Splash! 2009
Course Catalog
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Arts
Drawing with Charcoal - and actually making it look professional! Full!
Teachers:
Anna Falvello
Come make a really big charcoal drawing!! Learn how to give it awesome shading - maybe come draw a really big black and white closeup of a flower/ skyline... (flowers look AWESOME from a close distance.. but that's just me)
I'll bring models to copy but feel free to bring your own!
We'll run through the basics of charcoal and I'll help out anyone who wants a hand.
(We'll also do something to keep those gorgeous pictures from smudging so you can take them home and show them off!)
Prerequisites
A really refined taste in art. Just kidding -anyone is welcome to join!
I'll bring models to copy but feel free to bring your own!
We'll run through the basics of charcoal and I'll help out anyone who wants a hand.
(We'll also do something to keep those gorgeous pictures from smudging so you can take them home and show them off!)
Prerequisites
A really refined taste in art. Just kidding -anyone is welcome to join!
Enormous Modular Origami Full!
Teachers:
Aviv Ovadya,
Yukiko Shimizu
We will buy large paper. And then we will teach you how to fold something awesome out of it. Everyone will make one or more separate modules, which we will then put together to make a gigantic geometric object. (You will not get to keep what you fold)
The current plan is to make a polyhedron with an 8 foot diameter...
Prerequisites
Patience and precision: You don't need origami experience for this class - but you need to be willing to patient and precise. You also should expect to be working on a potentially dirty floor.
The current plan is to make a polyhedron with an 8 foot diameter...
Prerequisites
Patience and precision: You don't need origami experience for this class - but you need to be willing to patient and precise. You also should expect to be working on a potentially dirty floor.
Ukuleles? Ukuleles! Full!
Teachers:
Joshua Horowitz,
Nicholas Joliat
Holy cow, have you ever played a ukulele? Come play a ukulele RIGHT NOW.
Prerequisites
This class won't be too great if you've played a ukulele before.
Prerequisites
This class won't be too great if you've played a ukulele before.
A World of Color
Teachers:
Lyndsey Moulds
Do you know your vermilion from your viridian? Your eggplant from your ecru? As one of the most important elements of design, color is commonly utilized by artists and advertisers alike to evoke a certain emotional response in humans. We'll discuss psychological associations of colors as well as their meanings across cultures. This is an art class, too, so get ready to roll up your sleeves!
It Doesn't Just Taste Good!
Teachers:
Casey Dugan
In this class, we'll make sculptures out of chocolate! But, they'll look so good you won't want to eat them when you're through. In previous years students have come up with all kinds of creative designs: dragons, islands, scenes from books, space ships, turtles, houses, horses, abstract pieces, sunflowers, lily pads, chess boards, painters' palettes, breakfast, a clock, a wedding dress, three turkeys, and more. Candy bars don't count... :) Come with ideas or come up with something on the spot! Those with food allergies: Chocolate may contain peanuts or peanut products. Sorry. :(
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
The Art of Improv Full!
Teachers:
Abigail Walzer
Improvisation is a fun, integral, and sometimes neglected part of acting. It's not nearly as scary as it sounds, either! We'll start with Sun Salutations to warm up, and then jump right into some improv games and scenarios, and think about what goes into a successful improv scenario and a good acting scenario along the way, along with some basics like the idea of "yes-and".
Prerequisites
It would be nice if you have a vague idea of what improv is, but it's okay if you don't!
Prerequisites
It would be nice if you have a vague idea of what improv is, but it's okay if you don't!
Project Runway Full!
Teachers:
Susana Hak,
Gabriella de Paz
Students are taken to the local Garment District and given twenty minutes to choose two dollars worth of clothing from the giant dollar-a-pound pile of clothes on the first floor. From there, they return to the room and have an hour to turn the scrap pieces into their own creation - they can cut them up, add sparkles, pin them, glue them - whatever they need to do to make their vision a reality. At the end of the hour, there'll be a half hour fashion show complete with music that my partner and I will judge. Each designer can either choose a model or can model themselves for the show, and the concept behind the design must be explained. Basically, it's a way to play around with scrap clothes and potentially make something cool!
Prerequisites
A sense of humor.
Prerequisites
A sense of humor.
Modular Origami
Teachers:
Josh Hester,
Thomas Hu
If you've folded cranes and strawberries to your heart's content and would like to try something different, come try modular origami! Unlike other models that take only one sheet of paper, modular origami involves folding many of the same units and assembling them into three-dimensional geometric shapes. We'll decide as a class exactly what we want to work on and you will get to take home what you fold!
Prerequisites
Modular origami requires some folding experience and a lot of attention to detail. If you haven't ever folded before, you might be a little frustrated by this class, but you're welcome to come give it a shot!
Prerequisites
Modular origami requires some folding experience and a lot of attention to detail. If you haven't ever folded before, you might be a little frustrated by this class, but you're welcome to come give it a shot!
Telling Short Stories for Fun and Profit Full!
Teachers:
Paul Baranay
Have you ever met someone with a special skill for capturing life experiences and sharing them through the spoken word? More to the point, have you ever wanted to be that person? If so, this class is for you!
In 50 minutes or less, this discussion-oriented class will address both the building blocks of good stories and the fundamental habits of great storytellers. These principles will be illustrated by a handful of on-the-spot example stories (which will focus on lore from the MIT hacking culture).
The class will focus on extemporaneous storytelling, not recitation, but many of the principles discussed will be universally applicable.
Prerequisites
Excitement for the art of storytelling! Some sort of prior experience in public speaking and/or drama is preferred, but not absolutely required.
In 50 minutes or less, this discussion-oriented class will address both the building blocks of good stories and the fundamental habits of great storytellers. These principles will be illustrated by a handful of on-the-spot example stories (which will focus on lore from the MIT hacking culture).
The class will focus on extemporaneous storytelling, not recitation, but many of the principles discussed will be universally applicable.
Prerequisites
Excitement for the art of storytelling! Some sort of prior experience in public speaking and/or drama is preferred, but not absolutely required.
Skyscrapers! Full!
Teachers:
Luke Joyner
At night, why do lights in skyscrapers tend to turn on or off in horizontal bands? Why do some skyscrapers get narrower near the top? Why do the skyscrapers in Chicago look different from the skyscrapers in New York?
Basic questions and observations can unravel much of the history of the architectural and historical development of skyscrapers. We’ll start with the questions above, and any similar questions you bring to the class, and learn about some of the innovations that have propelled buildings higher and higher… and all the factors that have contributed to what these tall buildings look like and make their cities feel like. We’ll also talk briefly about the psychological impact of really tall buildings on residents of modern cities.
Be ready to talk a lot, and share your own thoughts as well as listen to others' thoughts.
Basic questions and observations can unravel much of the history of the architectural and historical development of skyscrapers. We’ll start with the questions above, and any similar questions you bring to the class, and learn about some of the innovations that have propelled buildings higher and higher… and all the factors that have contributed to what these tall buildings look like and make their cities feel like. We’ll also talk briefly about the psychological impact of really tall buildings on residents of modern cities.
Be ready to talk a lot, and share your own thoughts as well as listen to others' thoughts.
Make a dodecahedron from beads Full!
Teachers:
Christie Chiu
Want to make useless geometric shapes* out of beads? NOW YOU CAN! But hey, they look impressive.
*One shape: A dodecahedron. A fancy one.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge or intuition of 3-D symmetry (of a dodecahedron) and experience with arts & crafts may be helpful, but aren't necessary.
*One shape: A dodecahedron. A fancy one.
Prerequisites
Some knowledge or intuition of 3-D symmetry (of a dodecahedron) and experience with arts & crafts may be helpful, but aren't necessary.
Boom Boom Pow: An Introduction to Street Drumming Full!
Teachers:
Kirsten Madsen
You're wandering around downtown one day, just hanging out, you know, when...hark! You hear a glorious cacophony of rhythm and sound from around the corner! Street drummers! This class will provide you with a knowledge of basic street drumming technique, rhythms, posture, history and philosophy. By the end of the class, you and your classmates will be able to complete a basic, but impressive, street drumming performance. And you'll feel really cool, I promise.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic rhythms preferred, but not required (quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes)
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic rhythms preferred, but not required (quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes)
The Basics of Drawing the Human Form Full!
