introduction to Python and computer science class. No previous programming experience is required.
C6588: Lessons of Library Design
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Louis Wasserman
In any programming language, libraries of common and useful utilities -- like the C++ STL, or java.util -- are a programmer's best friend. They make coding easier, less buggy, and faster.
We'll talk about what's involved in writing libraries, what's different about writing code that thousands of other programmers will use, and what goes into those utilities you use every time you program.
Prerequisites
Thorough knowledge of at least one programming language and its libraries.
We'll talk about what's involved in writing libraries, what's different about writing code that thousands of other programmers will use, and what goes into those utilities you use every time you program.
Prerequisites
Thorough knowledge of at least one programming language and its libraries.
C6699: What's Better than Free?
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Lars Johnson
Why pay hundreds of dollars for software when there are free, open-source alternatives that are just as good? After a brief discussion about what open source software is, we will take a whirlwind tour of available open-source software. We will quickly overview a variety of programs including free office suites, 3D modeling programs, audio editors, graphics programs, and assorted productivity tools. (Although all of the programs covered work on the Mac operating system, many are cross-platform and work on Windows and Linux as well.)
C6125: Alice - 3D Computer Animation
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michelle Ng
Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. For this course, we will be using Alice as a learning tool for introductory computer programming. The 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to learn and facilitate a more engaging experience for students with no programming background. We will begin with the navigation of the Alice tool and the basic steps in creating an animation - storyboard, character (objects), actions (methods). We will also learn about fundamental programming concepts such as class, object, parameter, if/else, loop, etc. The final hour of the course will be devoted for an “animation-hour” to encourage students to apply their new skills to create their own animation programs using Alice. The Alice software is developed by Carnegie Mellon University and can be downloaded for free (http://www.alice.org).
Prerequisites
Strong interest to learn and explore animation - no prior programming experience is required.
Prerequisites
Strong interest to learn and explore animation - no prior programming experience is required.
C6556: Boolean Logic and You
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Betsy Riley
Heard of phrases like "AND," "OR," and "NOT" and know they're important for most modern technology? Want to learn more about how all that works and what it looks like inside your computer? Then take this class!
Prerequisites
You'll understand more if you've thought about Boolean logic (AND, OR, NOT) and/or basic circuits before.
Prerequisites
You'll understand more if you've thought about Boolean logic (AND, OR, NOT) and/or basic circuits before.
C6083: Modern Cryptography
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Sweet Tea Dorminy
Ever wanted to know how banks, the government, etc. can keep a drive’s contents from being read, even if someone steals the hard drive? Or how to generate numbers that appear random without actually creating random numbers? Enter cryptography, the study of keeping secrets.
We’ll be running over basic principles of modern (symmetric) cryptography, discussing:
What does it mean for an encryption algorithm to be secure? (common attack methods, random output)
What do we do with an encryption algorithm? (hash functions, pseudo-random number generators, block cipher modes)
What do modern symmetric encryption algorithms look like? (DES, AES)
Note that this course specifically does not cover RSA or any other asymmetric cryptography.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with basic group theory is helpful for understanding the math behind DES/AES. Some familiarity with the difference between pseudorandomness and true randomness would also be helpful.
We’ll be running over basic principles of modern (symmetric) cryptography, discussing:
What does it mean for an encryption algorithm to be secure? (common attack methods, random output)
What do we do with an encryption algorithm? (hash functions, pseudo-random number generators, block cipher modes)
What do modern symmetric encryption algorithms look like? (DES, AES)
Note that this course specifically does not cover RSA or any other asymmetric cryptography.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with basic group theory is helpful for understanding the math behind DES/AES. Some familiarity with the difference between pseudorandomness and true randomness would also be helpful.
C6587: Software Engineering: Building Big Programs Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Louis Wasserman
If you've ever worked on a program for longer than a week, you know it can start to run away from you, and become a tangled morass of code.
We'll talk about how big software engineering companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook avoid these problems and manage hundreds of thousands of lines of code without their programs degenerating into spaghetti.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of programming in any language.
We'll talk about how big software engineering companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook avoid these problems and manage hundreds of thousands of lines of code without their programs degenerating into spaghetti.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of programming in any language.
C6541: Hacking Minesweeper!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Damon Doucet
No, I don't mean http://www.ign.com/cheats/games/minesweeper-pc-8036 -- I mean legitimately hacking. Come learn how to be a 1337hax0r! Make sure to bring a Windows laptop (> XP, 64-bit recommended)
Prerequisites
Programming experience in high-level language (C, C++, Java, etc)
Prerequisites
Programming experience in high-level language (C, C++, Java, etc)
C6345: Machine Learning
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kevin Ellis
Can computers learn? In this class, you will discover how computers can perform inferences upon data to discover solutions to problems! This class will teach you how to write a computer program that learns to recognize faces, or drive a car, or parse English sentences, using the technologies of the field known as "Machine Learning."
Prerequisites
High-school level algebra and calculus. Basic linear algebra (matrices, vectors). Basic probability and statistics (you should know what a conditional probability distribution is, etc).
Prerequisites
High-school level algebra and calculus. Basic linear algebra (matrices, vectors). Basic probability and statistics (you should know what a conditional probability distribution is, etc).
C6623: Writing an Android App 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ryan CHeu,
Gurtej Kanwar
Ever thought "I wish there was an app for that?" Well we're here to teach you how to make that app! We know things about Android programming. Come learn from us!
In this class we'll go over the basics of setting up the basic view and activity structure of an Android application. We'll then talk about how to draw things on the screen with Canvas drawing.
We'll build up a very small game based on class input while everyone follows along on lab computers. You will get a copy of the game when we're done!
Prerequisites
Must know an object oriented programming language, ideally Java (which if what we will work with).
In this class we'll go over the basics of setting up the basic view and activity structure of an Android application. We'll then talk about how to draw things on the screen with Canvas drawing.
We'll build up a very small game based on class input while everyone follows along on lab computers. You will get a copy of the game when we're done!
Prerequisites
Must know an object oriented programming language, ideally Java (which if what we will work with).
C6155: WireShark Workshop
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Harvey Yee
Here is follow-up course to Promiscuous Mode-Network Protocol Analysis. In this course, we will hone our knowledge and skills in understanding and decoding network traffic.
Come prepared to get a deep dive into network protocol analysis by bringing a laptop so you can participate in a course discussion of some of the problems that we will uncover and solve.
Prerequisites
A sense of curiosity and a laptop which can support a Linux Live CD (BackTrack).
Come prepared to get a deep dive into network protocol analysis by bringing a laptop so you can participate in a course discussion of some of the problems that we will uncover and solve.
Prerequisites
A sense of curiosity and a laptop which can support a Linux Live CD (BackTrack).
C6423: Android Essentials: Create Your Own Android App
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Quanquan Liu
Want to learn how to create your own Android app for Android Play market? Come to this class where you will learn the essentials of creating your own app! We will go through the entire process from the basics of Android API to the final steps of uploading your app in the Android market.
C6372: ++coding_skills
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kevin Chen,
Michael Xu
Solve problems, learn wicked cool coding tricks, and code!
"I took this class and learned how to invent computer science, and so I did." - Alan Turing
"This class was so challenging. Never have I seen so many brains spilled over the floor." - Donald Knuth
"After I took this course, I defeated Voldemort." - Harry Potter
Prerequisites
Prior experience in programming required. Competition experience recommended.
"I took this class and learned how to invent computer science, and so I did." - Alan Turing
"This class was so challenging. Never have I seen so many brains spilled over the floor." - Donald Knuth
"After I took this course, I defeated Voldemort." - Harry Potter
Prerequisites
Prior experience in programming required. Competition experience recommended.
C6758: The art of computing and approximating
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
MINH TUE VO THANH
This class teaches basic numerical algorithms (how to compute square root, how to solve simple equations numerically...)
Prerequisites
Basic algebra. Some familiarity with calculators will be a plus.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra. Some familiarity with calculators will be a plus.
C6676: Journey Into the Interwebs: What the Heck is the Internet, After All?
Difficulty: **
Is the Internet real? Can you touch it? Where is it? In the clouds? Come learn more about the magic behind all those cute cat pictures, funny memes and viral YouTube videos. We'll talk about everything from the history of the Internet to its impact on society, and even show you how to code a basic web page using HTML (no experience necessary). You'll also go home with plenty of resources to learn more.
C6325: Introduction to Modern 3D Graphics Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Harry Stern
Everything you see in a video game is a lie. It's a mix between a puppet show and origami. A very clever, but similar, combination of art, math, and physics is the basis for games like Battlefield 3, Minecraft, and even the newer Pokemon generations.
This class will focus on the process that transforms data, such as points and triangles, into an image on your screen that you can interact with.
This class will give a high-level overview of how modern 3D graphics, especially in video games, actually work. It will cover the rendering pipelines of OpenGL and DirectX. Shading algorithms, 3D modeling, and the details of writing graphics programs will not be covered.
Prerequisites
A vague understanding of how programming works would is good, but not required. Basic algebra and a bit of trigonometry will be used in some parts.
This class will focus on the process that transforms data, such as points and triangles, into an image on your screen that you can interact with.
This class will give a high-level overview of how modern 3D graphics, especially in video games, actually work. It will cover the rendering pipelines of OpenGL and DirectX. Shading algorithms, 3D modeling, and the details of writing graphics programs will not be covered.
Prerequisites
A vague understanding of how programming works would is good, but not required. Basic algebra and a bit of trigonometry will be used in some parts.
C6479: The Big-O: Algorithms and Analysis (and Sorting!)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zach Minster
So you've written some code before, getting the job done in Java, C++, C, or some other programming language. Have you ever wondered how to prove to someone that your code works efficiently? How to describe exactly how long your program will take on a variable number of inputs? In this course we'll explore one of the most fascinating aspects of computer science - efficiency - and learn to write code that not only works, but works beautifully and promptly. Along the way we'll explore different methods of sorting, one of the most important problems in computer science, and see how analysis comes into play when working with sorting different types of data. Leaving this course you will have a much deeper understanding of how algorithms are classified and what the main problems in the academic study of computer science are. If you're interested in studying CS later on, this is a wonderful introduction into a world most high school students don't get to see until college!
Prerequisites
Ideally you should understand a little bit about programming in some language to take this course. If you don't, that's okay! Maybe you've written something in Visual Basic for class, or you've just written games on your calculator before. Even if you haven't, you'll pick up a lot as the course goes along.
Prerequisites
Ideally you should understand a little bit about programming in some language to take this course. If you don't, that's okay! Maybe you've written something in Visual Basic for class, or you've just written games on your calculator before. Even if you haven't, you'll pick up a lot as the course goes along.
C6263: Computer Building 101 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joseph Lodin
Ever thought about building your own computer? Maybe the possibility of potentially saving HUGE gobs of cash is enticing, perhaps the prospect of playing Skyrim on MAXIMUM settings may lure you in, or maybe you’re just a hobbyist who’s curious about how to build a desktop computer.
In this class, we’ll go over the process of picking out the right parts for your specific needs, what those parts actually do in your computer, how to survive the interminable wait for your parts to arrive (curse you, Newegg 3-day shipping!), how to actually put the parts together once they DO arrive, and we’ll also go over some questions like “which operating system do I use” and “why is this actually way easier than I thought it would be.”
If you’ve ever considered building a desktop computer so you don’t have to deal with the painful process of owning a Dell or HP, or maybe just want to learn a thing or two about computers, this is definitely the class for you!
Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of computing would be good, like knowing the difference between a desktop and a laptop, but anyone should be able to get some good stuff out of this class. -IMPORTANT NOTE- This is just a crash course in the fundamentals of computing hardware, we’re only going over the basics - if you’re looking for a hardcore discussion on the merits of Intel vs. AMD or some other in-depth lecture, you probably won’t find it here. Find me after class if you want to duke it out over which graphics card is superior.
In this class, we’ll go over the process of picking out the right parts for your specific needs, what those parts actually do in your computer, how to survive the interminable wait for your parts to arrive (curse you, Newegg 3-day shipping!), how to actually put the parts together once they DO arrive, and we’ll also go over some questions like “which operating system do I use” and “why is this actually way easier than I thought it would be.”
If you’ve ever considered building a desktop computer so you don’t have to deal with the painful process of owning a Dell or HP, or maybe just want to learn a thing or two about computers, this is definitely the class for you!
Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of computing would be good, like knowing the difference between a desktop and a laptop, but anyone should be able to get some good stuff out of this class. -IMPORTANT NOTE- This is just a crash course in the fundamentals of computing hardware, we’re only going over the basics - if you’re looking for a hardcore discussion on the merits of Intel vs. AMD or some other in-depth lecture, you probably won’t find it here. Find me after class if you want to duke it out over which graphics card is superior.
C6761: The Art of Security
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Patrick Lin
Hollywood has a flair for portraying hackers as people typing gibberish on 30 monitors simultaneously, breaking through technical sounding jargon and gaining access to important systems.
While real life may not work like that, the field of Cybersecurity is a fascinating one that involves a lot more than typing gibberish at a hurried pace.
Learn what real life hackers do to gain access to places and systems, and what the professionals who defend those do to keep the hackers out!
While real life may not work like that, the field of Cybersecurity is a fascinating one that involves a lot more than typing gibberish at a hurried pace.
Learn what real life hackers do to gain access to places and systems, and what the professionals who defend those do to keep the hackers out!
C6528: How to Make an Operating System
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Gurtej Kanwar,
Gary Wang
What do operating systems do? How do they work? And how do you make one?
We'll start from the (incredibly hacky) way modern computers boot up, and work our way up to a complete* operating system with the ability to access memory, handle system calls, and maybe even run a few programs (simultaneously!!). In the process, we'll also talk about how processors work and how to write assembly code.
*For liberal definitions of "complete"
OPERATING SYSTEMS
HOW DO THEY WORK
Prerequisites
You should know how to program. If you don't know C, you might be a bit confused.
We'll start from the (incredibly hacky) way modern computers boot up, and work our way up to a complete* operating system with the ability to access memory, handle system calls, and maybe even run a few programs (simultaneously!!). In the process, we'll also talk about how processors work and how to write assembly code.
*For liberal definitions of "complete"
OPERATING SYSTEMS
HOW DO THEY WORK
Prerequisites
You should know how to program. If you don't know C, you might be a bit confused.
C6267: Not Everyone's a Programmer! Computer Majors/Careers in an Hour
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Joseph Lodin
So, you're a high school student who's interested in computers, right? You know you want to study them, but every counselor you talk to just tells you the same thing, "go into computer science!" 5 minutes of research online and you realize that no, computer science isn't right for you, you want to build and run servers, or sanitize databases, or work as a security analyst, or whatever!
In an hour, we're gonna go over a bunch of different majors and possible careers for computer hobbyists like you, so maybe now you can do your own research instead of letting your counselor or someone else tell you that CS is the only way to go.
Prerequisites
Having an interest in computers. :)
In an hour, we're gonna go over a bunch of different majors and possible careers for computer hobbyists like you, so maybe now you can do your own research instead of letting your counselor or someone else tell you that CS is the only way to go.
Prerequisites
Having an interest in computers. :)
C6252: "Big Data": Programming Collective Intelligence
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Blake Elias
How does Google decide which web links are relevant to your search? How do sites like Netflix or Amazon recommend which movies you should watch or which products you should buy? How does Gmail decide which emails are spam, and (more recently) which emails are more important than the rest?
People solve problems like this with so-called "collective intelligence" algorithms. These algorithms are combinations of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistics. We'll look at some pretty simple ones that do cool things but aren't hard to code! The goal is to uncover some of the magic that seems to make these things work.
Prerequisites
- Programming experience in any language - Knowledge of algebra and trigonometry No knowledge of AI, machine learning or statistics is necessary; it will be explained as needed.
People solve problems like this with so-called "collective intelligence" algorithms. These algorithms are combinations of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistics. We'll look at some pretty simple ones that do cool things but aren't hard to code! The goal is to uncover some of the magic that seems to make these things work.
Prerequisites
- Programming experience in any language - Knowledge of algebra and trigonometry No knowledge of AI, machine learning or statistics is necessary; it will be explained as needed.
C6597: Cryptography
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Daniel Epelbaum
This class will go over methods of cryptography since its invention. You will learn ways to hide secret messages and ways that people have uncovered those secrets.
Prerequisites
Geometry or any class involving mathematical proofs.
Prerequisites
Geometry or any class involving mathematical proofs.
C6214: Robotic Maze Solving
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
James McCabe
"What is robotic maze solving?" I am glad you asked! It is exactly what it sounds like - creating a robot that can find the end of a maze and remember the shortest path.
There will be algorithms, mazes, code, and of course a robot. What else could you want, cookies? There will be cookies too. It will be a-maze-ing!
There will be algorithms, mazes, code, and of course a robot. What else could you want, cookies? There will be cookies too. It will be a-maze-ing!
C6250: Introduction to Programming with C++ for COMPLETE Beginners
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yousif Rouben
An introduction to the fundamentals of coding:
syntax, defining functions, loops, data structures, pointers, recursion.
This class will introduce you to coding with very gentle examples and very clear explanations of the fundamental ideas mentioned above. The goal of this class is to allow you to learn what a book would teach you in days, within these few hours; minus the boredom and failing attempt to be interactive.
Although a lot of content is planned to be covered, most examples will be covered on the blackboards to give you enough time to absorb the content.
If you have questions, ASK!
Prerequisites
Laptops will be useful, but are not required. If laptops are brought, please install: Xcode (mac) or Visual Studio C++ (Windows).
syntax, defining functions, loops, data structures, pointers, recursion.
This class will introduce you to coding with very gentle examples and very clear explanations of the fundamental ideas mentioned above. The goal of this class is to allow you to learn what a book would teach you in days, within these few hours; minus the boredom and failing attempt to be interactive.
Although a lot of content is planned to be covered, most examples will be covered on the blackboards to give you enough time to absorb the content.
If you have questions, ASK!
Prerequisites
Laptops will be useful, but are not required. If laptops are brought, please install: Xcode (mac) or Visual Studio C++ (Windows).
C6763: Network Security
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Patrick Lin
"Know thy enemy": In a world full of criminals trying to break into networked systems and try to steal information and gain power, learn what you can do to protect yourself from them. Delve into the world of Network Security, in which constant war erupts between those who try to break into network systems, and those who would defend them.
This class will run through descriptions of various network configurations that are vulnerable to attack, followed by techniques with which criminals attempt to attack them. The class will conclude with discussion into how to defend against these attacks.
Note that this class is not meant to teach you how to break into systems so you can then break into them! It is meant to teach you what potential attackers may do so you can protect yourselves from them.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge of Computer Networks (and Internet Architecture) helpful
This class will run through descriptions of various network configurations that are vulnerable to attack, followed by techniques with which criminals attempt to attack them. The class will conclude with discussion into how to defend against these attacks.
Note that this class is not meant to teach you how to break into systems so you can then break into them! It is meant to teach you what potential attackers may do so you can protect yourselves from them.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge of Computer Networks (and Internet Architecture) helpful
C6225: Introduction to Character Recognition
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tommy Chen
This is a class about teaching computers how to read. How does a camera record the license plate of a car moving 100 miles an hour? How does Google scan millions of pages into computer-readable text? How is it that you can find the translation of a Chinese character just by drawing it out on your iPad? We will discuss the processes and challenges in teaching a computer how to read, along with a wider look at how it affects the world.
Prerequisites
A bit of knowledge in computer science may help, but not at all required :)
Prerequisites
A bit of knowledge in computer science may help, but not at all required :)
C6389: Modern Programming Language Theory
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Pavel Panchekha
Describes the various facets of modern programming language theory. Type theory, macro systems, safe computing, machine proofs, concurrency and parallelism, dynamism and extensibility, and similar are covered.
Prerequisites
Programming experience. Preferably in multiple languages.
Prerequisites
Programming experience. Preferably in multiple languages.
C6702: Demystifying the Command Line
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lars Johnson
Unleash your computer's hidden power by using the UNIX command line that underlies the Mac and Linux operating systems. Learn command-line syntax to speed up common tasks such as file management, data entry, and text manipulation. We will explore Unix from the ground up, starting with the basics of the command line and ending with to powerful, advanced tools.
You will be able to search your computer using regular expressions, quickly compare what has changed between two files, create simple secret codes, quickly convert units, and even write your own simple program, all using only a few commands on the terminal.
Prerequisites
Basic surface understanding of the computer filesystem (folders, etc.)
You will be able to search your computer using regular expressions, quickly compare what has changed between two files, create simple secret codes, quickly convert units, and even write your own simple program, all using only a few commands on the terminal.
Prerequisites
Basic surface understanding of the computer filesystem (folders, etc.)
C6480: Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit [Buffer Overflow Attacks Explained]
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Russell Cohen
Ever wonder about what a buffer overflow attack actually is? How can we hack into a website with nothing more than a really long url?
In this class, we'll explore /exactly/ how buffer overflow attacks work and what we can do to prevent them. We'll do lots of demos, and if we have time, delve into other exploits, such as SQL and XSS injection.
Prerequisites
Some computer science experience -- knowledge of arrays, variables, basic programming
In this class, we'll explore /exactly/ how buffer overflow attacks work and what we can do to prevent them. We'll do lots of demos, and if we have time, delve into other exploits, such as SQL and XSS injection.
Prerequisites
Some computer science experience -- knowledge of arrays, variables, basic programming
C6429: Collecting Computational Garbage
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Adam Seering
Whenever you write a program, it needs this magical stuff called "memory" to do its work. When you create variables and objects, they use up memory. And when you're done with them, you just drop the objects on the floor and let the computer clean the memory up for you.
But how does the computer know that you're done? Where does the memory come from, and where does it go? It's not really magic. Back in the good ol' days, programs just got a big slab of memory and had to divvy it up themselves. Nowadays, your language probably handles all that for you. In this course, we'll see how.
This course will be lecture-based, though if you happen to have a laptop, there will be some C++ code examples for you to play with (obviously Splash can't be responsible for your laptop if you bring it to Splash, so keep that in mind if you decide to do so).
Prerequisites
Programming experience in Java or any higher-level programming language. This course will use (and teach) a little bit of C++.
But how does the computer know that you're done? Where does the memory come from, and where does it go? It's not really magic. Back in the good ol' days, programs just got a big slab of memory and had to divvy it up themselves. Nowadays, your language probably handles all that for you. In this course, we'll see how.
This course will be lecture-based, though if you happen to have a laptop, there will be some C++ code examples for you to play with (obviously Splash can't be responsible for your laptop if you bring it to Splash, so keep that in mind if you decide to do so).
Prerequisites
Programming experience in Java or any higher-level programming language. This course will use (and teach) a little bit of C++.
C6696: Make A Computer! (On Paper)
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Ben Horkley,
David Xiao
1) Here's a transistor. 2) Take this class. 3) ??? 4) Computer! This class will take you through the basics of what makes a computer work, from the transistor level all the way up to putting it together into a basic processor. Learn what it takes an MIT class 2 months to cover in 3 hours!
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic Boolean algebra (and, or, xor, etc.)
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic Boolean algebra (and, or, xor, etc.)
C6237: Build a billion dollar app for Windows 8 Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Tray Lewin
Did you know there are over a billion people using Microsoft Windows? That's a lot of people to sell your new Windows 8 app to! In this class we'll teach you how to build your first Windows 8 app. Then we'll show you how to keep the learning going after class so you can build your own amazing app and get it into the new Windows app store to try to make your first $1B! - No promises on getting rich though :-)
Prerequisites
Some experience and comfort with computer programming.
Prerequisites
Some experience and comfort with computer programming.
C6352: Programming with Alice. Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Meghana Vuyyuru
Want to learn basic computer coding AND make a mini-movie? Learn how to do both here!
C6683: Introduction to Python Programming
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sabrina Shemet
Always wanted to learn how to program but never knew how to start? Want to learn the programming language behind parts of YouTube, BitTorrent, and Civilization IV? Come learn Python, no prior experience necessary!
C6794: Introduction to C++
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Divakar Saxena
This course will teach you the basics of programming using C++. You don't need to have any experience with computers for this course, we will start in the simplest way possible. By the end of this class you will have a good understanding about programming.
Engineering
E6358: Design and Build a Rocket Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Leonard Tampkins
Come learn about rockets. Then build and launch a rocket powered by an Estes motor.
E6451: How to Use a Slide Rule Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shaymus Hudson
Back in the day, when things were more hardcore, you couldn’t find an engineer or scientist without his or her trusty slide rule. Unlike the TI-whatever-they’re-up-to-now, slide rules are a purely analog method of calculation. Operating, not on batteries, but on the magic of logarithms, they can be used for multiplication, division, roots, powers, trigonometry, and more. We’ll talk about the history of the slide rule, and teach you basic and some advanced calculations. Bring your own if you’d like!
Prerequisites
Students should know the nature and properties of logarithms in order to take this class.
Prerequisites
Students should know the nature and properties of logarithms in order to take this class.
E6220: Environmentally Benign Design and Manufacturing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Vrajesh Modi
After this class, you will be able to: (1) justify why environmentally benign design and manufacturing matters; (2) evaluate and compare the environmental impact of various products and technologies; and (3) recognize and challenge questionable environmental analysis. Format will consist of a 50-minute lecture on theory followed by a 60-minute discussion/exercise. Students will be divided into groups for the exercise.
E6359: SPACE!!! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Leonard Tampkins
Learn about all the known wonders of space, the solar system, the universe, and how to use rockets to get there.
E6371: Basics of 3D Printing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zachary Sherin
Ever wanted to have a model of your home in plastic? Can't find that last lego piece? Maybe you want to make a robot, but can't source the right parts?
Say hello to 3D printing!
Recently, the explosion of 3D printing as a cheap manufacturing method means amazing possibilities are at hand. I'll show you what 3D printing is, what it can make, and show you some examples of 3D printed objects!
Say hello to 3D printing!
Recently, the explosion of 3D printing as a cheap manufacturing method means amazing possibilities are at hand. I'll show you what 3D printing is, what it can make, and show you some examples of 3D printed objects!
E6499: How It's Made: Splash Edition
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ian Martin,
Emily TenCate
Have you ever wondered how the things you use every day were manufactured? Well, if you have (and even if you haven't), this is the class for you! We'll go over most of the major manufacturing processes that drive our world today, in addition to going through a couple of examples of how specific products are made.
E6255: Store 20,000 Volts in a water bottle Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ranbel Sun
Make a Leyden Jar capacitor out of a water bottle, aluminum foil, and some wire. Even though this is Splash, we'll attempt to make Sparks fly by charging and discharging our capacitors with static electricity. What's a capacitor you say? Well, come find out!
Please bring a disposable plastic water bottle (half liter or smaller) and a pair of socks to wear (wool if you have it).
Prerequisites
Have some knowledge of electrons and positive/negative charge.
Please bring a disposable plastic water bottle (half liter or smaller) and a pair of socks to wear (wool if you have it).
Prerequisites
Have some knowledge of electrons and positive/negative charge.
E6752: Spectacular Engineering Failures
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ian Martin,
Emily TenCate
Come watch Youtube videos of structures that have failed spectacularly! After we watch bridges twisting and tearing and buildings toppling, we'll talk a little bit about why they failed so terribly and what the engineers could have done differently.
E6188: Heat and Mass Transfer
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Stephanie Birkhimer
Would you like to solve the energy crisis, save the world, and be awesome? Interested in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, thermodynamics, or improving efficiency? Who isn't? In this class, we'll go over what heat really is, where it goes, and how we can make it be less annoying.
Note: You don't actually have to save the world to come, but it never hurts.
Feel free to bring paper, pens, calculator, etc, but it won't be necessary.
Prerequisites
Some basic calculus
Note: You don't actually have to save the world to come, but it never hurts.
Feel free to bring paper, pens, calculator, etc, but it won't be necessary.
Prerequisites
Some basic calculus
E6360: Satellites and Spacecraft
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Leonard Tampkins
Learn about satellites and spacecraft. Interact with demos in the Space Systems Laboratory.
E6626: Structural Engineering Disasters
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michele Pratusevich,
Zandra Vinegar
In this class, we'll explore (and test!) how and who and what led to the destruction of several well known structures such as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The focus will be on structural engineering, and on the 'de-engineering' nature did to destroy these man-made projects. Come prepared to break things.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHgQALH9-7M&
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHgQALH9-7M&
E6686: Reverse Engineering
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zach .,
Vincent Lee
Reverse engineer something awesome!
E6787: Programmimg with Microcontrollers: The Basics of Arduino
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Michele Pratusevich
Microcontrollers are small computers that can be used to control hardware like LEDs, motors, latches, and much more. They are smaller than a "computer" like the one you use for writing papers and making presentations, but they are still capable of making exciting machines. In this class, we'll talk about the basics of microcontroller programming using the Arduino microcontroller as a mechanism for learning these concepts. Come ready to play with motors, LEDs, wires, and some programming!
Prerequisites
Basic programming knowledge helpful
Prerequisites
Basic programming knowledge helpful
E6490: How to build a go kart
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ashley Brown
Ever wanted to build your own go kart? This course will teach you everything you need to get started!
E6355: Building Biology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Atray Dixit
How to think like an engineer, but on one of the most sophisticated machines we know, the human body
Prerequisites
basic understanding of cell biology
Prerequisites
basic understanding of cell biology
E6725: Tsiolkovsky rocket equation
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kevin Burdge,
Average Phan
In this class, we will show you how to calculate the speed of the rocket by introduce the Tsiolkovsky equation, and then we will generalize it. Later, we will do some related problems in non-relativistic frame and relativistic frame, if we have enough time. A list of possible problems will be uploaded.
Prerequisites
Calculus
Prerequisites
Calculus
E6799: Filters and AM Radio
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Aaron Epstein
Back in the day, radios were a primary means of entertainment and communication. Impress your elders by learning how they work. On the way, we'll talk about what frequency means mathematically and learn enough electrical engineering to build an equalizer.
Prerequisites
Understanding of Sin and Cos
Prerequisites
Understanding of Sin and Cos
E6323: Heat Transfer
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Stephanie Birkhimer
An intro to thermodynamics and heat transfer. If you are interested in chemical engineering or anything similar, this is the class for you!
E6245: Intro To Nuclear Warfare: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matthew Vernacchia
Learn how nuclear explosives function, and how to design a nuclear strike on various targets. Watch cool videos of stuff blowing up! Also, we'll talk about some proposed-but-never-built "off-label" uses of nuclear explosives, such as canal digging and nuclear-bomb launched spacecraft.
Prerequisites
Some high school physics.
Prerequisites
Some high school physics.
E6790: Computer Vision in an Hour
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Michele Pratusevich
Computer vision is a field that tries to build systems that can "see" much like our brains can. In this class we'll talk about some interesting results from the field and relate them to the vision systems in our brain. We'll talk about what the "important" information is in an image, what some big questions are in the field, and why some seemingly simple questions are hard to answer. We'll talk about why color is cool and why image blending is making the field of computer vision challenging.
Prerequisites
Know what a "Fourier transform" is (the mathematics aren't important - if you can understand that "a Fourier transform takes something from the time domain to the frequency domain", then you should be all set)
Prerequisites
Know what a "Fourier transform" is (the mathematics aren't important - if you can understand that "a Fourier transform takes something from the time domain to the frequency domain", then you should be all set)
E6679: Physics of Flight
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Grant Iwamoto
Learn about what makes golf balls, baseballs, and paper airplanes travel through the air.
E6397: Introduction to Plane Crashes
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mel Hunt
How in the world can a pilot not notice that their plane is headed steadily towards the ground? What sorts of mechanical failures can cause a plane to crash? How can a pilot prevent a crash from getting deadly? Come hear stories of plane crashes and pilot error, and learn a little about flying along the way!
E6669: Basics of 3D Printing - Middle School Edition Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zachary Sherin
Ever wanted to have a model of your home in plastic? Can't find that last lego piece? Maybe you want to make a robot, but can't source the right parts?
Say hello to 3D printing!
Recently, the explosion of 3D printing as a cheap manufacturing method means amazing possibilities are at hand. I'll show you what 3D printing is, what it can make, and show you some examples of 3D printed objects! This course is middle school level, but there are two sections of high school level as well.
Say hello to 3D printing!
Recently, the explosion of 3D printing as a cheap manufacturing method means amazing possibilities are at hand. I'll show you what 3D printing is, what it can make, and show you some examples of 3D printed objects! This course is middle school level, but there are two sections of high school level as well.
E6424: Physical Security
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eric Van Albert
Learn the basics of how buildings are secured, and how security measures are easily defeated. Hands-on class covers flaws in building construction, locks + keys, alarm systems, and electronic authentication. Also includes a short lockpicking seminar.
E6272: Fun with Electronics Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Prashant Patil
This will be hands-on workshop on basic electronics. Students will work with power supply, LEDs, switches, buzzers, motors and micro-controller. The course will conclude with a final project.
E6276: Quantum mechanics to web applications in two hours
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
David Lawrence,
Pavel Panchekha
We'll start at the bottom and work our way up at ludicrous speed.
Prerequisites
General scientific or computer knowledge will be useful.
Prerequisites
General scientific or computer knowledge will be useful.
E6797: The International Education Lab!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jessica Huang
Interested in helping to make education more exciting and relevant for youth around the world? Tired of how so much of our education is centered around test-taking, rather than what is relevant to daily life? Let's work together to make learning about creativity, empowerment, community, and inspiration! Come help D-Lab (http://d-lab.mit.edu) test and improve hands-on educational modules, which we will be teaching in India, Ghana, Brazil and elsewhere next January! In this interactive session, we'll work with you to design and build a few technologies that can be useful in rural communities with limited resources, and then we'll listen to you for suggestions on how we can improve the educational activities we're offering. We hope this will be a meaningful way for you to explore the field of international development, while contributing your own ideas to make a difference in international education!
Prerequisites
An open mind - we appreciate your patience since our activities are still in the trial phase, and value your feedback!
Prerequisites
An open mind - we appreciate your patience since our activities are still in the trial phase, and value your feedback!
E6498: How It's Made: Splash Edition
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ian Martin,
Emily TenCate
Have you ever wondered how the things you use every day were manufactured? Well, if you have (and even if you haven't), this is the class for you! We'll go over most of the major manufacturing processes that drive our world today, in addition to going through a couple of examples of how specific products are made.
E6530: RC Planes
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ben Sena
Come learn about factors in human controllability, field repair, and the details about how these birds fly.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of physical forces and circuits.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of physical forces and circuits.
E6661: Peanut Butter & Jelly Robotics Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kate Rudolph,
Duncan Townsend
Think you know how to make a PB&J sandwich? Well enough to explain it to an extraordinarily stupid robot? Then this class is for you. Work with your classmates to instruct a robot to make delicious sandwiches.
E6532: Homemade Wind Tunnel
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Ben Sena
Come build a makeshift wind tunnel and perform basic tests with it.
Prerequisites
Understand basic physics and do some cursory reading on lift and drag if you need it.
Prerequisites
Understand basic physics and do some cursory reading on lift and drag if you need it.
E6672: Sensational Failures in Engineering
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Liza Plotnikov
Exploding space shuttles, collapsing bridges, exploding naval guns… sometimes designs fail, and sometimes they fail catastrophically. These failures can be dramatic, deadly, or sometimes just plain silly, but they have one thing in common: they are all preventable. In this class we’ll cover the technical missteps behind some famous engineering disasters (and some you may never have heard of). We’ll talk about how smart people can make bad designs, the importance of communication, and especially the value of common sense.
E6144: DIY Lightning: Build Your Own Singing Tesla Coil Closed!
Difficulty: **
Ever wonder how a Tesla coil works? Interested in how you can make 10'+ sparks, and how those sparks can play music? Want to build your very own Tesla coil? Then this class is for you!
We'll begin with a quick lecture on how a Tesla Coil works, from the bottom up. We'll then provide you with kits to build solid-state Tesla Coils that can make music, and we'll be there to assist you in building and debugging.
The end product is a 10" tall coil, capable of 15" sparks playing polyphonic music, or 2' sparks in spark-optimized mode. All necessary hardware will be provided - a pretty sweet deal, if you ask us!
Prerequisites
Previous experience in electronics (even if it's only soldering experience) is recommended. Knowledge of basic E&M recommended (e.g. do you know what a LC circuit is, and how it behaves?) More importantly than all that, however, is your interest and enthusiasm! Deep knowledge of physics is absolutely not necessary to enjoy the class.
We'll begin with a quick lecture on how a Tesla Coil works, from the bottom up. We'll then provide you with kits to build solid-state Tesla Coils that can make music, and we'll be there to assist you in building and debugging.
The end product is a 10" tall coil, capable of 15" sparks playing polyphonic music, or 2' sparks in spark-optimized mode. All necessary hardware will be provided - a pretty sweet deal, if you ask us!
