ESP Biography



NELSON ELHAGE, MIT junior in course 6 (CS)




Major: 6-3

College/Employer: Not available.

Year of Graduation: Not available.

Picture of Nelson Elhage

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Computers are awesome. They also suck. Such is the way of things.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H1646: Duct Tape Design in Splash! 2008 (Nov. 22 - 23, 2008)
Come learn how to make things out of duct tape! We will discuss techniques to construct just about anything out of that most wonderful and versatile of building materials -- duct tape! And not just the standard fare -- we'll also look at smaller, trickier things, that need more cleverness and finesse, like gloves. Bring your own tape if you've got it!


C1647: Introduction to the Lambda Calculus in Splash! 2008 (Nov. 22 - 23, 2008)
This will be a rapid introduction to the Lambda Calculus, a theoretical model of computing originally proposed by Alonzo Church in the 1930s. We will explore how, starting from the barest primitive ideas, you can derive all the comutational power of a modern desktop computer! NOTE: This is not the calculus you've heard about in school! In fact, there are almost no numbers involved, and you don't need to know any math -- just have a curiosity for some slightly abstract reasoning.


C1648: How to build a Grandmaster: Introduction to Game AI in Splash! 2008 (Nov. 22 - 23, 2008)
Have you ever wondered how computers are able to play board games like Chess? It turns out that the way humans play these games is very different from how we know how to make computers do so. We'll look at the minimax technique for building AIs for Chess or other games, and we'll discuss some of the tricks you need to do to make it perform on a truly grandmaster level.


How Computers Work Q&A in SPLASHONWHEELS (2008)
How does the Internet work? What exactly is an operating system, anyways? How do we program computers, and how are ...


Nethack! in SPLASHONWHEELS (2008)
Come, take on the role of a bold `@', and descend into the depths of the Dungeons of Doom, where ...


A rapid introduction to the Lambda Calculus in SPLASH (2007)
This will be a rapid introduction to the Lambda Calculus, a theoretical model of computing originally proposed by Alonzo Church ...


Duct Tape Design in SPLASH (2007)
Come learn how to make things out of duct tape! We will discuss techniques to construct just about anything out ...


How Computers Work: Software in SPLASH (2007)
You probably know how to use a computer, and maybe even how to program one in C, BASIC, Java, or ...


Introduction to Programming with Haskell in SPLASH (2007)
This is a class for students who are interested in computers, but who may have never programmed before. Using the ...


Nethack! in SPLASH (2007)
Come, take on the role of a bold `@', and descend into the depths of the Dungeons of Doom, where ...


Nethack! in SPLASH (2007)
Come, take on the role of a bold `@', and descend into the depths of the Dungeons of Doom, where ...


Ask Mike and Nelson Computer Questions in SPLASH (2006)
Ever wondered how computers work? Maybe you have some idea, but there are things you *just* *don't* *know*? Show up, ...


Duct Tape Design in SPLASH (2006)
Come learn how to make things out of duct tape! We will discuss techniques to construct just about anything out ...


How to build an OS in SPLASH (2006)
You probably ask, or hear people ask, ``What OS do you run?'' But what exactly *is* an operating system? What ...


Introduction to higher-order programming in SPLASH (2006)
Most of you, if you're programmed before, have probably coded in an imperative language like BASIC or C (or Java ...