Teachers:
Courtney Hilliard
Students will learn basic techniques for drawing people: the proportions of the human body, basic prominent musculature, some widely shown stances, and facial/hand structure in particular. Time permitting, shading may be introduced, but the class centers on using just line drawing to depict humans realistically. (No nude models will be used in this class.)
Prerequisites
An interest in art and a basic knowledge of how to draw three-dimensional shapes.
Prerequisites
An interest in art and a basic knowledge of how to draw three-dimensional shapes.
Pen spinning Full!
Teachers:
Jonathan Mei
Remember when they banned yo-yo's, finger skateboards, and cards in school? Well they can't confiscate your writing implements! Make your enemies jealous and distract your teachers during class!
Get in on this popular form of contact juggling that's sweeping the nation!
Warning: pen spinning is highly addictive and contains a chemical known by the State of California to cause cancer
Prerequisites
You must have at least 1 functional hand with 5 working fingers intact
Get in on this popular form of contact juggling that's sweeping the nation!
Warning: pen spinning is highly addictive and contains a chemical known by the State of California to cause cancer
Prerequisites
You must have at least 1 functional hand with 5 working fingers intact
Popular Musicians of the 20th Century
Teachers:
Devin Ahern
Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Plant, John Bonham, David Gilmour, Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Kurt Cobain. Possible inclusions of other bits of the last ~60 years of music. Specific contributions and examples of work by the individual musicians.
Chinese Knots Full!
Teachers:
Katherine Fang,
DD Liu
Chinese knots are made in China. China is a country. There is air in China. There are knots in China.
Let us define a knot to be an image of S1 under a continuous map into R3. Because physics is important to the Chinese, our primary concern will be on knots without self-intersections.
This class has nothing to do with math.
Let us define a knot to be an image of S1 under a continuous map into R3. Because physics is important to the Chinese, our primary concern will be on knots without self-intersections.
This class has nothing to do with math.
The Joy of Garbage
Teachers:
Nathan Cooke,
Jessica Huang
How much waste do we generate? What's in it? Where does it all go? How does it affect us and our environment? In this session, we'll explore all you ever wanted to learn about garbage and more. Together, we'll discuss ways to reduce our waste - and use it.
This workshop will have a hands-on approach. Be prepared to get your hands dirty (we'll provide gloves, don't worry) as we learn do a waste audit. We'll try our hands at turning trash into treasure, using disposed items to make batteries, notebooks and holiday gifts - it'll be a fun way to save some money, energy, water, and save the world from more trash.
Prerequisites
None: Come one, come all...and bring your friends!
This workshop will have a hands-on approach. Be prepared to get your hands dirty (we'll provide gloves, don't worry) as we learn do a waste audit. We'll try our hands at turning trash into treasure, using disposed items to make batteries, notebooks and holiday gifts - it'll be a fun way to save some money, energy, water, and save the world from more trash.
Prerequisites
None: Come one, come all...and bring your friends!
Nationalism of the Romantic Period: Chopin to Rachmaninoff
Love classical music from the nineteenth century? Can't get enough of Chopin or Dvorák or Sibelius? Then come join us for a survey of classical music of the Romantic era! We'll discuss the development of nationalistic themes in music and listen to some of the best examples from Russia, Finland, Norway, Czechoslovakia, Spain and beyond!
Prerequisites
Interest in Romantic music
Prerequisites
Interest in Romantic music
Papercutting
Teachers:
Christie Chiu
This course is an introduction to the Chinese art of Papercutting, which Wikipedia says is the "art of cutting paper designs" that originated in the 6th century...
We will be working on some cute panda designs ^.^
Prerequisites
The scissors are pretty sharp, so just an eye for caution...
We will be working on some cute panda designs ^.^
Prerequisites
The scissors are pretty sharp, so just an eye for caution...
The Other Big Three: Seattle, Part I
Teachers:
Devin Ahern
Briefly covering how music reached 1991, particularly noting events in the five years leading up to 1991, this course will focus on the works of Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam, and the first two in particular. Discussion of the impact, music, and ideas of the three bands.
BOOM! Photoshop Full!
Teachers:
Vincent Lee
Photoshop is the most used consumer and professional graphics processing software on the market. This is a crash course in Photoshop, where you will learn how to use and abuse Photoshop's vast tool set.
Introduction to Tengwar Full!
Teachers:
Joshua Velson
Tengwar is the elvish script created by J. R. R. Tolkien as part of his Lord of the Rings Legendarium. Separate from the languages of Middle-Earth, Tengwar is a writing system can be used to write any language, including English. This class will focus on a quick introduction to the English common mode of writing in Tengwar, with basic instruction in developing your own handwriting.
Prerequisites
None.
Prerequisites
None.
Breadmaking Full!
Teachers:
Luke Joyner
In this class, we will make bread from scratch. We'll split into three groups, and each prepare a different kind of yeast bread. While the yeast breads are rising, we'll make three kinds of quickbreads. Then we'll form the yeast breads to let them rise a second time.
Note: this class meets on Sunday from 9 AM to 11 AM. We will do everything except bake the breads together. I'll bake the breads off myself after the class, and they'll be ready around lunchtime at 1. Everyone in this class is welcome to rejoin me at lunch time, with exactly one friend (serious, no more than one), to eat what we've made instead of the program's regular lunch. I'll bring things to put on the bread too!
Prerequisites
You must be able to handle and eat wheat, dairy products, and all other standard bread ingredients. (I apologize to people with allergies, but it's just too hard to accommodate that in a class like this.) You must also be willing to do everything it takes to make bread: mixing, measuring, kneading, etc.
Note: this class meets on Sunday from 9 AM to 11 AM. We will do everything except bake the breads together. I'll bake the breads off myself after the class, and they'll be ready around lunchtime at 1. Everyone in this class is welcome to rejoin me at lunch time, with exactly one friend (serious, no more than one), to eat what we've made instead of the program's regular lunch. I'll bring things to put on the bread too!
Prerequisites
You must be able to handle and eat wheat, dairy products, and all other standard bread ingredients. (I apologize to people with allergies, but it's just too hard to accommodate that in a class like this.) You must also be willing to do everything it takes to make bread: mixing, measuring, kneading, etc.
(Really Really) Early Music
Teachers:
Lauren McGough
Did you know there was lots of (Western classical) music written way before Bach? Did you know it's Awesome? We'll explore the development of Western classical music, starting with Gregorian chant, working our way to Baroque operas, and, if there's time, we'll talk about the "early music" mindset and hear some exciting and unusual performances of well-known classical pieces, recorded on period instruments and played the way we think people might have played them when they were written.
Prerequisites
An open mind to enjoying classical music
Prerequisites
An open mind to enjoying classical music
Extreme Learning to Draw!
Teachers:
Franco Montalvo
Yeah I did not know how to draw before I took an art class. Stick figures and scratchy pencils for me. However, now that I'm good I'll train you to analyze your environment and learn how to draw even better than me! Hooray!
Prerequisites
Being bad at drawing, or you could be good too if you just wanted to chill and draw with us. :) Just bring a regular old pencil, a clipboard (or book to write on) and plenty of blank paper for sure. An eraser and sharpener would be nice too if you had any.
Prerequisites
Being bad at drawing, or you could be good too if you just wanted to chill and draw with us. :) Just bring a regular old pencil, a clipboard (or book to write on) and plenty of blank paper for sure. An eraser and sharpener would be nice too if you had any.
Make chainmail!
Teachers:
Jesse Ashcraft-Johnson
Weave metal rings into awesome fabrics for fun and profit! Learn the basic weaves to make anything from delicate jewelry to armor that will stop a sword.
Enormous Origami Full!
Teachers:
Aviv Ovadya,
Yukiko Shimizu
We will buy the largest paper we can find (and afford/transport). And then we will teach you how to fold something awesome out of it. Depending on the size of the paper, you may be working in teams with 10 foot squares, or individually/pairs with 3 foot squares. (So you probably will not be able to keep what you make - but it might not fit in a car anyway so don’t feel so bad.)
Prerequisites
Origami experience and endurance: You need to know how to fold at least a crane. You need to be familiar with terminology like mountain folds, valley folds, squash folds and sinks (sink folds). You need to be comfortable working on your hands and knees for 2 hours, with no hope of an end in sight.