Prerequisites
Previous experience in electronics (even if it's only soldering experience) is recommended. Knowledge of basic E&M recommended (e.g. do you know what a LC circuit is, and how it behaves?) More importantly than all that, however, is your interest and enthusiasm! Deep knowledge of physics is absolutely not necessary to enjoy the class.
E6190: So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?: Introduction to Starting Your Own Business
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Netia McCray
Have you ever wondered how Apple was started? Pondered how someone can launch something as powerful as Facebook? Looking to become the World's Youngest Billionaire?
Then look no further than this Splash Workshop!
This Splash workshop will introduce participants to the process of developing an innovative idea and launching a business venture in order to commercialize that idea in the global marketplace.
Participants will begin to develop skills essential to developing innovative ideas into real-life devices and profitable start-ups through brainstorming and developing a business venture in during the course of the 3hr. workshop.
Even though we cannot promise that you will be the next Bill Gates, we can promise that no prior experience or knowledge is necessary for participating in this class. :)
Then look no further than this Splash Workshop!
This Splash workshop will introduce participants to the process of developing an innovative idea and launching a business venture in order to commercialize that idea in the global marketplace.
Participants will begin to develop skills essential to developing innovative ideas into real-life devices and profitable start-ups through brainstorming and developing a business venture in during the course of the 3hr. workshop.
Even though we cannot promise that you will be the next Bill Gates, we can promise that no prior experience or knowledge is necessary for participating in this class. :)
Humanities
H6570: Introductory Russian Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Pamela Alvarez
A basic introduction to the Russian language and the Cyrillic alphabet.
Prerequisites
Prior study of another foreign language helpful, but not required
Prerequisites
Prior study of another foreign language helpful, but not required
H6260: Thinking Fast&Slow: Introduction to Cognitive Thought Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Bryan Klickstein
If I asked you to solve the problem 2+2 you would instantly be able to tell me the answer is 4. If I made an obscene gesture in traffic you would not have to ask the passenger next to you in your car: What does that mean? You would just know. It wouldn’t require much if any difficulty. But what if I asked you to multiply 37 by 456? The answer is 16872 but I bet (unless you are a math wizard) that it didn’t come to you nearly as quickly as 2+2. In the same vein if I asked you to look at my face and determine if I were sad or just really tired it wouldn’t be nearly as easy as discerning the aforementioned obscene gesture. Why is this? Well I turns out there is a reason for all this. Our brains are split into two systems. System 1 operates quickly, automatically, and with no effort. It allows you to instantly discern that 2+2 is 4. System 2 is informed by System 1 but it focuses on more effortful mental activities—the ones that are not automatic like the second math problem above. Thus your brain is always thinking fast and slows at the same time and the two systems in sense divide the labor in your mind for the best overall performance. How well do they work together? What causes ease or strain on the systems? How much control do we have over the process? These are the kinds of questions that will be addressed in this course.
H6580: Paradoxes of Democracy: Fair Elections and Voting
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Stephen M. Hou
What if, in hypothetical two-way races during the 2012 primaries, Romney beats Santorum, Santorum beats Gingrich, and Gingrich beats Romney? Is this even possible? (Yes.) What would then be a fair way to decide the "best" preferences of Republicans? Whether it's a T-shirt design contest or a presidential election, voting converts preferences of individuals into a single preference for the community. We'll discuss Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, which states that there is no "perfect" way of doing so. We'll demonstrate a few of the mind-boggling flaws that every voting method must have.
Prerequisites
Comfort with arithmetic; interest in voting, political science, decision-making, and/or economics.
Prerequisites
Comfort with arithmetic; interest in voting, political science, decision-making, and/or economics.
H6718: Conversational Arabic 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Annalise Pforr
Learn to speak Arabic in 50 minutes!
Seriously. No experience necessary.
We'll use Arabic news stations, music, film, and other media to give you a crash course introduction to spoken Modern Standard Arabic. By the end of class, students will be able to talk a little bit about themselves, their family, friends, and general interests.
Prerequisites
None
Seriously. No experience necessary.
We'll use Arabic news stations, music, film, and other media to give you a crash course introduction to spoken Modern Standard Arabic. By the end of class, students will be able to talk a little bit about themselves, their family, friends, and general interests.
Prerequisites
None
H6476: Performance Poetry@Splash: Writing Poetry Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Mohammad Hossain
If you are offended by graphic language, themes of sex, drugs, violence, depression, and similar mature and adult themes, please don't take this class.
If you're looking for sex, drugs, violence, and depression, well you won't get those here either, BUT you will explore a medium that can convey feelings and thoughts about these things and more.
Performance poetry is simply poetry that is read out loud. It does encompass slam, but this class is not about being able to compete with other poets. Rather, the class will stimulate your creative minds into writing about anything in your daily lives or your world, putting it on paper and then if you're ready for it, on stage.
This class will guide you into writing some of your own poetry. You do not need to take the Performance Poetry@Splash: Performances section, but it is highly recommended, if only to watch your peers present their pieces. Ideally by the end of this class you will have some material to work on and get ready for that class.
Prerequisites
Maturity and a willingness to try new things.
If you're looking for sex, drugs, violence, and depression, well you won't get those here either, BUT you will explore a medium that can convey feelings and thoughts about these things and more.
Performance poetry is simply poetry that is read out loud. It does encompass slam, but this class is not about being able to compete with other poets. Rather, the class will stimulate your creative minds into writing about anything in your daily lives or your world, putting it on paper and then if you're ready for it, on stage.
This class will guide you into writing some of your own poetry. You do not need to take the Performance Poetry@Splash: Performances section, but it is highly recommended, if only to watch your peers present their pieces. Ideally by the end of this class you will have some material to work on and get ready for that class.
Prerequisites
Maturity and a willingness to try new things.
H6453: NewsJack: Media Remixing for Great Justice
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Dan Schultz
NewsJack lets you rewrite the Internet. This course will teach about several easy-to-use remixing tools. By the end of it you'll create things as hilarious as the Onion, and more importantly you'll probably be more careful about what you read online.
H6184: Constitutional Intrigue Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sachi Hashimoto
The year was 1800, and Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson had just defeated Federalist John Adams in the presidential election. Adams only had a few weeks before Jefferson would take office, and so the Federalist-controlled Congress went to work, swiftly passing new legislation that would allow Adams to appoint new Federalist judges. John Marshall was to deliver the commissions the new judges, but time was too short and some went undelivered. William Marbury, one of the men who did not receive his commission, brought his case to the Supreme Court, of which Marshall was also the Chief Justice, arguing that he had a right to his commission, and asking the Court to order Jefferson to give it to him.
What was Marshall to do? On the one hand, if the newly established Supreme Court were to order Jefferson to give the commission to Marbury, it would likely be humiliated by Jefferson's refusal. On the other hand, he wanted both the Federalists and the Supreme Court to have more power in the government.
---
Take this class to find out how Marshall brilliantly handled the most dramatic case the Supreme Court has faced. Come learn the story of how the Supreme Court established itself and gained the power to interpret the Constitution and review acts of Congress.
What was Marshall to do? On the one hand, if the newly established Supreme Court were to order Jefferson to give the commission to Marbury, it would likely be humiliated by Jefferson's refusal. On the other hand, he wanted both the Federalists and the Supreme Court to have more power in the government.
---
Take this class to find out how Marshall brilliantly handled the most dramatic case the Supreme Court has faced. Come learn the story of how the Supreme Court established itself and gained the power to interpret the Constitution and review acts of Congress.
H6232: Glorious Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lance Ozier
Sure, you've heard of Beethoven and Bach. We'll start there, but move quickly to some of the most glorious classical music of the 20th century, including pieces by Orff, Stravinsky, Ravel, Respighi, Gershwin, Puccini and more!
Prerequisites
Interest in orchestral music.
Prerequisites
Interest in orchestral music.
H6801: Game Design Jam Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alex Chisholm
Do you want to design video games? Are you worried you don't have the technical skills to realize your vision? Not to worry! Game design and production teams are made up of talented individuals that include researchers, writers, artists, musicians, sound designers, and programmers, among others, each bringing a unique perspective and set of skills to the creative process. This hands-on non-technical concept design workshop will take you through a rapid-fire design process. We'll match you up with other students and help your team create a new game concept by the time you move on to your next Slpash session.
Prerequisites
Non-technical workshop. The only thing you need is an interest in video games and a desire to collaborate with others.
Prerequisites
Non-technical workshop. The only thing you need is an interest in video games and a desire to collaborate with others.
H6152: Dreams, Dreaming and the Subconscious Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Carol Hardick
The brain is the most complex organism in the universe, and many psychologists have said that dreams are the door to the unconscious. Using a mix of neuroscience, psychology and humanities, this class is an introduction to a longer course, and will explore the different theories of sleep and consciousness, including where dreams come from and consider the psychology of the dream and the dreamer.
Prerequisites
none
Prerequisites
none
H6581: Paradoxes of Democracy: Fair Apportionment
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Stephen M. Hou
Come learn ideas with applications in mathematics, economics,
engineering, and political science! What happens when perfectly fair division isn't possible? Say you and your two siblings inherit your parents' cattle ranch, but the number of cattle isn't a multiple of three. How do you split the cattle? At the national level, how do we apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives? If a state's population indicates that it deserves 7.23 seats, is it awarded 7 seats or 8 seats? Or maybe even 6 or 9? Interesting paradoxes in fair division will be shown. For example, can a state lose a seat if the size of the House is increased by a seat (and the populations of all states remain unchanged)? You'll see...
Prerequisites
Comfort with arithmetic; interest in voting, political science, decision-making, and/or economics.
engineering, and political science! What happens when perfectly fair division isn't possible? Say you and your two siblings inherit your parents' cattle ranch, but the number of cattle isn't a multiple of three. How do you split the cattle? At the national level, how do we apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives? If a state's population indicates that it deserves 7.23 seats, is it awarded 7 seats or 8 seats? Or maybe even 6 or 9? Interesting paradoxes in fair division will be shown. For example, can a state lose a seat if the size of the House is increased by a seat (and the populations of all states remain unchanged)? You'll see...
Prerequisites
Comfort with arithmetic; interest in voting, political science, decision-making, and/or economics.
H6780: Autism
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joshua Frisch
Autism and other related diagnoses have dramatically increased in recent years. In this class we will discuss what Autism and the spectrum are, how autistic people think and how we vary from and are similar to non-autistic persons. The class will include a large Question/Answer session.
H6501: NaNoWriMo (aka Write a Novel* in 30 Days)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Cathleen Nalezyty
Want to say you've written a novel? Want to say you've written a novel in a ridiculously short time-span of say, 30 days?
Come join us as we talk about what qualifies as a novel, the magic daily number, basic novelling tips, word padding, staying motivated throughout the month, and more!
Open to everyone, even if you've never even heard of NaNoWriMo before.
*Disclaimer: Not necessarily a class on how to write a "good" novel in 30 days.
Come join us as we talk about what qualifies as a novel, the magic daily number, basic novelling tips, word padding, staying motivated throughout the month, and more!
Open to everyone, even if you've never even heard of NaNoWriMo before.
*Disclaimer: Not necessarily a class on how to write a "good" novel in 30 days.
H6552: Ethics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nathaniel Lathrop
Do you know right from wrong? Either way, do you enjoy arguing about it? Philosophers have been formulating ethical theories for millennia about the best way to live a good life, and what to do in tough situations. We'll look at the three biggest ethical schools in Western philosophy, (virtue ethics, deontology, and utilitarianism) and examine what they say about politics and personal morality.
H6285: Economics: Supply and Demand
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zoe Thorkildsen
Come to this course for an introduction to basic economic principles like supply, demand, elasticity, and market structure.
H6376: Untie Those Knots in Your Stomach
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Peter Stidwill
Ever faced a really, REALLY tough choice in your life where there's no easy answer and wondered how to tackle it? Come play QUANDARY, a new web-based game that will take you on a journey through ethical thinking.
We'll investigate different moral dilemmas and ways of dealing with them, within both the game and our lives. As well as playfully introducing you to ethics, decision-making, and perspective-taking, we'll also work in teams to create new stories for the game, and test these out.
Maybe the next time you have a knot in your gut, you'll have some strategies to untie it.
We'll investigate different moral dilemmas and ways of dealing with them, within both the game and our lives. As well as playfully introducing you to ethics, decision-making, and perspective-taking, we'll also work in teams to create new stories for the game, and test these out.
Maybe the next time you have a knot in your gut, you'll have some strategies to untie it.
H6356: A Practical Guide to Creative Writing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Susan Shepherd
Learn about ways of approaching fiction writing from a practical perspective. Topics will include where to start and ways to start, genre conventions, the various ways to plot or structure a story/novel, the various approaches to revision (some people don't need it, some people do), and the twin myths that "Writing is Hard" and "There are Only 500 Professional Writers in America."
Special emphasis will be placed on ways of getting past a block, ways of making a character's voice distinctive, ways of writing your characters so that their reactions feel human and natural, and ways to set busy scenes so that readers don't lose track of important characters.
Prerequisites
Some basic understanding of terms like characters, setting, point of view, and conflict are useful. More complicated terms (genre, denouement, stage setting, etc.) will be explained in class. You do not need to take "Worldbuilding" or "The Changing World of Publishing" in order to take this class, but they may be useful depending on where you'd like to go with your writing.
Special emphasis will be placed on ways of getting past a block, ways of making a character's voice distinctive, ways of writing your characters so that their reactions feel human and natural, and ways to set busy scenes so that readers don't lose track of important characters.
Prerequisites
Some basic understanding of terms like characters, setting, point of view, and conflict are useful. More complicated terms (genre, denouement, stage setting, etc.) will be explained in class. You do not need to take "Worldbuilding" or "The Changing World of Publishing" in order to take this class, but they may be useful depending on where you'd like to go with your writing.
H6230: How to Read a Poem
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Lance Ozier
Have you ever read a poem and wondered what the heck is going on? Or, as the poet T. S. Eliot once wrote, have you “had the experience but missed the meaning”? In this class you will learn eight simple techniques to help you make more sense of the poems you read.
Prerequisites
Interest in poetry and language
Prerequisites
Interest in poetry and language
H6500: NaNoWriMo (aka Write a Novel* in 30 Days)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Cathleen Nalezyty
Want to say you've written a novel? Want to say you've written a novel in a ridiculously short time-span of say, 30 days?
Come join us as we talk about what qualifies as a novel, the magic daily number, basic novelling tips, word padding, staying motivated throughout the month, and more!
Open to everyone, even if you've never even heard of NaNoWriMo before.
*Disclaimer: Not necessarily a class on how to write a "good" novel in 30 days.
Come join us as we talk about what qualifies as a novel, the magic daily number, basic novelling tips, word padding, staying motivated throughout the month, and more!
Open to everyone, even if you've never even heard of NaNoWriMo before.
*Disclaimer: Not necessarily a class on how to write a "good" novel in 30 days.
H6543: Rethinking Gender
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emily Matteson
Are "man" and "woman" the only two categories of gender? Can we, as a class, develop a better model of gender that describes a wider range of human experiences? If we stop thinking of gender as a binary, how does that change the way we talk about sexual orientation?
We'll work to answer these questions and more in this exciting and fast-paced class.
We'll work to answer these questions and more in this exciting and fast-paced class.
H6525: When noodles meet spaghetti
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Shiny Wang
Introducing the traditional chinese food (especially RAMEN and NOODLES) and comparing it with the westernised taste chinese food.
H6792: Speedy Delivery: An Introduction to Ethics, the Trolley Car Problem, and Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Natalie Khalatov-Krimnus
This class is an introduction to moral reasoning. It's the kind of class you might take as a first year law student. It's the kind of class that makes you question how rational people really are - if murder is ever justified - what 'justice' actually means and if and how it's different from "an eye for an eye."
In this class you will be called to analyze your own beliefs about responsibility, duty, justice, and the good life. Come prepared to be affected by what we discuss and uncover.
In this class you will be called to analyze your own beliefs about responsibility, duty, justice, and the good life. Come prepared to be affected by what we discuss and uncover.
H6568: Screenwriting for the Scientist
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Brendan Reardon
Are you tired from staying up all night completing your problem sets and lab reports? Have you ever wanted to learn how to write a screenplay? In this three hour workshop, you will learn how to and write two short screen plays. All the while, we will discuss how science and storytelling benefit one another. (And I do not mean how awesome science fiction is)
H6544: Advocacy and Lobbying to Change the World
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brock Adler
Is there a cause you are passionate about? Would changing laws or regulations, or having new government funding for your area of interest be useful? By joining together and advocating and/or lobbying with others, you can work towards accomplishing your personal, community, and societal goals. This session will give you (and your collaborators) a great start at being able to plan and carry out campaigns to create or change laws that you feel will improve things. You will learn about strategies and tactics applicable to a variety of different kinds of causes. I will use as an example an effort I have been working on for a few years to pass the Federal “No Child Left Inside Act” H.R. 2547 (see www.NCLIcoalition.org), but the lessons presented will be applicable to a wide variety of other issues and levels of government. We will spend much of the time helping you think about how to advance your causes or projects.
Prerequisites
Have a basic understanding about how laws are passed http://kids.clerk.house.gov/high-school/lesson.html?intID=17; do some thinking about what cause you are passionate about; and find out who your Congressional Representatives are at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, and look up on their websites which committees they sit on.
Prerequisites
Have a basic understanding about how laws are passed http://kids.clerk.house.gov/high-school/lesson.html?intID=17; do some thinking about what cause you are passionate about; and find out who your Congressional Representatives are at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, and look up on their websites which committees they sit on.
H6396: Seasons of Arab: A Year in the Life of the Middle Eastern Revolutions Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Charles Xu
The Arab Spring kicked off explosively in January 2011 with the unprecedented popular overthrow of Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali of Tunisia. The initial hopes of a unified revolutionary wave sweeping away the autocrats of the Middle East, and forging a harmonious liberal democratic order in their wake, long ago proved naive. Again and again, from the revolutionary cradle of Tunisia to the front lines of the Syrian civil war, the media paints a picture of a region either spiraling out of control or descending into an "Islamist Winter."
Can the Arab uprisings still deliver on their original promise? In this retrospective, we'll review how and why the Arab Spring took such different turns in different countries: fizzling out in the monarchies, installing an uneasy religious/military duopoly in Egypt, and delivering stinging rebukes of the Islamist trend in the unlikeliest of places, Libya. We'll evaluate the individual and collective performance of the emergent generation of post-revolutionary leaders. And looking to the future, we'll end by discussing the prospects for stable democracies to emerge from the current turmoil.
This class is mostly discussion-based and requires no background in current events coming in.
Can the Arab uprisings still deliver on their original promise? In this retrospective, we'll review how and why the Arab Spring took such different turns in different countries: fizzling out in the monarchies, installing an uneasy religious/military duopoly in Egypt, and delivering stinging rebukes of the Islamist trend in the unlikeliest of places, Libya. We'll evaluate the individual and collective performance of the emergent generation of post-revolutionary leaders. And looking to the future, we'll end by discussing the prospects for stable democracies to emerge from the current turmoil.
This class is mostly discussion-based and requires no background in current events coming in.
H6398: Game Design Jam
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alex Chisholm
Do you want to design video games? Are you worried you don't have the technical skills to realize your vision? Not to worry! Game design and production teams are made up of talented individuals that include researchers, writers, artists, musicians, sound designers, and programmers, among others, each bringing a unique perspective and set of skills to the creative process. This hands-on non-technical concept design workshop will take you through a rapid-fire design process. We'll match you up with other students and help your team create a new game concept by the time you move on to your next Slpash session.
Prerequisites
Non-technical workshop. The only thing you need is an interest in video games and a desire to collaborate with others.
Prerequisites
Non-technical workshop. The only thing you need is an interest in video games and a desire to collaborate with others.
H6379: Designing Storyworlds Across Media
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michael Suen,
Stephen Suen
This class will explore the possibilities of "transmedia storytelling," a new term that describes how we are increasingly telling stories and building worlds across media.
The first half of the course will look at several case studies to understand recent cultural and creative practices across film, television, videogames, comics, and the web.
The second half will be dedicated to a "story jam," where you will form into smaller groups to develop your own transmedia extension for an existing franchise. Want to film a fake documentary on Bruce Wayne's Wayne Industries? Or create a graphic novel about a previous year of the Hunger Games? This is your chance to brainstorm and get started!
The first half of the course will look at several case studies to understand recent cultural and creative practices across film, television, videogames, comics, and the web.
The second half will be dedicated to a "story jam," where you will form into smaller groups to develop your own transmedia extension for an existing franchise. Want to film a fake documentary on Bruce Wayne's Wayne Industries? Or create a graphic novel about a previous year of the Hunger Games? This is your chance to brainstorm and get started!
H6172: Introduction to Irish Gaelic
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jennifer Hogan
Dia duit! Conas tá tú? Tar isteach agus suí síos. Come learn the basics of the Irish language. We'll go over some basic grammar and handy phrases. You'll also learn how to pronounce seemingly impossible words, like neamhghníomhach. We'll have some craic (fun) while we're at it too!
H6461: Afghanistan: culture and cuisine
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katy Peters
Culinary diplomacy: bringing you tasty treats, and a better understanding of the world, since the beginning of the spice trade. Get to know Afghanistan as more than just a national security question, and enjoy qabuli pulao, pomegranate, and boulani. There will definitely be tea.
H6121: The Commerce Clause
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sachi Hashimoto
The Supreme Court made headlines this year for its decision in upholding the Affordable Care Act. It upheld the act's individual mandate, a mandate that requires almost all Americans to buy health insurance, on the basis that the government has the power to tax. The government's primary argument in support of the individual mandate was based on the commerce clause: a clause in the US constitution that says Congress has the power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes."
Why and how was the government arguing that health care is a form of commerce? What precedent did it have, and how strong was its argument? Why did the Court reject this argument? What could consequences of the Court's decision be in future cases?
In the first hour, we will examine the history of the commerce clause and how it came to be used to justify much of the last 70 years of legislation. In the second hour, we will talk about how it relates to the Affordable Care Act, and why the Court's decision was a brilliant political maneuver.
Why and how was the government arguing that health care is a form of commerce? What precedent did it have, and how strong was its argument? Why did the Court reject this argument? What could consequences of the Court's decision be in future cases?
In the first hour, we will examine the history of the commerce clause and how it came to be used to justify much of the last 70 years of legislation. In the second hour, we will talk about how it relates to the Affordable Care Act, and why the Court's decision was a brilliant political maneuver.
H6344: Poetry 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Valentina Chamorro
Get ready to snap your fingers to some great poetry! This class will introduce you to the basics of poetry as well as the edgier side of spoken word.
H6583: Introduction to Chinese Writing
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Stephen M. Hou
Chinese writing is unique among the world's major languages in that it uses thousands of characters as opposed to an alphabet with a few dozen letters. We will learn some basic characters, their organization and structure, the distinction between traditional and simplified scripts, calligraphic styles and typographical fonts, how new characters are created, how Chinese characters are used in the modern Japanese and Korean languages, and how Chinese is typed electronically. I will also discuss Chinese dialects and why the Chinese language did not (and will likely never) switch to an alphabetical writing system. About one-third of class time will be devoted to practicing writing characters by hand.
Prerequisites
This class is intended for students with very little or no previous experience with written Chinese, but previous study of any other foreign language is strongly recommended.
Prerequisites
This class is intended for students with very little or no previous experience with written Chinese, but previous study of any other foreign language is strongly recommended.
H6671: Catholic FAQ
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
Did the media attention about the health care mandate spark you curiosity? Ever wondered what the Catholic Church actually teaches about contraception? Sex? Priestly celibacy? Transubstantiation? The Saints? Anything else? And does anyone even follow these teachings anymore?
In this class we will explore common questions about Catholic doctrine. Students will be able to choose from selected topics, or pose their own questions.
Prerequisites
Readiness for open discussion is a must. Students with any and all religious views and affiliations are welcome and encouraged to attend -- we'll have a better discussion if different views are represented!
In this class we will explore common questions about Catholic doctrine. Students will be able to choose from selected topics, or pose their own questions.
Prerequisites
Readiness for open discussion is a must. Students with any and all religious views and affiliations are welcome and encouraged to attend -- we'll have a better discussion if different views are represented!
H6254: From Hastati to Legions: Why the Romans Took Europe
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mohammad Hossain
We will explore Roman military history with a technical analysis and breakdown of Roman units, technology, and strategy during the late Republic and early empire years. We will also take a look at their enemies and rivals namely the Gauls and the Carthaginians.
Part of the class will involve demonstration of these tactics and the effectiveness of certain units against others using the Rome: Total War engine.
Part of the class will involve demonstration of these tactics and the effectiveness of certain units against others using the Rome: Total War engine.
H6445: The Politics of Rock & Roll
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rebecca George,
Lizi George
Analyze classic Rock n' Roll bands of the 20th century and learn how they were influenced by U.S. policy.
H6307: Once Upon a Time, The End: The art of incredibly short fiction.
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
A L
A tear formed in my eye as I watched him pick out the peas from his carrots. He learned it from her.
That's it. A complete work of fiction in two sentences. Inventive writers are now crafting really short stories that can be surprising, intriguing and delightful. The fascinating genre of flash/sudden/micro fiction is all around us. In the form of cell phone stories, TV/radio commercials, web videos and other manifestations, highly compact stories can be humorous, thought-provoking, informative and much more. Come sample some microfiction and write your own in this workshop! Bring writing materials!
Prerequisites
Fluency in English preferred but not required.
That's it. A complete work of fiction in two sentences. Inventive writers are now crafting really short stories that can be surprising, intriguing and delightful. The fascinating genre of flash/sudden/micro fiction is all around us. In the form of cell phone stories, TV/radio commercials, web videos and other manifestations, highly compact stories can be humorous, thought-provoking, informative and much more. Come sample some microfiction and write your own in this workshop! Bring writing materials!
Prerequisites
Fluency in English preferred but not required.
H6664: How to plan and execute covert operations in deep cover
Difficulty: **
Learn the essentials of covert operations work. We will analyze the success and failure of many important covert operations in an attempt to discover the elements of a successful covert op. We will study important government-sponsored covert operations as well as terrorist plots and guerilla warfare. By the end of this class, students will be familiar with these operations and the reasons for their success or failure. We cannot legally claim that you will be sufficiently knowledgeable to plan and carry out your own covert operations after this class.
H6747: Mormon FAQ
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Hope Harrison
Mitt Romney, David Archuleta, and Thomas S. Monson: what do these people have in common? They are all Mormon. (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) But what exactly do Mormons believe? In this class, we'll learn about the culture of Mormons, their history, and what their differences and similarities are to other Christian religions, and answer any questions you might have, especially in light of the Church's scene in current politics.
H6658: Robots! Space! Time! Stories!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Bianca Homberg,
Chelsea Voss
Interested in science fiction, futuristic engineering, artificial intelligence or interplanetary empires? Ever wondered what would happen if people lived forever? What would happen if the world split in two every time you had to make a choice, and both options happened? What would happen if there was a center of time where time stood still?
Come read a few of the short stories of Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific science fiction writers of all time and excerpts from the book Einstein's Dreams, which describes numerous different ways in which time could work. Come spend an hour devouring tales of robots, space, and time!
Come read a few of the short stories of Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific science fiction writers of all time and excerpts from the book Einstein's Dreams, which describes numerous different ways in which time could work. Come spend an hour devouring tales of robots, space, and time!
H6428: Ewww! Are You Really Going to Eat That? Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Elizabeth Berg
Chicken is good to eat. Dog, not so much. But why is this the case? How has society decided what's appropriate to eat, and what's not? Come learn about "disgusting" food, and try some for yourself- if you dare!
H6507: Philosophy: An Introduction to the Problem of Free Will
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
A B
The problem of free will touches on some of the most fundamental topics of philosophy: morality, science, the mind and the self, and how we believe the universe ultimately works. In a nutshell, the problem is this: can we be truly responsible for who we are? Or do the laws of physics, nature, and psychology "force" us into certain ways of behaving? How should this affect how we look at and deal with other people? How we think about ourselves? This course will offer an introduction to the three most popular general responses to these questions.
H6289: Introductory Romanian: The Forgotten Romance Language
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zach Bunting
Come and learn the basics of the language spoken by Dracula, the tallest player in NBA history, the first Olympic gymnast to earn a perfect 10, the inventor of insulin injections, and the inventor of the jet plane! And if you are thinking of a future in IT, you should know that Romanian is considered the second most spoken language at Microsoft's Redmond, WA campus. Also learn some of the history of Romania and Moldova.
H6384: Gender, Orientation, and Sex-Positivity!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emily Matteson
Are "man" and "woman" the only two categories of gender? Can we, as a class, develop a better model of gender that describes a wider range of human experiences? If we stop thinking of gender as a binary, how does that change the way we talk about sexual orientation?
What does it mean to be sex-positive? How can talking about consent make people happier?
We'll work to answer these questions and more in this exciting and fast-paced class.
What does it mean to be sex-positive? How can talking about consent make people happier?
We'll work to answer these questions and more in this exciting and fast-paced class.
H6678: Dirty Greek and Roman Mythology
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Taylor Ayral
The time has come to remove Greek and Roman mythology from its lofty academic pedestal and bring it to the masses in the vernacular of modern times. Come enjoy this survey class on those SOB’s from the ancient pantheon. We will try to bring humor to those stuck up old stories you heard in middle school through the best use of foul language and dirty humor we can come up with. But don't worry, we won't be skimping on anything. This class will cover all the bad a$$ info that we talk about in the more tame class, we'll just be doing it a bit differently. And we would be infinitely pleased if you would join us.
H6365: Ender's Game and Good and Evil
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kaylee Brent,
Evie Kyritsis
Do you want to figure out what makes a person good? Do you like science fiction? Do you like philosophical discussions? Come discuss good and evil in intent and deed, through the lens of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Prerequisites
Have read Ender's Game (and preferably others of the series)
Prerequisites
Have read Ender's Game (and preferably others of the series)
H6663: Impromptu Speaking
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kate Rudolph
Quick! You have two minutes to think about the topic I choose--and then you have to give a six-minute speech!
We'll talk about why this is a useful skill to have, and then learn how to work within this framework to write and present an interesting, organized speech under incredible time pressure. Finally, you'll try it out yourself!
We'll talk about why this is a useful skill to have, and then learn how to work within this framework to write and present an interesting, organized speech under incredible time pressure. Finally, you'll try it out yourself!
H6759: Disney Movies: you be the psychiatrist
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emily TenCate
Cruella de Vil is mean and has an inflated sense of self-importance: she's displaying symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder! Come diagnose your favorite Disney characters with personality disorders according to the DSM-IV!
H6547: Let's Talk about Sex Closed!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emily Matteson
Physical intimacy is complicated, and talking about it can be tough. That's why it's so important to be able to clearly communicate your needs and boundaries, and to understand why consent is more complicated than just a "yes" or a "no".
Sex-positivity is the idea that sexual behaviors are not inherently bad or shameful (and are not inherently good either). Instead, sex-positivity proposes that consent is the most important factor in whether a physically intimate activity is ok or not. In this class, we will talk about different forms of consent, including "enthusiastic consent", and we will discuss examples of effective and ineffective communication.
Sex-positivity is the idea that sexual behaviors are not inherently bad or shameful (and are not inherently good either). Instead, sex-positivity proposes that consent is the most important factor in whether a physically intimate activity is ok or not. In this class, we will talk about different forms of consent, including "enthusiastic consent", and we will discuss examples of effective and ineffective communication.
H6273: China and United States -- An Introductory of Comparative Literature Studies
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jingshu Zhang
As the world becomes more and more international, an amalgamation of various cultural, historical, and political elements between the Eastern and Western worlds is unavoidable. Having taken, and excelled in comparative literature, Jingshu Zhang would like to offer a lecture on comparing the great books (novels as well as poetry) from China and the United States. Similarities as well as distinctive differences will be discussed. Deep cultural variances will be delineated, and strikingly intriguing comparisons will be made.
The teacher has taught this course across the United States (Michigan, Illinois, and New York), and has been widely acclaimed. Through the process of teaching, the teacher also learned a tremendous amount from the students, and has been constantly trying to improve his own teaching style and making the course more entertaining and also thought-provoking.
The teacher has taught this course across the United States (Michigan, Illinois, and New York), and has been widely acclaimed. Through the process of teaching, the teacher also learned a tremendous amount from the students, and has been constantly trying to improve his own teaching style and making the course more entertaining and also thought-provoking.
H6550: Life, Death, and Calvinball Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michael Pappas
Calvin and Hobbes is popularly viewed as one of the greatest comic strips of all time, but not just for the humor. In this class, we’ll explore many major branches of philosophy with the use of Calvin+Hobbes strips, discussing questions such as “How can you know something?”, “What does it mean to be good?”, and, of course, “What can we learn from Calvinball?”
Prerequisites
Willingness to participate - much of the class is devoted to discussion rather than lecture.
Prerequisites
Willingness to participate - much of the class is devoted to discussion rather than lecture.
H6275: Icelandic 101 - A crash course in Icelandic
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Sigtryggur Kjartansson
Is it your life-long dream to be a viking and SPEAK like a true Norseman?
Do you want to learn how to actually pronounce "Eyjafjallajökull" (the volcano whose name struck fear in the hearts of reporters across the world)?
Do you think you have what it takes to learn one of the world's hardest languages?
If you answered "já" (e. yes) to any of those question or if you just really want to learn Icelandic, then take this crash course in Icelandic.
Do you want to learn how to actually pronounce "Eyjafjallajökull" (the volcano whose name struck fear in the hearts of reporters across the world)?
Do you think you have what it takes to learn one of the world's hardest languages?
If you answered "já" (e. yes) to any of those question or if you just really want to learn Icelandic, then take this crash course in Icelandic.
H6368: Worldbuilding 101 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Susan Shepherd
Are you in middle school or early high school? Interested in designing environments and societies for written fiction, films, or computer and tabletop games? If so, this is the class for you.
We'll start with examples of worldbuilding in media you may be familiar with, briefly discuss what worked particularly well (or badly) in those examples, and then we'll explore ways to create worlds of your own.
Topics will include how your worldbuilding methods will vary depending on the time period, tech level, the presence or absence of magic, and whether you're working within the limits of a fantasy, historical, or sci-fi world. We will also (briefly) discuss what to consider when creating new societies, new species, or entirely new worlds.
Special attention will be paid to alternate technology and to invented magic systems.
Worldbuilding 101 runs for the same length of time as Worldbuilding 299, but goes at a slower pace and involves somewhat more explanation. It also spends less time on how to create new species or aliens, since some of you might not have spent much time learning about ecology or cognitive science yet.
Prerequisites
1. An interest in history, mythology, and/or anthropology. 2. A willingness to ask crazy what-if questions – and figure out the equally crazy answers.
We'll start with examples of worldbuilding in media you may be familiar with, briefly discuss what worked particularly well (or badly) in those examples, and then we'll explore ways to create worlds of your own.
Topics will include how your worldbuilding methods will vary depending on the time period, tech level, the presence or absence of magic, and whether you're working within the limits of a fantasy, historical, or sci-fi world. We will also (briefly) discuss what to consider when creating new societies, new species, or entirely new worlds.
Special attention will be paid to alternate technology and to invented magic systems.
Worldbuilding 101 runs for the same length of time as Worldbuilding 299, but goes at a slower pace and involves somewhat more explanation. It also spends less time on how to create new species or aliens, since some of you might not have spent much time learning about ecology or cognitive science yet.
Prerequisites
1. An interest in history, mythology, and/or anthropology. 2. A willingness to ask crazy what-if questions – and figure out the equally crazy answers.
H6571: Introductory Latin
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Pamela Alvarez
A basic introduction to the Latin language
Prerequisites
Prior study of another foreign language helpful, but not required
Prerequisites
Prior study of another foreign language helpful, but not required
H6330: Musket, Saber, Cannon: Napoleonic Era Warfare Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lawrence Lin,
Mark Markov
Why was Napoleon so successful? How did he dominate Europe with the French army? What were the forces at play in such battles as Austerlitz, Jena-Auerstadt, and Waterloo? This class examines the development of the French army from a collection of lackluster regiments serving Louis XVI to a seemingly invincible fighting force under Napoleon, as well as the strategy, tactics, operational methods, and willpower behind La Grande Armee and the other armies fielded by the other major powers, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Great Britain, during the era. Topics covered will include the conduct of war, the roles of different arms, the impact of permanent army staff, and more.
Prerequisites
Interest.
Prerequisites
Interest.
H6349: The French electoral system
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Delphine Kaiser
In the light of tomorrow's elections, do you
want to understand how presidential elections work in other countries?
This class will go over the differences between the American and French electoral systems and the history of how and why the French system works as well as where it come from.
want to understand how presidential elections work in other countries?