Prerequisites
Origami experience and endurance: You need to know how to fold at least a crane. You need to be familiar with terminology like mountain folds, valley folds, squash folds and sinks (sink folds). You need to be comfortable working on your hands and knees for 2 hours, with no hope of an end in sight.
Jazz Improvisation
Teachers:
Dylan Sherry
This course will focus on the basics of improvisation in music, with a focus on jazz. We'll go over some basic scales and chords, hear a few examples, discuss some tips and tricks, and most importantly, improvise! Bring your instrument if you can.
Prerequisites
Open to any age/grade. Any previous experience is helpful, including some experience with playing an instrument/singing (in any style), and an interest in improvisation.
Prerequisites
Open to any age/grade. Any previous experience is helpful, including some experience with playing an instrument/singing (in any style), and an interest in improvisation.
Group Singing Full!
Teachers:
Krista Speroni
Come hang out and sing songs from traditional South African chants to 90's boy band ballads to whatever is on my (or your) mind(s). Other fun things include soloing, circle singing, and straight up improv.
Feel free to come with song suggestions as long as they have at least two parts.
Prerequisites
Should be able to... sing. (i.e. be able to match pitch and hold your own part in a group). Reading music is -not- a prerequisite. Vocal percussionists are also welcome.
Feel free to come with song suggestions as long as they have at least two parts.
Prerequisites
Should be able to... sing. (i.e. be able to match pitch and hold your own part in a group). Reading music is -not- a prerequisite. Vocal percussionists are also welcome.
Geometric Origami
Teachers:
Alexis Hakimi,
Jonathan Mei
Origami for the math inclined. Learn some basics to 3D geometry and have fun with origami: we won't get into the mathematical theory behind the designs, but there will be an introduction to the geometry. The main focus is on the origami anyway. May include modular designs
Prerequisites
An interest for math not ordinarily taught in a high school setting would be great. No previous origami skill required.
Prerequisites
An interest for math not ordinarily taught in a high school setting would be great. No previous origami skill required.
Graphic Design: The Thinking Full!
Teachers:
Luke Joyner
This class will be an in-depth look at the thinking behind graphic design.
We will go over things like balance, choice of typeface, use of color, stylistic decisions, fitting the design to the content, seeking out originality, and other choices that a graphic designer must consider over the course of any project. We will also think about what differentiates design from art, and whether that's actually a meaningful distinction to make.
Be ready to share your own ideas, both in words and visually, throughout this class. Everyone will participate.
Prerequisites
A willingness to share your ideas, listen to ideas that others put forth, be open minded, and express yourself through drawing as well as speaking.
We will go over things like balance, choice of typeface, use of color, stylistic decisions, fitting the design to the content, seeking out originality, and other choices that a graphic designer must consider over the course of any project. We will also think about what differentiates design from art, and whether that's actually a meaningful distinction to make.
Be ready to share your own ideas, both in words and visually, throughout this class. Everyone will participate.
Prerequisites
A willingness to share your ideas, listen to ideas that others put forth, be open minded, and express yourself through drawing as well as speaking.
Introduction to Chinese Brush Painting Full!
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
This class will cover the basic techniques of painting layered bamboo forests in the traditional style of brush painting. There will be several brief periods of instruction and a lot of time to just relax and paint.
Prerequisites
Please sign up for only one of the two Chinese Brush Painting classes
Prerequisites
Please sign up for only one of the two Chinese Brush Painting classes
Balance: The Art of Dance
Teachers:
Marie Herring
Ever wonder how dance evolved? Why music compels people to move? Why dance is so fascinating to watch? Come and learn more about different styles of dance, from ballet to hip-hop to cultural. Learn how to move yourself in ways you never thought possible. No previous experience necessary!
Prerequisites
Willingness to get up and move
Prerequisites
Willingness to get up and move
Truth in Comedy: Improv Comedy
Teachers:
Ryan Foote
Do you have the funny? Do you want to learn how to get it? Come learn about the truth in comedy as taught by MIT's premier improv group: Roadkill Buffet.
Prerequisites
None, though theater experience is helpful.
Prerequisites
None, though theater experience is helpful.
Make Musics
Teachers:
Ben Sena
Come make music! Whatever you want. I will bring some instruments, you can bring whatever you want, we'll mash together whatever we end up having. YAYAYAYAY!
Prerequisites
Enthusiasm! Come to jam! Come to learn! We'll talk and share some theory and stuff like that as well. (Also feel free to leave early or come late if the length of the class bothers you, unless administration tells me not to say that, but I would love to have all of you.)
Prerequisites
Enthusiasm! Come to jam! Come to learn! We'll talk and share some theory and stuff like that as well. (Also feel free to leave early or come late if the length of the class bothers you, unless administration tells me not to say that, but I would love to have all of you.)
Make Balloon Animals (or balloon anything else) and Impress Your Friends!
Teachers:
dena leeman
In this fun, relaxing class we'll go over the basics of making balloon animals and then you'll spend the rest of the time making whatever you want out of balloons! Come with ideas of what you'd like to make-- no matter how crazy, you can try to make it!
Bollywood and Bhangra Fusion
Teachers:
Anshul Bhagi,
Akansha Kumar
Do you want to learn two new dance styles, get an aerobic workout, and have fun all at the same time? Come learn some moves from Bhangra and Bollywood dance that will impress everyone on the dance floor. Bhangra is an energetic dance from the Indian state of Punjab and Bollywood dance is, well, the main dance of Indian pop culture. Fuse these two dances together and get a healthy dose of fun Indian culture!
Prerequisites
a strong desire to learn an amazing new style of dancing!
Prerequisites
a strong desire to learn an amazing new style of dancing!
Crocheting: The basics, flowers and more Full!
Teachers:
Lizi George
Crocheting is fun and relaxing! I will teach a few basic skills, with the goal being to create a flower or similar design by the end of the class.
Sushi, Clay, and Clay Sushi
Teachers:
Victoria Vega
Do you know what sushi really is? Have you ever wanted to learn the ancient Italian art of millefiori? Come do both with clay and sushi!
The Other Big Three: Seattle, Part II
Teachers:
Devin Ahern
More or less a continuation of Part I, this segment will actually focus almost exclusively on the music Soundgarden and Nirvana, particularly oddities of the two groups, such as Soundgarden's cover of "Come Together."
Prerequisites
Preferably, some prior knowledge of the music of Nirvana and Soundgarden, Popular Musicians of the 20th Century, or The Other Big Three, Part I.
Prerequisites
Preferably, some prior knowledge of the music of Nirvana and Soundgarden, Popular Musicians of the 20th Century, or The Other Big Three, Part I.
Random A Cappella Full!
Teachers:
David "davidad" Dalrymple
From the same person who brought you Random Musical Adventures last year and the Random Numbers of MIT, it's Random A Cappella! Bring your voices and let's make some music! We'll make use of common chord progressions and rhythmic structures to bring some order to the chaos.
Prerequisites
You should have a very good ear for music, and ideally also a good voice (although that's less important). Knowledge of music theory would be helpful but defintely not necessary. Classical training would probably be less than helpful. :-)
Prerequisites
You should have a very good ear for music, and ideally also a good voice (although that's less important). Knowledge of music theory would be helpful but defintely not necessary. Classical training would probably be less than helpful. :-)
How to Pick Out Songs, Read Chord Symbols, and Improvise Full!
Teachers:
Kevin Gold
This course will teach the basic tools of the pop musician's bag of tricks -- the major, dominant, minor, and sus chords -- and how these building blocks form the basis of most pop music. We'll look at techniques for reverse engineering songs just by listening closely, figure out what's really happening when a musician plays a solo during an instrumental break, and show how a piano player can make use of all those guitar tabs for rock songs floating around on the web.
Prerequisites
Knowing the names of the notes on a piano. Knowing your major scales will be helpful but not required.
Prerequisites
Knowing the names of the notes on a piano. Knowing your major scales will be helpful but not required.
Computer Science
Introduction to Machine Learning
Teachers:
Ammar Ammar,
Maria Guirguis
This class is intended to give you a rough idea about machine learning. It covers some of the history of the field, the basic ideas, and a few exciting applications.
Where do Algorithms come from? Full!
Teachers:
Ammar Ammar,
Maria Guirguis
A brief survey of some of the most influential algorithms and the people behind them. We will look at the people's backgrounds and motivations behind some of the revolutionary algorithms in the field of computer science!
A Genetic Algorithm for Optimization Problems
Teachers:
Dustin Katzin
Biology shows us how we inherit traits from our parents -- through genetic material. Evolution chooses the individuals with the best genetic material. Computer scientists have found a way to use the principles of genetics to select for the most "fit" sets of data. We will explore applications of this technique, including finding local maxima and minima, and playing Tetris.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with computer programming. Familiarity with genetics
Prerequisites
Familiarity with computer programming. Familiarity with genetics
Drupal Development Full!
Teachers:
Ganeshapillai Gartheeban
Drupal (http://drupal.org) is one of the most popular Content Management System available and it currently powers many US federal sites including whitehouse.gov.
Drupal goes beyond the scope of a CMS and offers the flexibility of a framework, and highly extensible through modules.
Currently the demand exceeds the supply for Drupal developers, and a sound knowledge in Drupal will help you easily earn few thousand dollars in development projects while schooling.
I will walk you through a "hands on design and development" session on Drupal.
The first part of the session hardly deals with any coding, and in the second part of the session, we will jointly develop a module and extend another module.
Prerequisites
Basic proficiency in PHP. Computer literacy. General knowledge about internet technologies.
Drupal goes beyond the scope of a CMS and offers the flexibility of a framework, and highly extensible through modules.
Currently the demand exceeds the supply for Drupal developers, and a sound knowledge in Drupal will help you easily earn few thousand dollars in development projects while schooling.
I will walk you through a "hands on design and development" session on Drupal.
The first part of the session hardly deals with any coding, and in the second part of the session, we will jointly develop a module and extend another module.
Prerequisites
Basic proficiency in PHP. Computer literacy. General knowledge about internet technologies.
How To Find Your Way Out Of A Maze, or, Graph Search Algorithms
Teachers:
Tony Valderrama
Pretend you're a rat, in a maze, with a computer and an excellent capacity for suspending your disbelief. How would you escape?
We'll examine basic graph search algorithms including A*, and explore various applications of these algorithms.
We'll examine basic graph search algorithms including A*, and explore various applications of these algorithms.
Living optimally with Dynamic Programming
Teachers:
Letitia Li
There is one group of algorithms which make finding optimal solutions efficient. Go through an imaginary vacation while applying dynamic programming and random other algorithms.
Promiscuous Mode: Network Protocol Analysis
Teachers:
Harvey Yee
Do you want to be in Promiscuous mode? You may if you are a hacker or 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 curiosity, adventure, and fun!
Prerequisites
A sense of curiosity, adventure, and fun!
Esoteric Programming Languages
Teachers:
Thomas Lawler
Most programming languages are designed to make your life easier. But what if you wanted to make your own programming language? You might think about what sorts of structures and functionality you'd put into your language to make it easier to do certain things. You might also ask yourself how little you can get away with in your language. Maybe you want to break away from the normal ideas of what a program is, in the hopes of finding a language that is more powerful or better at certain tasks. Maybe you're sadistic and want to make programmers' lives as hard as possible.
In the world of esoteric programming languages, anything is possible. Join me on a whirlwind tour of some of the stranger languages you've never heard of, and that you'll never want to use: INTERCAL, BeFunge, Whitespace, and more.
Prerequisites
Though this class will probably be more interesting to people who have programmed in at least one language, no programming experience is required or assumed.
In the world of esoteric programming languages, anything is possible. Join me on a whirlwind tour of some of the stranger languages you've never heard of, and that you'll never want to use: INTERCAL, BeFunge, Whitespace, and more.
Prerequisites
Though this class will probably be more interesting to people who have programmed in at least one language, no programming experience is required or assumed.
Implementing programming languages
Teachers:
Jonathan Sailor
We will discuss some concepts common to the core of all programming languages, and learn how to implement simple Scheme-like languages. Topics covered will include modeling syntax, evaluation in a functional language, substitution versus environments, and first-class functions.
The class will be based in part on /Programming Languages: Application and Interpretation/ by Krishnamurthi (available online.)
Prerequisites
We will assume knowledge of Scheme, and provide resources from which students with prior programming experience can easily learn Scheme. A minimum grade level of 9 is set for this course; if you are younger and feel this course is appropriate for you, contact me. If the course is full and you think it is extremely appropriate for you, contact me.
The class will be based in part on /Programming Languages: Application and Interpretation/ by Krishnamurthi (available online.)
Prerequisites
We will assume knowledge of Scheme, and provide resources from which students with prior programming experience can easily learn Scheme. A minimum grade level of 9 is set for this course; if you are younger and feel this course is appropriate for you, contact me. If the course is full and you think it is extremely appropriate for you, contact me.
Scheme
Ever wanted to learn Scheme? Have you heard of functional programming, but never learned any functional languages?
Come to our class, and we’ll teach you the basics of Scheme, and how to learn more.
Prerequisites
Significant programming experience, but no Scheme.
Introduction to Video Game Development Full!
Teachers:
Alec Thomson
Curious about how video games are made? Want to make your own games for fun and/or profit? In this course, we will explore and elucidate all the aspects of video game development with a focus on code and design. We will use a small game as an example and go through the process of its development. This course will also introduce various tools you can download and use to start making your own games right away.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with object oriented computer programming will be very useful for understanding the technical examples but is not required.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with object oriented computer programming will be very useful for understanding the technical examples but is not required.
Machine Vision: Extracting Shapes from Images
Teachers:
Tony Valderrama
In this class, we develop a basic understanding of the principles and equations which permit us to extract information about the shapes contained in an image.
Specifically, we'll learn how to convert a grid of color values (ie, an image) into a set of "equivalent ellipses" that describe the shapes in the image.
Prerequisites
The second half of this class will consist of a series of derivations, so it helps to be comfortable with following math on the board.
Specifically, we'll learn how to convert a grid of color values (ie, an image) into a set of "equivalent ellipses" that describe the shapes in the image.
Prerequisites
The second half of this class will consist of a series of derivations, so it helps to be comfortable with following math on the board.
How To Do File-Sharing Without Getting Caught
Teachers:
Ken Takusagawa
This class will survey the technical, legal, and historical landscape surrounding peer-to-peer file sharing on the internet, focusing on how the RIAA discovers the identity and activity of file-sharers for its lawsuit campaign. This class will examine how techniques for safeguarding one's privacy on the internet work. This class will be taught from the point-of-view that the RIAA's lawsuit campaign is profoundly unjust, concluding with avenues for political activism against the RIAA and for better copyright law. This class will cover how the internet and file-sharing programs work, so no previous technical knowledge is necessary.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of what a file-sharing computer program (for example, Bittorrent or Gnutella) is.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of what a file-sharing computer program (for example, Bittorrent or Gnutella) is.
Movies!
Teachers:
Thomas Murphy
Classes at Splash are fun and informative, but also sometimes tough and exhausting. This class is a way to relax a little, while hopefully finding new passions for movies you'll have for a lifetime. I will try and play a role that's in-between teacher, movie clerk, and DJ, by discussing what we like about movies and why we relate to them, then showing as many clips as we can cram into 50 minutes. We'll talk about the clips I show, and based on what you like or are curious about, we'll watch more movies in that vein.
All the clips I show are guaranteed not to give things away or spoil the movies.
Whether you're a fan of Will Ferrell or Ingmar Bergman, Tyler Perry or Arnold Schwarzenegger, sci-fi anime or romantic comedies, we'll explore and expand your interests in 50 minutes.
**Note: although we'll steer away from it, it's inevitable that there will be some mature content. You'll have to bring in a permission slip from a parent or guardian.**
All the clips I show are guaranteed not to give things away or spoil the movies.
Whether you're a fan of Will Ferrell or Ingmar Bergman, Tyler Perry or Arnold Schwarzenegger, sci-fi anime or romantic comedies, we'll explore and expand your interests in 50 minutes.
**Note: although we'll steer away from it, it's inevitable that there will be some mature content. You'll have to bring in a permission slip from a parent or guardian.**
The Chessmaster, The Cave, and Other Fables of Complexity Theory
Teachers:
Louis Wasserman
Lying just along the border between the Republic of Mathematics and the Kingdom of Computer Science, the beautiful region of Complexity Theory is a must-see for tourists in either country. Its residents have a great many tales to tell, and the region boasts uniquely talented lie detectors, magical caves, and many cheerful facts about a great variety of problems, both theoretical and practical...and somewhere in this land may lie a $1 million treasure.