This class will go over the differences between the American and French electoral systems and the history of how and why the French system works as well as where it come from.
H6157: Writing/Wandering
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Alexander Cronis
We're going to be working with a style of writing which doesn't use an outline. We'll talk about great artists who use/used this process (Faulkner, Ken Burns, the creative team behind the Katamari games and others) listen to music, read some poems, do some free writing and discuss how this process works with regard to most forms of fiction (graphic novels, short stories, novels, etc.).
H6585: Introduction to Japanese
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yuta Makita
Want to understand what you hear at sushi/japanese restaurants? Would like to learn some bits of another language? Listen in on this class for a crash course on some basic Japanese!
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
H6310: Writing Better, Faster, Stronger
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jess Lin
Have a hard time starting, editing, or giving feedback on essays? We'll do some exercises and play games to sharpen your writing chops.
Learn to:
- generate essay ideas
- tighten a sentence
- choose the right details to include
- and more...
We'll be focusing on personal essays -- essays about your experiences -- i.e. the type you might use for college admissions.
Prerequisites
English
Learn to:
- generate essay ideas
- tighten a sentence
- choose the right details to include
- and more...
We'll be focusing on personal essays -- essays about your experiences -- i.e. the type you might use for college admissions.
Prerequisites
English
H6153: Dreams, Dreaming, and the Subconscious in our culture
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Carol Hardick
The class introduces you to psychology, cognition and memory from the perspective of a sleeping brain, using an interdisciplinary approach of neuroscience, psychology and humanities. We also discuss how dreams and sleep are portrayed in film and literature, and the accuracy of it. The Harry Potter series and the movie, Inception, has lots of twists and turns and both raise questions about the brain, knowledge and artificial intelligence. What’s possible and what isn’t? Can an idea be planted in a person’s mind? Can two people share a dream? With lots of discussion, we’ll explore those questions, and more.
H6261: How to Teach Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ravi Charan,
Emily Pries
You don't know something until you can teach it!
In this class, we will talk about the close link between teaching and learning and give you the tools to succeed both as an effective student and teacher. Whether you want to help your classmates or siblings, want to volunteer to teach younger students, or even go into a career as a teacher, this class will give you a basic foundation of the art of teaching.
In this class, we will talk about the close link between teaching and learning and give you the tools to succeed both as an effective student and teacher. Whether you want to help your classmates or siblings, want to volunteer to teach younger students, or even go into a career as a teacher, this class will give you a basic foundation of the art of teaching.
H6201: The Secret Life of Isaac Asimov
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Phillip Seo,
Zoe Snape
Did you know that in addition to his classic science fiction stories, Isaac Asimov also wrote joke books? And guides to Shakespeare and the Bible? And mystery novels? And three autobiographies? Come learn about this science fiction icon and some of this various works, from I, Robot to the popular science column he wrote monthly for over thirty years. There will also be time for discussing ideas in science fiction and literature.
H6126: Social Innovation and Volunteerism - How to Make a Difference? Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Michelle Ng
Social innovation and volunteerism is on the rise among young people. We all want to make a difference. The question is… how? This course will begin with a 1.5 hour lecture on various topics related to social issues we face today (e.g., health care, poverty, hunger, education, environment). The lecture will be followed by a 1.5 hour interactive discussion to engage students on different ways to examine these issues and potential solutions. Plenty of young people want to make a difference to our world. The intent of the course is to broaden their horizon and encourage them to seek ways to make their impact.
Prerequisites
Interest to give back and make a difference!
Prerequisites
Interest to give back and make a difference!
H6641: Ewww! Are You Really Going to Eat That? Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Elizabeth Berg
Chicken is good to eat. Dog, not so much. But why is this the case? How has society decided what's appropriate to eat, and what's not? Come learn about "disgusting" food, and try some for yourself- if you dare!
H6284: Economics: Market Failures Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zoe Thorkildsen
Come learn about market failures through interactive economic "games". In this course, we will both discuss and demonstrate possible problems that can crop up in a free market, as well as interventions that can help prevent these failures.
H6430: Linguistics sampler
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Leon Lin
Read carefully: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. Huh? How did the past tense of sing get to be sang? How do languages across the world differ, and what aspects are universal? Here's an experiment: I've got a cookie. It's chocolate, scrumptious, Canadian, and large. It's a large scrumptious Canadian chocolate cookie. Now imagine I'd said chocolate scrumptious Canadian large cookie. That sounds odd for some reason. Now ask your friends what they would call a cookie that's chocolate, scrumptious, Canadian, and large. Chances are they'll come up with the same order of adjectives. How do we all arrive at the same order?
H6474: The French electoral system
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Delphine Kaiser
In the light of tomorrow's elections, do you want to understand how presidential elections work in other countries?
This class will go over the differences between the American and French electoral systems and the history of how and why the French system works as well as where it come from.
This class will go over the differences between the American and French electoral systems and the history of how and why the French system works as well as where it come from.
H6312: How to Bullshit
Difficulty: **
There are 47% of Splash students who won't take this class no matter what. All right, there are 47% who are dependent on being taught, who believe that they are victims, who believe that Splash has a responsibility to teach them everything, that they are entitled to instruction on every individual thing. That that's an entitlement. And that Splash should give it to them. And they won't take this class no matter what. These are students who pay no information tax. 47% of Splash students deal pay no information tax. And so our job is not to worry about those students- we'll never convince them to take personal responsibility and care about their lives.
Our job is to teach you, the rugged individualists, all about creating information. In this class, you'll pull yourself up by your mental bootstraps and become experts at info-genesis. And once you finish this class, you will make all other Splash students intellectually wealthier as your knowledge and competency trickle down. Sign up for this class, because you are information creators, and are more valuable than the fact-poor who rely on Splash handouts to get by.
Our job is to teach you, the rugged individualists, all about creating information. In this class, you'll pull yourself up by your mental bootstraps and become experts at info-genesis. And once you finish this class, you will make all other Splash students intellectually wealthier as your knowledge and competency trickle down. Sign up for this class, because you are information creators, and are more valuable than the fact-poor who rely on Splash handouts to get by.
H6756: Casual German
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emily TenCate
Ever wanted to learn how to ask for a pretzel or a bratwurst auf Deutsch? Curious about what a Biergarten *actually* is? This is a crash course in German - you'll learn the very basics of grammar, some vocabulary, plus a handful of useful/entertaining phrases that may or may not help you get communicate in German!
H6305: Political Metaphor in Action: The Nation as Family
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Bryan Klickstein
This course will introduce the Nation as Family Metaphor and the 2 distinct parent models (Strict Father and Nurturant Parent) that come with it. Why do Conservatives and Progressives believe what they believe and do what they do? Much of it is derived from this metaphor!
H6477: Performance Poetry@Splash: Performances
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Mohammad Hossain
Wrote up some original work of your own? Well, now you have to share it! This class is mostly intended for the students of Performance Poetry@Splash: Writing Poetry class, but any student is welcome to join.
Students will present their original work to other students and practice their performance skills in front of their peers.
If you are not enrolled in the Performance Poetry@Splash:Writing Poetry class, please come to this class with a poem of your own ready to read or recite if asked to. It must be your own work.
Note that this class will be mostly comprised of students that are relatively new to writing poetry, and that we are to create an inviting and welcoming environment for them to present their work. Also graphic language and mature themes may be written about, and if you are easily offended by such things, please avoid taking the class.
Prerequisites
Performance Poetry@Splash: Writing Poetry is highly recommended but not required.
Students will present their original work to other students and practice their performance skills in front of their peers.
If you are not enrolled in the Performance Poetry@Splash:Writing Poetry class, please come to this class with a poem of your own ready to read or recite if asked to. It must be your own work.
Note that this class will be mostly comprised of students that are relatively new to writing poetry, and that we are to create an inviting and welcoming environment for them to present their work. Also graphic language and mature themes may be written about, and if you are easily offended by such things, please avoid taking the class.
Prerequisites
Performance Poetry@Splash: Writing Poetry is highly recommended but not required.
H6367: Urban Space
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
William Carbery
The first rule of Urban Space: things change, and then change again. Skyscrapers are built, neighborhoods disappear and people move in and out at random. But is it random? Urban Space attempts to answer the WHY of WHERE using geography. Topics may include transportation, land values, urban models, barbershops and baseball stadiums. At least one trip on the MBTA is recommended.
H6226: Thinking about Religion
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Amy Estersohn
OFFERED AT SPLASH 2011
Where does religion come from, and what is religion’s use, anyway? Is religion more than a set of commonly shared beliefs and understood practices?
This discussion-based class will introduce some theories of religion as we consider just what religion is, through the lens of scholars and through your own reflections.
This class is appropriate for anybody who is curious about religion- whether or not you consider yourself to be “religious.” We will NOT be questioning/defending the validity of religious beliefs or the existence of "god,"; we are instead examining why and how religious beliefs have prevailed among human societies.
Prerequisites
This course is going to be a neat blend of anthropology, philosophy, religion, and sociology, so certainly bring your willingness to have your head spinning.
Where does religion come from, and what is religion’s use, anyway? Is religion more than a set of commonly shared beliefs and understood practices?
This discussion-based class will introduce some theories of religion as we consider just what religion is, through the lens of scholars and through your own reflections.
This class is appropriate for anybody who is curious about religion- whether or not you consider yourself to be “religious.” We will NOT be questioning/defending the validity of religious beliefs or the existence of "god,"; we are instead examining why and how religious beliefs have prevailed among human societies.
Prerequisites
This course is going to be a neat blend of anthropology, philosophy, religion, and sociology, so certainly bring your willingness to have your head spinning.
H6407: Our Terrifying Legal System!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Veronica Gross
Did you know that police can get innocent people to confess to crimes 90% of the time? How about that something as simple as wearing glasses can increase the chances that you’ll be found innocent of a crime?
This course will look at all the peculiar, scientific, and downright terrifying ways in which our judicial system (doesn’t) work. From bogus police practices to missing evidence to (supposedly) mind-controlling the jury, this will be a journey through the terrifying mess that is our judicial system.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of how the legal system works will be very helpful. Also, the student should recognize that this course won’t teach them how to go out and commit crimes; merely the inadequacies in the current structure.
This course will look at all the peculiar, scientific, and downright terrifying ways in which our judicial system (doesn’t) work. From bogus police practices to missing evidence to (supposedly) mind-controlling the jury, this will be a journey through the terrifying mess that is our judicial system.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of how the legal system works will be very helpful. Also, the student should recognize that this course won’t teach them how to go out and commit crimes; merely the inadequacies in the current structure.
H6607: Tanks for the Memories: Armored Warfare in World War 2 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexandre Todorov
They are big. They are loud. They make explosions. Tanks are some of the most fascinating vehicles ever made, but what is the logic behind their creation? In this class we will look at tank warfare in World War 2 and analyze how each nation approached, designed and put into action their own ideas as to how to fight with tanks.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge of world war 2.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge of world war 2.
H6231: The Sonnet
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lance Ozier
The sonnet is one of the oldest and most durable forms of poetry. It’s been used by great poets from Shakespeare to e. e. cummings. Because it has certain rules, it poses creative challenges for any poet, but as a result can yield poems that astonish and delight. Come see how poets have met the challenges and reaped the rewards over the past 400 years.
Prerequisites
Interest in poetry, language, words
Prerequisites
Interest in poetry, language, words
H6127: Information Security - What's the big deal?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michelle Ng
Internet usage is essential to education, entertainment and many aspects of our daily life for all ages. This is a course intended for students who would like to learn more about the various ways information is shared / used in popular Internet applications including but not limited to Facebook, MySpace, iTunes, Twitter, IM, Google Chat, Wikipedia. The course is designed to increase awareness of best practices and precautions in using the Internet at a time where social networking and media play an important role for virtually everyone. Users of all experience levels and opinions are welcome for a respectful and lively discussion.
H6538: Introduction to Socionics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Roan LaPlante
Socionics is a field of nonscientific analytical psychology developed by Ausra Augustinavicitue who was working with ideas of Jungian psychology. Socionics is moderately well popularized in Eastern Europe and almost unheard of in Western Europe or America. It is best described as a language for understanding and interpreting processes of personality. It is by far most often used as a typology, assigning personality types to individuals and using these types to systematically predict relational compatibility. However, some would argue that it is more a philosophical language for modeling people, social interaction, and different cultures than strictly a model of personality. Perhaps most importantly, thinking about socionics provides a substantial conceptual framework for thinking about questions of personality, social behavior, cognition, and philosophy. In this class, we will first try to investigate the alphabet of this language, and also discuss the myriad issues in practice of actually applying it.
Prerequisites
none; familiarity with MBTI is potentially helpful but also potentially detrimental. familiarity with contemporary research on personality, social, developmental and cognitive psychology and Russian language are potentially invaluable for further study of socionics, but no background in psychology, socionics or Russian language is expected of any students in this class.
Prerequisites
none; familiarity with MBTI is potentially helpful but also potentially detrimental. familiarity with contemporary research on personality, social, developmental and cognitive psychology and Russian language are potentially invaluable for further study of socionics, but no background in psychology, socionics or Russian language is expected of any students in this class.
H6471: Ender's Game and Good and Evil Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kaylee Brent
Do you want to figure out what makes a person good? Do you like science fiction? Do you like philosophical discussions? Come discuss good and evil in intent and deed, through the lens of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Prerequisites
Have read Ender's Game (and preferably others of the series)
Prerequisites
Have read Ender's Game (and preferably others of the series)
H6151: Philosophy of Mind: Making of the Modern Mind
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Carol Hardick
This course acts as a bridge between philosophy of mind, cognitive sciences and humanities. The Splash course is an introduction to a longer course, and includes Theory of Mind, memory and cognition. Discussions will focus on social psychology, mind control and subliminal messages and morality, all under the umbrella of critical thinking.
Prerequisites
This is college level, but open to any student
Prerequisites
This is college level, but open to any student
H6143: English that looks like nonsense (or vice versa) Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Megan Belzner
Explore words like "antidisestablishmentarianism" and sentences like those in Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" or Dr. Seuss's "Fox in Socks". Along the way you'll learn about many of the fascinating properties of language and get a chance to create some "nonsense" of your very own!
H6667: iz-lom
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Hiba Chaabi,
Noor Doukmak
Sound familiar? Sure it does, but how much can you really say you know about the faith a billion people call their own? Weighed down by countless stereotypes, claims by the media, and Hollywood portrayals, Islam is hardly known today for what it truly is. Join us as we delve into Islam's core beliefs and discover what drives so many to accept it as their faith... even today.
H6677: Greek and Roman Mythology
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Taylor Ayral
Join us as we go over a general survey of classic Greek and Roman Mythology. We'll spend time on the major Gods and Goddesses, and go over some of the more famous stories.
H6604: Defining Rationality: End, Means and the Logic that Connects Theme
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexandre Todorov
In our modern age of no concrete truths, defining rationality has become one of the key challenges for modern philosophers and thinkers. In this class we will explore how to define rationality and whether we can define an action as logical or illogical.
Prerequisites
An open mind
Prerequisites
An open mind
H6522: Cults in America
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sara Lone
In this course we will learn what a "cult" is and the cultural connotations we associate with them. We will check out this history of several "cults" in America, understanding how they began and how they met their demise. We will also see how some groups, once perceived as "cults", have survived through to today and are now known as religious traditions. We will sink our teeth into religion and psychology, understanding how the two collide and play on each other. Brainwashing will be covered in this course! Some movements we will be looking at: Peoples Temple, Heaven's Gate, Scientology, Mormons, and the Branch Davidians. There will also be ample time to ask questions about movements you are interested in learning about! You can come to this course having studied "cults" for years, or having never heard of one.
H6227: Why your brain isn't a calculator- even if you know how to add
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Amy Estersohn
OFFERED AT SPLASH 2011
This class will cover some of the shortcuts our brains use to help us make everyday decisions, from what we buy at the store to which treatments doctors choose to how we decide to take risks. We’ll learn through games and simulations, so bring your strategy face to the table.
Prerequisites
1. A brain. 2. 10+ years of life experience. 3. Enjoy playing games. 4. Basic arithmetic skills may not be particularly helpful.
This class will cover some of the shortcuts our brains use to help us make everyday decisions, from what we buy at the store to which treatments doctors choose to how we decide to take risks. We’ll learn through games and simulations, so bring your strategy face to the table.
Prerequisites
1. A brain. 2. 10+ years of life experience. 3. Enjoy playing games. 4. Basic arithmetic skills may not be particularly helpful.
H6373: Worldbuilding 299
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Susan Shepherd
Are you interested in designing environments and societies for written fiction, films, or computer and tabletop games? If so, this is the class for you.
We'll start with examples of worldbuilding in fiction, briefly discuss what worked particularly well (or badly) in those examples, and then we'll explore ways to create worlds of your own.
Broad topics will include how to design solar systems and individual planets, the differences in creating small-scale societies (Harry Potter, for example, deals almost exclusively with a tiny subsection of U.K. society) versus large-scale societies (LotR, Dune, Game of Thrones), and how to deal with culture clash in realistic ways.
Additionally, we'll look into how language, customs / belief systems, tech level, and the presence or absence of magic will affect your world.
Special attention will be paid to designing aliens, exploring alternate technology and ways of creating restrictions to keep invented magic systems interesting instead of world-breaking.
Note: Worldbuilding 299 runs for the same length of time as Worldbuilding 101, but goes at a faster pace and covers slightly more material. It also spends more time on how to create aliens and alien societies.
Prerequisites
1. An interest in history, mythology, and/or anthropology. 2. A willingness to ask crazy what-if questions – and figure out the equally crazy answers. 3. Some familiarity with biology, cognitive science, ecology, and/or geography will be extremely useful but is not required.
We'll start with examples of worldbuilding in fiction, briefly discuss what worked particularly well (or badly) in those examples, and then we'll explore ways to create worlds of your own.
Broad topics will include how to design solar systems and individual planets, the differences in creating small-scale societies (Harry Potter, for example, deals almost exclusively with a tiny subsection of U.K. society) versus large-scale societies (LotR, Dune, Game of Thrones), and how to deal with culture clash in realistic ways.
Additionally, we'll look into how language, customs / belief systems, tech level, and the presence or absence of magic will affect your world.
Special attention will be paid to designing aliens, exploring alternate technology and ways of creating restrictions to keep invented magic systems interesting instead of world-breaking.
Note: Worldbuilding 299 runs for the same length of time as Worldbuilding 101, but goes at a faster pace and covers slightly more material. It also spends more time on how to create aliens and alien societies.
Prerequisites
1. An interest in history, mythology, and/or anthropology. 2. A willingness to ask crazy what-if questions – and figure out the equally crazy answers. 3. Some familiarity with biology, cognitive science, ecology, and/or geography will be extremely useful but is not required.
H6757: Intro to Writing Short Stories!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Priya Garg
Are you an avid reader? Ever wished you had a way to channel your creativity and imagination into words? In this class, we'll learn about the anatomy of a short story and do some activities to get you well on your way to writing your first short story.
H6710: Introductory Odawa
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dmetri Hayes
Odawa or Nishnaabemwin is a dialect of one of the most widely spoken Native American languages today. Come learn about this fascinating language!
H6175: Writing Systems of the World’s Languages
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Morris Alper
This class will explore the variety of writing systems that have been used to record human language. We'll discuss the structural differences between such scripts as Mayan hieroglyphs, the Japanese script, Devanagari, and Thaana. We'll also touch on the evolution of writing over time, including the development of the Latin alphabet.
H6486: History of Language
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Staly Chin
Why are all the languages in the world so different? Why do languages change? Why does this matter?
This class features a macroscopic look at the development and deviation of language and the forces that mold the tongues of today's world.
This class features a macroscopic look at the development and deviation of language and the forces that mold the tongues of today's world.
H6118: Alfred Hitchock: The Man and the Suspense Closed!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Isaac Wright-Lichter
Ever wonder why "Psycho" is so suspenseful? Or "The Birds"? Why the thudding footsteps of the villain coming closer to James Stewart in "Rear Window" was so horrifying? It's obvious that director Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense, but what made his films so suspenseful? Many directors make suspense stories, but why are Hitchcock's special? In this class we'll discuss this and a little bit about the man himself, and what drove him to create some of the most disturbing scenes in movie history.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites, but having seen some of Hitchcock's films beforehand is highly recommended.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites, but having seen some of Hitchcock's films beforehand is highly recommended.
H6228: This is your brain on shopping
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Amy Estersohn
Why do we buy, and what are some of the psychological and neurological reasons for our behaviors?
This class will be an introductory, non-technical approach to these questions.
This class will be an introductory, non-technical approach to these questions.
H6361: Languages of Middle Earth
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ryker Reed
Ever wanted to speak Elvish? To write Dwarven runes? Ever wondered where all the names in Middle Earth come from? Come find out more about the complex linguistic systems underlying Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. For instance, did you know that Tolkien was a linguist and actually invented an entire Elvish language before even writing the Lord of the Rings books? Learn about some of the real world languages that inspired and influenced Tolkien’s invented languages. And find out more about the history of Middle Earth and how its languages came to be what they are now.
H6452: NewsJack: Media Remixing for Great Justice
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Dan Schultz
NewsJack lets you rewrite the Internet. This course will teach about several easy-to-use remixing tools. By the end of it you'll create things as hilarious as the Onion, and more importantly you'll probably be more careful about what you read online.
Lunch
L6815: Lunch Period
Difficulty: None
Teachers:
Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.
L6816: Lunch Period
Difficulty: None
Teachers:
Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.
Mathematics
M6701: Silly Math Games Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Allen Park
Think math is fun? Wonderful! We'll play silly math games (basically, games with numbers) and then analyze them. Get ready to count on your fingers, factor large numbers, and play with math!
M6551: Introduction to Fourier Series
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Wilson Louie,
William Tsui
Interested in waves? Oscillations? Approximating period functions with arbitrary precision with JUST sine and cosine? If yes, come and learn about Fourier series, a useful tool with notable applications in waves, electromagnetism, and much more!
Prerequisites
Single variable calculus (know how to evaluate an integral), Infinite Series, Taylor Series (recommended), HUNGER TO LEARN.
Prerequisites
Single variable calculus (know how to evaluate an integral), Infinite Series, Taylor Series (recommended), HUNGER TO LEARN.
M6420: What Can You Construct With Only a Straightedge?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Gergely Odor
Probably you know a lot about what can be constructed with compass and straightedge. But what happens if we take the compass away and we only use the straightedge (and a pencil of course)? You'd guess there are only a few things that can be constructed? I tell you there are a lot. And also there are more questions: What if we have a compass with a fixed radius? Or would it matter if someone drew a circle on the paper?
This course involves creative problem solving.
Prerequisites
High school geometry class suggested.
This course involves creative problem solving.
Prerequisites
High school geometry class suggested.
M6302: Paradoxes in Probability Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Carl Lian
Here are three questions that look like they're pretty similar.
(1) I have exactly two children. One of them is a boy. What's the probability that I have two boys?
(2) I have exactly two children. John is a boy. What's the probability that I have two boys?
(3) I have exactly two children. One of them is a boy born on Tuesday. What's the probability that I have two boys?
The answers: 1/3, 1/2, and, you guessed it, 7/27. Huh?
Another problem - I give you a circle, with an equilateral triangle inscribed. Then, you choose a random chord in the circle. What's the probability that the length of the chord is longer than the side length of the triangle?
Seems pretty innocuous, but as is turns out, this problem isn't well-formed enough to admit a correct answer. Why not?
In this class we'll investigate these questions and some other seemingly paradoxical problems in probability.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of probability. You should know under what conditions the statement P(A)*P(B)=P(A and B) is true.
(1) I have exactly two children. One of them is a boy. What's the probability that I have two boys?
(2) I have exactly two children. John is a boy. What's the probability that I have two boys?
(3) I have exactly two children. One of them is a boy born on Tuesday. What's the probability that I have two boys?
The answers: 1/3, 1/2, and, you guessed it, 7/27. Huh?
Another problem - I give you a circle, with an equilateral triangle inscribed. Then, you choose a random chord in the circle. What's the probability that the length of the chord is longer than the side length of the triangle?
Seems pretty innocuous, but as is turns out, this problem isn't well-formed enough to admit a correct answer. Why not?
In this class we'll investigate these questions and some other seemingly paradoxical problems in probability.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of probability. You should know under what conditions the statement P(A)*P(B)=P(A and B) is true.
M6342: Exotic Topics in Geometry: where Euclid is not always Right
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Wai Lok Lai
Euler is not always right!! Ever thought of a place where the angles of a triangle don't add up to 180 degrees? Ever looked at a map and wondered what the shortest path from point A to B is? Ever wonder what geometry has to do with complex numbers? THEN THIS IS THE CLASS FOR YOU!!!
We will talk about a wide range of geometry topics that are not covered in the typical high school curriculum, from spherical to hyperbolic geometry, from taxi-cab to complex geometry, and much more.
Prerequisites
Some exposure to geometry and algebra. If you know how to prove triangles to be congruent, you are good. A basic knowledge of imaginary / complex numbers will be helpful but is not required, because quick intro to complex numbers will be included.
We will talk about a wide range of geometry topics that are not covered in the typical high school curriculum, from spherical to hyperbolic geometry, from taxi-cab to complex geometry, and much more.
Prerequisites
Some exposure to geometry and algebra. If you know how to prove triangles to be congruent, you are good. A basic knowledge of imaginary / complex numbers will be helpful but is not required, because quick intro to complex numbers will be included.
M6177: Insane 2hr Cram Session of Undergraduate Mathematics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Felix Wong
My goal is to make your brain hurt but dazzled at how awesome mathematics is. You should come to this class ready to learn years of higher-level mathematics-- condensed into 2 hours. You will leave the lecture hall feeling more mathy and intelligent.
For the record, I will cover topics in linear algebra (vector spaces and their algebraic operations), group theory (group structure and operations), real analysis (analytic functions, Hilbert spaces,...), probability theory (distributions, expectations, martingales), complex analysis (holomorphic functions, contour integration...), algebraic and differential topology (fundamental group, manifolds, differential forms, cohomology...), and differential geometry (vector bundles, Lie groups,...). If I can cram everything in as fast as I think I can, we will also explore applications to physics, chemistry, biology, biochemistry....
You won't understand most of what I say. You will be intimidated. But I promise you'll also be inspired-- very inspired.
Are you up to the challenge?
Prerequisites
Calculus at the minimum; exposure to linear algebra, group theory, real and complex analysis, and topology will be useful. All students, regardless of background, are welcome.
For the record, I will cover topics in linear algebra (vector spaces and their algebraic operations), group theory (group structure and operations), real analysis (analytic functions, Hilbert spaces,...), probability theory (distributions, expectations, martingales), complex analysis (holomorphic functions, contour integration...), algebraic and differential topology (fundamental group, manifolds, differential forms, cohomology...), and differential geometry (vector bundles, Lie groups,...). If I can cram everything in as fast as I think I can, we will also explore applications to physics, chemistry, biology, biochemistry....
You won't understand most of what I say. You will be intimidated. But I promise you'll also be inspired-- very inspired.
Are you up to the challenge?
Prerequisites
Calculus at the minimum; exposure to linear algebra, group theory, real and complex analysis, and topology will be useful. All students, regardless of background, are welcome.
M6213: Elliptic Curves
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Dylan Yott
In this course, we will examine elliptic curves, which are usually first introduced as equations of the form: $$y^{2}=ax^{3}+bx+c$$.
Elliptic curves are interesting because they naturally have a group structure. That is, it makes sense to "add" points on the curve. We will talk about why the points on an elliptic curve form a group, which will bring us into the realm of complex analysis! This will naturally lead us to the theory of elliptic functions and the above equation will jump right out at us!
This course will cover a lot in a small amount of time. We will do some explicit calculations, but mostly focus on the abstract concepts.
Prerequisites
Calculus is a must. Multivariable calculus would be helpful but not necessary. Knowing what a group is would also be a good thing.
Elliptic curves are interesting because they naturally have a group structure. That is, it makes sense to "add" points on the curve. We will talk about why the points on an elliptic curve form a group, which will bring us into the realm of complex analysis! This will naturally lead us to the theory of elliptic functions and the above equation will jump right out at us!
This course will cover a lot in a small amount of time. We will do some explicit calculations, but mostly focus on the abstract concepts.
Prerequisites
Calculus is a must. Multivariable calculus would be helpful but not necessary. Knowing what a group is would also be a good thing.
M6293: Discriminant Inequalities
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Adam Hesterberg
A quadratic has real roots if and only if its discriminant is nonnegative. We'll show how to use this to prove a famous mathematical inequality or two and solve some math olympiad-style inequality problems.
Prerequisites
Comfort with mathematical proofs
Prerequisites
Comfort with mathematical proofs
M6755: Scatterplots, Graphs, and Charts, oh my!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Cecilia Cisar
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Learn to find if someone else is tweaking their graphs and how not get your hand caught in the cookie jar.
M6187: Hands-on game theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Holden Lee
In this class you'll play some "games" with very simple rules but very counter-intuitive strategies and outcomes. Win a dollar... or not. You'll learn how these simple games are the beginnings of game theory, a branch of applied mathematics that arose in the 1900's and has had profound implications for diverse fields such as economics, psychology, and evolutionary biology.
Prerequisites
basic algebra and probability
Prerequisites
basic algebra and probability
M6611: Pascal, Sierpinski, and Dinner Parties
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Yasha Berchenko-Kogan
In a group of nine people, in how many ways can you pick three of them? In a group of four people, in how many ways can you distribute six $1 bills between them? (Giving nothing to someone is allowed.) Why are the answers to these two questions the same?
In this class, we’ll explore a triangle of numbers called Pascal’s triangle, and we’ll see how it can answer the questions above. After that, we’ll see that Pascal’s triangle has many cool things hidden inside it, including the Fibonacci numbers, a pretty fractal called the Sierpinski triangle, and much more.
In this class, we’ll explore a triangle of numbers called Pascal’s triangle, and we’ll see how it can answer the questions above. After that, we’ll see that Pascal’s triangle has many cool things hidden inside it, including the Fibonacci numbers, a pretty fractal called the Sierpinski triangle, and much more.
M6354: Intro to Bayesian Stastics
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Will Conway
Learn how to calculate your odds of having a rare genetic disease, predict the weather and track down Nazi submarines!
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of probability
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of probability
M6520: Doing Math with Physics Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jonathan Schneider
People usually use math to do physics. They're silly. Come learn how to prove various mathematical theorems with clever physical arguments. Topics include proving the Pythagorean theorem via exploding aquariums, the AM-HM inequality through resistor networks, and how to solve lots of standard high-school calculus questions with physical arguments.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of physics concepts will be helpful.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of physics concepts will be helpful.
M6410: Introduction to Information
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Max Dunitz,
Joel Schneider
We live in the information age -- but what is information, exactly? There's a precise mathematical notion of information, and it enables all the digital communication you young people are so good with. Come get a glimpse of what it is.
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with logarithms is helpful.
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with logarithms is helpful.
M6320: Accounting 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Rahat Bathija
Learn about basic accounting including debts/credits and journal entries. Introduce various financial statements including balance sheets and income statements. Time permitting explore application of skills to analyze a publicly traded Company's financials.
Prerequisites
Pre-calculus
Prerequisites
Pre-calculus
M6620: Non-rigorous proofs that work
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Semon Rezchikov
Sick of epsilon-delta proofs in your calculus class? Come see the world with Euler's eyes and learn how the mathematicians of the 1700s proved powerful theorems using methods that would horrify your teachers! Sum series buy expanding complicated functions as just infinite products of linear functions, and expanding non-converging operators as Taylor series in derivatives! It'll be fun; tea and cookies will be made and laughs will be had.
Prerequisites
BC calculus -- you should be quite comfortable with Taylor series.
Prerequisites
BC calculus -- you should be quite comfortable with Taylor series.
M6711: Introduction to cryptographic techniques
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jason Tong
Ever wondered about how the Enigma machine was cracked? Or how you can crack practically any substitution cipher? How about the way that information is transmitted securely over the internet today? Learn how to encrypt your own messages and crack others' encrypted messages with various fundamental techniques!
M6647: INTEGARLS
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jacob Hurwitz,
Benjamin Kraft
Come learn about INTEGARLS from two finalists in the MIT Integration Bee! We'll be teaching a number of cool integration tricks, like crazy tangents and swingy-swingy.
Prerequisites
You should know calculus, enough to know what a u-substitution in an integral is.
Prerequisites
You should know calculus, enough to know what a u-substitution in an integral is.
M6274: The Mathematics of Dating
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Pavel Panchekha,
Lucy Zhang
They say mathematicians don't study anything useful. And that that's why mathematicians are single while the jocks, poets, starving artists, and Richard Feynmans have dates to the party. But mathematicians have an ace in the hole: MATH. We'll cover how to supercharge your dating life with results from calculus, combinatorics, graph theory, and computer science. Class will be ENTIRELY THEORETICAL; results may only be applicable to spherical dates in a frictionless vacuum.
M6684: Organized Chaos!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sachi Hashimoto
From just a few simple rules comes an entire universe of possibilities in which we can create a fully functioning computer, self reproducing objects, infinitely expanding patterns, space ships, gliders, and more. This class is about the magic and the math that is Conway's Game of Life. Come learn what it's all about, and be a part of the largest human simulation of the Game of Life!
M6561: Important Directions
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ben Zinberg
There are lots of directions out there -- up, northeast, 11 o'clock.... In this class we will study these directions and ask, which ones are the most important? For example, by computing the direction in which the Fibonacci numbers travel, we will be able to come up with an explicit non-recursive formula for the nth Fibonacci number. Time permitting, we will look at applications to physics, differential equations, and numerical computation. (Mathematical buzz word: Eigenvector.)
Prerequisites
Nothing is absolutely required. However, I highly recommend learning how to multiply matrices if you haven't seen it before. All this means is, spend a few minutes looking at http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrix-multiplying.html under "Multiplying a Matrix by Another Matrix." Also some familiarity with polynomials (e.g., quadratic formula) would be a plus. At the end, if we have time for applications to physics and differential equations, you might want to know what physics is and what differential equations are.
Prerequisites
Nothing is absolutely required. However, I highly recommend learning how to multiply matrices if you haven't seen it before. All this means is, spend a few minutes looking at http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrix-multiplying.html under "Multiplying a Matrix by Another Matrix." Also some familiarity with polynomials (e.g., quadratic formula) would be a plus. At the end, if we have time for applications to physics and differential equations, you might want to know what physics is and what differential equations are.
M6595: Lagrange's Four Squares Theorem Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Zachary Abel
Lagrange's astounding four squares theorem states, quite simply, that every positive integer can be written as a sum of at most four squares. For example, 2012 = 44^2 + 6^2 + 6^2 + 2^2. This lecture will provide a complete, self-contained proof of this difficult theorem that relies on surprising connections to other parts of number theory, lattice theory, algebra, and more. Foundational knowledge of algebra, geometry, and modular arithmetic will be assumed.
Prerequisites
Algebra II, Geometry, modular arithmetic
Prerequisites
Algebra II, Geometry, modular arithmetic
M6534: The Happy Ending Problem
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Beth Cholst
Can you create a set of points without a convex polygon? How many points do you need to find a convex polygon? Test this out with MMs and proofs!
M6648: Infinitely Many Proofs of Infinitely Many Primes!
Difficulty: ***
How many primes are there? INFINITELY MANY! How many different ways can you prove that? INFINITELY MANY! Unfortunately, Splash isn’t infinitely long, so we’ll only have time to cover $$\infty - 1$$ ways.
Prerequisites
Previous exposure to basic proof methods will prove helpful.
Prerequisites
Previous exposure to basic proof methods will prove helpful.
M6332: Geometrilicious (A whirlwind session on Euclidean Geometry)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kerry Singh
This class is for anyone who is fascinated by lines and circles and wants to see the amazing properties that simple shapes like these can have when put together. This is especially beneficial for those interested in mathematical competitions such as the USAMO or the IMO.
Prerequisites
Must have a desire for learning!
Prerequisites
Must have a desire for learning!
M6248: Caffeinated Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Yousif Rouben
A fast paced, thorough, interactive introduction to Differential Equations.
Topics: phase planes, direction fields, Euler's method of approximation, separation of variables, integrating factors, exact differential equations, systems of linear differential equations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, Laplace transform [If we have time: systems of non-linear differential equations]
BRING SNACKS AND WATER!!
Expect to understand a lot if you pay attention. Explanations will be made VERY clear.
Prerequisites
Calculus - Differentiation, Integration. Exponentials Linear Algebra - Basic Matrix functions. OR none of the above, but the willingness to learn and listen!
Topics: phase planes, direction fields, Euler's method of approximation, separation of variables, integrating factors, exact differential equations, systems of linear differential equations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, Laplace transform [If we have time: systems of non-linear differential equations]
BRING SNACKS AND WATER!!