Prerequisites
For safe travel, visitors should be comfortable using logarithms, or else they may be eaten by a grue.
Prerequisites
For safe travel, visitors should be comfortable using logarithms, or else they may be eaten by a grue.
Wikipedia: Behind the Scenes
Teachers:
Rob Speer
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It's an incredible source of information on millions of topics, but it can be bewildering at times, especially if you venture onto the editing side.
How do you edit Wikipedia in a way that won't just be undone by another editor? Who decides what belongs in Wikipedia and what doesn't? How can you tell whether to trust what's written in an article?
Rob Speer, a Wikipedia admin, will answer these questions and more. This class will make you a more informed user of Wikipedia, and show you how you can contribute to it yourself as well.
Prerequisites
Some computer skills
How do you edit Wikipedia in a way that won't just be undone by another editor? Who decides what belongs in Wikipedia and what doesn't? How can you tell whether to trust what's written in an article?
Rob Speer, a Wikipedia admin, will answer these questions and more. This class will make you a more informed user of Wikipedia, and show you how you can contribute to it yourself as well.
Prerequisites
Some computer skills
Behind the Power Button: What's Inside Your Computer, and How it Works
Teachers:
Merritt Boyd,
Daniel Fremont
Discover what is really inside your computer! Astound your enemies with your intimate knowledge of the x86 cache hierarchy! Amuse your friends with your deft application of memory-mapped I/O! Push your BIOS to its limits, and serve up EFI for dessert!
In this course, we will discuss the essential components of a modern computer, from registers to RAM, from cache to keyboards. We will describe the basics of how all of these work, and how they interact to give you the ability to use Facebook. We will also explore what actually happens from when you press the power button to when you see the OS logo.
If you want to write your own operating system or build your own computer, this course will help you take the first steps. Or if you want to know which pieces you can pull off the motherboard without an explosion, this is the course for you.
Prerequisites
None.
In this course, we will discuss the essential components of a modern computer, from registers to RAM, from cache to keyboards. We will describe the basics of how all of these work, and how they interact to give you the ability to use Facebook. We will also explore what actually happens from when you press the power button to when you see the OS logo.
If you want to write your own operating system or build your own computer, this course will help you take the first steps. Or if you want to know which pieces you can pull off the motherboard without an explosion, this is the course for you.
Prerequisites
None.
Windows 7 "Server"
Teachers:
Robert A. R. Arlt Jr
Learn how to use your Windows 7 machine to do cool server stuff like: HTTP, FTPES, SSH, VNC. Will include basic usage of IIS and cygwin. May include setting up a WordPress blog.
Prerequisites
Students should bring a Windows 7 machine, otherwise they will only get to watch.
Prerequisites
Students should bring a Windows 7 machine, otherwise they will only get to watch.
Help! That site stole my password!
Teachers:
Adam Seering
Have you seen your Web browser complain that you're doing something insecure? Why does it matter?; who really cares? Just going to a website can't do anything bad, right?
Come enter the world of phishing attacks and cross-site scripting, where professional hackers control your browser and what you see is what they want you to see. See how many different ways I can come up with to steal your password over the course of the hour!
Prerequisites
You'll get the most out of this course if you know some HTML and JavaScript.
Come enter the world of phishing attacks and cross-site scripting, where professional hackers control your browser and what you see is what they want you to see. See how many different ways I can come up with to steal your password over the course of the hour!
Prerequisites
You'll get the most out of this course if you know some HTML and JavaScript.
Exploring the Operating System Kernel
Teachers:
Dan Noe
What does a computer operating system kernel (core) do? In the most basic sense, it is a special program that manages shared resources by virtualizing them. In a a typical computer, the operating system provides access to resources like the CPU, memory, hard disk and other hardware devices.
Each task running on the operating system runs as if it is in its own virtual container, as if it has its own CPU and memory. Programs running in unprivileged mode are prevented from interfering with others. How does the OS kernel accomplish this? How does the hardware support the OS kernel? We'll discuss how, using generic examples.
We'll also look at some easy, generic examples of how files are stored on disk and discuss some of the differences between modern operating systems like Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.
Prerequisites
I won't be using any particular programming language to demonstrate concepts. Examples might include "pseudocode" but this course is largely conceptual so there will not be much. You should be familiar with a basic computer including how the CPU, memory (RAM), and disk fit together.
Each task running on the operating system runs as if it is in its own virtual container, as if it has its own CPU and memory. Programs running in unprivileged mode are prevented from interfering with others. How does the OS kernel accomplish this? How does the hardware support the OS kernel? We'll discuss how, using generic examples.
We'll also look at some easy, generic examples of how files are stored on disk and discuss some of the differences between modern operating systems like Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.
Prerequisites
I won't be using any particular programming language to demonstrate concepts. Examples might include "pseudocode" but this course is largely conceptual so there will not be much. You should be familiar with a basic computer including how the CPU, memory (RAM), and disk fit together.
History of Computers (with a focus on Awesome)
Teachers:
David "davidad" Dalrymple
This semester, I'm studying all sorts of wacky computational models, from 19th century mechanical automata to the BlueGene supercomputer, as part of my Ph.D. general exams. I'd like to share that knowledge with you. I won't limit myself to the mainstream history of the microprocessor, but will attempt to cover the most interesting technologies at each point in history, such as the circa-1953 learning robot with a seven-vacuum-tube "brain," and the "drum memory computer," which stored data as magnetic charge on the surface of a massive rotating drum. I will also include a segment on the history of the Internet, which has its fair share of exciting hacks also.
Prerequisites
The more you know about computers, the more you'll be able to appreciate the stories I'll tell...
Prerequisites
The more you know about computers, the more you'll be able to appreciate the stories I'll tell...
An Explosion of Knowledge on Building Computers
Teachers:
Ariel Wexler
Have you ever wondered what goes in to making a computer? Well, I can answer that for you! This course is going to give a crash course in how to start with chemicals from the earth and build up to the complexity level of simple computers. If you are interested in circuit design, material science, mathematics, logical thinking, and computers, this course will satisfy all of your intellectual cravings.
Come and check it out. I'll be sure to make it exciting.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites aside the interest to learn
Come and check it out. I'll be sure to make it exciting.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites aside the interest to learn
Cryptography
Teachers:
Paul Christiano
I want to tell you some secret information in a public place where everyone can hear me. How can I do this? I will tell you.
How to turn a poorly written exam into an easy 'A' using constraint propogation
Teachers:
Robert McIntyre
We will explore the art of using a test against itself to achieve a higher score.
I will show you techniques in constraint propagation and basic logic, and how to recognize common patterns in tests which yield free answers. You will then be able to get a perfect score on a special example test for which you have no domain knowledge.
I will show you examples of well written tests compared with poorly written tests.
Face your next exam with a whole new perspective!
Prerequisites
none!
I will show you techniques in constraint propagation and basic logic, and how to recognize common patterns in tests which yield free answers. You will then be able to get a perfect score on a special example test for which you have no domain knowledge.
I will show you examples of well written tests compared with poorly written tests.
Face your next exam with a whole new perspective!
Prerequisites
none!
The Singularity: Is It Near? What Does It Mean?
Teachers:
David "davidad" Dalrymple
“Radical life extension”, “transhumanism”, “posthumanism”, “techno-utopia”, “technological singularity”…
Many terms, each with their own baggage, have emerged in the past decade representing one version or another of a future in which there is no useful distinction between human life and human-created technology (where human minds are no longer exclusively bound to organic bodies). Ray Kurzweil calls it the singularity in his popular book “The Singularity Is Near”. I have acquired Kurzweil’s slideshow, which he presents at conferences around the globe spreading his vision. While I may not agree with him on every point, I think it is a lot less crazy than it sounds, and I would like to present (as much as possible) a fair and balanced treatment of what the singularity means, how it could happen, and what it would mean for you.