Expect to understand a lot if you pay attention. Explanations will be made VERY clear.
Prerequisites
Calculus - Differentiation, Integration. Exponentials Linear Algebra - Basic Matrix functions. OR none of the above, but the willingness to learn and listen!
M6786: Superhuman Integration Techniques
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Andre Kessler
How can you determine the exact value of $$\int_{0}^{\pi/2} \sqrt{\sin{\theta}} \, d \theta$$ or $$\int_0^1 \ln^2{x} \ln^2{(1-x)} \, dx$$ by hand? What about $$ \int_0^{\infty} e^{-x^2} \ln{x} \, dx$$ or other similar integrals? The answer lies in series expansions and some really wacky special functions. We will go from infinite product expansions of entire functions to the Gamma function, and learn how this can be applied to things you didn't know you could integrate. Learn to evaluate stuff that doesn't even appear to converge -- and learn to beat your computer to it! Along the way, you'll find out what sorts of implications the Riemann hypothesis has for the prime numbers, why $$1+2+3+4+5+\cdots = -1/12$$, what the volume of an n-dimensional hypersphere is, and how to get rid of infinity when you need him out of your calculations.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of calculus, experience with series, and love of math!
Prerequisites
Knowledge of calculus, experience with series, and love of math!
M6408: Trig Identities
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Holden Lee
Trig identities don't come out of nowhere. In this class you will derive trig identities with nice geometry pictures. Hopefully, you will not forget them again.
Prerequisites
Basic trig
Prerequisites
Basic trig
M6115: The Limits of Computation
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Gaurav Singh
Can a computer tell if a program will stop? It turns out that there are some programs for which a computer cannot say if it will stop or run forever. We will show this, and then we will investigate other limits on the powers of a computer.
Prerequisites
A solid background in proof based mathematics.
Prerequisites
A solid background in proof based mathematics.
M6140: Expanding the Binomial Theorem
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ryan Normandin
Pascal's Triangle is one of the most beautiful mathematical constructs in existence. It holds the key to expanding binomials, but what about polynomials with 3, 4, or 5 terms? Is there a pattern there? Come with your very best pattern-seeking skills as we attempt to develop a generalized theory for expanding polynomials!
Prerequisites
Familiarity with the binomial theorem is very helpful, but not required.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with the binomial theorem is very helpful, but not required.
M6093: Generating Functions!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Melody Guan
Ready to take your counting skills to the next level? Join us for a class on Generating Functions, a cool technique that allows you to transform counting problems into algebra problems!
M6286: Hypothesis Testing and Statistics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zoe Thorkildsen
In this course we will discuss basic statistics and hypothesis testing, including the concepts of the mean and standard deviation, and the Student's t-test. While formulas will be presented, the focus will be on gaining a conceptual understanding of the material
M6249: Putting the "Mock" in "Democracy": A Taste of Voting Theory and Arrow's Impossibility Theorem
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Ziv Scully
Having a fair election with two candidates is pretty simple: everyone votes for their favorite candidate and whoever gets the most votes wins. However, as anyone who was around for the presidential elections in 2000 (or 1912... or 1860) will tell you, things get complicated with three or more candidates. It's sometimes the case that you should vote for a candidate you think is likely to win instead of a fringe candidate you agree with more. We can think of different voting systems that try to get around this and other problems, but as we'll explore in class, no voting system avoids all potential flaws. You might ask: is there a "perfect" voting system out there?
Actually, it turns out there is one. It's called a dictatorship. And unless you have an infinite number of voters, no other system is "perfect". Come find out why!
Prerequisites
General familiarity and comfort with proofs will help, especially with the second half of the class.
Actually, it turns out there is one. It's called a dictatorship. And unless you have an infinite number of voters, no other system is "perfect". Come find out why!
Prerequisites
General familiarity and comfort with proofs will help, especially with the second half of the class.
M6778: Infinity+1
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Joshua Frisch
Since you were young you probably heard that you couldn't add infinity to regular numbers. That expressions like $$\infty +1$$ make no sense. They told you that you couldn't do arithmetic with infinity, that it "made no sense". Well, they were wrong, in this class we will discuss the various ways to add using infinity including adding infinite amounts of things, adding infinities, and, as time permits, sizes of infinities.
Expect your intuition to be broken $$a+b\neq b+a$$ will occur
Prerequisites
A good understanding of algebra is an absolute must, a willingness to think hard and abstractly are also very necessary.
Expect your intuition to be broken $$a+b\neq b+a$$ will occur
Prerequisites
A good understanding of algebra is an absolute must, a willingness to think hard and abstractly are also very necessary.
M6468: The Happy Ending Problem
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Beth Cholst
Can you create a set of points without a convex polygon? How many points do you need to find a convex polygon? Test this out with MMs and proofs!
M6304: Matrix Multiplication Demystified
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Carl Lian
You may have learned to multiply matrices at some point. Adding matrices of the same size is pretty straightforward (as is subtracting), but let's face it: multiplication is pretty weird. Where does it come from? Why does it make sense?
Take this class to find out what matrix multiplication is all about and why it really does make sense. And what it has to do with the formula $$\sin(a+b)=\sin(a)\cos(b)+\cos(a)\sin(b)$$.
Prerequisites
Roughly Algebra 2 and high-school geometry; we will also use a bit of trigonometry. Prior familiarity with vectors will help a little bit, but is not necessary. Having seen matrices and matrix multiplication before will help put this class in perspective (in particular, it will answer a question you probably wondered about before), but is also not necessary.
Take this class to find out what matrix multiplication is all about and why it really does make sense. And what it has to do with the formula $$\sin(a+b)=\sin(a)\cos(b)+\cos(a)\sin(b)$$.
Prerequisites
Roughly Algebra 2 and high-school geometry; we will also use a bit of trigonometry. Prior familiarity with vectors will help a little bit, but is not necessary. Having seen matrices and matrix multiplication before will help put this class in perspective (in particular, it will answer a question you probably wondered about before), but is also not necessary.
M6606: Space Algebra
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Gaurav Singh
Do you like algebra? Do you want to do it in space? Well now you can! We will be using algebra in a variety of spaces, to look at their structure, and to tell if two spaces are different.
Prerequisites
Group theory or a strong background in math and proofs
Prerequisites
Group theory or a strong background in math and proofs
M6211: Weirdo Functions from Crazyville
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Dylan Yott
In analysis, we like to prove certain facts about continuous or differentiable functions, and it often becomes tempting to assume certain things that simply aren't true. In this class we will talk about functions with the following properties:
1. Functions that are continuous everywhere but differentiable nowhere.
2. Functions that are continuous at irrationals, and discontinuous at irrationals.
3. A function that rises from 0 to 1 over the unit interval that is continuous everywhere, but has derivative zero almost everywhere.
Along the way, we'll encounter interesting concepts such as uniform continuity and measure. It'll be a blast!
Prerequisites
Calculus. Be comfortable with continuity, differentiability and limits.
1. Functions that are continuous everywhere but differentiable nowhere.
2. Functions that are continuous at irrationals, and discontinuous at irrationals.
3. A function that rises from 0 to 1 over the unit interval that is continuous everywhere, but has derivative zero almost everywhere.
Along the way, we'll encounter interesting concepts such as uniform continuity and measure. It'll be a blast!
Prerequisites
Calculus. Be comfortable with continuity, differentiability and limits.
M6132: Exploring Linear Algebra Through Love
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kristen Cotner,
David Xiao
d/dt(<3) = ? eigen(<3) = ? My usual approach is useless here...
Sheldon likes Amy, but Amy doesn't like Sheldon. Both Amy and Sheldon are romantics, but they don't know how to express their feelings to each other, and their efforts to help or hurt usually end up doing the opposite. What happens?
In this class, we'll show you one way mathematics could predict Amy and Sheldon's future love (or loveless) life. Starting with basic calculus and ending with one of the most significant results of Linear Algebra, we'll give you a crash course in college math, and probably make some more couples predictions along the way.
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with the concept of a derivative.
Sheldon likes Amy, but Amy doesn't like Sheldon. Both Amy and Sheldon are romantics, but they don't know how to express their feelings to each other, and their efforts to help or hurt usually end up doing the opposite. What happens?
In this class, we'll show you one way mathematics could predict Amy and Sheldon's future love (or loveless) life. Starting with basic calculus and ending with one of the most significant results of Linear Algebra, we'll give you a crash course in college math, and probably make some more couples predictions along the way.
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with the concept of a derivative.
M6772: What are the real numbers, really?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eric Mannes
Your math teacher has talked about "real numbers." You can add, subtract, multiply, and divide them, or you can put them in order. But you can do those with other sets of numbers, like the rationals, too! Is there an additional property the reals have that makes them really different from any other set? In fact, how do we know the reals exist at all--are they for real?
Thankfully, the answer to both of these questions is "yes." We're going to show why by building the reals with our bare hands.
Thankfully, the answer to both of these questions is "yes." We're going to show why by building the reals with our bare hands.
M6438: Cryptanalysis
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sam Fishman
You may have heard of cryptography, but what about cryptanalysis? Cryptanalysis is the study of BREAKING codes, possibly the most important task of any government's intelligence department.
In this class you will learn how to crack some codes that were once thought to be entirely unbreakable, including the Vigenere and Playfair ciphers.
In this class you will learn how to crack some codes that were once thought to be entirely unbreakable, including the Vigenere and Playfair ciphers.
M6170: Fair Division: How to cut a cake and make everyone happy
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Taylor Sutton
The most important thing in life is clearly cake. But sometimes, you have more people than you have cakes, and so you need to cut the cake. But wait! What if part of the cake has some fruit on it, part of it has more ice cream than the rest, and part of it just looks awesome?
What you really need to make sure your life is never ruined by not getting enough cake: a way to cut the cake such that everyone is happy. In this class we'll examine the question of dividing up a cake (or anything that can be cut) into pieces to distribute to a group of people, such that each person is happy with what they get. We'll of course have to make precise what we mean by happy.
If we have time, we'll talk about dividing things that make everyone miserable (chores, of course), and try to make everyone equally miserable.
What you really need to make sure your life is never ruined by not getting enough cake: a way to cut the cake such that everyone is happy. In this class we'll examine the question of dividing up a cake (or anything that can be cut) into pieces to distribute to a group of people, such that each person is happy with what they get. We'll of course have to make precise what we mean by happy.
If we have time, we'll talk about dividing things that make everyone miserable (chores, of course), and try to make everyone equally miserable.
M6378: Algebra is logic
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Raeez Lorgat
Want to build machines that understand the world? Algebra at your service...
M6565: Topologies on the Real Line
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Felipe Hernandez
The limit of a a function exists if for every epsilon greater than zero there exists a delta such that ...
Bored yet? Good, because we're throwing the old definition of limits and continuity away.
In this class, we'll learn about the topological definitions of these concepts, and learn about weird topological spaces where $$ f(x) = -x^2 $$ can have a discontinuity.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with functions and real numbers. (Calculus not required)
Bored yet? Good, because we're throwing the old definition of limits and continuity away.
In this class, we'll learn about the topological definitions of these concepts, and learn about weird topological spaces where $$ f(x) = -x^2 $$ can have a discontinuity.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with functions and real numbers. (Calculus not required)
M6760: Crash Course in Linear ODEs
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yasha Berchenko-Kogan
You're driving around in the xy-plane, and, being mathematically inclined, you decide to drive so that your velocity is a linear function of your position. More specifically, you decide that, as you drive over the point $$(x,y)$$, your velocity in the x direction should be $$x+3y$$, and your velocity in the y direction should be $$-4x-2y$$.
In this class, we'll find out whether you get back home to the origin or instead get a speeding ticket.
Prerequisites
You should be friendly with differentiation, matrix multiplication, and determinants.
In this class, we'll find out whether you get back home to the origin or instead get a speeding ticket.
Prerequisites
You should be friendly with differentiation, matrix multiplication, and determinants.
M6294: Zero-knowledge proofs
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Adam Hesterberg
I can convince you I know how to solve any given position of a Rubik's cube without showing you at all how to solve that position, convince websites that I know my password without doing anything as risky as sending the password, and similar stuff. We'll see how.
Prerequisites
Comfort with mathematical proofs
Prerequisites
Comfort with mathematical proofs
M6444: Base-ically: An introduction to Numeral Base Systems
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Megan Belzner
The number "10" looks pretty familiar, right? Well what if I told you it meant "3", or even "16"? If it was in trinary or hexadecimal, I wouldn't even be lying to you! This class is a brief introduction to bases besides the decimal system that you all know and love. We'll discuss how to convert between bases, the applications of different bases, and the history of numeral systems.
This section will go at a slightly faster pace, with a more detailed look into the mathematics of and behind base systems.
Lastly, my sincerest apologies for that horrible pun in the title.
Prerequisites
Basic arithmetic and a love of numbers. Familiarity with arithmetic series and basic trigonometry might also be helpful.
This section will go at a slightly faster pace, with a more detailed look into the mathematics of and behind base systems.
Lastly, my sincerest apologies for that horrible pun in the title.
Prerequisites
Basic arithmetic and a love of numbers. Familiarity with arithmetic series and basic trigonometry might also be helpful.
M6598: Lies and Statistics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Daniel Epelbaum
This class will go over statistics and use it in one of its most useful and creative applications: lying to people. This class will go over techniques to use numbers and facts to convince people of things that aren't true while stopping yourself from being fooled by these same techniques.
Prerequisites
Precalculus.
Prerequisites
Precalculus.
M6207: x^n+y^n=(x+y)^n...sometimes
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dylan Yott
Surely the above statement is only true when $$n=1$$, however for $$n=3$$ we have:
$$(x+y)^{3}=x^{3}+3x^{2}y+3y^{2}x+y^{3}$$.
$$n=5$$ gives:
$$(x+y)^{5}=x^{5}+5x^{4}y+10x^{3}y^{2}+10x^{2}y^{3}+5xy^{4}+y^{5}$$.
If we ignore multiples of 3 or 5, we obtain precisely the correct result! Try $$n=4$$ yourself! Does it work? What's happening? What can we do with this? The answer is: A lot!
In this course we'll discuss in what sense the identity is true, and what the consequences are.
Prerequisites
Algebra.
$$(x+y)^{3}=x^{3}+3x^{2}y+3y^{2}x+y^{3}$$.
$$n=5$$ gives:
$$(x+y)^{5}=x^{5}+5x^{4}y+10x^{3}y^{2}+10x^{2}y^{3}+5xy^{4}+y^{5}$$.
If we ignore multiples of 3 or 5, we obtain precisely the correct result! Try $$n=4$$ yourself! Does it work? What's happening? What can we do with this? The answer is: A lot!
In this course we'll discuss in what sense the identity is true, and what the consequences are.
Prerequisites
Algebra.
M6405: Modular arithmetic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Holden Lee
How do you find the last digit of $$ 2012^{2012}$$? Modular arithmetic is just like math on the integers, except we only care about the remainder when we divide by 10. Or 5, or 7, or 2017. I'll cover Euler's Theorem, Fermat's Little Theorem, and talk about what this has to do with group theory and cryptography.
Prerequisites
Know what variables and integers are.
Prerequisites
Know what variables and integers are.
M6473: Is the remainder a square? Elementary Number Theory and Quadratic Reciprocity Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michael Belland
Quick, if we square an integer and divide it by 101, can the remainder we get be 53? You could square some numbers, but this remainder will actually never show up. How can we know this efficiently?
In this class we will cover elementary number theory and construct (prove) the impressive mathematical machinery of quadratic reciprocity. After all, if the great mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss knew how to prove it, why shouldn't you?
In this class we will cover elementary number theory and construct (prove) the impressive mathematical machinery of quadratic reciprocity. After all, if the great mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss knew how to prove it, why shouldn't you?
M6774: Unique Factorization!
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Joshua Frisch
Over 400 years ago Fermat claimed that a prime number can be written as the sum of two squares if and only if it is of the form $$4n+1$$ where n is a whole number. over 2000 years ago Euclid described an algorithm for finding the greatest common factor of two numbers. 164 years ago Gabriel Lame thought he had found a proof of Fermat’s last theorem which was later shown to be fatally flawed. All three of these concepts (as well as many, many, many more) and intimately related with the concept of unique factorization. Contrary to what you might think not every type of number has unique factorization, when unique factorization does occur however, we can use it as a very powerful tool to prove very cool results. In this class we will cover Various “Euclidean algorithms” (including ones discovered thousands of years after Euclid himself was dead, as well as the original) how these algorithms allow you to prove unique factorization. Examples of when unique factorization fails. And how this all relates, and allows you to prove Fermat’s 400 year old claim. If time permits we will also discuss primes of the form $$x^2+2y^2$$, and unique factorization for polynomials.
Prerequisites
A background with proofs and some knowledge of modular arithmetic are essential.
Prerequisites
A background with proofs and some knowledge of modular arithmetic are essential.
M6708: Introduction to Group Representations
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Timothy Chu,
Mitchell Lee
Group theory is an area of math where people study symmetries of all sorts of things. Linear algebra is an area of math where people study linear maps between different spaces. Representation theory is what happens when you smash the two together.
Prerequisites
Linear algebra at the minimum. Knowledge of basic group theory would also be helpful.
Prerequisites
Linear algebra at the minimum. Knowledge of basic group theory would also be helpful.
M6690: The Banach-Tarski Paradox
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Chris Kennedy
The Banach-Tarski Paradox is the consummate example of mathematics behaving badly. It states that, given a perfect sphere, it’s possible to cut it up into 5 pieces, rearrange those pieces rigidly (no stretching, twisting, rescaling, etc.), and end up with 2 copies of the sphere you started with.
We will prove the Banach-Tarski Paradox. The proof is long, intricate, and often fascinating, so we’ll skip some boring parts to save room for digesting the main ideas. Along the way we’ll see rudiments of abstract algebra, talk about some very deep set theory, and come out with an understanding of why cutting up mathematical spheres is not the same as cutting up apples.
This class is the first of two parts; make sure to catch the second as well if you want the whole proof!
Prerequisites
Algebra II is enough in terms of material, but you should also come with an appetite for abstract math.
We will prove the Banach-Tarski Paradox. The proof is long, intricate, and often fascinating, so we’ll skip some boring parts to save room for digesting the main ideas. Along the way we’ll see rudiments of abstract algebra, talk about some very deep set theory, and come out with an understanding of why cutting up mathematical spheres is not the same as cutting up apples.
This class is the first of two parts; make sure to catch the second as well if you want the whole proof!
Prerequisites
Algebra II is enough in terms of material, but you should also come with an appetite for abstract math.
M6198: Knot Theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Anderson Wang,
Patrick Yang
Knots exist everywhere in real life: take a look at your shoelaces for one example. In this course, you will learn all about knots, links, and tangles in mathematics and what makes them awesome. We will start with the basics and go through a bunch of really surprising and amazing results in knot theory.
In addition, we will talk about applications of knot theory to biology (yes, biology), chemistry, and maybe even physics. For students interested in mathematics, we may also look at connections with graph theory and topology.
We will also do some hands-on activities: the string will be provided.
Prerequisites
Algebra II will be helpful for some parts, but not required.
In addition, we will talk about applications of knot theory to biology (yes, biology), chemistry, and maybe even physics. For students interested in mathematics, we may also look at connections with graph theory and topology.
We will also do some hands-on activities: the string will be provided.
Prerequisites
Algebra II will be helpful for some parts, but not required.
M6281: The Nature of Numbers
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Elijah Allen
Most people know that there are infinitely many numbers and also prime numbers. It is common to think that this implies that sub-types of number will also always be infinite as well but this is actually not the case. We will explore the difference in which sorts of patterns we should expect to be infinite and which we should not.
Prerequisites
Show up and be excited about math. I am conducting in a discussion style and not just lecturing the whole time after all and the discussion won't work out if the students are not also excited!
Prerequisites
Show up and be excited about math. I am conducting in a discussion style and not just lecturing the whole time after all and the discussion won't work out if the students are not also excited!
M6247: The Banach-Tarski Paradox
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Ziv Scully
Have you ever found yourself with a sphere, a very sharp knife and an Axiom of Choice when all you wanted was a second sphere? Have you ever wondered why everyone's favorite anagram of "Banach-Tarski" is "Banach-Tarski Banach-Tarski"? Come learn about and prove this surprising theorem: a ball can be split into a finite number of pieces that can be rearranged to make two copies of the original ball!
We're covering a few hours' worth of material in 50 minutes, so if that's your idea of fun then this class is for you!
Prerequisites
A certain degree of mathematical maturity. For example, you should understand the difference between countable and uncountable sets. If you've seen a bit of group theory it will come in handy.
We're covering a few hours' worth of material in 50 minutes, so if that's your idea of fun then this class is for you!
Prerequisites
A certain degree of mathematical maturity. For example, you should understand the difference between countable and uncountable sets. If you've seen a bit of group theory it will come in handy.
M6638: Problem-Solving, Solving Problems! Using Linear Algebra in Other Fields
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Christopher Natoli,
William Tsui
Math in high school may seem very hierarchical, with one field building off the last. But really, fields of math are arranged more like a network, and solving problems in one may require material from another. We'll get to see and solve some cool examples of this as connections between linear algebra and other fields.
After going over the theoretical foundation of linear algebra, we'll use the theorems we've developed to solve puzzle problems in seemingly unrelated topics. Flex your brain and have some fun in this half-lecture, half-problem solving class!
Prerequisites
Familiarity with vectors would be very helpful, but it is (theoretically) not necessary.
After going over the theoretical foundation of linear algebra, we'll use the theorems we've developed to solve puzzle problems in seemingly unrelated topics. Flex your brain and have some fun in this half-lecture, half-problem solving class!
Prerequisites
Familiarity with vectors would be very helpful, but it is (theoretically) not necessary.
M6415: Fun Math Puzzles
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kevin Phillips
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you and all of your friends were captured by a tribe of hungry cannibals or if you were stuck in hotel with infinitely fast, infinitely small, and infinitely smart man-eating bugs? If so, come and see how to solve fun puzzles like these using math and logic!
M6770: Graph Theory: Modeling the Internet, Facebook, and our Social Lives Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
There's a simple mathematical object called a graph. It's not a graph of a function or anything like that, but just a bunch of dots connected with lines. Graphs can be used to model web pages and the internet, friendships and dating, the subway and street maps, and how to schedule a bunch of different events. We'll get a first look at graphs and understand how coloring graphs can tell us something interesting about them!
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable multiplying two polynomials together.
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable multiplying two polynomials together.
M6788: From zero to infinity .... and beyond! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Michele Pratusevich
Learn what numbers really are. In this class, we will start with nothing (literally nothing) and construct (sometimes rigorously, sometimes not) the natural numbers $$\mathbb{N}$$, the rationals $$\mathbb{Q}$$, the reals $$\mathbb{R}$$, and multiple types of infinity (for those of you nerds out there, $$\aleph_0, 2^{\aleph_0}$$). But we won't stop there.... then we'll use these infinities to do more interesting math!! This class will draw on principles of set theory, analysis, logic, and combinatorics to walk through some of the most taken-for-granted mathematical properties of the universe.
Prerequisites
None. We'll start with literally nothing, so no knowledge required!
Prerequisites
None. We'll start with literally nothing, so no knowledge required!
M6622: How to Cut a CAKE Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
If two people have to split a cake, is it "fair" if one cuts and the other gets to choose which piece they want? Does this still work for 3 people?
What if 100 pirates need to split up their $1000 of loot? Or if you need to split a $20 weekly allowance between you and your younger sibling?
How should ESP decide who gets into what classes? And, if we publish the lottery algorithm, what makes a system easy or difficult to 'game'?
This class will explore the concepts of "fairness" and of "game theory" - using the intersection to discuss practical cases where people care about the result...
LIKE WHEN THERE'S CAKE INVOLVED!!! (yes, there will be cake, and it will not be a lie)
What if 100 pirates need to split up their $1000 of loot? Or if you need to split a $20 weekly allowance between you and your younger sibling?
How should ESP decide who gets into what classes? And, if we publish the lottery algorithm, what makes a system easy or difficult to 'game'?
This class will explore the concepts of "fairness" and of "game theory" - using the intersection to discuss practical cases where people care about the result...
LIKE WHEN THERE'S CAKE INVOLVED!!! (yes, there will be cake, and it will not be a lie)
M6210: The Fundamental Group
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Dylan Yott
Let's suppose you live on some very large planet and you aren't sure if it is shaped like a donut, or like a sphere. How could you tell?
It is important to know that this is somehow a "global" problem, since a donut and a sphere both look the same very close up. This is where the largeness of the planet becomes important. Somehow you would need to explore the planet in such a way that would detect the hole. How might you do this?
We will explain how to do this, and on the way discover the fundamental group, an incredibly important tool in algebraic topology.
The fundamental group is an algebraic object which you associate to a space which keeps track of holes and other obstructions in your space. In this course, we will define the fundamental group and calculate it in lots of interesting cases.
Prerequisites
If you have taken Telling Shapes Apart, my other topology class, you will probably be able to follow this easier. However, there will be lots of overlap, so beware.
It is important to know that this is somehow a "global" problem, since a donut and a sphere both look the same very close up. This is where the largeness of the planet becomes important. Somehow you would need to explore the planet in such a way that would detect the hole. How might you do this?
We will explain how to do this, and on the way discover the fundamental group, an incredibly important tool in algebraic topology.
The fundamental group is an algebraic object which you associate to a space which keeps track of holes and other obstructions in your space. In this course, we will define the fundamental group and calculate it in lots of interesting cases.
Prerequisites
If you have taken Telling Shapes Apart, my other topology class, you will probably be able to follow this easier. However, there will be lots of overlap, so beware.
M6776: Math, Games, and the Irrationality of rational deductions
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Joshua Frisch
In this class we will discuss, from a mathematical perspective various ways in which acting in your own self interest can hurt or help yourself. Particular topics of discussion will include whether you can make valid threats, whether it is worthwhile to renege on alliances, and why bidding what you think something is worth at auctions can hurt you. Rather than being just theoretical the topics covered are regularly used when considering war, elections, and in explaining incentives in psychology
Prerequisites
A very good understanding of algebra is mandatory at least equivalent to algebra 2. Beyond that a willingness to think abstractly is very helpful.
Prerequisites
A very good understanding of algebra is mandatory at least equivalent to algebra 2. Beyond that a willingness to think abstractly is very helpful.
M6644: The Art of Proof
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jonathan Warneke
Do you get jitters when the phrase "prove that" pops up in your math homework? Or do you get excited because you love proofs? If the answer is yes (and how could it not be?) then this is the class for you! We'll talk about what numbers really are (fields) and how we classify them, along with many other math topics, as we make our way through different methods and styles of proof.
M6409: Diophantine Approximation
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Holden Lee
Rational numbers, numbers such as $$ -\frac{1}{2}$$ and $$ \frac{144}{89} $$, are nice. Sprinkled in between them are algebraic numbers---roots of polynomial equations, such as $$\frac{1+\sqrt 5}{2}$$ and $$ \sqrt[3]{2}$$---and transcendental numbers such as $$ e $$.
In this class we'll explore the relationships between these types of numbers, and answer questions such as:
* How closely can you approximate an algebraic number such as $$\frac{1+\sqrt 5}{2}$$ with fractions, if you try to use denominators as small as possible?
* How "close" do two algebraic numbers have to be before you know they're equal?
* Why is $$e$$ irrational? Why is $$e$$ transcendental?
I'll cover Dirichlet's Theorem, and briefly talk about the Thue-Siegel-Roth Theorem---which tells us that numbers that are "too close" to rational numbers are actually transcendental! Finally, I'll describe some applications to deep questions in number theory such as Falting's Theorem---certain equations in the integers have only finitely many solutions.
Prerequisites
Number theory, algebra 2.
In this class we'll explore the relationships between these types of numbers, and answer questions such as:
* How closely can you approximate an algebraic number such as $$\frac{1+\sqrt 5}{2}$$ with fractions, if you try to use denominators as small as possible?
* How "close" do two algebraic numbers have to be before you know they're equal?
* Why is $$e$$ irrational? Why is $$e$$ transcendental?
I'll cover Dirichlet's Theorem, and briefly talk about the Thue-Siegel-Roth Theorem---which tells us that numbers that are "too close" to rational numbers are actually transcendental! Finally, I'll describe some applications to deep questions in number theory such as Falting's Theorem---certain equations in the integers have only finitely many solutions.
Prerequisites
Number theory, algebra 2.
M6727: All About Primes
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jordan Moldow
At some point in your schooling, you've probably been asked to factor a number, determine if a number is prime or composite, and find the unique prime factorization of a number. This might have seemed pointless to you, and your teachers probably never explained why one might want to do this. However, believe it or not, prime numbers and prime factorization are of fundamental importance in the real world today.
We'll start from the basics, by talking about primes, prime factorizations, and the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. We will prove the infinitude of primes, and briefly explore the distribution of primes numbers in the natural numbers. Finally, we will talk about the applications of what we've learned: searching for prime numbers, determining prime factorizations, and how both of these things play out in modern data encryption algorithms. If time allows, I'll quickly tell you how you can become rich by studying prime numbers!
Prerequisites
No prerequisites, as the class will start out by introducing all of the necessary concepts. Also, if you are looking for a very advanced class on primes or cryptography, this class is not for you. This class is only a very brief introduction to these fields.
We'll start from the basics, by talking about primes, prime factorizations, and the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. We will prove the infinitude of primes, and briefly explore the distribution of primes numbers in the natural numbers. Finally, we will talk about the applications of what we've learned: searching for prime numbers, determining prime factorizations, and how both of these things play out in modern data encryption algorithms. If time allows, I'll quickly tell you how you can become rich by studying prime numbers!
Prerequisites
No prerequisites, as the class will start out by introducing all of the necessary concepts. Also, if you are looking for a very advanced class on primes or cryptography, this class is not for you. This class is only a very brief introduction to these fields.
M6347: Data Analysis and Visualization in R
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Benjamin Jones
Have you taken a statistics course and thought, there must be an easier way to do this? Or are you lost when it comes time to quantitatively analyze science fair data? In either case, this may be the class for you. R is a free software package and programming language for statistics. This class will be an introduction to R for analyzing data and creating engaging, effective visualizations of the results. The second half of the session is an opportunity for students to practice using R and get help analyzing their own data (or sample data if you don't have any of your own).
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of probability and statistics.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of probability and statistics.
M6529: Math and Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ben Sena
See how rational relationships explain harmony and consonance and experience hands-on demonstrations and visualizations; how popular tuning systems are imperfect; but how dissonance gives our minds a break.
M6494: Kicking Serious Butt with the TI-83+: A Guide to Lists
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Danny Ben-David
Come on, I know you have one. Maybe it's the TI-84+ instead, maybe it's the Silver Edition™—I don't care. Their plastic casings and ridiculous prices oh-so-carefully conceal a more powerful number cruncher than you ever originally thought.
In this class you will learn how to:
- churn through repetitive equations with blistering speed
- save buttloads of time (an accepted SI unit of time) on the Math SATs
- store useful data sets on your calculator long-term
- intro TI-BASIC programming to automate your calculations further
Prerequisites
You should bring your own TI-83+/TI-84+ if you want to follow along. (TI-89/TI-NSPIRE won't probably work for this class, sorry; they run with different processors and are thus incompatible.) If you don't bring your calculator to MIT, don't worry: you can make a quick new friend and share with them.
In this class you will learn how to:
- churn through repetitive equations with blistering speed
- save buttloads of time (an accepted SI unit of time) on the Math SATs
- store useful data sets on your calculator long-term
- intro TI-BASIC programming to automate your calculations further
Prerequisites
You should bring your own TI-83+/TI-84+ if you want to follow along. (TI-89/TI-NSPIRE won't probably work for this class, sorry; they run with different processors and are thus incompatible.) If you don't bring your calculator to MIT, don't worry: you can make a quick new friend and share with them.
M6242: How to Become a Mathemagician: Mental Calculations and Math Magic
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Adam Gleitman
How do you multiply two numbers in your head? How do you add a sequence of numbers faster than someone can punch them into a calculator? How can you use minimal information to identify a special number?
In this course, entertainment meets education as I show you some incredible mathematical tricks, how to do them, and why they work. Take this class and learn how to amaze your friends!
Prerequisites
You should feel comfortable with basic algebraic manipulation such as basic factoring, expanding ("FOILing"), and solving simple equations.
In this course, entertainment meets education as I show you some incredible mathematical tricks, how to do them, and why they work. Take this class and learn how to amaze your friends!
Prerequisites
You should feel comfortable with basic algebraic manipulation such as basic factoring, expanding ("FOILing"), and solving simple equations.
M6258: Young Tableaux and their Applications
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Mitchell Lee
In this course, we will discuss Young tableaux, combinatorial objects with a wide variety of beautiful theory surrounding them. We will also discuss my favorite theorem and one of its truly brilliant proofs.
Prerequisites
Experience with mathematical proofs. Exposure to combinatorics.
Prerequisites
Experience with mathematical proofs. Exposure to combinatorics.
M6719: A Tour of Mathematical Logic and Set Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Fremont
What is a proof? What is the nature of infinity? Are there boundaries to what can be achieved by mathematical reasoning? In this class we will survey the fields of mathematical logic and set theory, discussing their history, classical and modern results, and practical applications in computer science and elsewhere. Particular topics will include Gödel's completeness and incompleteness theorems, ordinal and cardinal numbers, and ZFC, the set theory on which all of mathematics is built. Students are encouraged to propose additional topics they are interested in learning about.
Prerequisites
Some experience with proofs and functions
Prerequisites
Some experience with proofs and functions
M6697: Curved Spaces - An Introduction to Surface Topology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lars Johnson
Come play tic-tac-toe on a bagel (edible torus) and learn about the fascinating topic of surface topology - the study of two dimensional surfaces. We will learn about how we create, transform, and classify surfaces as well as several applications. Although we will briefly mention some technical aspects, the focus of this class will be in developing an intuition for the fundamentals topology through interactive activities and computer simulations.
Prerequisites
Geometry, Ability to visualize in 3D - for instance bending a strip of paper to form a mobius strip.
Prerequisites
Geometry, Ability to visualize in 3D - for instance bending a strip of paper to form a mobius strip.
M6287: Introduction to Symbolic Logic and Proofs
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Zoe Thorkildsen
This class is all about the foundations of proving statements. We’ll start with the underlying theory behind proofs (symbolic logic) and then take some time to prove a few simple theorems from number theory.
Any time leftover will be open to work on additional proofs and ask questions of the teacher.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra.
Any time leftover will be open to work on additional proofs and ask questions of the teacher.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra.
M6192: Financial/Capital Markets Structure & Regulations - Global Financial Crisis
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Saurov Das
This course will be an introduction to the structure of the Financial Markets. We will start off on the basics and talk briefly about the financial markets for Stocks, Bonds, Commodities, and Derivatives. We will also talk about the major players in the industry such as Investment Banks, Hedge Funds, and Investment Managers.
We will then focus on the regulatory and compliance environments which governs the financial markets. There have been many changes in the regulatory environment, as President Obama implemented the Dodd-Frank Law. This has been a hot topic in the news over the last few years, and this will also be discussed. We will also talk about how/what happened during the financial crisis over the last 4 years. This course will be beneficial for students who want to understand financial regulations and what the future holds, as they may get into the financial services industry field at some point in their career. This course will be fun and interesting as we students will get involved in the discussion and we will have a simulation at the end of the class.
We will then focus on the regulatory and compliance environments which governs the financial markets. There have been many changes in the regulatory environment, as President Obama implemented the Dodd-Frank Law. This has been a hot topic in the news over the last few years, and this will also be discussed. We will also talk about how/what happened during the financial crisis over the last 4 years. This course will be beneficial for students who want to understand financial regulations and what the future holds, as they may get into the financial services industry field at some point in their career. This course will be fun and interesting as we students will get involved in the discussion and we will have a simulation at the end of the class.
M6433: The Calculus: Derivatives, Limits, and Newton vs. Leibniz
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Lawrence Whisenant
One of the biggest advancements in mathematics was the development of "The Calculus." In this course, we will look at the foundations of the subject (mathematically and historically) as well as the debate that emerged involving the two independent creators, Newton and Leibniz.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of slope and functions. Familiarity with limits preferred, but not required.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of slope and functions. Familiarity with limits preferred, but not required.
M6364: The World, plus/minus two sigma
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Norman Cao
The Gaussian. $$\frac{1}{\sigma \sqrt{2 \pi}}e^{- \frac{1}{2}(\frac{x-\mu}{\sigma})^2}$$. The normal distribution. Shows up in statistics, probability, physics, chemistry, biology, everywhere. Ever wonder why?
M6652: Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Bianca Homberg
Computers are powerful, sure. But can they compute anything you want them to? Is there anything computers absolutely can’t figure out, no matter what? The answer here is yes—computers are not omnipotent.
In this class, we’ll prove mathematically that despite whatever clever algorithms people can come up with, there will always be problems that are impossible for a computer to solve. We’ll look at few examples, including the Halting Problem. Along the way, we’ll encounter and investigate a variety of theoretical constructs which compute: deterministic finite automata (DFA’s), pushdown automata, context free grammars, and Turing Machines. We'll also explore what kinds of problems these can solve--and prove which ones are more powerful.
Prerequisites
Some amount of mathematical maturity--e.g., have seen proofs by contradiction before.
In this class, we’ll prove mathematically that despite whatever clever algorithms people can come up with, there will always be problems that are impossible for a computer to solve. We’ll look at few examples, including the Halting Problem. Along the way, we’ll encounter and investigate a variety of theoretical constructs which compute: deterministic finite automata (DFA’s), pushdown automata, context free grammars, and Turing Machines. We'll also explore what kinds of problems these can solve--and prove which ones are more powerful.
Prerequisites
Some amount of mathematical maturity--e.g., have seen proofs by contradiction before.
M6339: Crash Course in Vector Calculus
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Wai Lok Lai
Ever looked some physics/math stuff up on Wikipedia and get a page full of fearful-looking math symbols, like $$\nabla^2 f$$, $$\left(\frac{\partial y}{\partial x}\right)_\theta$$, or $$\oint_C{B\,ds}$$? Here's your chance to know what they actually mean! (not everything on Wikipedia, obviously, but it'll let you decipher a lot of stuff).
Vector calculus is also known as multivariable calculus. What we are doing is basically extending the concepts of single-variable calculus to 3 dimensions and beyond.
Prerequisites
Some exposure to single variable calculus. No need to know sequences or series.
Vector calculus is also known as multivariable calculus. What we are doing is basically extending the concepts of single-variable calculus to 3 dimensions and beyond.
Prerequisites
Some exposure to single variable calculus. No need to know sequences or series.
M6559: Introduction to Axiomatic Set Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hayden Jansen
Set Theory serves as one of the primary foundations of mathematics, with nearly every advanced mathematics discipline requiring at least an adequate knowledge of the subject as a prerequisite. Set Theory serves to provide explanation to some of the most widely assumed things in mathematics: numbers, functions, relations, etc.
Prerequisites
An interest in mathematics, and the ability to think abstractly.
Prerequisites
An interest in mathematics, and the ability to think abstractly.
M6765: Polytopes!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Benjamin Boyajian
You may be familiar with polyhedra such as the cube, the tetrahedron, and the octahedron. But can we generalize the concept of polyhedra to higher dimensions? What would an 8-dimensional cube look like? Is there a 4-dimensional analogue of the octahedron? How many higher-dimensional polytopes are Platonic (have rotational symmetry)? Sign up for this class if you want to answer these questions!
M6443: Base-ically: An introduction to Numeral Base Systems
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Megan Belzner
The number "10" looks pretty familiar, right? Well what if I told you it meant "3", or even "16"? If it was in trinary or hexadecimal, I wouldn't even be lying to you! This class is a brief introduction to bases besides the decimal system that you all know and love. We'll discuss how to convert between bases, the applications of different bases, and the history of numeral systems.
This section will go at a slightly slower pace, with less focus on non-whole numbers in other bases and other such concepts.
Lastly, my sincerest apologies for that horrible pun in the title.
Prerequisites
Basic arithmetic and a love of numbers.
This section will go at a slightly slower pace, with less focus on non-whole numbers in other bases and other such concepts.
Lastly, my sincerest apologies for that horrible pun in the title.
Prerequisites
Basic arithmetic and a love of numbers.
M6769: Puzzles on a Checkerboard
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
Suppose I give you dominoes that cover two squares on a checkerboard. Then it's not hard to cover the whole checkerboard with dominoes. Now remove two opposite corners. I bet that you can't do it anymore!
Come try your hand at different tiling challenges and see if you can discover the secret to which ones work and which ones don't!
Come try your hand at different tiling challenges and see if you can discover the secret to which ones work and which ones don't!
M6612: The Return of the Geometry
Difficulty: **
Do you like icosahedra? What about hypercubes? If so then this class is for you.
We will be discussing the math behind the platonic solids (the 5 fundamental shapes in 3-D geometry) as well as discussing 4-D shapes. Then we will build as many of them as we can.
Prerequisites
Thinking things in 3-D are cool
We will be discussing the math behind the platonic solids (the 5 fundamental shapes in 3-D geometry) as well as discussing 4-D shapes. Then we will build as many of them as we can.
Prerequisites
Thinking things in 3-D are cool
M6579: The Exact Science of Estimation
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Felipe Hernandez
How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?
We'll learn to estimate the answers to interesting questions like these by using some basic math.
We'll learn to estimate the answers to interesting questions like these by using some basic math.
M6209: Telling Shapes Apart with Algebraic Topology
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Dylan Yott
You may have heard the famous saying a topologist can't tell his donut from his coffee cup, because they both have one hole, and if they were made of a very flexible material, you could turn one into the other.
In this class, we will discuss things of this sort for example:
1. Why can't I turn a plane into a sphere?
2. Why can't I turn one sphere into two spheres?
3. Why can't I turn a baseball into a donut?
In the process, we will talk about notions of homotopy equivalence, homeomorphism, and my favorite, the fundamental group!
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with abstraction, and in particular you should be comfortable with what a continuous function is.
In this class, we will discuss things of this sort for example:
1. Why can't I turn a plane into a sphere?
2. Why can't I turn one sphere into two spheres?
3. Why can't I turn a baseball into a donut?
In the process, we will talk about notions of homotopy equivalence, homeomorphism, and my favorite, the fundamental group!
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with abstraction, and in particular you should be comfortable with what a continuous function is.
M6375: Extreme Math
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Damien Jiang,
Jonathan Schneider
We did this last year and people seemed to like it for some reason, so we're doing this again: This class is mostly an excuse for us (the teachers) to watch you (the students) flail while you try to solve tricky math problems on the spot. This is how it will work. We will give you a math problem, and you’ll have to immediately present a solution on the black-board. You’ll have up to eight minutes to present your proof, but you need to continuously be presenting. Then our panel of judges will award you a score based on how correct, confusing, and amusing your solution was. There may or may not be teams, depending on how many students we get.
Prerequisites
The problems we'll give you will probably be at an easy Olympiad level. At a bare minimum, you should be comfortable writing/coming up with proofs; preferably, you're a USAMO qualifier or at least feel comfortable solving Olympiad-level problems. Also, if you're extremely shy, you probably won't enjoy this that much.
Prerequisites
The problems we'll give you will probably be at an easy Olympiad level. At a bare minimum, you should be comfortable writing/coming up with proofs; preferably, you're a USAMO qualifier or at least feel comfortable solving Olympiad-level problems. Also, if you're extremely shy, you probably won't enjoy this that much.
M6630: Mad Hatter Mathematics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
There is math. Like no math in school. And proofs full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive them, you need to be as mad as a hatter!
Prerequisites
Come to this class if and only if 1) you are willing to wear a hat 2) you don't mind if the brain within that hat gets severely warped by insane mathematics
Prerequisites
Come to this class if and only if 1) you are willing to wear a hat 2) you don't mind if the brain within that hat gets severely warped by insane mathematics
M6775: Math, Games, and Puzzles
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Joshua Frisch
Games are fun. Puzzles are tricky. Math is mysterious. This class will discuss the interrelationship between all three. In this game and puzzle centered course various games and puzzles with deep and non-obvious mathematical structure will be played. We will play with, discuss, and discover a variety of games and puzzles including impossible puzzles, seemingly impossible puzzles, games where we know who should win but not how they should win, games which are used to model nuclearwarfare, and games which can be used to represent every other game, if time permits we will also discuss computers, games, and a million dollar math problem.
Prerequisites
understanding basic algebra will be helpful. Expect to have to think hard.
Prerequisites
understanding basic algebra will be helpful. Expect to have to think hard.
M6767: Computing the 32nd fibonacci number in 5 easy steps
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dmitry Vaintrob
The Fibonacci numbers are a sequence where each consecutive term is the sum of the previous two, and the first two members are 1,1. It goes 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55. What would the tenth member of the sequence be if instead of 1,1 we started with any two numbers a,b and used the same rule to generate each term from the previous two?
We'll learn how to use this and similar tricks (which may or may not involve matrices) to get lots of Fibonacci numbers very quickly and impress your friends.
Prerequisites
high school algebra. No linear algebra required.
We'll learn how to use this and similar tricks (which may or may not involve matrices) to get lots of Fibonacci numbers very quickly and impress your friends.
Prerequisites
high school algebra. No linear algebra required.
M6723: Interesting Math Puzzles and Problems
Difficulty: **
This class, taught by 3 math olympians, will present many interesting math puzzles and problems with ingenious and clever solutions. Pretty much all the fun parts of math that they leave out of the common high school curriculum.
There will be cake.
Prerequisites
Come equipped with a notebook.
There will be cake.
Prerequisites
Come equipped with a notebook.
M6768: Bayes' Theorem, or How to Change Your Mind
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eric Mannes
Here's a math problem that 85% of doctors get wrong:
1% of women at age forty who participate in routine screening have breast cancer. 80% of women with breast cancer will get positive mammographies. 9.6% of women without breast cancer will also get positive mammographies. A woman in this age group had a positive mammography in a routine screening. What is the probability that she actually has breast cancer?
Bayes' theorem is an incredibly important result that tells us how to change what we believe based on data. We will learn how to use it to solve this problem and others. We'll also talk about why much of the statistics used in science today is wrong!
Prerequisites
Be able to define "expected value."
1% of women at age forty who participate in routine screening have breast cancer. 80% of women with breast cancer will get positive mammographies. 9.6% of women without breast cancer will also get positive mammographies. A woman in this age group had a positive mammography in a routine screening. What is the probability that she actually has breast cancer?
Bayes' theorem is an incredibly important result that tells us how to change what we believe based on data. We will learn how to use it to solve this problem and others. We'll also talk about why much of the statistics used in science today is wrong!
Prerequisites
Be able to define "expected value."
M6262: No Way, Condorcet!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ravi Charan,
Emily Pries
Math is supposed to make sense...right? No way, Condorcet!
A paradox is a statement that defies logic or reason. Come learn about the little snags in math and logic, then let's untangle them together. Because this is Splash, you'll have a chance to weigh in on what we cover based on what YOU are interested in. No matter what, these timeless puzzles will stretch your mind until you're left believing the impossible.
Possible topics include Condorcet's paradox, the Monty Hall paradox, the prisoner's dilemma, the multitude of problems with time travel, Giffen goods, Zeno's paradox, and so much more!
Prerequisites
A willingness to allow others to discover solutions at their own pace - no spoilers!
A paradox is a statement that defies logic or reason. Come learn about the little snags in math and logic, then let's untangle them together. Because this is Splash, you'll have a chance to weigh in on what we cover based on what YOU are interested in. No matter what, these timeless puzzles will stretch your mind until you're left believing the impossible.
Possible topics include Condorcet's paradox, the Monty Hall paradox, the prisoner's dilemma, the multitude of problems with time travel, Giffen goods, Zeno's paradox, and so much more!
Prerequisites
A willingness to allow others to discover solutions at their own pace - no spoilers!
M6183: Why your math textbook SUCKS
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Holden Lee
Each year, many shiny new math textbooks with colored pictures and hundred-dollar price tags hit the market. Textbooks specially chosen by committees of educators (see all those smiling faces at the beginning?) after much deliberation. Textbooks revised to meet the new "standards" popping up like mushrooms. Imagine: your math textbook is the result of a century's worth of teachers' efforts to improve education.
So why does your math textbook SUCK?
Why do you want to repeatedly bash your math textbook against the table, or drop it off a tall building? Or repeatedly bash your head because your textbook isn't making sense? Or just fall asleep and drool on your textbook because it's SO BORING?
In this class we will explore why so many textbooks are poorly written---an complex issue which involves factors ranging from educational practices in the classroom to the politics of the textbook companies. I will list the flaws of traditional textbooks, and show through example how to write better curriculum. Finally, I will give some strategies for learning despite that poorly written text.
Bring your math textbooks and your opinions!
So why does your math textbook SUCK?
Why do you want to repeatedly bash your math textbook against the table, or drop it off a tall building? Or repeatedly bash your head because your textbook isn't making sense? Or just fall asleep and drool on your textbook because it's SO BORING?
In this class we will explore why so many textbooks are poorly written---an complex issue which involves factors ranging from educational practices in the classroom to the politics of the textbook companies. I will list the flaws of traditional textbooks, and show through example how to write better curriculum. Finally, I will give some strategies for learning despite that poorly written text.
Bring your math textbooks and your opinions!
Science
S6643: Buoyant force
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kevin Burdge,
Average Phan
Buoyant force is a very fundamental force in the nature, however, what creates that force? In this class, we will derive the equation for buoyant force and do some challenging problem related to the buoyant force.
S6215: Physics of Unicycling Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jonathan Abbott
Every wondered how somebody balances on a unicycle? Or curious about how Newton's laws apply to the real world. Come learn all about how! There will be live demos and lots of fun!
S6218: Bose-Einstein Condensates: The Coldest Stuff in the Universe
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hiro Miyake
It turns out that behind the scenes nature works in bizarre and wonderful ways. One place where this weirdness occurs is at very cold temperatures, billionths of degrees above absolute zero. At these temperatures, millions of atoms can act as one huge atom called a Bose-Einstein condensate and have bizarre properties. I'll show how you can calculate how 'fuzzy' you are and how cold you have to be to pass through walls! We’ll discuss these cryptic sentences and explain how weird our universe really is.
Prerequisites
Some basic algebra, but not much else. An excitement to learn some interesting facts about nature is a must!
Prerequisites
Some basic algebra, but not much else. An excitement to learn some interesting facts about nature is a must!
S6341: Computational Cognitive Science
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kevin Ellis
Ever wanted to describe the mind using MATH? In this class, we'll learn about computational approaches to making sense of vision, language, concept learning, and other interesting topics in cognitive science. The class will discuss the history of computational cognitive science and delve in to some recent theories based on Bayesian statistics.
Prerequisites
Algebra is a must, a basic knowledge of probability and statistics will help a lot
Prerequisites
Algebra is a must, a basic knowledge of probability and statistics will help a lot
S6404: Medicinal chemistry and rational drug design Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Daniel Zhang
We've all taken medicine before, whether a pill, a cup of tea, or that awful pink cough syrup. Where did it all come from? How exactly does it work? This course will look at the development and pharmacology of common molecules that are used in everything from colds to cancer. Learn about the unique biochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of medicine that lead to its remarkable abilities.
Prerequisites
1 year of chemistry.
Prerequisites
1 year of chemistry.
S6257: The Holographic Principle
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Eric Newman
You're so shallow that you're just a hologram.
Everyone can agree that the above statement is a lame put-down, but is it also a true statement about the universe?
In this class, we will learn the about the physics underlying the holographic principle and about the various extensions to it.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with basic physics and math concepts will be helpful.
Everyone can agree that the above statement is a lame put-down, but is it also a true statement about the universe?
In this class, we will learn the about the physics underlying the holographic principle and about the various extensions to it.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with basic physics and math concepts will be helpful.
S6256: Neglected Diseases of the Bottom Billion Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Seyedeh Zekavat
"What do the world’s “bottom billion” — the approximate number of the world’s citizens earning less than $1.25 USD per day — have in common? Aside from poor living conditions, malnutrition, and political voicelessness, they are also all more likely to suffer from so-called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), scourges that have become a hallmark of extreme poverty in the world. These diseases, neglected by the public eye and in research agendas, actually account for over half a million deaths per year and debilitate over a billion people [1].” ~UAEM website
The goal of this class is to increase awareness of and pique interest in Neglected Diseases. Diseases covered may include: blinding trachoma,elephantiasis, Buruli ulcer, and the plague of leprosy.
The goal of this class is to increase awareness of and pique interest in Neglected Diseases. Diseases covered may include: blinding trachoma,elephantiasis, Buruli ulcer, and the plague of leprosy.
S6173: Time Loop Genetics Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jennifer Hogan,
Justin Lan
I am my own grandfather! But wait… What happens with your DNA when you go back in time to do that? What if you kill your grandfather instead? We intend to explore the genetic implications of going back in time and changing your family tree. We will consider both stable and unstable time loops. Come learn about the genetic implications of time travel with us!
S6637: Vector Dynamics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kevin Burdge,
Average Phan
We will show you how to use basic vector calculus to solve some dynamics problems. We will do some point-particle dynamics problems in the first part of the class (for example, the Kepler problem, which is simple) and then rigid body dynamics problems in the second part of the class (for example, a problem about a sphere on a rotating plane, which is complicated). A list of possible problems will be uploaded.
Prerequisites
Calculus
Prerequisites
Calculus
S6394: Hydro Carnival
Difficulty: **
Step right up! Come get your hands wet tackling the most challenging challenges, solving the most mysterious mysteries in the known hydrosphere! This year's Hydro Carnival features three midway games that test your brain and your brawn:
1) Lungs of Steel
2) A Sinking Feeling
3) Cloud in a Bottle Rocket
Come for the prizes or come for the thrill, but beware...you might learn something! Each activity has various difficulty levels to complete, so come ye come all, there is truly something for everyone.
1) Lungs of Steel
2) A Sinking Feeling
3) Cloud in a Bottle Rocket
Come for the prizes or come for the thrill, but beware...you might learn something! Each activity has various difficulty levels to complete, so come ye come all, there is truly something for everyone.
S6241: Quantum Computing: When 0 and 1 Just Aren't Enough
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Charles Epstein,
Max Zimet
The universe is weird. But this weirdness is useful. Come have your mind blown and learn about how we can harness this weirdness to solve problems in ways that seem inexplicably fast. Gain intuition for why quantum mechanics is weird! Learn about computing with bits that aren't just 0 or 1, but somehow both at the same time, and how early versions of these computers have already been built. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics will be assumed.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of vectors and matrices will be important. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics will be assumed.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of vectors and matrices will be important. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics will be assumed.
S6280: Heuristics and Biases - Common Mistakes of Reasoning and Thought
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Luis Voloch
What are some of the most common mistakes that people make in reasoning? The field of study "Heuristics and Biases" explores some of these questions. In this class we will explore some of the most common mistakes (which are shortcuts that lead to bad conclusions) that people make, and we will try to fix some of them.
Here is a list of some of the topics that we may cover, with more introduced in class:
Availability Heuristic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic
Curse of knowledge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_knowledge
Selection bias:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selection_bias
Overconfidence effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overconfidence_effect
Prerequisites
Interest in learning about the subject and thinking more effectively (and some basic knowledge of probability won't hurt either!)
Here is a list of some of the topics that we may cover, with more introduced in class:
Availability Heuristic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic
Curse of knowledge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_knowledge
Selection bias:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selection_bias
Overconfidence effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overconfidence_effect
Prerequisites
Interest in learning about the subject and thinking more effectively (and some basic knowledge of probability won't hurt either!)
S6081: Crazy Sex: The Genetics of Sex Determination
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sweet Tea Dorminy
Come learn a little bit about genetics --- and the more crazy living things of the world, complete with strange !
Chromosomes are structures that store and organize DNA, and some of these chromosomes control sex. Now, most of the time, we understand this pretty well: female humans have two complete sex chromosomes, while male humans have one complete chromosome and one of a slightly-broken chromosome. We designate these XX and XY, respectively. But not everything has sexes that are determined like this... platypus sex is determined by $$\textbf{10}$$ different chromosomes instead of 2, for instance. In this class, we'll learn how chromosomes work and explore how this plays out in exotic sex chromosomes :-)
Chromosomes are structures that store and organize DNA, and some of these chromosomes control sex. Now, most of the time, we understand this pretty well: female humans have two complete sex chromosomes, while male humans have one complete chromosome and one of a slightly-broken chromosome. We designate these XX and XY, respectively. But not everything has sexes that are determined like this... platypus sex is determined by $$\textbf{10}$$ different chromosomes instead of 2, for instance. In this class, we'll learn how chromosomes work and explore how this plays out in exotic sex chromosomes :-)
S6362: Cool Topics in Modern Physics - Session 1
Difficulty: **
This class will be a series of very short (7-8 min.) lightning lectures on various topics in modern physics, designed to give a conceptual overview of each topic and what is interesting and exciting about it. Session 1 will include topics like Special Relativity, General Relativity/Cosmology, The Early Universe/Inflation, Unsolved Problems in Physics (quantum theory of gravity, what's going on with dark energy/dark matter), and the LHC/the Higgs particle.
Prerequisites
1.) Be in high school (9-12th grade) 2.) Get psyched about physics!
Prerequisites
1.) Be in high school (9-12th grade) 2.) Get psyched about physics!
S6733: On Black Holes, Singularities, and the Event Horizon: A Journey into the Abyss
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michael Shaw
Back by popular demand! We’re going to dive right into the most massive objects in our universe—billions of times the mass of the sun. (Note: we won’t actually dive into a black hole—it’s hard to get out).
When small stars die, they peter out. When massive stars die, they explode in supernovas, outshining an entire galaxy, and what’s left is a black hole, a singularity of mass so dense that even light is trapped behind. We’ll tour around a few black holes, study their effect on our daily lives, and of course, the seven ways a black hole can kill you. I’ll venture into wormholes, white holes, and other exotics. We’ll even bring in a sporting interest and talk about how Stephen Hawking once lost a bet on black holes, and how it was related to the ultimate demise and even death of these most mysterious of objects. (Food for thought: how does a black hole die, anyway?)
Be ready to open your minds, to be bent by the curvature of spacetime, and generally to lose yourself in the fun and beauty of the most amazing objects out there in the sky.
When small stars die, they peter out. When massive stars die, they explode in supernovas, outshining an entire galaxy, and what’s left is a black hole, a singularity of mass so dense that even light is trapped behind. We’ll tour around a few black holes, study their effect on our daily lives, and of course, the seven ways a black hole can kill you. I’ll venture into wormholes, white holes, and other exotics. We’ll even bring in a sporting interest and talk about how Stephen Hawking once lost a bet on black holes, and how it was related to the ultimate demise and even death of these most mysterious of objects. (Food for thought: how does a black hole die, anyway?)
Be ready to open your minds, to be bent by the curvature of spacetime, and generally to lose yourself in the fun and beauty of the most amazing objects out there in the sky.
S6591: Hot Cities: problems and solutions
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
William Carbery,
Evan Kuras
Cities are hotter than their surrounding areas. In this course we will figure out why, uncover consequences, and try to solve the problem.
S6431: The Heart and Mind Connection
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lisa Rogers
THE HEART AND MIND CONNECTION
Which comes first: your emotion or your thought? Are you in charge of either? Investigate emotional intelligence, the basic neurobiology behind it, and how it can help you think more clearly, alleviate stress, and set productive intentions for life. Consider how the heart, emotions, and mind work together and learn how to apply their collective power to all aspects of your existence.
Which comes first: your emotion or your thought? Are you in charge of either? Investigate emotional intelligence, the basic neurobiology behind it, and how it can help you think more clearly, alleviate stress, and set productive intentions for life. Consider how the heart, emotions, and mind work together and learn how to apply their collective power to all aspects of your existence.
S6573: Selected Topics in Modern Physics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Lawrence Chiou
You've used F = ma before but felt like all you did were some cut-and-dried problems. In this course, we will go beyond plugging and chugging by examining some interesting and challenging examples in modern physics and by exploring some topics not frequently seen in high school physics courses. Topics include quantum mechanics, special relativity, atomic theory, and electromagnetism.
S6382: Neutrinos
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lucy Zhang
In the time it takes you to read this description, hundreds of trillions of neutrinos will have passed through your body. Come learn what neutrinos are, how they're produced, how we detect them, and why neutrino physics represents such an exciting frontier in physics.
Prerequisites
Some physics background would be helpful, but prior experience with particle physics is not necessary.
Prerequisites
Some physics background would be helpful, but prior experience with particle physics is not necessary.
S6235: Introduction to organic chemistry
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Charles Du
Drawing organic molecules, arrow pushing, frontier molecular orbital theory, basic reaction mechanisms.
Prerequisites
general chemistry (honors, AP, IB, etc. all fine). Will assume prior knowledge of molecular orbitals and hybridization.
Prerequisites
general chemistry (honors, AP, IB, etc. all fine). Will assume prior knowledge of molecular orbitals and hybridization.
S6149: The Magical Beauty of Parasitic Wasps
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Peter LoVerso
Parasites have gotten a bad rap over the past couple centuries. They’ve been looked down upon as inferior, broken organisms that deserve to be objects of disgust, rather than study. But because of attitudes such as this, some of the most wondrous and complex biological pathways we know of have been left by the wayside. Here, we will look at the intricacies of mind control, neurosurgery, and symbiotic viruses through the study of Ampulex compressa and Cotesia congragata.
Warning: this class will be looking at pictures and videos of parasitization. This includes videos and pictures of wasp larvae eating caterpillars, spiders, and other organisms alive. If pictures like this make you feel squeamish: http://i.imgur.com/RWBI8.jpg (Warning, it’s a picture of some larva emerging from a caterpillar)
then this may not be the class for you.
Warning: this class will be looking at pictures and videos of parasitization. This includes videos and pictures of wasp larvae eating caterpillars, spiders, and other organisms alive. If pictures like this make you feel squeamish: http://i.imgur.com/RWBI8.jpg (Warning, it’s a picture of some larva emerging from a caterpillar)
then this may not be the class for you.
S6577: History of surgery
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
Surgery is a high-tech endeavor today, but it was not so even a hundred years ago! Come learn how current neurosurgery evolved from people sticking stakes into each others' heads in prehistoric times, why you're unlikely to get a life-threatening infection when you go to the dentist, and how STDs helped develop plastic surgery as we know it today.
S6251: Cancer: What is it and how do we stop it?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
David Benjamin
We will cover the basic biology behind cancer, a brief history of how we came to our current understanding, and new strategies that are being used to fight it.
S6576: Origami Mathematics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Lee
Let's talk about the rules that govern origami folding. No special math background required!
S6432: The Heart and Mind Connection
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lisa Rogers
THE HEART AND MIND CONNECTION
Which comes first: your emotion or your thought? Are you in charge of either? Investigate emotional intelligence, the basic neurobiology behind it, and how it can help you think more clearly, alleviate stress, and set productive intentions for life. Consider how the heart, emotions, and mind work together and learn how to apply their collective power to all aspects of your existence.
Which comes first: your emotion or your thought? Are you in charge of either? Investigate emotional intelligence, the basic neurobiology behind it, and how it can help you think more clearly, alleviate stress, and set productive intentions for life. Consider how the heart, emotions, and mind work together and learn how to apply their collective power to all aspects of your existence.
S6240: Hands-on human anatomy Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Maple Ye
Do you know where is your appendix? Do you want to know how your liver looks like? Come join this class to find out more about the human anatomy! This fun, hands-on class will give you an introduction to the human anatomy using a mouse as a dissection model. Basic dissection skills will also be taught.
S6592: The Nature of Nature
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Evan Kuras
Take a walk on the wild side and learn about the ecology of MIT's campus. Subjects will range from plant identification to urban environmental management to eco-philosophy.
Prerequisites
Must be comfortable outside.
Prerequisites
Must be comfortable outside.
S6688: Tornadoes!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Natalie Meusling
Come and learn all about tornadoes because they're really cool and interesting! =)
S6730: Extraordinary physics...ordinary things! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexandra Churikova,
Andrei Klishin
"Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry," said one of the greatest physicists of all time, Richard Feynman.
I invite you to unravel a few of these mysteries for yourself. What does blotching ink on a spinning top have to do with atmospheric cyclones? How can a paint can illustrate submarine failure, and how can blowing into a straw determine how deep you can snorkel? How can you lose weight in a fraction of a second? Why do instruments sound different when they play the same exact pitch? Come and make Feynman proud by experiencing the pleasure of finding things out with do-it-yourself demos and theoretical discussion.
Prerequisites
A passion for physics, or if there is some physical effect that really bothers you -- we'll try to figure it out!
I invite you to unravel a few of these mysteries for yourself. What does blotching ink on a spinning top have to do with atmospheric cyclones? How can a paint can illustrate submarine failure, and how can blowing into a straw determine how deep you can snorkel? How can you lose weight in a fraction of a second? Why do instruments sound different when they play the same exact pitch? Come and make Feynman proud by experiencing the pleasure of finding things out with do-it-yourself demos and theoretical discussion.
Prerequisites
A passion for physics, or if there is some physical effect that really bothers you -- we'll try to figure it out!
S6182: Your Brain on Drugs
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dustin Hayden
What does your brain look like on drugs? Come understand the underlying biology of how and why drugs impact our brains. Includes a brief Intro to Neuroscience.
Prerequisites
Basic biology and chemistry helps, but is by no means necessary.
Prerequisites
Basic biology and chemistry helps, but is by no means necessary.
S6523: Crash Course in Immunology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Cali Warner
Enter the fascinating battle of body versus invader. Come get excited about blood, proteins, killer cells, and your spleen.
Prerequisites
basic biology
Prerequisites
basic biology
S6333: The Tree of Life: Ancestry and Evolution
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Crowell
Are dinosaurs really extinct? Should humans be considered a type of fish? Modern systematics provides strong but counterintuitive answers to these questions. This course explores why evolutionary history shapes the scientific understanding of life and how our view of the biological world has changed since Linnaeus.
S6233: Origins of Modern Science from Copernicus to Newton
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lance Ozier
Only 500 years ago, most people thought the Earth was the center of the universe and that there were only four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. Come learn how five men, two supernovas, and the Black Plague changed all that.
Prerequisites
Interest in science and history.
Prerequisites
Interest in science and history.
S6234: Ocean and Climate
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Chen Li
Do you ever wonder how the clouds form? Or why California is sunny nearly all the time? Or how the earth's climate changed around the last ice age?
Come to learn about what factors drive the amazing dynamics of our planet!
Come to learn about what factors drive the amazing dynamics of our planet!
S6136: The Physics of Waves
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ryan Normandin
You've heard plenty about particles, but what about waves? Come and learn about the other half of physics as we derive the speed of light and explore how waves work!
Prerequisites
Calculus
Prerequisites
Calculus
S6546: Mind Games
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
June Geng
Quick! Think about a color!
Now think about a tool!
Did you think of a red hammer?
No? Well, did you think of a BLUE hammer? (And did you notice the color scheme of this page?)
If you've ever wanted to get people to do what you want, this is the class for you. Come learn how to hack others' brains to your advantage and how to spot it when other people are trying to hack yours, all with the power of psychology.
Now think about a tool!
Did you think of a red hammer?
No? Well, did you think of a BLUE hammer? (And did you notice the color scheme of this page?)
If you've ever wanted to get people to do what you want, this is the class for you. Come learn how to hack others' brains to your advantage and how to spot it when other people are trying to hack yours, all with the power of psychology.
S6706: Protein Folding - With models!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jiyeon Baek
Ever heard about foldit? Or Green Fluorescent Proteins? Or just plain love puzzles and putting things together? Come learn about how proteins that make up so much of our lives fold into a shape necessary for biology! You'll also get to build models of proteins to take home!
S6709: Holography: It's not all smoke and mirrors
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emily TenCate
Did you know that we've been making holograms since the 1960's? You might be wondering why we still don't have technology like the Holodeck from Star Trek. Come learn about the basics of holography, how scientists and artists make and use holograms, and why holography is really the imaging technology of the future. We'll discuss light, optics, and perception, and we'll end with an overview of some of the awesome applications of hologram technology!
S6171: You Are Not Human
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jennifer Hogan
How much of your body is actually human? You know, really living, breathing YOU. Not as much as you might think. There are 10 times more bacteria on you than human cells, 48% of your DNA comes from viruses, and your red blood cells are not alive. Come learn not about what you are, but about what you aren’t.
Prerequisites
Highschool Biology
Prerequisites
Highschool Biology
S6668: How to read science papers
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
When scientists discover something cool, they write a "paper" about it. Papers are different from any form of writing you're likely to have seen before, and knowing how to read them, and read them well, is crucial for understanding current science research. Through examples from biology, we'll see how a paper is structured, and how you can decode it.
Examples include, but not limited to, Mendel's paper reporting inheritance patterns, Watson and Crick's paper on DNA structure, and a recent paper on chimeric rhesus monkeys.
Prerequisites
A general background in biology is necessary to understand the content -- a completed high school biology course or equivalent will be sufficient.
Examples include, but not limited to, Mendel's paper reporting inheritance patterns, Watson and Crick's paper on DNA structure, and a recent paper on chimeric rhesus monkeys.
Prerequisites
A general background in biology is necessary to understand the content -- a completed high school biology course or equivalent will be sufficient.
S6487: The Physics of Rock Climbing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
TJ Wilkason
Rock climbing is often considered one of the most dangerous sports. However, physics plays a key role in keeping the climber safe. Come learn about all of the different ways we experience physics in climbing, from gravity to forces of falling to friction. With all of the different parts of physics working together, climbing becomes an incredibly safe and awesome sport.
Prerequisites
Basic trigonometry and pre-calculus, as well as a basic understanding of Newtonian mechanics.
Prerequisites
Basic trigonometry and pre-calculus, as well as a basic understanding of Newtonian mechanics.
S6328: Belief and Truth
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matthew Davis
Why do we automatically reject certain ideas, while fervently believing in others? Together, we will challenge the core of our reasoning and take a journey to discover the roots (or lack thereof) of proof and logic, learning to always question everything.
S6537: Spacetime and Black Holes and More!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Nathan Benjamin,
Ky-Anh Tran
Have you ever wondered what a black hole is? What does it mean for spacetime to be curved? Is time travel possible in our current universe? If yes, this course is for you! We start with basic Newtonian Gravity, and move on to build intuition behind Einstein's General Relativity.
Prerequisites
Some physics and calculus is nice, but whatever.
Prerequisites
Some physics and calculus is nice, but whatever.
S6526: Psychology: A Brief But Memorable Intro
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shauna Gordon-McKeon
Learn about some of the coolest and weirdest topics in psychology during this short survey course. We'll dissect sheep brains, attempt to eat our own spit, face off against each other in economic games, and test our own physiological stress reactions. We'll discuss the psychology of morality, learn the history of interventions like lobotomies and pharmaceuticals, and discuss the neuroscience behind phenomena like blindsight and synesthesia.
S6475: Theoretical Physics: from Mechanics to Quantum Field Theory
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Alexey Boyko
Do you want to know something about the most advanced physics ever created?
Do you want to be able to write an equation of every tiny bit of the world? (except quantum gravity)
And at least do you want to understand what was written on a white-board of Sheldon Cooper in TBBT? =)
Be prepared to taste almost the whole set of university mathematics and quantum physics by 3 hours of mind-blowing hardcoreness ]:->
This lecture will be a compilation of 10 brief introductions in university subjects of modern Math, and the culmination will be some topics in quantum field theory.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with derivatives and trigonometric functions
Do you want to be able to write an equation of every tiny bit of the world? (except quantum gravity)
And at least do you want to understand what was written on a white-board of Sheldon Cooper in TBBT? =)
Be prepared to taste almost the whole set of university mathematics and quantum physics by 3 hours of mind-blowing hardcoreness ]:->
This lecture will be a compilation of 10 brief introductions in university subjects of modern Math, and the culmination will be some topics in quantum field theory.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with derivatives and trigonometric functions
S6128: Illuminating Dark Matter
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eric Gentry
You might think we know about a lot of stuff in the universe. Proton, neutrons, electron ... even the newly observed Higgs boson. But really, that's just the tip of the iceberg -- a meager 4%
Come learn about 21% of the rest: Dark Matter. I'll take you on a whirlwind tour of how we discovered it, ideas of what it might be, what "dark" means, and how we are trying to study it.
Prerequisites
Basic physics + chemistry. Understand the basic math of (newtonian) gravity + (coulombic) electric forces. Know basics of protons, electrons, neutrons.
Come learn about 21% of the rest: Dark Matter. I'll take you on a whirlwind tour of how we discovered it, ideas of what it might be, what "dark" means, and how we are trying to study it.
Prerequisites
Basic physics + chemistry. Understand the basic math of (newtonian) gravity + (coulombic) electric forces. Know basics of protons, electrons, neutrons.
S6422: Climate change
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrea Dubin
Have you heard about global warming? Ever wonder what the climate has done in the past? Come learn about what our climate has done, and what we might expect it to do in the future.
S6629: Maxwell's Equations
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
These four equations describe one of the most universal and elegant relations in physics. They are Maxwell’s equations, unifying all observations of relativity, electricity, and magnetism. Don’t let the notation scare you off – this class has no prerequisites (as in, just be able to graph a function), but we will rigorously derive Maxwell’s explanation of electromagnetic phenomena (including light, electricity, magnets, …). “Derive” with the catch that, as I don’t believe in writing long equations on the board, everything in this class will be presented as a series of intuitive /and/ rigorous deductions, preserving concepts rather than constants.