Many terms, each with their own baggage, have emerged in the past decade representing one version or another of a future in which there is no useful distinction between human life and human-created technology (where human minds are no longer exclusively bound to organic bodies). Ray Kurzweil calls it the singularity in his popular book “The Singularity Is Near”. I have acquired Kurzweil’s slideshow, which he presents at conferences around the globe spreading his vision. While I may not agree with him on every point, I think it is a lot less crazy than it sounds, and I would like to present (as much as possible) a fair and balanced treatment of what the singularity means, how it could happen, and what it would mean for you.
The Chernoff Bound
Teachers:
Shaunak Kishore,
Jacob Steinhardt
Flip a coin 100 times, and you've got an 86% probability of getting between 40 and 60 heads. Find out how you can use this fact to calculate the volume of any convex body, and why succeeding is more important than trying.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of probability.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of probability.
Introduction to Programming Full!
Teachers:
J.D. Zamfirescu
Join us for an introduction to the basics of computer programming. You'll learn about the fundamental concepts of programming and also learn how to think like a programmer.
We'll use a graphics-focused programming language called Processing (it's nearly identical to Java). If you have a laptop, bring it and install the software from http://processing.org/
We'll use a graphics-focused programming language called Processing (it's nearly identical to Java). If you have a laptop, bring it and install the software from http://processing.org/
Pwning 101 Full!
Teachers:
Benjamin Agre
This class will be an introduction to applied computer security, with an emphasis on breaking things. This class will focus on application security, not on system security. In other words, there will be a simple end goal, one will not analyze a full system.
It will consist of two parts, the first half an hour to forty-five minutes will be an introduction to assembly as well as some tools. The second will be hands on usage. Students will have two separate challenges to exploit.
Prerequisites
To get the most out of the class some familiarity with assembly, reversing would be useful.
It will consist of two parts, the first half an hour to forty-five minutes will be an introduction to assembly as well as some tools. The second will be hands on usage. Students will have two separate challenges to exploit.
Prerequisites
To get the most out of the class some familiarity with assembly, reversing would be useful.
Metacircular Scheming
Teachers:
Aviv Ovadya
An impractical introduction to Scheme, a ridiculously flexible and powerful programming language. I will teach how to implement Scheme in Scheme, while learning Scheme.
Prerequisites
This class is meant for people who don’t know Scheme (or other Lisp variants). However, you should have some minimum programming experience - you should know how to use if statements, functions and recursion.
Prerequisites
This class is meant for people who don’t know Scheme (or other Lisp variants). However, you should have some minimum programming experience - you should know how to use if statements, functions and recursion.
Common Sense Reasoning for Artificial Intelligence
Teachers:
Catherine Havasi
When people communicate with each other, their conversation relies on many basic, unspoken assumptions. We often learn the basis behind these assumptions long before we can write at all, making them difficult for computers to learn. These assumptions underlie all forms of human communication from teaching, to giving directions, to ordering dinner at a restaurant.
A user who interacts with a computer interface, however, can become frustrated because the computer does not understand their goals and motivations. For human-computer interaction to become as fluent as communication between humans, computers need to be able to understand the user’s basic, unspoken assumptions.
These assumptions form the body of knowledge known as “common sense” and we’ll be discussing how it is collected and used by the AI research community.
Prerequisites
Exposure to computer science and some preconceptions about AI. Linear algebra experience will helpful to demystify some of the algorithms discussed at the end of the class but is by no means required.
A user who interacts with a computer interface, however, can become frustrated because the computer does not understand their goals and motivations. For human-computer interaction to become as fluent as communication between humans, computers need to be able to understand the user’s basic, unspoken assumptions.
These assumptions form the body of knowledge known as “common sense” and we’ll be discussing how it is collected and used by the AI research community.
Prerequisites
Exposure to computer science and some preconceptions about AI. Linear algebra experience will helpful to demystify some of the algorithms discussed at the end of the class but is by no means required.
Advanced programming language implementation
Teachers:
Jonathan Sailor
This is a continuation of C3099. We will discuss more advanced topics in programming language implementations: laziness, recursions, state, and continuation-passing-style and some of its uses.
Prerequisites
We assume knowledge of Scheme and of the material in C3099. A minimum grade level of 9 is set for this course; if you are younger and feel this course is appropriate for you, contact me. If the course is full and you think it is extremely appropriate for you, contact me.
Prerequisites
We assume knowledge of Scheme and of the material in C3099. A minimum grade level of 9 is set for this course; if you are younger and feel this course is appropriate for you, contact me. If the course is full and you think it is extremely appropriate for you, contact me.
Algorithms in Graph Theory
Teachers:
Shravas Rao
Graphs are a collection of nodes, and edges that connect different nodes. In this class, we'll learn different algorithms that are used on graphs, including various shortest path algorithms, algorithms to calculate flow, and more.
Prerequisites
Previous experience with graph theory is helpful.
Prerequisites
Previous experience with graph theory is helpful.
Information Security - What's the Big Deal?
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.
Prerequisites
Users of all experience levels and opinions are welcome for a respectful and lively discussion.
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.
Prerequisites
Users of all experience levels and opinions are welcome for a respectful and lively discussion.
Introduction to Computational Lingusistics
Teachers:
Catherine Havasi
In this class, we'll cover the basics of computational linguistics, which is a branch of both artificial intelligence and linguistics.
We'll talk about some machine learning techniques we can use to make computers understand and reason with language.
Prerequisites
A curiosity that doesn't fear a little math.
We'll talk about some machine learning techniques we can use to make computers understand and reason with language.
Prerequisites
A curiosity that doesn't fear a little math.
Parallel Programming from the Hardware Up
Teachers:
Dan Noe
We now live in a world of multithreaded programs, dual and quad core CPUs, and increasingly parallel programming. Moore's law no longer scales "up" it scales "out." Understanding concurrency and parallel programming will be crucial to the next generation of software engineers.
In this course I will discuss the reasons why parallelism is the direction of computing performance, how computer software and operation systems handle simultaneously shared resources, and how computer hardware is designed to facilitate synchronization (including "memory barriers" and cache synchronization) and resource sharing.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with a particular programming language is not required. Examples will be generic. You should have a basic familiarity with how a typical computer works including the roles of the CPU and memory (RAM).
In this course I will discuss the reasons why parallelism is the direction of computing performance, how computer software and operation systems handle simultaneously shared resources, and how computer hardware is designed to facilitate synchronization (including "memory barriers" and cache synchronization) and resource sharing.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with a particular programming language is not required. Examples will be generic. You should have a basic familiarity with how a typical computer works including the roles of the CPU and memory (RAM).
How to Make a 3D Animated Movie Full!
Teachers:
Hemagiri Arumugam
Have you ever wondered how they make movies like Toy Story or Finding Nemo? Come find out how the characters are made and animated. Then, make your own simple animation!
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with computers.
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with computers.
Algorithms for Awesome
Teachers:
David Benjamin,
Jacob Steinhardt
Algorithms rock
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Segmentation fault
Topics: Big-O (runtime analysis), sorting, searching, data structures (heaps, trees, lists), hashing, graph theory (Dijkstra’s algorithm, minimal spanning tree).
Prerequisites
In order to put things in context, it would be good to know how to program in a logic-based language (e.g. C,C++,JAVA,LISP,Python,Ruby). However, as long as you have an understanding of how computers work, you'll probably be fine.
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Segmentation fault
Topics: Big-O (runtime analysis), sorting, searching, data structures (heaps, trees, lists), hashing, graph theory (Dijkstra’s algorithm, minimal spanning tree).
Prerequisites
In order to put things in context, it would be good to know how to program in a logic-based language (e.g. C,C++,JAVA,LISP,Python,Ruby). However, as long as you have an understanding of how computers work, you'll probably be fine.
Intro to Asymmetric Cryptography
Teachers:
Alexander Rozenshteyn
Strong private key cryptography is important in the modern world, but if it is to be used to communicate privately, key distribution is a nightmare.
Public key cryptography solves this problem. Theory and applications of RSA will be the focus. Diffie-Hellman (and Elgamal) will be mentioned time permitting.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with modular arithmetic is helpful.
Public key cryptography solves this problem. Theory and applications of RSA will be the focus. Diffie-Hellman (and Elgamal) will be mentioned time permitting.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with modular arithmetic is helpful.
Linux 101 Full!