We will begin with only two observations. First, the relativistic nature of light: you can’t catch up to a light beam – it will always move away from you at speed c. Second, our observations of the force between two charges described by q_1*q_2/r^2: q_1 and q_2 being the magnitude of the two charges, and r being the distance between them. From these two observations, we will DERIVE the explanation of everything else. Aka, the world will unfold before you and it will be beautiful.
Prerequisites
All this said, and there being no “hidden prerequisites,” the world will need to unfold before you /very/ quickly. I basically just claimed that I would introduce all of single-variable calculus and about half of multivariable calculus in the first hour of class – which I believe is an attainable goal – but this class will be rigorous, will be extremely intense, and will require the full two hours.
We will begin with only two observations. First, the relativistic nature of light: you can’t catch up to a light beam – it will always move away from you at speed c. Second, our observations of the force between two charges described by q_1*q_2/r^2: q_1 and q_2 being the magnitude of the two charges, and r being the distance between them. From these two observations, we will DERIVE the explanation of everything else. Aka, the world will unfold before you and it will be beautiful.
Prerequisites
All this said, and there being no “hidden prerequisites,” the world will need to unfold before you /very/ quickly. I basically just claimed that I would introduce all of single-variable calculus and about half of multivariable calculus in the first hour of class – which I believe is an attainable goal – but this class will be rigorous, will be extremely intense, and will require the full two hours.
S6662: Chemistry of Explosions
Difficulty: **
Learn what makes things go bang. Covers low-order explosives such as black powder, as well as primary, secondary, and tertiary high-order explosives such as RDX and TNT. Learn what chemicals go into making explosives and how they are safely manufactured.
S6179: Controlling DNA: Epigenetics, Operons, and Beyond
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shulin Ye
What prevents your liver cell from becoming a bone cell?
S6467: Inside the Brain: Connecting Physiology to Experience
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Abby Noyce
A whirlwind tour of cellular-level neuroscience. We'll talk about synapses, action potentials, glutamate, GABA, dopamine, and serotonin. We'll talk about poisons, medications, and recreational drugs, and link their neuronal effects to the experiences people report. We'll also talk a bit about learning, memory, reward, and emotions, and what's going on in the brain when these things happen.
Prerequisites
Some biology will be necessary (you should be generally familiar with cells). We'll be talking about ions and ion flow; a bit of chemistry background is recommended.
Prerequisites
Some biology will be necessary (you should be generally familiar with cells). We'll be talking about ions and ion flow; a bit of chemistry background is recommended.
S6545: Mind Games Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
June Geng
Quick! Think about a color!
Now think about a tool!
Did you think of a red hammer?
No? Well, did you think of a BLUE hammer? (And did you notice the color scheme of this page?)
If you've ever wanted to get people to do what you want, this is the class for you. Come learn how to hack others' brains to your advantage and how to spot it when other people are trying to hack yours, all with the power of psychology.
Now think about a tool!
Did you think of a red hammer?
No? Well, did you think of a BLUE hammer? (And did you notice the color scheme of this page?)
If you've ever wanted to get people to do what you want, this is the class for you. Come learn how to hack others' brains to your advantage and how to spot it when other people are trying to hack yours, all with the power of psychology.
S6754: Particle Accelerators
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Elizabeth Berg
Subatomic particles are too small to be seen by even the most powerful microscopes. Instead, researchers use particle accelerators, machines that rapidly accelerate and collide streams of particles. In this class, you will learn about the different components of the detectors and get the opportunity to identify and analyze real data!
S6764: Synthetic Biology Full!
Difficulty: **
What would you do if you had the power to make bacteria smell like bananas, destroy environmental poisons, or glow fluorescent green? Synthetic biology is the new and exciting science of using biology's toolkit to engineer new and useful systems. We're the MIT team competing in the 2012 International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, here to show you why synthetic biology is awesome and what we can do with it.
S6713: Physics, part 1: Newtonian Mechanics Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Stephen Face,
Michael Flynn
The greatest physicist of all time is Isaac Newton. His discovery of gravity confirmed our understanding of the essential process of planetary/projectile motion. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!
Prerequisites
Calculus is a really good idea, and trigonometry is a must.
Prerequisites
Calculus is a really good idea, and trigonometry is a must.
S6621: Illusion of Space, Time and Particle
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kevin Burdge,
Average Phan
Do you really understand what Space, Time and Particles actually are? Welcome to Theoretical Physics, you’ll see how your common sense means nothing – you don’t even actually know how to count! In the first half of the class, we will teach you about special relativity and general relativity, then show you how complicated Space and Time really are – everything you see is just an illusion. In the second part of the class, we will teach you quantum mechanics and relativistic quantum field theory with a curved spacetime background, and tell you how a Particle can pop out of nowhere, and then disappear without trace and do some other interesting things. And as common sense is meaningless, we will show you how even every particle is just an illusion. We promise that we will teach you how to count again – very carefully, and then show you that it’s totally meaningless. Finally, in the end of the class (this is an optional part, since it will depend on how much time we have left), we will tell you about how Theoretical Physicists think about Particles – the building blocks of everything – from Classical Mechanics to Supersymmetric String Theory and maybe Non-pertubative String Theory. We hope that after being a student in our class, you will feel that everything around you is meaningless and nothing that you have learnt until now makes sense, and that Physics is just a big troll.
Prerequisites
Calculus
Prerequisites
Calculus
S6549: AnimalBots Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Michael Pappas
Robots are awesome, but we're still very new at making them. One of the best ways engineers have found to improve our designs is by stealing from Mother Nature, who has had much more time than we have to figure this stuff out. Come learn about the jellyfishbots we might send to space, the insectbots that can walk on water, and geckobots that can climb up walls unassisted, among others!
Prerequisites
General knowledge of science concepts like gravity, electricity/magnetism, etc. are useful but not required. No math will be necessary.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of science concepts like gravity, electricity/magnetism, etc. are useful but not required. No math will be necessary.
S6813: Exoplanets Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ashley Villar
It’s a topic that has at least fascinated the Hollywood scene for years – is there life outside our little blue marble? Right now, that’s a little more than scientists can chew, but the field of exoplanetary research is growing evermore rapidly. Come learn about the history, basics and cutting edge research of exoplanets.
S6348: Viruses, bacteria, colds, flu, and what is happening when you get sick
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Charles Hsu,
Rebecca Shi
Ever get sick and wonder what is going on inside your body and why you feel like canine feces? Well come take our class and you will find out all about the different pathogens that make you sick!
You will walk away looking at this world and the coughing people around you differently.
You will walk away looking at this world and the coughing people around you differently.
S6509: Stick Throwing! (Traditional Archery)
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rhys Bendell
Using bendy sticks to throw pointy sticks at the bad guys is a genius idea that has been around for centuries. Now that technology has left pointed sticks in the dust, too few are familiar with the history, mechanics, and sheer awesomeness of traditional archery. Come join the ranks!
S6714: Physics, part 2: Electricity and Magnetism Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Stephen Face,
Michael Flynn
The greatest physicist of all time is James Clerk Maxwell. His discovery of electromagnetic waves confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of light. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!
Prerequisites
Calculus.
Prerequisites
Calculus.
S6601: Deep Sea Biology!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
Ever wondered how deep in the oceans you can find life? What kind of creatures live in crevices as deep as the height of Mount Everest? And how do they get food down there? We'll answer all these questions and more!
S6238: A Theory of Everything (or just Something?) Full!
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Eric Newman
With the advent of string theory came the feeling that the end may be near. A theory of everything might be in the stages of construction. Could string theory answer all our questions?
In this class, we will explore the question of what is a theory of everything (TOE). After exploring this question, we will learn of potential restrictions to such a theory and possible forms it can come in. We will also discuss whether or not theories now (such as string theory) have the ultimate breadth and depth to truly be considered a possible TOE.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with basic physics and math concepts will be helpful.
In this class, we will explore the question of what is a theory of everything (TOE). After exploring this question, we will learn of potential restrictions to such a theory and possible forms it can come in. We will also discuss whether or not theories now (such as string theory) have the ultimate breadth and depth to truly be considered a possible TOE.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with basic physics and math concepts will be helpful.
S6689: When Cells Die.
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
A mini-introduction to pathology, the study of disease. We will explore the body’s various tissues through examples of micro-anatomy and describe the changes they undergo as they encounter insult, injury and death. Hopefully your basic biology knowledge will be sharpened to explain many sophisticated phenomena of disease and death.
.
Prerequisites
1 year Introductory Biology. If you can draw and label a cartoon cell, you should be fine
.
Prerequisites
1 year Introductory Biology. If you can draw and label a cartoon cell, you should be fine
S6077: Introduction to Pulsars
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Anna Ho
When a star explodes into a supernova at the end of its life, it leaves behind a "pulsar". A pulsar is an ultra-dense neutron star, that emits a beam of light as it spins around (at hundreds of times PER SECOND!) just like a light-house. Pulsars are extremely dense, and have extremely powerful magnetic fields - the details of their properties and behavior are still mysteries to astrophysicists. In this class, you will learn about what pulsars are, how astronomers find them, and how they can be used as tools to understand more about the universe.
S6393: Build Your Own Cosmic Ray Detector!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexander McCarthy,
Rishi Patel
In 1956, C.L. Stong wrote in a Scientific American column:
"If you fasten a disk of alcohol-soaked blotting paper in the bottom of a jar, screw on the lid and up-end the jar on a cake of dry ice, you will occasionally see the concluding phase of an event which may have had its origin millions of years ago in an exploding star."
In this class, students will learn how to build their own cloud chambers to detect cosmic radiation, while learning a bit about the physics behind them.
"If you fasten a disk of alcohol-soaked blotting paper in the bottom of a jar, screw on the lid and up-end the jar on a cake of dry ice, you will occasionally see the concluding phase of an event which may have had its origin millions of years ago in an exploding star."
In this class, students will learn how to build their own cloud chambers to detect cosmic radiation, while learning a bit about the physics behind them.
S6363: Cool Topics in Modern Physics - Session 2 Full!
Difficulty: **
This class will be a series of very short (7-8 min.) lightning lectures on various topics in modern physics, designed to give a conceptual overview of each topic and what is interesting and exciting about it. Session 2 will include topics like quantum mechanics, quantum computing/information, the measurement problem (what's still wrong with quantum mechanics), solid state physics, and statistical mechanics/thermodynamics.
Prerequisites
1.) Be in high school (9th-12th grade) 2.) Get psyched about physics!
Prerequisites
1.) Be in high school (9th-12th grade) 2.) Get psyched about physics!
S6720: Physics, part 6: Space
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Stephen Face,
Michael Flynn
The greatest physicist of all time is Alan Guth. His discovery of cosmic inflation confirmed our understanding of the essential process of the Big Bang. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!
Prerequisites
Trignometry, and Algebra. Familiarity with Special Relativity will be helpful.
Prerequisites
Trignometry, and Algebra. Familiarity with Special Relativity will be helpful.
S6456: Biology of the Brain
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Abby Noyce
How do brain cells work? What is up with drugs that affect the nervous system? When people say things like, "Love is just a chemical reaction in your brain," what do they mean? Are they right?
S6313: The fishing game
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
Come learn about fishing techniques and the environmental effects of overfishing, then try your hand at managing a sustainable fishery with your classmates.
Prerequisites
Just enthusiasm and willingness to handle dry beans.
Prerequisites
Just enthusiasm and willingness to handle dry beans.
S6563: Calculating on the Back of an Envelope: An Intro to Order of Magnitude Calculations
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ilana Porter,
Nicholas Rivera
Scientists and engineers (and a whole host of other people) rely on estimation to guide their work. We rely on them to determine if experiments are safe to conduct, or if they're worthwhile to conduct. More importantly, we use them to ground ourselves in reality. We use them to get a feel for what numbers actually mean.
What does it mean for 1 kg of TNT to release 10^6 J? How can we imagine things huge numbers like 10^23 in the context of atoms? Or even 10^20 gallons of water. How do you visualize that? It turns out that doing order of magnitude estimates helps you do precisely that.
In this class, we're going to answer some (hopefully all) of the following questions (just using basic facts about the world and common sense!):
- How many jelly beans are in a jar full of jelly beans? (Of arbitrary size, but we'll check it for some specific sizes just in case someone ever asks you to guess how many jelly beans are in their jar)
- How long would it take someone to walk across the Earth along any given circle of latitude?
- How many atoms fit on the head of a pin?
- How long would it take you to count to a million? How many students would it require to reshelve 2,000,000 library books in three weeks? How are these problems related?
- How many cells are in your body? How much water do they hold in total?
- How long is your DNA?
- How much hydrogen gets converted to helium in the Sun each year?
- How many air molecules from my breath are you inhaling every second?
- What is the energy output of a nuclear bomb? (This is a fairly historic problem solved by Fermi)
- How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? (another classic). And we will experimentally verify this... free candy!!!!
We will also answer some of your curiosities. If you have a question, we can estimate the answers together.
In the process of answering these questions, we will also call on our scientific instinct to the best of our ability to determine if these answers are reasonable. In other words, we're going to do science the way scientists do it.
Prerequisites
This class will cover ideas from biology, physics, and chemistry. You won't need a deep understanding of them to follow, but it may help put some of the results that we will arrive at in context. You should be comfortable with scientific notation converting between different units.
What does it mean for 1 kg of TNT to release 10^6 J? How can we imagine things huge numbers like 10^23 in the context of atoms? Or even 10^20 gallons of water. How do you visualize that? It turns out that doing order of magnitude estimates helps you do precisely that.
In this class, we're going to answer some (hopefully all) of the following questions (just using basic facts about the world and common sense!):
- How many jelly beans are in a jar full of jelly beans? (Of arbitrary size, but we'll check it for some specific sizes just in case someone ever asks you to guess how many jelly beans are in their jar)
- How long would it take someone to walk across the Earth along any given circle of latitude?
- How many atoms fit on the head of a pin?
- How long would it take you to count to a million? How many students would it require to reshelve 2,000,000 library books in three weeks? How are these problems related?
- How many cells are in your body? How much water do they hold in total?
- How long is your DNA?
- How much hydrogen gets converted to helium in the Sun each year?
- How many air molecules from my breath are you inhaling every second?
- What is the energy output of a nuclear bomb? (This is a fairly historic problem solved by Fermi)
- How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? (another classic). And we will experimentally verify this... free candy!!!!
We will also answer some of your curiosities. If you have a question, we can estimate the answers together.
In the process of answering these questions, we will also call on our scientific instinct to the best of our ability to determine if these answers are reasonable. In other words, we're going to do science the way scientists do it.
Prerequisites
This class will cover ideas from biology, physics, and chemistry. You won't need a deep understanding of them to follow, but it may help put some of the results that we will arrive at in context. You should be comfortable with scientific notation converting between different units.
S6196: Crayfish: Take It Apart! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Chelsea Voss,
Shulin Ye
Dissections are a fun (and messy) way to figure out how things work!
Crayfish are adorable arthropods, and relatives to shrimps and lobsters. Though they are also animals, their anatomy is vastly different from a human's. A crayfish has a grand total of NINETEEN pairs of appendages -- can you find them all?
Come dissect crayfish specimens in pairs, and learn all about the internal and external anatomy of arthropods!
High school edition. Nitrile gloves, forceps, dissecting scissors, and crayfish will be provided.
Prerequisites
You should come willing to participate and try something new -- dissections are obviously no fun if you don't dissect!
Crayfish are adorable arthropods, and relatives to shrimps and lobsters. Though they are also animals, their anatomy is vastly different from a human's. A crayfish has a grand total of NINETEEN pairs of appendages -- can you find them all?
Come dissect crayfish specimens in pairs, and learn all about the internal and external anatomy of arthropods!
High school edition. Nitrile gloves, forceps, dissecting scissors, and crayfish will be provided.
Prerequisites
You should come willing to participate and try something new -- dissections are obviously no fun if you don't dissect!
S6784: Earthquakes!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ben Thompson
A repeat of the Cape Ann Earthquake could liquefy large parts of Boston and Cambridge, killing hundreds or thousands and causing massive property damage.
Earthquakes are insanely massive releases of the energy stored in the Earth. They're a terrifying example of the active Earth.
We'll start by talking about some specific earthquakes and their effects on humans and the Earth. Possible eathquakes: Kobe Earthquake, Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami, Cape Ann Earthquake, 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
Then we'll shift to a discussion of the theory behind how earthquakes function. We'll use some of this theory to explain the differences between the earthquakes we looked at earlier in the class.
Earthquakes are insanely massive releases of the energy stored in the Earth. They're a terrifying example of the active Earth.
We'll start by talking about some specific earthquakes and their effects on humans and the Earth. Possible eathquakes: Kobe Earthquake, Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami, Cape Ann Earthquake, 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
Then we'll shift to a discussion of the theory behind how earthquakes function. We'll use some of this theory to explain the differences between the earthquakes we looked at earlier in the class.
S6489: Do We Really Need the Higgs?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
TJ Wilkason
This past summer, scientists discovered a Higgs-like particle, making what has been called "the greatest scientific discovery in the last 40 years". Where does this leave us now? What else is there to learn about particle physics? Are our theories really successful, or is there something else we're still missing? Learn about the Standard Model and how the Higgs Boson fits in, and how this is supposed to describe what we see in the universe.
S6593: Biogeochemical Cycles: how the world recycles itself
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Rachel Keeler
Earth science: where chemistry, physics, and biology meet to teach us awesome things about the world around us. Come learn about nitrogen, carbon, ozone, and sulfates, where they are in the earth system and how they get from one place to another. In the process, we'll talk about how human activity changes the earth, atmosphere, and oceans around us.
Prerequisites
It will probably help to have a grasp of basic chemistry, but it isn't required; this is intended to be an intro class.
Prerequisites
It will probably help to have a grasp of basic chemistry, but it isn't required; this is intended to be an intro class.
S6660: The Coriolis Force
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kathryn Materna
What is the Coriolis Force, and why is it called a fictitious force? See what it really is, and how it applies to bathtubs, toilet bowls, weather patterns, pendulums, and more.
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with algebra and trigonometry. Other math will be explained during the course.
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with algebra and trigonometry. Other math will be explained during the course.
S6191: Crayfish: Take It Apart! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Chelsea Voss,
Shulin Ye
Dissections are a fun (and messy) way to figure out how things work!
Crayfish are adorable arthropods, and relatives to shrimps and lobsters. Though they are also animals, their anatomy is vastly different from a human's. A crayfish has a grand total of NINETEEN pairs of appendages -- can you find them all?
Come dissect crayfish specimens in pairs, and learn all about the internal and external anatomy of arthropods!
Middle school edition. Nitrile gloves, forceps, dissecting scissors, and crayfish will be provided.
Prerequisites
You should come willing to participate and try something new -- dissections are obviously no fun if you don't dissect!
Crayfish are adorable arthropods, and relatives to shrimps and lobsters. Though they are also animals, their anatomy is vastly different from a human's. A crayfish has a grand total of NINETEEN pairs of appendages -- can you find them all?
Come dissect crayfish specimens in pairs, and learn all about the internal and external anatomy of arthropods!
Middle school edition. Nitrile gloves, forceps, dissecting scissors, and crayfish will be provided.
Prerequisites
You should come willing to participate and try something new -- dissections are obviously no fun if you don't dissect!
S6773: Mysteries of Hexaflexagons Full!
Difficulty: *
By the time you finish this class, you'll have the smarts to get into MIT. A hexaflexagon is a magical creation that combines origami, mechanics, state diagrams, and four-dimensional manifolds. This course is also known as real and complex analysis of flexagons. We also have a giraffe.
Please note: Taking this class will not actually help you get into MIT.
Please note: Taking this class will not actually help you get into MIT.
S6715: Physics, part 3: Special Relativity
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Stephen Face,
Michael Flynn
The greatest physicist of all time is Albert Einstein. His discovery of the theory of relativity confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of space and time. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!
Prerequisites
Should have some geometry/algebra background.
Prerequisites
Should have some geometry/algebra background.
S6078: Explosive Chemistry!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sweet Tea Dorminy
Everyone knows that one of the best parts of chemistry is blowing things up. Come learn about the chemical structure and synthesis of explosive materials! Sadly, we can’t blow anything up ourselves, but we can watch videos of it. Along the way, we’ll learn about organic synthesis, how explosives are made; thermodynamics and characteristics of explosives, why things explode; and plenty of other awesome and explosive chemistry.
Prerequisites
What's an atom? What's an electron? If you know that, you should be able to follow this class.
Prerequisites
What's an atom? What's an electron? If you know that, you should be able to follow this class.
S6343: Cook like a Chemist Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kristen Cotner
Cooking: it's just like chemistry, but you get to eat your experiments!
Find out how to make perfect pancakes and mile-high meringues every time. Then chow down on our concoctions and take the recipes home to amaze your family and friends!
No prior cooking experience necessary
Find out how to make perfect pancakes and mile-high meringues every time. Then chow down on our concoctions and take the recipes home to amaze your family and friends!
No prior cooking experience necessary
S6314: A day in the life of a coral
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
Have you ever seen pictures of beautiful coral reefs? Ever wondered how they are made? In this class you will learn about the biology of coral polyps, the tiny animals that make the coral. You will also learn to use a special technique that scientists use to go back in time and learn about a coral's past.
S6673: What's a Quasicrystal?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Liza Plotnikov
Last year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Dan Shechtman "for the discovery of quasicrystals". In this class, we'll talk about what a crystal is in the context of materials science, how a quasicrystal is different from a regular crystal, what quasicrystals are used for, and why their discovery is deserving of a Nobel prize.
Prerequisites
high school chemistry
Prerequisites
high school chemistry
S6646: A quick guide for Theoretical Physics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Kevin Burdge,
Average Phan
(2nd of a 3 classes series). This class continues what we teach in “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle”. Consider that we finished with Special Relativity, General Relativity and basic Quantum Mechanics in “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle”; we will go through the mathematical ideas (and introduce some background) in Quantum Theory, Relativistic Quantum Field Theory, Grand Unified Theory, Standard Model, String Theory and beyond (depend on how much time we have left, we will go through M-theory, F-theory and Non-pertubative theory). We will proceed very rapidly, and we don’t expect you to understand all the mathematics, but we really hope you can understand the basic ideas underlying in each theory.
Prerequisites
Class "Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” (recommend but not required)
Prerequisites
Class "Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” (recommend but not required)
S6716: Physics, part 4: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Stephen Face,
Michael Flynn
The greatest physicists of all time are Joseph Lagrange and William Hamilton. Their discovery of new formulations of mechanics confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of energy. Come learn about their vital contributions to the world of physics!
Prerequisites
Calculus.
Prerequisites
Calculus.
S6133: Murder for the Beginner
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Riley Drake
Arsenic and old lace? Beginner luck! Everything you never wanted to know about neurotoxins (and other nasty stuff). Loosely based off the book 'The Poisoner's Handbook' by Deborah Blum and the work of Vil Mirzayanov, inventor of the world's most potent neurotoxin, Novichok-5.
Prerequisites
Some background in Biology is helpful, but not required.
Prerequisites
Some background in Biology is helpful, but not required.
S6694: Stupid human tricks and why the zombie apocalypse won't happen
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
We'll cover some of the more unusual examples of how the human body can be an example of exquisite functional design or completely stupid fail. From here I hope to encourage discussion and question and answer of any bodily myth, mystery, or ailment. Stomach growling. Entoptic images. Knuckle cracking. The valgus knee and how Bigfoot has to be a guy in a furry suit. AND the biology behind why the zombie apocalypse can't happen
Prerequisites
leave your zombie apocalypse fantasies at home
Prerequisites
leave your zombie apocalypse fantasies at home
S6131: Neurons: Lights, Camera, Action!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Rebecca Shi
Learn about the basic unit of your nervous system: the neuron! How do these cells send signals over long distances? What is the chemical basis behind these signals? This class is designed to introduce students to the basic structure of a neuron and mechanism behind the action potential.
S6138: The Physics of Climate Change
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ryan Normandin
You've probably heard that the world is getting warmer. Whether you follow all the latest news or don't even think its happening, this class will create from basic physics a model of the atmosphere that will produce the data used by the International Panel on Climate Change, come and learn the dynamics behind global warming!
S6712: Guesstimation: How to think like a Scientist!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michael Shaw
Have you ever seen someone guess the attendance at a concert, the number of cells in the human body, or the amount of ice cream consumed daily in Boston? Do you worry that you’re not “mathy” enough to do the same? This ability is not inherent talent, or dumb luck: it’s a skill that we’ll learn!
Science asks us to look analytically at the world around us—to study complexity in all its wondrous forms. We break down these mysterious problems into simple pieces that we can wrap our heads around; then, put together the jigsaw, and voila: You have done something extra-ordinary.
Come ready to think outside the box and to exercise your mind in new ways. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or a nationally-ranked mathematician to have fun and flex some new mental muscles!
Science asks us to look analytically at the world around us—to study complexity in all its wondrous forms. We break down these mysterious problems into simple pieces that we can wrap our heads around; then, put together the jigsaw, and voila: You have done something extra-ordinary.
Come ready to think outside the box and to exercise your mind in new ways. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or a nationally-ranked mathematician to have fun and flex some new mental muscles!
S6631: Live-Action Vector Fields!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
Want to see yourself 30ft up on a giant screen?
Want to be part of an MIT youtube broadcast?
Come be part of the world's largest ever human vector field! (Actually, as far as I know, it will be the world's ONLY ever purposefully staged human vector field.)
Vector fields are ubiquitous in physics, and we want to make an amazing video: 100 students together forming a massive human vector field!
In the process, you'll also learn about and experience the science that governs electricity, magnetism, fluid, and heat. There will even be some calculus (slope-fields are vector fields!)
Prerequisites
Don't know what a vector is, no problem! We'll introduce you to all of the math and science you need in the first 10 minutes of class. But most of class will be filming the vector fields for the video!
Want to be part of an MIT youtube broadcast?
Come be part of the world's largest ever human vector field! (Actually, as far as I know, it will be the world's ONLY ever purposefully staged human vector field.)
Vector fields are ubiquitous in physics, and we want to make an amazing video: 100 students together forming a massive human vector field!
In the process, you'll also learn about and experience the science that governs electricity, magnetism, fluid, and heat. There will even be some calculus (slope-fields are vector fields!)
Prerequisites
Don't know what a vector is, no problem! We'll introduce you to all of the math and science you need in the first 10 minutes of class. But most of class will be filming the vector fields for the video!
S6146: My Little Pony: Chemistry is Magic
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Christopher Leon
Principles of chemistry will be taught with examples from the popular cartoon show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
S6681: Drilling for Chocolate Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Elizabeth Krueger,
Jayson Lynch
Are you interested in how the petroleum industry works? How about chocolate, are you interested in that? Come learn how oil companies go about finding and drilling for oil by trying it for yourself. With a team of your fellow students, you'll be competing to get the data and find the oil without going bankrupt. Except instead of oil, you'll be drilling for chocolate. It's gonna be good.
S6687: Science of Everything
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zach .,
Vincent Lee
Derive the universe from a piece of fairy cake.
S6391: Autism 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alyssa Zisk
There's a decent chance you've seen some sort of statistic about autism, perhaps the infamous "more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, AIDS, and muscular dystrophy combined." Come find out what Autistic Spectrum Disorders actually are, anyways, with a breaking down of some popular stereotypes about autistic people.
S6656: Human Reproductive Physiology Closed!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
This fast-paced biology class will explore the physiological basis of human reproduction, focusing the generation of gametes -- sperm and egg cells. We will also discuss other functions of sex hormones in the body, and briefly consider the biology of pregnancy.
Prerequisites
Know what mitosis and meiosis are. If you're able to explain the difference between them in two sentences, you'll be fine in this class.
Prerequisites
Know what mitosis and meiosis are. If you're able to explain the difference between them in two sentences, you'll be fine in this class.
S6564: Introduction to Physical Chemistry
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Nicholas Rivera
Physical chemistry, to put it short, is the branch of chemistry that answers the question "why?". It gives us insight into the structure and behavior of atoms and molecules and what this means about the behavior of 10^23 atoms - it let's us predict and understand the properties of materials and it also helps us understand why compounds react in the ways that they do.
We're going to discuss schrodinger's equation, and what it means about the way that molecules can move and the energies that they have.
And once we understand that, we'll talk about the Boltzmann distribution and the partition function and use it to predict and understand properties of materials. For instance, we will PROVE that PV = nRT.
Lastly, we'll discuss some experimental methods (i.e; some of the stuff that physical chemists do in a lab) in order to predict the properties of materials and understand why chemistry works the way it does.
And then I'm going to discuss assorted topics such as bond stability, compound stability, and intermolecular forces.
Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry will help you appreciate the full magnitude and importance of this subject matter. A year of physics would also be extremely helpful. You should have some knowledge of energy, momentum, and forces. Calculus will be used. It will help a lot if you know how to differentiate functions.
We're going to discuss schrodinger's equation, and what it means about the way that molecules can move and the energies that they have.
And once we understand that, we'll talk about the Boltzmann distribution and the partition function and use it to predict and understand properties of materials. For instance, we will PROVE that PV = nRT.
Lastly, we'll discuss some experimental methods (i.e; some of the stuff that physical chemists do in a lab) in order to predict the properties of materials and understand why chemistry works the way it does.
And then I'm going to discuss assorted topics such as bond stability, compound stability, and intermolecular forces.
Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry will help you appreciate the full magnitude and importance of this subject matter. A year of physics would also be extremely helpful. You should have some knowledge of energy, momentum, and forces. Calculus will be used. It will help a lot if you know how to differentiate functions.
S6084: Uranium from Start to Finish Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Sweet Tea Dorminy
Uranium is an incredibly interesting element, probably most famous for its use in nuclear bombs. What is uranium, though? Where does it come from? How do you turn uranium-filled rocks in the ground into an atomic bomb? All these questions and more will be answered in this friendly class!
Prerequisites
What's an element? Have you seen a periodic table?
Prerequisites
What's an element? Have you seen a periodic table?
S6134: The Army Inside You
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Riley Drake
Risk or Diplomacy? What about life or death? A whirlwind introduction to insane, yet strategic battles that go on in your body every day (and how they can go terribly awry). This course will focus primarily on the t-cell response and how diseases are an evolving, as opposed to a static, threat.
Prerequisites
Students should know what t-cell is, and be prepared to ask questions.
Prerequisites
Students should know what t-cell is, and be prepared to ask questions.
S6512: How to land an airplane!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dan Noe
The captain and the copilot both had the fish. The announcement comes over the PA, "Is anyone on board a pilot?" You jump forward, "I'm not, but I did take a Splash Class once!" Well maybe that is a slight stretch! We'll talk about the theory aerodynamics, stalls, flight instruments and controls, and do some simple demonstrations with a big fan and models. At the end of the class I'll go through the basic steps of landing any aircraft from small to airliner.
S6721: Physics, part 5: Quantum Mechanics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Stephen Face,
Michael Flynn
The greatest physicist of all time is Erwin Schrodinger. His discovery of unitary time evolution confirmed our understanding of the essential physics of quantum processes. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!
Prerequisites
Definitely want some calculus. Linear algebra helpful, but not required.
Prerequisites
Definitely want some calculus. Linear algebra helpful, but not required.
S6137: Introduction to Special Relativity
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ryan Normandin
This is the class that will throw everything you know out the window. Time travel is not only possible, scientists actually know how to do it! The Law of Conservation of Mass is a lie. Energy Conservation is another lie. From a four-dimensional point of view, you are a strand of spaghetti. Come and learn how to not only time travel, but turn into a black hole while you’re at it!
Note: One derivation at the very end will use a small amount of basic calculus.
Prerequisites
Algebra, Pythagorean Theorem
Note: One derivation at the very end will use a small amount of basic calculus.
Prerequisites
Algebra, Pythagorean Theorem
S6642: Cognitive Neuroscience
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Julie Moyer
Interested in how your brain works? Want to learn cool psychology tips and tricks you can try out on your friends? In this class, we will get some hands-on experience learning how to really work -- and trick -- your brain!
S6092: The Physics of Skydiving
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Horning
Sometimes physics really is life or death. Gravity, fluid flow, drag, resistance, and angular momentum aren't really that exciting sounding, but for those of us who jump out of perfectly good airplanes, they matter a lot!
Come learn about freefall, BASE jumping, wingsuits, parachutes, and everything in between with an MIT PhD student and licensed skydiver. There will be awesome videos, skydiving equipment, and sweet jumpsuits (and a few equations).
Come learn about freefall, BASE jumping, wingsuits, parachutes, and everything in between with an MIT PhD student and licensed skydiver. There will be awesome videos, skydiving equipment, and sweet jumpsuits (and a few equations).
S6457: Finding a Cure for Cancer
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Melissa Ko
It has been more than forty years since President Nixon declared “war” on cancer, starting a nationwide effort to research and develop more effective treatments for cancer. So now, in 2012, many people are wondering: where is the cure?
Learn about the complexities of cancer and tumor biology, the kinds of questions we are answering with research now, and why “finding a cure for cancer” is not as simple as it sounds.
Prerequisites
basic understanding of cell biology and cancer biology
Learn about the complexities of cancer and tumor biology, the kinds of questions we are answering with research now, and why “finding a cure for cancer” is not as simple as it sounds.
Prerequisites
basic understanding of cell biology and cancer biology
S6589: Snails and Such: a case for ecological complexity
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Evan Kuras
This course will examine a case study concerning snails and decomposition dynamics within an intertidal salt marsh. We will use this case to better understand ecologically complex systems.
S6731: Extreme Physics: from Quarks to Supermassive Black Holes
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jon Beaulieu
So what exactly is going on at the center of a black hole? And what on earth is a pion? If you were able to travel faster than light, what would happen? This course will cover some of the most extreme cases of physics in the universe, from the unimaginably small world of quantum mechanics to the infinite edges of the universe.
S6306: Anatomy of a Metaphor
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
A L
Has someone given you a warm smile recently? Are concerns weighing on your mind? Do you have deadlines coming up? How close are you to meeting your personal goals? These questions may not seem metaphorical, but they are. Metaphors aren't just found in the arts---they are fundamental to the structure of our thoughts. Find out how during this short, fun introduction to Conceptual Metaphor Theory. We'll get acquainted with basic concepts and consider some interesting examples from ads, anime and news stories.
Prerequisites
Fluency in English preferred but not required
Prerequisites
Fluency in English preferred but not required
S6682: How Music Works
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Thomas Murphy
How can a trumpet sound so different from a piano, even when they play the same note? How can a computer speaker mimic the sounds of both these instruments at the same time? How do you write beautiful music? I can't answer that last question, but if you're curious about the first two, this is the class for you! We'll go on a crash course through as many of the secret inner workings of music as we can cram in, and by the end you'll know enough to be able to synthesize your own basic musical sounds.
S6574: The Chemistry Behind Everyday Stuff
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Anubhav Sinha
Ever wondered how the computer screen displaying this Splash catalog worked? Or how everyday materials like vinegar or nail-polish remover are produced? Or how coffee beans are decaffeinated?
If you're interested in how ordinary stuff is made on the chemical level, then this class is for you!
Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry should be sufficient.
If you're interested in how ordinary stuff is made on the chemical level, then this class is for you!
Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry should be sufficient.
S6692: Mind Uploading: Theory and Practice
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
David "davidad" Dalrymple
Many works of science fiction imagine a process for transferring a human mind to a computer: copying personality, memories, and identity to an artificial system. While current technology is a long way from this goal, it is catching up faster than one might think. Recent advances in genetic engineering, digital holography, machine vision, and statistical modeling have made it plausible to perform a complete upload of a nematode worm, the organism with the simplest known nervous system. I am currently leading a project in San Francisco to make this happen, and I'm flying in just for Splash to tell you all about how it works and answer your questions about neuroscience!
Prerequisites
I will assume basic concepts in cell biology (DNA, genes, proteins), optics (lasers, photons, wavelength), and computer science (algorithms, memory, bandwidth). Familiarity with calculus and probability theory will be helpful but not required.
Prerequisites
I will assume basic concepts in cell biology (DNA, genes, proteins), optics (lasers, photons, wavelength), and computer science (algorithms, memory, bandwidth). Familiarity with calculus and probability theory will be helpful but not required.
S6139: Why We Need Quantum Mechanics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ryan Normandin
Quantum mechanics is hailed as the revolutionary beginning of modern science, and is indeed the foundation behind lots of today's technology, from computers to glow sticks. Come and learn why, if it wasn't for quantum mechanics, we would all be dead.
S6162: The Mathematics of Special Relativity
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Lucy Zhang
Physics is about symmetry, and special relativity is a theory that describes the underlying symmetries of spacetime.
In this class, we'll discuss the role of symmetry in physics, and how group theory provides a natural and powerful description of symmetry. We'll build up the formalism of special relativity from a few mathematical postulates. We'll look at some particularly illuminating ways of describing spacetime symmetries. And then we'll use tools from various areas of math, such as projective geometry and complex analysis, to prove some fascinating physical results.
Prerequisites
You should have prior exposure to special relativity (if you know what a Lorentz transformation is, you'll be fine), and you should know basic linear algebra, including matrix computations and the concept of matrices as linear transformations. These topics will be covered in class, but we will move through them quickly. Some familiarity with group theory would also be useful.
In this class, we'll discuss the role of symmetry in physics, and how group theory provides a natural and powerful description of symmetry. We'll build up the formalism of special relativity from a few mathematical postulates. We'll look at some particularly illuminating ways of describing spacetime symmetries. And then we'll use tools from various areas of math, such as projective geometry and complex analysis, to prove some fascinating physical results.
Prerequisites
You should have prior exposure to special relativity (if you know what a Lorentz transformation is, you'll be fine), and you should know basic linear algebra, including matrix computations and the concept of matrices as linear transformations. These topics will be covered in class, but we will move through them quickly. Some familiarity with group theory would also be useful.
S6732: SETI: Filling out the blanks
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Linda Xu
You've been obsessed with aliens and outer space since you were 7. You've combed through the jungle of scifi. You get excited every time you hear about the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. And you've looked at Drake's equation and have no idea how to fill it in. Come learn about the chemistry, physics and astronomy that tell us what we know and can hope about extraterrestrial life. What has been done? Why do we bother looking? What have we found?
S6651: Example of Theoretical Physics problem: Illusion of mass
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Kevin Burdge,
Average Phan
(3rd of a 3 classes series) This class is the last in our series of 3 classes in Theoretical Physics; the 2 previous classes are “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” and “A quick guide for Theoretical Physics”. In this class, we will do a real problem (the self energy and decay rate of scalar particles) in Theoretical Physics together, and we will show you how mass is also just an illusion. And indeed from this problem we will show you that even Math itself is just an illusion in some senses!!! Since we will do the calculation in detail, it will be extremely hard to follow, so one of the teachers will give the ideas underlying all the mathematics, and the other will just write down the math. We will show you how hard it is to become a Theoretical Physicist (although the problem we are going to do is so easy for a real Physicist – nowhere near what they have to solve), and also see how cool being a Theoretical Physicist is.
Prerequisites
Class “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” and “A short guide for Theoretical Physics” (recommend but not required)
Prerequisites
Class “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” and “A short guide for Theoretical Physics” (recommend but not required)
S6181: The Story of HIV
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shulin Ye
How did HIV get for Africa to here and why does it involve the British?
S6269: Statistics and the Rubber Band
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Irineo Cabreros
When you heat up a rubber band, an interesting thing happens! Find out what happens while getting an introduction to the exciting field of statistical mechanics. Learn some interesting physics and statistics through a careful examination of this beautiful everyday phenomenon.
Prerequisites
Strong high-school math (though calculus may not be necessary)
Prerequisites
Strong high-school math (though calculus may not be necessary)
S6253: Growing Crystals from Molten Bismuth Metal Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ike Feitler
In this class, the instructor will talk about science pertaining to crystals, metals, and materials in general, while melting pure Bismuth metal and allowing it to cool slowly. In just a few minutes, this produces crystals of Bismuth with surprising geometric shapes and iridescent coloring. Students will be able to keep some of the crystals produced in this class as souvenirs.
S6150: A closer look at the magic of parasitic wasps
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Peter LoVerso
Building off of my previous class, this lecture will look much more closely at the genetics and molecular biology surrounding the parasitization of $$Manducta\ sexta$$ by $$Cotesia\ congregata$$, focusing especially on the Cotesia congregata bracovirus.
This will be an advanced class, and will touch several times upon cutting-edge molecular biology. You should have a good understanding of genetics and of a viral life cycle before signing up. That said, it will be fun! There will be time for discussion as well as lecture, too.
Prerequisites
S6149: The Magical Beauty of Parasitic Wasps
This will be an advanced class, and will touch several times upon cutting-edge molecular biology. You should have a good understanding of genetics and of a viral life cycle before signing up. That said, it will be fun! There will be time for discussion as well as lecture, too.
Prerequisites
S6149: The Magical Beauty of Parasitic Wasps
S6129: Dark Energy -- The Universe's Biggest Unanswered Question
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eric Gentry
We have no idea what makes up 71% of the mass of the universe. No idea. Sounds to me, like our understanding of the universe has a pretty big gap.
Come explore what we do know, how we discovered it, why it's such a big question, and what are some of our "best guesses" at the moment.
It's quite possibly the biggest open question in the universe. Simply DISCOVERING it, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics. Exciting stuff!
Prerequisites
Basic physics -- understand forces + potential energy.
Come explore what we do know, how we discovered it, why it's such a big question, and what are some of our "best guesses" at the moment.
It's quite possibly the biggest open question in the universe. Simply DISCOVERING it, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics. Exciting stuff!
Prerequisites
Basic physics -- understand forces + potential energy.
S6640: Pursuit Problem
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kevin Burdge,
Average Phan
The pursuit problem is a very famous type of Physics problem in high school level. The statement of the problem is simple: object A is chasing object B, find the final distance between them, the total time they need to reach each other and the place they meet, or the trajectory of each object. We will go through some problems, from very simple to extremely complicate. We will show you some helpful trick to play with these problems. A list of possible problems will be uploaded.
Prerequisites
Calculus
Prerequisites
Calculus
S6337: Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jeremiah Collins,
Vipul Vachharajani
Do you like being tangled up? Do you do it in chains? Do you think bigger is better?
So do polymers. Polymers are all around us, and they behave quite differently from small-molecule substances. We'll explore how basic principles from high school chemistry can allow us to make some sense of how polymers work, and we'll introduce some other concepts in polymer science like tacticity and glass transition. We'll also make a superabsorbent polymer using stuff you can get at CVS.
If you come, we promise we won't make any more inappropriate jokes. Maybe.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge of high school chemistry, but you should probably be able to pick it up.
So do polymers. Polymers are all around us, and they behave quite differently from small-molecule substances. We'll explore how basic principles from high school chemistry can allow us to make some sense of how polymers work, and we'll introduce some other concepts in polymer science like tacticity and glass transition. We'll also make a superabsorbent polymer using stuff you can get at CVS.
If you come, we promise we won't make any more inappropriate jokes. Maybe.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge of high school chemistry, but you should probably be able to pick it up.
S6460: The Science of Illusions
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Megan Belzner
Why do things sometimes look like they're moving when they're really not? How do you trick your brain into seeing colors on a white page? What cues do you use to understand speech? This class will explore the explanations behind a range of different perceptory illusions, discovering the limits of the mind and looking at the subconscious tricks we use every day.
S6130: Introduction to Radio Astronomy
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Anna Ho
(PSST: If you like awesome pictures of space, you should take this class.)
Have you ever heard of radio astronomy? Most people haven't.
Radio astronomy is a special kind of astronomy; it uses big dishes (like your satellite dish!) instead of telescopes to look at space. Radio astronomy has revolutionized the study of black holes, galaxies, and the Big Bang - and has discovered objects like pulsars that we would never have known about otherwise!
Have you ever heard of radio astronomy? Most people haven't.
Radio astronomy is a special kind of astronomy; it uses big dishes (like your satellite dish!) instead of telescopes to look at space. Radio astronomy has revolutionized the study of black holes, galaxies, and the Big Bang - and has discovered objects like pulsars that we would never have known about otherwise!
S6224: A Deeper Look into Chemical Reactivity
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexander Siegenfeld
Have you ever wondered why elements react in the way that they do? If your answer is that atoms "want" to achieve full or empty energy levels, then you have been misled by your chemistry teacher, for the true answer is a lot more subtle. In this class, we will examine the fundamental parameters that determine whether or not compounds are stable in order to get a better picture of the delicate interplay between the many factors that contribute to chemical reactivity.
Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry.
Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry.
S6539: Methods in cognitive neuroscience
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Roan LaPlante
How does the brain work? How does the large assortment of cells in your head generate coherent thoughts? Well, we don't know, but we do have some educated guesses about the structure-function relationship of the brain. This course is about how we come to those guesses.
This course will explain a tiny bit of the physics behind neuroimaging methods such as fMRI, EEG/MEG, and TMS, and will review a tiny bit of the math in computational neural modeling approaches. Most importantly, it will address the question of what existing methods actually tell us about the high-level structure-function relationships of the brain, and also what they don't tell us.
Prerequisites
ideal for students with little or no background in neuroscience. high school biology is a plus but definitely not necessary.
This course will explain a tiny bit of the physics behind neuroimaging methods such as fMRI, EEG/MEG, and TMS, and will review a tiny bit of the math in computational neural modeling approaches. Most importantly, it will address the question of what existing methods actually tell us about the high-level structure-function relationships of the brain, and also what they don't tell us.
Prerequisites
ideal for students with little or no background in neuroscience. high school biology is a plus but definitely not necessary.
S6180: Parasites
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shulin Ye
They control rats, ants, and snails. They might control you too.
S6402: Abnormal Psychology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Veronica Gross
Does ADHD even exist? What is the insanity defense? All of these, and more, are topics we'll tackle during this session. We'll look at trends, movies, statistics, facts, and fabrications in the world of abnormal psych.
Prerequisites
An open mind to psychology.,
Prerequisites
An open mind to psychology.,
S6685: How Color Actually Works
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alex Arkhipov
Why isn't pink in the rainbow? Why are computer pixels red, green, and blue, even though red, yellow, and blue are the primary colors?
Come do hands-on experiments to figure out the different ways that colors combine. We'll learn how our eyes and brain process light to make us see color, and why there are colors you've never seen. You've probably been taught many wrong things about color. Learn how color actually works!
Prerequisites
None
Come do hands-on experiments to figure out the different ways that colors combine. We'll learn how our eyes and brain process light to make us see color, and why there are colors you've never seen. You've probably been taught many wrong things about color. Learn how color actually works!
Prerequisites
None
S6575: How to Destroy the World: and other experiments by Nikola Tesla
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Colin McDonnell
Electricity! Energy beams! Radio-controlled boats! Devices that shoot lightning! And a way to destroy the earth! We owe it all to NIKOLA TESLA! He started avalanches, built hydroelectric dams on Niagara Falls, tried to offer unlimited free energy to everyone on earth, and designed a Death Ray that could shoot down planes 200 miles away. He could control his dreams, memorize books after one reading, and visualize ridiculously complex machinery in his mind! Come learn about his life, inventions, and Jedi mind tricks!
S6675: Science of Food Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kevin Hu
Food tastes good - but why?
How do you temper chocolate? How do you make cheese? How do you make noodles made of hot sauce? How do you spherify mango juice?
Let's explore and enjoy the science behind these questions, and many more.
Prerequisites
Very basic understanding of chemistry (what is a molecule?) and physics (what are the phases of matter?).
How do you temper chocolate? How do you make cheese? How do you make noodles made of hot sauce? How do you spherify mango juice?
Let's explore and enjoy the science behind these questions, and many more.
Prerequisites
Very basic understanding of chemistry (what is a molecule?) and physics (what are the phases of matter?).
[Deprecated] Walk-in Activity
W6762: Tableaux Vivants
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emily TenCate
Come build a silent living portrait of a word or phrase! Be prepared to be quiet.
W6531: Fun With Polyrhythms
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ben Sena
What does 5/8 sound like on top of 7/4? Feel free to bring your own small instruments but I'll provide some common ones if you promise to treat them well!
W6809: SET
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alex Cole
Come play the greatest game ever invented!!!! Set is a game of visual perception and pattern finding. Everyone from absolute beginners to experts are welcome.
W6811: Telephone Pictionary
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eric Mannes
Watch as absurd sentences become absurd pictures, and vice versa!
W6147: Thread Jewelry
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miranda Gavrin
Make friendship bracelets, necklaces, earrings, bookmarks, and more out of thread! It's fun and easy to learn.
W6197: Linguistics Problem Solving
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Adam Hesterberg,
Chelsea Voss
اللسانيات! Мовазнаўства! भाषाविज्ञान! 언어학! Γλωσσολογία! Ngôn ngữ học! Linguistics!
Do you enjoy unraveling logic puzzles, want to learn about other languages, or crave the feeling of thinking about a good riddle? Come solve fun problems from the Linguistics Olympiads, NACLO and IOL! A variety of languages, problem styles, and difficulty levels will be provided for you to solve. Logic and reasoning are your main weapon here – no prior linguistics knowledge required!
Do you enjoy unraveling logic puzzles, want to learn about other languages, or crave the feeling of thinking about a good riddle? Come solve fun problems from the Linguistics Olympiads, NACLO and IOL! A variety of languages, problem styles, and difficulty levels will be provided for you to solve. Logic and reasoning are your main weapon here – no prior linguistics knowledge required!
W6206: Drumming
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
John Read
Learn to drum. Drum to learn. Come by to be taught percussion techniques ranging from how to properly hold drumsticks to playing alternating cheeses.
W6386: How to Yo-yo
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
John Chow
Learn how to yo-yo from a professional! The yo-yo has changed. Drop by to see (and learn) for yourself!
W6796: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream!
Difficulty: **
Come learn about some cool properties of liquid nitrogen, and get to try some ice cream made with liquid nitrogen.
W6540: Mocktails on the House
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kimberly Toy,
Timothy Yang
Come get your fancy shpants on with our mocktail lounge.
Shake up your own mocktail, refresh with a variety of juices, and chill like a G6.
(All drinks are non-alcoholic. Please don't sue us.)
Shake up your own mocktail, refresh with a variety of juices, and chill like a G6.
(All drinks are non-alcoholic. Please don't sue us.)
W6085: Sort Yourself!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sweet Tea Dorminy
Sorting is one of the most important problems in computer science. You've all dropped your notes and had them explode and need to be sorted by page number, and it took a long time. In this walk-in, you'll learn several different ways of sorting, by sorting yourself and the other class attendees! You'll be faster afterward, we promise =)
W6454: Chocolate Cake in a Cup
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Abby Noyce
Make a mini chocolate cake in the microwave!
W6472: Fingerpercing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katy Kem,
Patience Stevens
Everybody likes to fingerpaint. Everyone wants to be awesome and beatbox. Why not combine the two? **Bonus points if you can do them simultaneously!
W6798: The International Education Lab!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jessica Huang
Interested in helping to make education more exciting and relevant for youth around the world? Tired of how so much of our education is centered around test-taking, rather than what is relevant to daily life? Let's work together to make learning about creativity, empowerment, community, and inspiration! Come help D-Lab (http://d-lab.mit.edu) test and improve hands-on educational modules, which we will be teaching in India, Ghana, Brazil and elsewhere next January! In this interactive session, we'll work with you to design and build a few technologies that can be useful in rural communities with limited resources, and then we'll listen to you for suggestions on how we can improve the educational activities we're offering. We hope this will be a meaningful way for you to explore the field of international development, while contributing your own ideas to make a difference in international education!
W6335: Playwrights' Workshop Performance!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Mark Velednitsky
Come and watch the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble perform some wacky scenes written by the Splash students in our "Playwrights' Workshop" class. Everyone is invited!
W6812: Solving Crosswords
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Taylor Sutton
There will lots and lots of crosswords to solve, ranging from easy to impossible, both themed and themeless. Come work on one by yourself, or even better, pick a hard puzzle and attack it as a group.
W6291: Premodern cryptography
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Adam Hesterberg
UI UOHH JFHQI SGXEKFNGMT ELZZHIJ HOWI KRI FDIJ KRMK XFL TONRK AODP OD M DIUJEMEIG, AOGJK CX KGOMH MDP IGGFG, KRID CX KISRDOBLIJ KRMK YLJK IVKIGTODMKI KRIT.
W6505: Magic: The Walk-In Seminar
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eugenio Fortanely,
Fangfei Shen
Come play Magic! BYOD: bring your own deck (or a friend's).
W6434: Juggle For A Cookie
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Leon Zhou
Come juggle with the MIT Student Juggling Club! We've got loads of props, from rings and clubs to devil's sticks and diabolos. You don't have to know anything about juggling; we'll teach you!
W6596: Chess Simul
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Grazian
I will play chess simultaneously against all comers. See if you can beat me! All levels are welcome!
W6803: Origami
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Rui Wang
Come fold things with OrigaMIT, MIT's origami club! We’ll provide paper, diagrams and help.
W6336: Friendship Bracelets
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shante Stowell
Come make a friendship bracelet! Done it before? Great! Come use our materials and maybe discover a new design. Never tried? We'll be happy to teach you some simpler patterns.
W6387: Awesome Physics
Difficulty: **
Want to see what happens when you cool something over 300 degrees below the freezing point of water? Interested in seeing how you can use everyday household ingredients to create fluids that get thicker when you push on them? Stop by this walk-in activity for some fun with liquid nitrogen, non-Newtonian fluids, and more.
W6691: Set-tlers of Awesome
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Maggie Reagan,
Alyssa Waln
Learn how to play Set, an addicting, fast paced mind and strategy game that's both easy to learn and fun to play alone or in a group. If you already know how to play Set, come by for a game or two! We'll also be playing Settlers of Catan, a different game of strategy and conquer; beginners and experts welcome!
W6465: Tallest Structure Contest!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Felix Sun
How tall of a structure can you build with only:
1) One 8.5x11 sheet of paper and
2) 12 inches of Scotch tape?
Come find out in Lobby 13! We'll have an all-day leaderboard, with (possible) prizes for the top scorers.
1) One 8.5x11 sheet of paper and
2) 12 inches of Scotch tape?
Come find out in Lobby 13! We'll have an all-day leaderboard, with (possible) prizes for the top scorers.
W6186: Rube Against The Machine
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
James Buckland
Get your duct tapes and strap on your hard hats! (TF2 doesn't count.) We're gonna build us a gosh-darn Rube Goldberg machine. (Dunno what that is? Go look it up, dang it!) We're gonna have a bunch of crates full of raw supplies, some marbles, and entirely too much imagination. Come help us break an intergalactic record for highest (number of steps)/(value of task accomplished) ratio!
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: to haphazardly put stuff on walls and tables and duct tape it in place. To wait with baited breath as tiny marbles carry kinetic energy askew and astray asunder our structure. To boldly split infinitives.
Only a few will survive the whole process.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: to haphazardly put stuff on walls and tables and duct tape it in place. To wait with baited breath as tiny marbles carry kinetic energy askew and astray asunder our structure. To boldly split infinitives.
Only a few will survive the whole process.
W6435: Mafia
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Saheela Ibraheem
Are you an avid fighter of crime? Is Logic your middle name? Do you imagine yourself as a doctor? Love storytelling? Have you ever wondered what chaos looks like in its purest form? All of the above and more will be offered in the classic game of Mafia, pitting good wits against good liars in the name of madness and epic fun!
W6590: Puzzles Games and Brain Teasers
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jonathan Surick
Come see the variety of different sort of puzzles one can try to solve, from Rubiks Cubes to Logic Puzzles and many more. Give you try at solving them and hear about different ideas in how to solve them.
W6082: Tea Tasting
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sweet Tea Dorminy
Come taste some classy tea. Not just one classy tea --- from green to white to black to pu'erh, we'll have all sorts of beautiful teas to taste!
W6145: Play Bughouse: Team Chess!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Grazian,
Gurtej Kanwar
Ever wanted to play chess on teams? It turns out there's already a chess format with a funky name for that -- Bughouse!
Come join us for a couple of games of Bughouse chess, all levels welcome.
Come join us for a couple of games of Bughouse chess, all levels welcome.
W6205: Play Go!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexander Siegenfeld
This walk-in seminar is run by the MIT Go Club. Go is a truly great game with simple rules but endless complexity, so whether you are a complete beginner or an expert or anywhere in between, you should stop by and learn/play some go!
Some info about Go:
Go, also known as Weiqi in Chinese and Baduk in Korean, is a game that originated in China about five thousand years ago. Two players, black and white, take turns placing a stone on a 19 by 19 board. The objective is to control a larger territory than the opponent. The rules are so simple; yet from simplicity comes endless complexity and strategic depth. Whereas the strongest chess programs can routinely defeat grandmasters, the strongest Go program can be defeated by a strong club player.
Some info about Go:
Go, also known as Weiqi in Chinese and Baduk in Korean, is a game that originated in China about five thousand years ago. Two players, black and white, take turns placing a stone on a 19 by 19 board. The objective is to control a larger territory than the opponent. The rules are so simple; yet from simplicity comes endless complexity and strategic depth. Whereas the strongest chess programs can routinely defeat grandmasters, the strongest Go program can be defeated by a strong club player.
W6635: Object Manipulation and Acrobatics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Steven Keyes,
Jonathan Surick
Because you’ve always wanted to run away and join the circus. We will be going over poi, staff, rope dart, contact juggling, and whatever else we can find.
W6700: Paint! Popsicle sticks! Recyclables!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Delphine Kaiser,
Emily TenCate
Come use ESP's wide variety of craft supplies to create a marvelous, fantastic something of your very own!
Miscellaneous
X6324: Microphone Mathematics Closed!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
nathaniel garcia
If the first thing you thought of was De La Soul's famous line when you read this thats good. Modern hip-hop is losing touch with its history. Lets talk about Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, AZ, 2pac, Notorious BIG, BIG L, Pun, Scarface and others and remember why I fell in love with rap music. Lyrical mastery and genius is a rarity; appreciate it.
Prerequisites
Listened to Illmatic
Prerequisites
Listened to Illmatic
X6199: Okonomiyaki madness! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Phillip Seo,
Zoe Snape
Do you want to try a dish whose name translated to English literally means "things you like, cooked"? Come learn about Okonomiyaki!
Okonomiyaki is a kind of Japanese savory pancake made with cabbage, green onions and thinly sliced pork belly [essentially bacon] plus all sorts of fun and tasty toppings. The word is made up of symbols which literally mean "things you like, cooked." This class will teach you how to make this delicious treat and also teach some basics of Japanese culture and cuisine. We'll also have ramune sodas and some other Japanese treats!
Okonomiyaki is a kind of Japanese savory pancake made with cabbage, green onions and thinly sliced pork belly [essentially bacon] plus all sorts of fun and tasty toppings. The word is made up of symbols which literally mean "things you like, cooked." This class will teach you how to make this delicious treat and also teach some basics of Japanese culture and cuisine. We'll also have ramune sodas and some other Japanese treats!
X6426: What time is it? Time to learn how to create Adventure Time characters in Illustrator! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
paula te
That's right. We're going to learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator by creating your favorite Adventure Time characters. Even if you don't know what Adventure Time is and still want to learn Illustrator, this class is for you!
X6091: Introduction to the Stock Market
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jon Toner
Heard of the Stock Market, but unsure what it's all about? Curious how the stock market's performance impacts you every day? Find out why companies issue stock, what drives prices and some basic investing strategies.
Following the lecture portion of this class, we'll run an in-class computer simulation to see who can generate the highest return on an initial $1,000,000 bankroll.
Note: This course is designed for students with little to no background in the stock market, so if you're looking sexy new ways to calculate exposure to time-value decay with delta, theta, vega and gamma, this course is not for you!
Following the lecture portion of this class, we'll run an in-class computer simulation to see who can generate the highest return on an initial $1,000,000 bankroll.
Note: This course is designed for students with little to no background in the stock market, so if you're looking sexy new ways to calculate exposure to time-value decay with delta, theta, vega and gamma, this course is not for you!
X6639: Introduction to Quizbowl Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Lily Chen,
Adam Kalinich
Do you watch Jeopardy! every night on TV? Do you enjoy learning about science, history, mythology, literature, math, art, or music? Do you know about all of those things, and want to show it off?
Come learn what quizbowl is, how to get good at it, and how to get involved in (or start!) a quizbowl team at your school!
We've been playing quizbowl for a combined total of 10 years, and were members of the 1st and 4th place teams at the 2012 PACE National Championship.
Prerequisites
This class is meant for students new to pyramidal quizbowl (our space is limited!). If you have played pyramidal quizbowl (like NAQT or HSAPQ) before, or if your school has a very active quizbowl team that plays pyramidal questions, this class may not be for you. If you have questions about whether you would benefit from taking this class, feel free to email us at X6639-teachers@esp.mit.edu. You can also email us if you decide not to take this class but still want a copy of the slides.
Come learn what quizbowl is, how to get good at it, and how to get involved in (or start!) a quizbowl team at your school!
We've been playing quizbowl for a combined total of 10 years, and were members of the 1st and 4th place teams at the 2012 PACE National Championship.
Prerequisites
This class is meant for students new to pyramidal quizbowl (our space is limited!). If you have played pyramidal quizbowl (like NAQT or HSAPQ) before, or if your school has a very active quizbowl team that plays pyramidal questions, this class may not be for you. If you have questions about whether you would benefit from taking this class, feel free to email us at X6639-teachers@esp.mit.edu. You can also email us if you decide not to take this class but still want a copy of the slides.
X6297: History of Star Wars Part 1
Difficulty: *
This is class 1 of a 2-part course on the history of the Star Wars galaxy. Class 1 of this series will cover history from 100,000 BBY to 5,000 BBY. This includes events prior to the creation of the Star Forge, discussing the Celestials and their technology, and will continue all the way up to the end of the Great Hyperspace war. Class 1 also introduces some key information about the galaxy, the force, and technology that will be relevant for other classes. Class will consist mostly of lecture with short breaks for discussion of the material. This two-part course is part of a larger Star Wars series which includes 2 sections of Lightsaber Dueling and Stage Combat. These classes are adapted from a lecture series at UC Berkeley, and we have been teaching them for 2 years. They're really awesome!
X6698: Spit shining boots & pocket mischief
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
The suede combat boot has led to the demise of shiny shoe knowledge. Come learn to spit shine leather. While coaching students along with creating the perfect mirror shine I will introduce a few amusing science toys/demonstrations that can be made with stuff you'd find in your pockets or desk.
Be prepared to spend most of the class rubbing in circles.
Be prepared to spend most of the class rubbing in circles.
X6282: Advanced Donut Theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Stephen Face,
Pavel Panchekha
The donut (also: doughnut) is a particular type of fried confection, styled as a dessert food. In this class, we discuss the theoretical underpinnings of donuts, their use in our everyday lives, and their effects upon our society. Particular emphasis will be placed on the buying, eating, and enjoying of donuts in the context of a modern American lifestyle and society.
Prerequisites
Some prior experience with donuts would be helpful.
Prerequisites
Some prior experience with donuts would be helpful.
X6318: Introduction to Logic Puzzles
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ilana Porter,
Nicholas Rivera
Have you ever heard of sudoku? Well, there are TONS of different types of logic puzzles out there that can be really fun. This course will teach you about sudoku, kakuro, and griddlers, and will also show you some basic tricks for solving these puzzles. At the end, there will be a competition (for a prize!) to see who can solve the fastest!
X6195: How to NOT Be a Froshy Frosh
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Stephanie Birkhimer
No one wants to be "that guy". You know the one: sits in the front row of EVERY class, way too excited about everything, brags about SAT scores, does every extra credit assignment, etc, etc. Every year, colleges seem to have hundreds of freshmen that fit this description all too well. Stop that. You will learn the guidelines to making your first year of college relaxed and educational, setting yourself up for success later on, and not pissing off the rest of the student body/world. When in doubt, always refer back to Rule #1.
You have to show up to learn Rule #1.
You have to show up to learn Rule #1.
X6724: POKEMON!!!!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Michaela Ennis
Learn about Pokemon history and strategy. Quiz game at the end, winner will receive choice of Pokemon Black 2 or White 2.
X6380: Tips to Help You Build Your Inner Strength so You Can Get What You Want in Life
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Patricia Craig
Having a rough time in school, at home, or with your fiends? Learn how to get through the "hard times" in an easier way. Learn some tricks that great athletes, writers, entertainers, and others have used to succeed, to get what they want, in spite of some tough times.
My aim is to teach you some "mind tricks," a different way of looking at the world, that can help you feel better. This class will present "The Cliff Notes" version of the book, "The Adversity Quotient." But we will talk about other books and other techniques I've picked up along the way.
My aim is to teach you some "mind tricks," a different way of looking at the world, that can help you feel better. This class will present "The Cliff Notes" version of the book, "The Adversity Quotient." But we will talk about other books and other techniques I've picked up along the way.
X6599: Improve your Chess
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Grazian
I will be reviewing students' recorded chess games. Students should bring the scoresheet of a game that they would like me to review and critique. Bring an interesting game that other players will benefit from analyzing.
Note that I will not be able to go over everybody's game, but you should bring one anyway, just in case.
Prerequisites
USCF rating between 1300 and 1900. Lower rated students will have trouble following, and higher rated students will probably not get very much out of the class.
Note that I will not be able to go over everybody's game, but you should bring one anyway, just in case.
Prerequisites
USCF rating between 1300 and 1900. Lower rated students will have trouble following, and higher rated students will probably not get very much out of the class.
X6244: The Amazing Race: Pokemon Regions Full!
Difficulty: **
Ever watch the show The Amazing Race? Want to travel across the Pokemon world like you never have? Think you know more Pokemon trivia than anyone else? Welcome to The Amazing Race: Pokemon Regions, a competition pitting you and others in a race, guided by collected clues as you pass stop after stop throughout the world of Pokemon! In a style similar to that of the show, you will be asked to perform various tasks within your game that test your Pokemon knowledge as you race around the Kanto and Johto regions!
Prerequisites
To take full advantage of the class, participants should bring a Nintendo DS along with a copy of Pokemon Heartgold or Soulsilver, in which they have collected all 16 badges. However, if a DS is not available to you, knowledge of the events and mechanics of these games is sufficient.
Prerequisites
To take full advantage of the class, participants should bring a Nintendo DS along with a copy of Pokemon Heartgold or Soulsilver, in which they have collected all 16 badges. However, if a DS is not available to you, knowledge of the events and mechanics of these games is sufficient.
X6516: Beginning Morris Dancing - an ancient English tradition
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lee Breslow
Morris dancing is an ancient form of folk dance from the small villages of England. No one knows where Morris dancing comes from, but we do know that people have been whacking sticks at least since Shakespeare’s time.
We’ll start off with a short history of Morris dancing and then members of the Red Herring Morris Team will teach several easy dances from the border region of England and Wales.
Come prepared to move, clash sticks, and have fun.
Sneakers or sturdy shoes are required. Live music will be provided by members of the team.
Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXE2htL-6NA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tVAS_WSkWA
Prerequisites
A love of clashing sticks, all things British, and the knowledge of which foot is your left one. No previous experience is required.
We’ll start off with a short history of Morris dancing and then members of the Red Herring Morris Team will teach several easy dances from the border region of England and Wales.
Come prepared to move, clash sticks, and have fun.
Sneakers or sturdy shoes are required. Live music will be provided by members of the team.
Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXE2htL-6NA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tVAS_WSkWA
Prerequisites
A love of clashing sticks, all things British, and the knowledge of which foot is your left one. No previous experience is required.
X6582: Awesome Paradoxical Ideas You May Have Never Heard Of
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Stephen M. Hou
Some of the coolest ideas of all time contain nuanced paradoxes that make them seem hard to believe at first. In this class, we will explore fundamental ideas from a wide range of disciplines, including mathematics, physics, computer science, political science, and economics. Can math be both complete and consistent? Does a perfect election system exist? If a nation can produce everything more cheaply than another nation, does it make any sense for them to trade? Is it possible to determine, given a computer program and input set, whether it would run forever? If Einstein's relativity states that time slows down for moving objects, but motion is relative, whose time is slower? If everyone makes a decision that is best for himself no matter what others do, can there be another set of group decisions that makes everyone even better off? Can I construct a "demon" that violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics? Can every single department within a university admit men at a higher rate than women, yet for the university as a whole, women are admitted at a higher rate?
Prerequisites
Interest in inter-disciplinary ideas
Prerequisites
Interest in inter-disciplinary ideas
X6317: Treasure Hunt! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Georgina Dorminy
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a long hidden treasure on the MIT campus. In teams, you will work to decipher clues to lead you to the final location.
Prerequisites
This class will require a lot of walking.
Prerequisites
This class will require a lot of walking.
X6726: Chess Club!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jacquelyn De Sa
Want to learn how to play the ancient and honored game of chess? Learn how to refine your already-awesome skills? Pick up a new opening -- or maybe some endgame technique? Then Chess Club is the place for you! All skill levels welcome.
X6449: Supervillain Training Academy
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Roxanne Bochar,
Christina Dedrick
Every supervillain needs some proper training before planning world domination. How else will you know how many batteries your Freeze Ray needs to operate? Or how many minions you need to construct the perfect lair? In this class, we will learn and put to practice estimation skills for planning nefarious schemes and analyzing the work and practicality of the ideas of great minds like Gru, Dr. Horrible, and Mojo Jojo.
Warning: actual math will be used in this class.
Prerequisites
Must be taking or have taken High School Chemistry
Warning: actual math will be used in this class.
Prerequisites
Must be taking or have taken High School Chemistry
X6178: Everything you need to know about Classic Doctor Who
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Francois Cevallos
Ever wanted to know more about Doctor Who than the current series? Tried but couldn't get past the first minute? Then this class may be for you! A brief tour of the entirety of the 26-year-run of the original series that will help you more fully appreciate the new show, as well as be able to fake your way through conversations with people who think not watching the classic show makes you somehow less of a fan!
X6298: History of Star Wars Part 2
Difficulty: *
This is class 2 of a 2-part course on the history of the Star Wars Galaxy. Class 2 of this series will cover history from 5,000 BBY to 3,958 BBY. This includes Freedon Nadd’s rise to power, The Great Sith War, the Mandalorian Wars, and The Second Great Sith War. Class will consist mostly of lecture with short breaks for discussion of the material. This two-part course is part of a larger Star Wars series which includes 2 sections of Lightsaber Dueling and Stage Combat. These classes are adapted from a lecture series at UC Berkeley, and we have been teaching them for 2 years. They're really awesome!
X6219: Negotiation Lab
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Vrajesh Modi
This class will introduce students to the theory and practice of negotiation. Topics covered will include basic terminology and strategies. Format will consist of: (1) a brief lecture on theory; (2) a negotiation exercise/simulation; and (3) debrief. Students will be divided into teams for the simulation.
X6425: What's the point of education?
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Daniel Schwartz
Mark Twain once said, “Never let your schooling interfere with your education.” But what does he mean? What’s schooling, and what’s education? Is there a difference?
But most importantly, how do they affect you and how much you enjoy your life? And why should we even care?
(This “class” won’t really be like what you have at school — instead, it’ll be a relaxed and free-form discussion.)
Prerequisites
An open mind. (Or the desire to un-brainwash yourself).
But most importantly, how do they affect you and how much you enjoy your life? And why should we even care?
(This “class” won’t really be like what you have at school — instead, it’ll be a relaxed and free-form discussion.)
Prerequisites
An open mind. (Or the desire to un-brainwash yourself).
X6450: Braids Galore! :D
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mary Delaney,
Abbey Diener
Learn to twist your tresses into a multitude of traditional and exciting forms. Beginners will learn to braid, while those who are ready can master more advanced techniques including french braids, fishtails, and waterfall braids.
Prerequisites
Have hair or know someone with hair
Prerequisites
Have hair or know someone with hair
X6204: Quidditch! Full!
Difficulty: *
Have you ever wanted to play Quidditch, the magical sport from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter? Well, here's your chance! We will be teaching you how to play and allow you to try out several different roles through game play.
Also, if you are interested in attempting to start Quidditch back home at your school, we will have some information that you can use to help you get started off.
* no actual flying is involved, sadly
Also, if you are interested in attempting to start Quidditch back home at your school, we will have some information that you can use to help you get started off.
* no actual flying is involved, sadly
X6270: You and the Law
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Leonid Grinberg
Whether or not you know it, you're at the center of a huge number of challenging ethical, legal, and practical issues. Every day, thousands of people grapple with questions that have a profound impact on your daily life. What rights do you have as a minor? As a student? (Public, private, or home school---pick your poison, each is a rabbit hole of complex questions!) How about as a child, as a patient, as a sibling, as a business owner? (Lemonade stands and iPhone apps anyone?)
This class will focus on US law, particularly as it applies to minors and students. We'll start with a brief crash course on how the US government works and how laws pertaining to children end up getting applied and enforced. We'll then move on to a bunch of history and prior cases that have shaped the answers to these questions over time.
Come prepared with an open mind to discuss some very complex and fascinating issues. No prior knowledge of law or politics will be expected.