Teachers:
Robert A. R. Arlt Jr
A very, very, basic introduction to Linux. We won't be covering much, so if you know anything about Linux then this class isn't for you. If ls > file.list means nothing to you, then you might want to check out the class. We will be using openSUSE.
Prerequisites
Computer with http://www.vmware.com/products/server/ installed.
Prerequisites
Computer with http://www.vmware.com/products/server/ installed.
Web Design and Web Programming! Full!
Teachers:
Sergio Benitez
Websites, websites, websites! There sure are a bunch of them around the world (wide web) aren't there? Those darn things! But, how do they actually come to life? In this class, we'll go over the entire process of building a website. We'll start with an idea, work our way into a web design, and then proceed to making it all fit together by programming the site. Hopefully it won't be too Frankenstein-looking, but if it is, even funner! We'll use very simple programming languages such as CSS and XHTML, plus Photoshop's awesome graphic editing tools, to make our website go!
Prerequisites
Student must come with an avid mind to learn and engage! No exceptions whatsoever!
Prerequisites
Student must come with an avid mind to learn and engage! No exceptions whatsoever!
Modern Cryptography
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.
Giving Nothing Away: Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Teachers:
Louis Wasserman
Suppose that you've just solved one of the biggest problems in mathematics. Naturally, you'll want to jealously guard your secrets...except that you don't want to give anything away until your work is accepted for publication. How can you prove to your friends that your proof is valid...without giving anything away?
With the tools of complexity theory, it's known that you can keep your secrets *and* prove your brilliance. Learn how.
Prerequisites
You must have taken Fables of Complexity Theory (C2675) to take this course, and should have a good understanding of basic probability theory.
With the tools of complexity theory, it's known that you can keep your secrets *and* prove your brilliance. Learn how.
Prerequisites
You must have taken Fables of Complexity Theory (C2675) to take this course, and should have a good understanding of basic probability theory.
Engineering
Designing a One-Way Mission to Mars Seminar Full!
Teachers:
Phillip Cunio
This course will create a group design for a one-way mission to Mars, intended to found a permanent colony. I will guide students through key decisions in the design process to create a final mission profile, teaching about the potential options for the choices and about the reasons the choices must be made as we go. Students should bring creative ideas and a willingness to discuss in groups or as a class.
Prerequisites
None.
Prerequisites
None.
Sustainable Energy made Practical Full!
Teachers:
Finale Doshi-Velez
Going green is in, and everyone knows it: ads for cars and energy companies are filled with images of nature; malls, schools, and supermarkets are littered with notices telling us to unplug our phone chargers, turn down the lights, and use fewer paper towels. We're swamped with suggestions, but the question is, how much difference do these things make? Will recycling plastic bags really save the planet?
In this class, we'll do some basic arithmetic on the numbers behind generating and using energy. We'll draw conclusions about what it would take to switch to sustainable energy as well as what we can do as individuals to have the most impact on our energy footprint.
Prerequisites
none, some very basic familiarity with physics a plus
In this class, we'll do some basic arithmetic on the numbers behind generating and using energy. We'll draw conclusions about what it would take to switch to sustainable energy as well as what we can do as individuals to have the most impact on our energy footprint.
Prerequisites
none, some very basic familiarity with physics a plus
Leadership and Teamwork
Teachers:
Tanya Goldhaber,
Stephanie Schmit
This class will have several activities that will teach students leadership and teamwork skills. It will be taught by students in the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program.
Prerequisites
None.
Prerequisites
None.
Design a Satellite
Ever wanted to design a satellite space mission? The members of the MIT CASTOR Satellite Team will show you how it's done! Students will be divided into teams and given some basic materials, and will design a satellite mission and the satellite to meet those requirements, and build it, too! While we can't promise your satellite will get launched, we can promise you'll have a great time learning about satellites and space missions!
Prerequisites
none
Prerequisites
none
Intro To Fission Power Full!
Teachers:
Matthew Denman,
Joshua Payne
Learn about how abundant clean energy is produced on a daily basis through nuclear power. This course covers the basics of radiation, the fission process, and how nuclear power plants work.
Prerequisites
N/A
Prerequisites
N/A
Invention Workshop
Teachers:
Nikolai Begg
Have you ever dreamed of creating something new that changes the way people live their lives? In this course, we'll cover what invention really means, how it has changed over history, and what tools you need to be a successful inventor today. Finally, we'll invent something of our own and practice group brainstorming and concept selection. Topics will include a brief history, problem/need identification, concept generation and selection, proof of concept, patents, and idea transfer.
Prerequisites
A willingness to participate.
Prerequisites
A willingness to participate.
Geoengineering: Weird Solutions to Global Warming
Teachers:
Michelle Bentivegna
Climate change has become a huge issue in recent years. Most scientists advocate alternative energy sources and conservation as a solution. A few scientists, though, propose large-scale projects to fix the planet - like growing giant trees to scrub carbon out the the air, or spewing sulfur aerosols into the air to cool the planet.
Prerequisites
Basic chemistry and biology. You should know about things like photosynthesis and balancing chemical equations.
Prerequisites
Basic chemistry and biology. You should know about things like photosynthesis and balancing chemical equations.
Engineering Improv II
Teachers:
Derreck Barber,
Julia Boortz
Like building things? Like Improv? During this hour you will work with your team to try to build the best solution to a problem that you will be given at the beginning of class.
Prerequisites
Willingness to work as a team.
Prerequisites
Willingness to work as a team.
Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Small Things: an Introduction to Nanotechnology
Teachers:
Liza Plotnikov
Let's say you have a brick of pure gold. What color do you think it would be? Probably yellow, right? Okay, let's say you take your brick of gold and cut in in half. Now what color is it? Probably still yellow, right? Alright, now what if you cut your brick of gold in half so many times that you wind up with a teensy piece that's only a couple hundred atoms across. Of course you'd find that its color is....red?
Turns out that stuff tends to behave really weirdly when it's small. Why? Come find out.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of chemistry and physics would be useful, but not required.
Turns out that stuff tends to behave really weirdly when it's small. Why? Come find out.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of chemistry and physics would be useful, but not required.
From Nanosand to Ipod Nano
Teachers:
Jessica Liu
"Nano, nano, nano, what a wonderful surprise...that ordinary is extraordinary when you make it nano-sized!" What do you get when you cross a virus and a battery? How do gecko toes stick? Bioengineering knows the answer to these questions. Learn how small things are making big changes.
When Buildings Collapse: Structural Engineering and 9/11
Teachers:
Michelle Bentivegna
We've all learned about the geopolitical effects behind the fall of the World Trade Center - but what about the mechanics? Take this class to learn why the Twin Towers collapsed, why it took longer for the North Tower to fall, and why all the 9/11 conspiracy theories you've ever heard are bogus.
Prerequisites
Algebra
Prerequisites
Algebra
Engineering Improv I Full!
Teachers:
Derreck Barber,
Julia Boortz
Like building things? Like Improv? During this hour you will work with your team to try to build the best solution to a problem that you will be given at the beginning of class.
Prerequisites
Willingness to work as a team.
Prerequisites
Willingness to work as a team.
So you wanna be an electrical engineer...
Teachers:
Manishika Agaskar,
Amanda Turk
What makes lightbulbs light up and toasters toast? Electricity! In this class, you'll learn the fundamentals of electricity and circuits from the bottom up. At the end, you'll put what you learned into practice by building a circuit of your own!
Prerequisites
If you are taking this class, you should have NO circuit experience at all. Ever. This is a BEGINNER course.
Prerequisites
If you are taking this class, you should have NO circuit experience at all. Ever. This is a BEGINNER course.
How to make a star: Intro to Nuclear Fusion
Teachers:
Matthew Denman,
Joshua Payne
Come learn about the ultimate power source in the universe! Nuclear Fusion is the combining of two nuclei and in the process releasing a ton of energy.
Come learn about plasmas hotter than the center of the sun, lasers that are as powerful as nuclear weapons, and machines that have magnetic fields so strong that they can levitate superconducting rings that weigh as much as a car.
Come learn about plasmas hotter than the center of the sun, lasers that are as powerful as nuclear weapons, and machines that have magnetic fields so strong that they can levitate superconducting rings that weigh as much as a car.
Wind Energy Basics Full!
Teachers:
Katherine Dykes
This course provides students with the fundamentals of wind energy and turbine design; students then get an opportunity to create their own turbine design and test it.