This class will focus on US law, particularly as it applies to minors and students. We'll start with a brief crash course on how the US government works and how laws pertaining to children end up getting applied and enforced. We'll then move on to a bunch of history and prior cases that have shaped the answers to these questions over time.
Come prepared with an open mind to discuss some very complex and fascinating issues. No prior knowledge of law or politics will be expected.
X6381: Using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for Better Relationships
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Patricia Craig
Using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for Better Relationships
This class will teach you about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This can be useful for understanding your own personality traits and those of others (friends, family, or others.)
We'll take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test in class and review the results. We'll also briefly discuss the Enneagram personality wheel.
This class will teach you about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This can be useful for understanding your own personality traits and those of others (friends, family, or others.)
We'll take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test in class and review the results. We'll also briefly discuss the Enneagram personality wheel.
X6517: Intermediate Morris Dancing - an ancient English tradition
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lee Breslow
This class will be a continuation of the Beginning Morris Dancing class. Depending on multiple variables, such as skills, the weather, and interests we may perfect the earlier dances, learn some more challenging ones, or move outside to perform some of the dances.
Morris dancing is an ancient form of folk dance from the small villages of England. No one knows where Morris dancing comes from, but we do know that people have been whacking sticks at least since Shakespeare’s time.
Come prepared to move, clash sticks, and have fun.
Sneakers or sturdy shoes are required. Live music will be provided by members of the Red Herring Morris Team.
Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXE2htL-6NA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tVAS_WSkWA
Prerequisites
Beginning Morris Dancing Class or some experience with Morris Dancing.
Morris dancing is an ancient form of folk dance from the small villages of England. No one knows where Morris dancing comes from, but we do know that people have been whacking sticks at least since Shakespeare’s time.
Come prepared to move, clash sticks, and have fun.
Sneakers or sturdy shoes are required. Live music will be provided by members of the Red Herring Morris Team.
Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXE2htL-6NA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tVAS_WSkWA
Prerequisites
Beginning Morris Dancing Class or some experience with Morris Dancing.
X6148: A computational introduction to harmony
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
David Lawrence
We'll start with the physiological and mathematical foundations of musical harmony: the reasons that only some pitches sound good together. Then we'll write a computer program that searches for sets of maximally harmonious pitches. We'll conclude by "discovering" the twelve-tone scale.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of music theory and Python programming.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of music theory and Python programming.
X6558: Intermediate Chess Endings
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
David Kaufman
Do you enjoy playing chess but get lost in endings? Come learn how to win winning endings and swindle your opponents out of extra points at the end of the game. This class will cover intermediate level endings.
Prerequisites
Know the rules of chess and how to play king and pawn endings.
Prerequisites
Know the rules of chess and how to play king and pawn endings.
X6781: Start the Next Facebook. How to Start a Company: Workshop.
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kevin Rustagi
How do you start a company? Learn how from someone (Kevin Rustagi - google me) with a little bit of experience breaking records on Kickstarter and the like. Topics include: persuasion, design, raising lots of money $$$, selling, partnerships, intellectual property, pitching, success, failure, love, loss, and becoming the next Zuckerburg. Well, maybe not that last part...
Prerequisites
An open mind. Try to read the book: The Art of the Start, by Guy Kawasaki. Also, try watching the movie: The Social Network. Please google me: Kevin Rustagi before coming.
Prerequisites
An open mind. Try to read the book: The Art of the Start, by Guy Kawasaki. Also, try watching the movie: The Social Network. Please google me: Kevin Rustagi before coming.
X6203: Quidditch! Full!
Difficulty: *
Have you ever wanted to play Quidditch, the magical sport from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter? Well, here's your chance! We will be teaching you how to play and allow you to try out several different roles through game play.
Also, if you are interested in attempting to start Quidditch back home at your school, we will have some information that you can use to help you get started off.
* no actual flying is involved, sadly
Also, if you are interested in attempting to start Quidditch back home at your school, we will have some information that you can use to help you get started off.
* no actual flying is involved, sadly
X6439: How This Website Works
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jordan Moldow
Ever wonder what was actually going on when Splash registration opened? Find out how the ESP website (or any website) works behind the scenes.
We’ll cover, very briefly, the basics of all the major concepts of web design, including HTML, CSS, databases, client-side and server-side scripting, servers, version controlling, and caching. All examples will be taken from the ESP website.
If time allows, we’ll take a look at some of the administrative portions of the website - the pages that help the Splash directors administer the program.
This class will be an overview of many different concepts of web design, and how they interact. It will not be an in-depth look at any one concept, though links to resources for additional learning will be provided.
Prerequisites
No computer experience is required. In fact, if you have a lot of computer experience, you’ll probably be bored. But if you don’t already know most of the terms listed in the description, then you’re encouraged to register for this class!
We’ll cover, very briefly, the basics of all the major concepts of web design, including HTML, CSS, databases, client-side and server-side scripting, servers, version controlling, and caching. All examples will be taken from the ESP website.
If time allows, we’ll take a look at some of the administrative portions of the website - the pages that help the Splash directors administer the program.
This class will be an overview of many different concepts of web design, and how they interact. It will not be an in-depth look at any one concept, though links to resources for additional learning will be provided.
Prerequisites
No computer experience is required. In fact, if you have a lot of computer experience, you’ll probably be bored. But if you don’t already know most of the terms listed in the description, then you’re encouraged to register for this class!
X6659: Splash!: The Game Show
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kate Rudolph,
Duncan Townsend
This is Splash! MIT's favorite game show! Learn the mechanics behind popular TV game shows! Win fabulous prizes! Learn how to win at those other, lesser game shows!
X6649: Iron Chef ESP Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Stephanie Bachar
Do YOU have what it takes to be an Iron Chef? Compete against each other in this intense culinary battle to produce savory delights!
And of course…there is always the secret ingredient!
Prerequisites
You must have cooking experience, both for the sake of your poor knife-susceptible fingers and the judges’ sense of taste. Also, we ask that students be minimum 15 years old.
And of course…there is always the secret ingredient!
Prerequisites
You must have cooking experience, both for the sake of your poor knife-susceptible fingers and the judges’ sense of taste. Also, we ask that students be minimum 15 years old.
X6311: Analyzing Card Game and Board Game Mechanics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Hoffman
What makes games fun? What are the components of a game that make it function? In this course we will dissect Magic: the Gathering, Dominion, and other classic games to understand what drives the game and how to recreate that magic in games of our own making.
X6419: How to throw a frisbee Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
chase lambert
Learn to throw a frisbee the correct way, so that you can impress all your friends! If we have time, we'll even play a game of Ultimate.
If the weather's bad, I'll teach you about computational photography (probably)!
If the weather's bad, I'll teach you about computational photography (probably)!
X6666: How to Win at Scrabble
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ian Chesser,
Richard Spence
Learn the game's strategies from two of MIT's best tournament Scrabble players, both of which have competed in the National Scrabble Championship.
Prerequisites
Know the rules of Scrabble
Prerequisites
Know the rules of Scrabble
X6189: Rootbeer Tycoon, or why your favorite [insert product] is always out of stock
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ranbel Sun
You and your teammates will run a supply chain to meet the booming demand for rootbeer by thirsty customers. Maybe you will become a rootbeer baron and sleep on piles of cash. Maybe you will experience the typical coordination problems of traditional supply chains and pull out your hair in frustration.
This classic simulation game was developed in the 1960s by the MIT Sloan School of Management and is played by students, businessmen, and company leaders. By the end, you will have learned about supply chain management, the hazards of delay, and the importance of communication. If you like playing Tycoon or Sim computer games, this may be the class for you.
Prerequisites
- Basic arithmetic to keep score - Be able to follow game rules
This classic simulation game was developed in the 1960s by the MIT Sloan School of Management and is played by students, businessmen, and company leaders. By the end, you will have learned about supply chain management, the hazards of delay, and the importance of communication. If you like playing Tycoon or Sim computer games, this may be the class for you.
Prerequisites
- Basic arithmetic to keep score - Be able to follow game rules
X6654: Codes and Cryptography
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Bianca Homberg
For Mary Queen of Scots, a broken cipher meant her execution. For the Allies during WWII, a broken Enigma code meant lives saved and war significantly shorter. When you can read your enemies' private communication, you know what they're thinking and what they're planning--and such information is never a bad thing.
Come learn how to send messages that your friends won't be able to read--and even better, how to break the secret messages that other people have sent! We'll cover a few different kinds of ciphers, including Caesar shifts, substitution ciphers, and the Vignere cipher.
Most of this will take the form of you all working in groups trying to break code; there will be hints if you need them. If we have time, you'll make up your own ciphers and try to decipher each others messages.
Prerequisites
None!
Come learn how to send messages that your friends won't be able to read--and even better, how to break the secret messages that other people have sent! We'll cover a few different kinds of ciphers, including Caesar shifts, substitution ciphers, and the Vignere cipher.
Most of this will take the form of you all working in groups trying to break code; there will be hints if you need them. If we have time, you'll make up your own ciphers and try to decipher each others messages.
Prerequisites
None!
X6167: Everything you need to know about Classic Doctor Who
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Francois Cevallos
Ever wanted to know more about Doctor Who than the current series? Tried but couldn't get past the first minute? Then this class may be for you! A brief tour of the entirety of the 26-year-run of the original series that will help you more fully appreciate the new show, as well as be able to fake your way through conversations with people who think not watching the classic show makes you somehow less of a fan!
X6292: Introduction to Competitive Pokemon Battling
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
James Yeung
Grew up on Pokemon and want to learn how it gets played at tournaments? We'll explore what's known as the Pokemon metagame, which analyzes just the battling aspect of the games. We'll go over how the pros train their Pokemon, what techniques they use in battle, and strategies to help you do the same thing. Or, if you just like Pokemon, we can just chat about that for a long time.
Prerequisites
Having played a Pokemon game before (Generation V recommended).
Prerequisites
Having played a Pokemon game before (Generation V recommended).
X6508: Science Discovers God
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yale Zussman
A proper understanding of the scientific enterprise requires the existence of an entity with all the essential properties of God. Come find out why this is the case and what it means for the debate between science and religion. You will come away with a very different understanding of both science and religion.
Although this class is not highly technical, it would be useful for students to be generally familiar with the central ideas in physics, chemistry, and biology.
Although this class is not highly technical, it would be useful for students to be generally familiar with the central ideas in physics, chemistry, and biology.
X6176: How to Write an Email
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Anika Gupta
The email (and other electronic communication) can be a powerful tool or a showcase of incompetence. Learn how to do it right for everything from sharing information to making requests. Pick up other communication tips as well!
X6655: I am Brony (and so can you)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Ron
A "Brony" is a teenage or adult male (or female) who is a fan of the show "My Little Pony." Confused? We'll talk about the history of the show, and how the community came to be. We'll also look into the extensive library of fan works, and possibly some other times where shows have gathered an extensive fanbase outside of their target audience.
X6771: How to Start a Splash
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
Splash is run by students — undergraduates and graduates at MIT. Beyond MIT, there are Splash programs running at over a dozen universities nationwide and when you go to college, wherever you go to college, you have the opportunity to start another Splash yourself. Come learn about all of the intricacies that go into running a massive program like Splash and find out how you can do it too.
X6779: Philosophy of Game Design
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joshua Frisch
Balancing a game is far more complicated than it may at first seem. A game which consist of nothing more than flipping a coin is (almost) perfectly fair but incredibly boring. Chess on the other hand has a well known bias for white yet is incredibly fun to play. In this class we will discuss the various factors such as fairness, a variety of strategies, and psychology that go into designing "balanced" games.
X6493: Examining cultural paradigms through audiovisual encoded information over a high-speed routed network configured for continuous data delivery
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Nathan Braginsky,
Frank Chung
We'll be examining various cultural aspects such as comedy through the lens of audiovisual specimens. We can discuss these specimens in the context of peer-reviewed research papers and other published academic works.
We will watch YouTube videos and eat snacks.
Prerequisites
A sense of humor
We will watch YouTube videos and eat snacks.
Prerequisites
A sense of humor
X6279: Let's Make Marshmallow Blowguns! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katarina Dutton
Ah, the miniature marshmallow. Good for hot cocoa, for tiny s'mores, and of course, for launching at your friends as hard as possible through a blowgun. Come to this session to create your own harmless blowgun and maybe even get in a little bit of...target practice.
X6299: Lightsaber Dueling and Stage Combat Full!
Difficulty: **
This class will cover proper stance and grip when holding a lightsaber, basic spins, how to strike, and how to defend. We will also teach basic choreography and impromptu dueling techniques. Students will also be taught how to construct their own duel, which they will have time to practice. We will also be available to critique and assist in creating and learning your own choreography. This course is part of a larger Star Wars series, including the History of the Star Wars Galaxy (2 parts). These classes are adapted from a lecture series at UC Berkeley, and we have been teaching them for 2 years. They’re super awesome!
Prerequisites
good coordination and muscle memory, experience with weapons is preferred. Students who have taken the class previously are welcome to return. martial arts experience is helpful
Prerequisites
good coordination and muscle memory, experience with weapons is preferred. Students who have taken the class previously are welcome to return. martial arts experience is helpful
X6566: Caffeinated Winter School
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kayla Meduna
Do you enjoy being outdoors but don't know what to do when the temperature drops? Come learn some survival skills to help get you prepared for winter hiking and other activities, as well as play with cool gear like snow shoes and crampons.
X6221: Interview Workshop
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Vrajesh Modi
Learn what to wear, say, and do before, during, and after an interview. Format will consist of a 20-minute lecture followed by a 30-minute workshop. Formal dress not required.
X6483: Social Analysis: Reading Others and Yourself
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alec Lai
A skill set useful for every person (and definitely a great supplement for persuasion!). Learn how to read what others are LIKE, what others are THINKING, and what others WILL DO. Gain new insights on yourself from what you learn.
X6572: How to Commit the Perfect Murder
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Hannah Walker
Introduction to some of the most well known serial killers, their behavior, and their psychology. Answer some questions about serial killers such as how male and female serial killers differ. Then we will decide how one goes about committing the perfect murder.
X6288: Phonetics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Chelsea Voss
Ever wonder how humans create, hear, and understand the sounds of language? What the difference between a /$$s$$/ and a /$$z$$/ is in terms of actual measurable properties of sound? How we can decipher all of the information in sound, and give it linguistic meaning?
To figure all of this out, we'll look at phonetics, the study of the audible components of language. Come learn a whole bunch of things you never knew about sounds, and the computational tools that we can use to study them!
(High school edition.)
To figure all of this out, we'll look at phonetics, the study of the audible components of language. Come learn a whole bunch of things you never knew about sounds, and the computational tools that we can use to study them!
(High school edition.)
X6548: How to Run a Meeting
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Anika Gupta
There are some small, easy things you can do to make any meeting you run much more productive and effective. Try it!
X6557: Basic Chess Endings Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
David Kaufman
Do you enjoy playing chess but get lost in endings? Come learn how to win winning endings and swindle your opponents out of extra points at the end of the game. This class will cover both simple and complicated king and pawn endings.
Prerequisites
Know the rules of chess
Prerequisites
Know the rules of chess
X6259: Introductory Trolling
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
William Livernois
This class introduces students to the basic art of trolling. Topics range from social engineering to the origin of lulz. And now, some poetry:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus tristique turpis quis est porta vel rhoncus dui consectetur. Phasellus egestas euismod justo ac dignissim. Nunc a massa felis, vitae congue ligula. Quisque placerat, odio nec egestas eleifend, lectus est consectetur tortor, quis porttitor eros sem quis quam. Maecenas vehicula lacus vel elit placerat consectetur. Nam vehicula nunc quis metus ultrices eu placerat elit interdum. Mauris euismod blandit arcu quis iaculis. Suspendisse sit amet leo quis felis commodo tincidunt ullamcorper tristique ligula. Nulla laoreet accumsan blandit. In accumsan lobortis convallis. Nullam in ante lacus, vel tempus augue. Aliquam vitae diam non massa eleifend posuere non quis neque. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.
X6481: Persuasion 101: Getting ANYTHING You Want
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alec Lai
In less than 50 minutes, expand your toolbox with brand new techniques that will get YOU WHAT YOU WANT! Control what's around you, persuade others of your ideas, and create the outcomes you want.
X6524: SET! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Cali Warner
Come make your brain hurt learning and playing SET, a game of (mis)matching color, number, shape, and shading. Beginners welcome especially.
X6560: Chess Puzzles Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
David Kaufman
Forks, pins, deflections, discovered attacks! Come hone your tactical skills searching for everything from skewers to forced mates. We have puzzles appropriate for all levels of players.
Prerequisites
Know the rules of chess
Prerequisites
Know the rules of chess
X6185: How to Make Video Game Levels!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
David Bocek
Come learn about the basics of the Unreal Development Kit, a free software that is fantastic for making games, and hopefully learn some fundamental tools for game design in the process!
X6536: Pencils and String: Doodling Through Math Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nick Arango,
Lauren Wright
Do you find that your mind - and your pencil - wander during math classes? Are your shoelaces nearly impossible to unsnarl? So are ours! Come hang out while we play with string, talk about knots, and doodle the infinite.
We'll talk about knots that can't be undone (but can be turned into other knots), drawing knots on paper, map coloring, fractals and space filling curves.
We'll talk about knots that can't be undone (but can be turned into other knots), drawing knots on paper, map coloring, fractals and space filling curves.
X6357: Intro to Criminal Justice Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Shar Gunn
Students will discuss the aspects of Criminal justice.
Discuss trending topics.
Discuss violent crimes.
Students will learn how to do a pat search.
Students will finger print and analyze their fingerprints.
Prerequisites
Must be mature when discussing certain topics of crime.
Discuss trending topics.
Discuss violent crimes.
Students will learn how to do a pat search.
Students will finger print and analyze their fingerprints.
Prerequisites
Must be mature when discussing certain topics of crime.
X6496: Introduction to Puzzle Hunts
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eric Mannes
A puzzle is a problem that somehow has a word or short phrase as an answer. The puzzle can come in many forms, including a list of clues, a page of images, and a bag of broken pasta. There are usually no instructions: it's up to the cleverness of the solver to figure out how to get to an answer. In this class, you'll learn how puzzles work and get practice solving them!
X6785: The Future of Knowledge Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Daniel Schwartz,
Shinya Watanabe
How do you think you will think in 30 years time? The way we interact with knowledge has always been changing — just as there was a revolution 572 years ago with the invention of the printing press, there was also a revolution 6 years ago with the invention of Twitter.
In this class, we will cover various topics related to our changing relationship with knowledge. Be ready to speak-up, question, and discuss YOUR future!
In this class, we will cover various topics related to our changing relationship with knowledge. Be ready to speak-up, question, and discuss YOUR future!
X6141: Learning the Ropes Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Catherine Yun
Learn how to tie knots that are pretty, useful, pretty useful, and just darn fun! Just bring your two hands and a willingness to get knotty!
X6301: Game Show 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Tana Wattanawaroon
Watching people answer questions, playing games and performing ridiculous stunts have been Americans’ pleasure for more than 80 years. Over the time, game shows have evolved quite a lot. We will explore several aspects of various game shows from ”The $64 Question” on the radio, the famous ”Come on down!” from ”The Price is Right”, the scandal of ”Twenty-One”, the reality boom of ”Survivor”, to the game show’s down time where only a couple of staples stay on air.
We will learn, we will watch, and we will play!
Game shows. Making random Americans rich since the 1920s.
We will learn, we will watch, and we will play!
Game shows. Making random Americans rich since the 1920s.
X6296: Rugby!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kat Kononov
Ever heard of that crazy game they play in England that's kinda like Football? Come learn how to play from MIT's rugby team. We'll teach you the essentials and then play a game of touch rugby.
Prerequisites
Wear athletic clothing and sneakers.
Prerequisites
Wear athletic clothing and sneakers.
X6462: Political strategy
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katy Peters
The news networks watch the speeches and report on anecdotes and trivia, but what really goes on in a campaign organization? How do political parties identify their supporters, plan a message calendar and plot winning strategies? This course will focus especially on the ground game - what happens in field offices nationwide, far from the candidates and under the CNN radar. If you've been following the ins and outs of punditry, this is the perfect next step: become an armchair campaign manager!
X6088: What is a Brony? An introduction to My Little Pony:Friendship Is Magic and why it's not just for children
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
William Little
So, if you've spent any time on the internet, you've probably seen this "Brony" thing going around. What is it? Why are young men and women usually between the ages of 12 and 30 loving this "My Little Pony" show? What's so great about it?
Before you go flipping any tables about it, I'm here to help. During this talk, I'll be taking you through the ropes of why grown men like the show, what this show really is, and what this craziness is all about!
Before you go flipping any tables about it, I'm here to help. During this talk, I'll be taking you through the ropes of why grown men like the show, what this show really is, and what this craziness is all about!
X6388: The Changing World of Publishing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Susan Shepherd
Come learn about the publishing industry. This class will cover small press and large press publishing, the variety of publishing houses, and how copyright law works in a nutshell. We'll also go over the publishing process, how ebooks and indie presses are radically changing the books available for readers to buy, and more!
If you're considering writing for a living or if you're a reader who wants to know what your favorite authors had to do in order to get their books into print, stop by.
If you're considering writing for a living or if you're a reader who wants to know what your favorite authors had to do in order to get their books into print, stop by.
X6212: Learn to Debate (and Win!) Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Shireen Rudina
Want to win more discussions with your friends and parents? Want to impress your teachers in class discussions and debates?
Learn the art of winning an argument and then practice it through this course!
Learn the art of winning an argument and then practice it through this course!
X6533: How to Be Confident!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ryan Kabir
Why is it that we can be confident about one thing, but unsure of another? And it always seems like everyone else has more confidence than we do!
We'll talk about all kinds of confidence, whether it's navigating the mess of being popular, being sure of ourselves in our day to day, or even just making friends and getting along with everyone.
Prerequisites
Everyone is welcome!
We'll talk about all kinds of confidence, whether it's navigating the mess of being popular, being sure of ourselves in our day to day, or even just making friends and getting along with everyone.
Prerequisites
Everyone is welcome!
X6634: Wacky Cake! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Tasha Schoenstein,
Sara Sinback
Come make Wacky Cake! With chocolate buttercream frosting! And decorate it! It will be delicious!
Prerequisites
Please don't attend this class if you have a chocolate or dairy allergy. You will be sad and we will be sad for you.
Prerequisites
Please don't attend this class if you have a chocolate or dairy allergy. You will be sad and we will be sad for you.
X6455: Splash! Focus Group
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Alex Cole,
Kate Rudolph
Come to this Splash class to talk about Splash. As the number of students at Splash continues to grow, we (the Splash organizers) are facing more and more challenges. How do we get enough teachers? Enough classrooms? Enough volunteers? We've been thinking about these problems (and solving some of them!) but we want to know what you think! The class will be a small focus group. Current ESP admins (the people who run Splash) will talk briefly about our challenges, and then lead a discussion. Your feedback will directly affect the future of Splash.
Prerequisites
We're looking for people who are already pretty familiar with Splash, so if this is your first Splash this may not be the class for you.
Prerequisites
We're looking for people who are already pretty familiar with Splash, so if this is your first Splash this may not be the class for you.
X6194: Soccer and Psyche in American Sports
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
William Sablove
Why do so many people in this country hate on soccer? What makes people think that the world's favorite sport is incompatible with American culture? This class will explore various components of how we follow sports and disprove misconceptions people hold about soccer. We will also go over some of the things you see in a game and where they come from. For example, do you know the origin of yellow and red cards? Current players and referees encouraged to come
Prerequisites
Must have an interest in soccer. Current players and referees are encouraged to sign up
Prerequisites
Must have an interest in soccer. Current players and referees are encouraged to sign up
X6442: Cryptic Crosswords Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jonathan Schneider,
Anderson Wang
Do you like regular crosswords and want to try something new and more challenging? Or maybe you like word games, like Scrabble or Anagrams? Cryptic crosswords combine the best parts of regular crossword puzzles and other word games.
We'll teach you how clues like "Change of heart for our planet" can solve to "EARTH" and some of the rules for how cryptic crosswords work, and then you can try solving some on your own!
We'll teach you how clues like "Change of heart for our planet" can solve to "EARTH" and some of the rules for how cryptic crosswords work, and then you can try solving some on your own!
X6411: Sweets 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Allison Mann,
Polina Shpilker
Do you like cookies? We like cookies too! Do you like making cakepops? We sure do! In this class we'll be talking not only ABOUT various sweets, but making them too. During our first class, you get to create your own little sweets on sticks, also known as cakepops! Although we can't promise you'll make the next candy mona lisa, we can promise they'll taste good, and you'll learn a little about sweets at the same time.
Prerequisites
Willingness to eat non-vegan hand-made cakepops!
Prerequisites
Willingness to eat non-vegan hand-made cakepops!
X6202: Competitive Pokemon Battling Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Phillip Ai,
Patrick Yang
Ever wondered how to be a master of Pokemon battling? To steamroll the Elite Four without blinking? Well come here and learn how the masters compete with each other and the strategies they use - to be like no one ever was!
Class will begin with a discussion of basic competitive battling strategy. Remaining time at the end will be dedicated to battling, where the group will be split in half, each half assisting one instructor in battling the other.
Prerequisites
Must have played at least one Pokemon game, Ruby/Sapphire or later. Familiarity with Generation 4 mechanics strongly advised.
Class will begin with a discussion of basic competitive battling strategy. Remaining time at the end will be dedicated to battling, where the group will be split in half, each half assisting one instructor in battling the other.
Prerequisites
Must have played at least one Pokemon game, Ruby/Sapphire or later. Familiarity with Generation 4 mechanics strongly advised.
X6584: Real Sex Ed Closed!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Alicia Singham Goodwin
Get all of the real information about birth control and protection, STDs, consent and relationships, and the variety of sex and sexualities that your school likely isn't teaching you enough about!
X6519: Why People Are Weird: Paradoxes in Decision Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jonathan Schneider
Did you know that the only voting method that isn't flawed is a dictatorship? Or that sometimes, when you build a new road in a city, everyone's commute time might increase? We'll be presenting some counter-intuitive 'paradoxes' that show what happens when you assume everyone is completely rational.
X6340: Cook Your Own Early Thanksgiving Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Frank Chung,
Jessica Duff
We'll have fun preparing some of the Thanksgiving classics such as pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and other goodies. We'll teach you all you need to learn to make these dishes and have an early Thanksgiving feast. If all goes well, you'll have a few Thanksgiving classics to show off the Thursday after Splash.
X6290: LTI Splash
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Fei Ni
MIT's Leadership Training Institute is offering a course for students to learn more about what it takes to be a leader. Students from MIT will work with high school students to give them the necessary tools needed to be a better leader.
X6277: Cross-Step Waltz
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katarina Dutton,
Pi Fisher
Think innovation in waltzing ended in the 1800s? Think again! Come learn the basics of cross-step waltzing, a dance form that might even be younger than you are. Experience helpful but not required, please wear shoes and clothes you can dance in.
X6562: You Are Not So Smart
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shi Ke Xue
Do you think you procrastinate because you can't manage time well? Do you think you do nice things for people who you like? Do you think you know why you like what you like?
In actuality, all of the above are self-delusions. For various reasons, human psychology leads us to reach conclusions which are wrong and usually unnoticed. We will explore common biases which affect what we believe, how we make decisions, and how we behave. When it comes to thinking about ourselves, we are not so smart.
[Based on the titular blog]
In actuality, all of the above are self-delusions. For various reasons, human psychology leads us to reach conclusions which are wrong and usually unnoticed. We will explore common biases which affect what we believe, how we make decisions, and how we behave. When it comes to thinking about ourselves, we are not so smart.
[Based on the titular blog]
X6441: Firestorm: Ten Classes That Really Shouldn't be Done in an Hour
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jordan Moldow
Ever get bored with a long class on one topic? We do too. Come to Firestorm, where you can watch our teachers race against the clock to bring you a rapid sequence of five minute classes on a wide variety of topics.
X6217: How to Solve a Rubik's Cube Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Eugenio Fortanely,
Fangfei Shen
Do you want to learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube? Come and find out how in this hands-on class.
X6633: Creating Chainmail
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Antonia Warner
Interested in learning how to make chainmail, from winding the links to creating the finished pieces? This class will teach you how to make a variety of chainmail weaves - from traditional European weaves to Persian rope weaves- that ancient knights from across the world used to protect themselves in battle.
Prerequisites
Chainmail takes time and concentration, so the longer your attention span, the easier making it will be!
Prerequisites
Chainmail takes time and concentration, so the longer your attention span, the easier making it will be!
X6163: Intro to Veganism Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ragnar Kempf,
Liam Midgley
Come join us for an introduction to veganism and some free vegan food!
X6283: Firefighting
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rachel Davis
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a firefighter? Running into burning buildings carrying and wearing hundreds of pounds of equipment. Riding in a firetruck, brush truck, ambulance, etc. Learn all about firefighting from a nationally certified volunteer firefighter. Find out how to get involved and all about the awesome dangerous things firefighters get to see and do.
X6316: Learning how to fly
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Atray Dixit
Ever wanted to learn what it takes to fly? Here's your chance to let you dreams take flight.
X6670: Dwarf Fortress: Learn About the Most Complex Video Game Ever Made
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Ron
"Losing is Fun." You will embrace this saying as you learn what it takes to survive in the world of Dwarf Fortress.
In Dwarf Fortress, you manage the construction of a mountain fortress by, you guessed it, dwarves. You will find many challenges preventing your success, ranging from invading dragons, to being overrun by house cats, to the terrifying menace known as the "ordinary river carp."
We'll talk about what the game is and what makes it interesting. Time permitting, we'll talk specifics of strategy and fort construction.
In Dwarf Fortress, you manage the construction of a mountain fortress by, you guessed it, dwarves. You will find many challenges preventing your success, ranging from invading dragons, to being overrun by house cats, to the terrifying menace known as the "ordinary river carp."
We'll talk about what the game is and what makes it interesting. Time permitting, we'll talk specifics of strategy and fort construction.
X6135: The Game Mechanics of Pokémon
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Adam Gleitman
If you want to be the very best, then you need to know how the world around you works. In this class we will cover the basics of the game mechanics of Pokémon, including finding, catching, training, breeding, and battling.
How can you find rare or shiny Pokémon more easily? Is it worth it to teach a Linoone how to Surf? How can a level 1 Pokémon defeat a level 100 Pokemon in one hit? Take this class and find out!
Prerequisites
You should have played at least one of the Pokémon games. This class does not focus on any specific generation or any specific game.
How can you find rare or shiny Pokémon more easily? Is it worth it to teach a Linoone how to Surf? How can a level 1 Pokémon defeat a level 100 Pokemon in one hit? Take this class and find out!
Prerequisites
You should have played at least one of the Pokémon games. This class does not focus on any specific generation or any specific game.
X6448: The Science of Talking
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Chelsea Voss
Ever wonder how humans create, hear, and understand the sounds of language? What the difference between a /$$s$$/ and a /$$z$$/ is in terms of actual measurable properties of sound? How we can decipher all of the information in sound, and give it linguistic meaning?
To figure all of this out, we'll look at phonetics, the study of the audible components of language. Come learn a whole bunch of things you never knew about sounds, and the computational tools that we can use to study them!
To figure all of this out, we'll look at phonetics, the study of the audible components of language. Come learn a whole bunch of things you never knew about sounds, and the computational tools that we can use to study them!
X6369: Fundamentals of Magic
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Marvin Romero
In any magic act - be it a show or a single trick - there are some key aspects you ought to know. What can be better than learning those aspects from a magician? Join us in learning the art of magic - from presentation to basic tricks, which are all a part of the fundamentals of magic.
X6295: Comics with Comics
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Victoria Lewandowski,
Nick Lyons
A relaxed and non-judgmental class where we will come up with prompts and ideas that everyone will attempt to draw. Drawing skills are not required but enthusiasm and creativity are a must! We'll mostly focus on drawing things related to western comic books, cartoons, and video games that poke fun at all of them so also bring a sense of humor. Overall we're just going to be having fun and making friends.
Prerequisites
You should probably have some knowledge/interest in at least a few of the following: comic books, video games, tv shows, cartoons, pop culture and the like. Drawing materials are not required but if you want to bring your own supplies you're more than welcome to.
Prerequisites
You should probably have some knowledge/interest in at least a few of the following: comic books, video games, tv shows, cartoons, pop culture and the like. Drawing materials are not required but if you want to bring your own supplies you're more than welcome to.
X6200: Make ALL the pies! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Phillip Seo,
Zoe Snape
Come learn the secret arts of making pie! We'll start by teaching you how to make easy and perfect crusts and then fill them with pecans, pumpkins, berries, meat, veggies, cheese and other delicious things. We'll even teach you a little about some of the cool properties of the other kind of pi and send you home with some tasty and reliable recipes to impress your friends and family with.
X6385: Introduction to Minesweeper Strategy
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ray Hua Wu
A deeper look at the game of minesweeper, with strategies for improving accuracy and speed.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the rules of minesweeper
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the rules of minesweeper
X6353: "This is My Night" : A Practical Tutorial for Karaoke
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sumit Gogia
Sometimes you just want to let loose the beautiful passions of your soul, and in a cathartic moment, let your voice fully realize your deepest feelings. But when? Where? Why? And how? Isn't it a little awkward and often rude to burst arbitrarily into song as you mull over your emotions?
Normally, this would be the case...BUT, luckily, karaoke was invented just to allow this form of expression. The only trick is to learn how to allow yourself to let loose in this environment, and that is what we'll teach in this class. With live demonstrations from instructors well-versed in the art of karaoke, and lots of opportunities to practice your karaoke skills, this class will give you a practical, live experience in which to develop your karaoke skills at an accelerated pace!
Prerequisites
Awesomeness
Normally, this would be the case...BUT, luckily, karaoke was invented just to allow this form of expression. The only trick is to learn how to allow yourself to let loose in this environment, and that is what we'll teach in this class. With live demonstrations from instructors well-versed in the art of karaoke, and lots of opportunities to practice your karaoke skills, this class will give you a practical, live experience in which to develop your karaoke skills at an accelerated pace!
Prerequisites
Awesomeness
X6246: The Language of Nonsense
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Caitlin Cooper
This course studies the syntax of nonsense poetry. The two poems covered are Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky and The Walrus and the Carpenter. Syntax is a subtle discipline of cognitive science, and speaking the language of nonsense, and being understood can be quickly learned and extremely entertaining.
X6390: Make Chainmail!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alyssa Zisk
Plate armor: Heavy. It waaaayyyy reduced mobility. Chainmail is still heavy, but not as heavy, and unless arrows are the biggest worry, it wasn’t much worse. It was a lot cheaper too. So we’re going to learn how to make it (it being European 4-in-1, one of the more common weaves in Europe.)
Prerequisites
two hands, preferably attached to the same person, and an interest in making outdated armor
Prerequisites
two hands, preferably attached to the same person, and an interest in making outdated armor
X6156: How Combination Locks Work
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Harvey Yee
Come to this class to get a hands on introduction to the science and art of combination locks. Together, we will examine and explore their construction, their designs, and their weaknesses, from a physical and mathematical perspective.
Prerequisites
A sense of curiosity.
Prerequisites
A sense of curiosity.
X6406: Learn to Juggle
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Emily Thomson
Juggling is fun! Learn to juggle, or learn a trick if you know how to juggle. Absolutely no experience or natural coordination necessary.
X6497: Train Science
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ian Martin
A whirlwind tour of railroading, ranging from the dawn of the industrial revolution through the present day. Locomotives, signalling, track structure, bridges and tunnels…plus the engineering behind it all. Whether you’re a hardcore train buff or just a curious observer, this is the class for you!
X6482: Persuasion 202: Getting ANYONE You Want Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alec Lai
Did you like the basics of persuasion? In this class, you'll take it to another level and answer the question that's on half your minds: getting ANYONE you want. Understand what really underlies high school relationships.
X6403: War, Diplomacy and Trade Simulation
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Evan Hefner
Need to sharpen your warfighting or politicking skills? Come practice in the most underplayed hot-spot in the world: East Asia. Rich with natural resources, key strategic islands, and ambitious great-powers-to-be, peace in East Asia is getting hard to come by. Come and lead one of eight elements: Japan, China, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Vietnam, and the United States, controlling their diplomatic, military and economic actions in the great East Asian conflict of 2012. Accomplish your country’s goals by fighting on land, sea and air, or if you prefer, by using diplomacy, backstabbing, and market manipulation.
Note: returning students are welcome.
Note: returning students are welcome.
X6440: Firestorm: Ten Classes That Really Shouldn't be Done in an Hour Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jordan Moldow
Ever get bored with a long class on one topic? We do too. Come to Firestorm, where you can watch our teachers race against the clock to bring you a rapid sequence of five minute classes on a wide variety of topics.