Prerequisites
none
Prerequisites
none
Drug Development 101 Full!
Teachers:
Stephanie Bachar
Many people take drugs on a daily basis - for headaches, acne, cancer, arthritis, you name it.
The average drug takes 15 years to develop and over 1 billion dollars to fund. In this class we will go through the drug development process step by step to understand how scientists identify drug targets, design drugs, and go through clinical trial.
Prerequisites
You absolutely need high school biology. AP biology and other biology related knowledge will be helpful.
The average drug takes 15 years to develop and over 1 billion dollars to fund. In this class we will go through the drug development process step by step to understand how scientists identify drug targets, design drugs, and go through clinical trial.
Prerequisites
You absolutely need high school biology. AP biology and other biology related knowledge will be helpful.
Intro to Chemical Engineering Full!
Teachers:
Lonna Gordon
Where do physics, mathematics, and chemistry come together as a logic puzzle? In chemical engineering.
Chemical engineers are the people behind everything. From canned soup to medicine to cleaning up oil spills, chemical engineers design the process to make it happen.
Use science, math, and chemical engineering principles to design a process to produce jam, artificial lungs, or clean up pollution.
New this year: design a distillation column and separation process and learn about the career potential in one of the highest paid engineering professions.
Prerequisites
Some basic idea of what calculus is used for and the notation would help, but isn't necessary. Bring a calculator, a pencil, and a straight edge.
Chemical engineers are the people behind everything. From canned soup to medicine to cleaning up oil spills, chemical engineers design the process to make it happen.
Use science, math, and chemical engineering principles to design a process to produce jam, artificial lungs, or clean up pollution.
New this year: design a distillation column and separation process and learn about the career potential in one of the highest paid engineering professions.
Prerequisites
Some basic idea of what calculus is used for and the notation would help, but isn't necessary. Bring a calculator, a pencil, and a straight edge.
Engineering Improv III Full!
Teachers:
Derreck Barber,
Julia Boortz
Like building things? Like Improv? During this hour you will work with your team to try to build the best solution to a problem that you will be given at the beginning of class.
Prerequisites
Willingness to work as a team.
Prerequisites
Willingness to work as a team.
How Stuff is Made Full!
Teachers:
Amber Houghstow,
Melissa Kaufman
We'll learn about some standard manufacturing processes and examine everyday items to figure out how they're made.
Why do Metals Conduct Electricity? Full!
Teachers:
Liza Plotnikov
Why do metals conduct electricity? Why do insulators insulate? What the heck is a semiconductor? In this class we'll talk about what gives a material its electrical properties. We'll also learn how there properties can be tweaked to build electronic devices (like the computer you're using to read this course description).
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of chemistry and physics would be useful, but not required.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of chemistry and physics would be useful, but not required.
Methods of Biological Engineering (Or, How to Feel Almost God-Like)
Teachers:
Kristin Kuhn
Have you ever wanted to take photographs with bacteria? Or make a logic gate with E. Coli? How about designing the next cure for cancer?
In this class, you'll learn about the magic, er, I mean, techniques bioengineers use to do the things they do.
Prerequisites
Some biology preferred
In this class, you'll learn about the magic, er, I mean, techniques bioengineers use to do the things they do.
Prerequisites
Some biology preferred
Walkthrough of MIT's Nuclear Reactor MIT-R
Teachers:
Matthew Denman,
Joshua Payne
See a nuclear reactor first hand! With this once in a lifetime experience you can go inside the containment dome and see how a reactor operates first hand.
Note: Cameras, cellular phones, bags, backpacks, coats, suit jackets, etc., are permitted in the administrative building but are not permitted on the tour.
ALSO, please note that the tours are at
Sat. 11/21 1:30 - 2:15 p.m.,
Sat. 11/21 4:15 - 5:00 p.m., and
Sun. 11/22 2:45 - 3:30 p.m.
They tours do not necessarily start or end at the start or end of the period. You should come to the meeting place at least twenty minutes beforehand.
Prerequisites
Must sign up by 11/19, no last minute slots.
Note: Cameras, cellular phones, bags, backpacks, coats, suit jackets, etc., are permitted in the administrative building but are not permitted on the tour.
ALSO, please note that the tours are at
Sat. 11/21 1:30 - 2:15 p.m.,
Sat. 11/21 4:15 - 5:00 p.m., and
Sun. 11/22 2:45 - 3:30 p.m.
They tours do not necessarily start or end at the start or end of the period. You should come to the meeting place at least twenty minutes beforehand.
Prerequisites
Must sign up by 11/19, no last minute slots.
Combinational Logic Circuits
Teachers:
Tony Valderrama
Every second, you computer processor performs an incredible number of computations involving basic arithmetic. So how exactly does it perform these calculations? The answer lies in combinational circuits - circuits which are built entirely of logic gates. In this class, we'll cover the basics of boolean algebra, logic, and circuit design as we design rudimentary combinational logic circuits. If we have time, we'll build a working adder circuit at the end of class.
Design and Analysis of Roller Coasters
Teachers:
Erik Olague
Learn about the design techniques that go into making roller coasters. Learn how designers go about making sure that the rider goes through the most intense experience possible and yet makes that experience as safe as he can. Delve into the minds of the greatest designers in the world.
Prerequisites
Some calculus is needed to understand some of the more rigorous concepts, but general interest of roller coasters is all that is needed.
Prerequisites
Some calculus is needed to understand some of the more rigorous concepts, but general interest of roller coasters is all that is needed.
Building Combat Robots (For fun and... well... not profit)
Teachers:
Nathan Partlan
Who doesn't love destroying carefully crafted machines in a hail of sparks and flying bolts? (Ok, maybe some people... but they're the crazy ones, right?) Well, this is the class that will explain the basics of (safely!) building machines that destroy other machines. In an arena. Possibly with fire. Enough said?
Prerequisites
A love of destruction. No previous experience with robotics or mechanical work is necessary.
Prerequisites
A love of destruction. No previous experience with robotics or mechanical work is necessary.
Bacterial Photography and Other Adventures in Synthetic Biology
Teachers:
Alioth Drinkwater
This course will take you from high school biology up to understanding a particular engineered bacterium that takes photographs. We'll explore such mysteries as the bacterial two-component signaling system, the language of phosphorylation, and how to wire input A to output B. We'll also discuss the basic tenets of synthetic biology -- how people are trying to make biology a Real Engineering Discipline, with libraries of standard parts and off-the-shelf-installable logic gates.
You may also be interested in E2889: Methods of Biological Engineering (Or, How to Feel Almost God-Like).
Prerequisites
High school biology or equivalent understanding of cells and biological molecules. If you've heard of Okazaki fragments and know what a catalyst does, you're probably good.
You may also be interested in E2889: Methods of Biological Engineering (Or, How to Feel Almost God-Like).
Prerequisites
High school biology or equivalent understanding of cells and biological molecules. If you've heard of Okazaki fragments and know what a catalyst does, you're probably good.
Composite Structures and Design
Teachers:
George Hansel
A brief introduction to various types of composite --- e.g. carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic --- structures, design, and fabrication.
Prerequisites
none
Prerequisites
none
I Don't Know How to Build a Windmill Full!
Teachers:
Volunteer Teacher
I don't know how to build a windmill. And you probably don't, either! But I saw a thirty minute talk by this one guy who built a windmill once, and I think that if we get enough junk, we should be able to build one that powers something small. In Killian. In 5 hours. Maybe.
Prerequisites
Ability to think, willingness to hold large pieces of wood for long periods of time, open friendliness towards your fellow windmill-makers, wearing appropriate clothes for working outside, tolerance for failure
Prerequisites
Ability to think, willingness to hold large pieces of wood for long periods of time, open friendliness towards your fellow windmill-makers, wearing appropriate clothes for working outside, tolerance for failure
Aircraft Jet Engine
Teachers:
Mayank Agarwal
This is going to be a FUN class - I promise!!! Very few equations or Math. Lots of videos and pictures. I have 6 years of experience working with jet engines in the industry. The purpose is to generate awareness for the technology and science and aviation in general.
Engines are the powerhouses that help the planes take-off, keep them afloat, make them blast at speeds over Mach 2 (2 times the speed of sound) and provide auxiliary power for the cabin. Learn the basic thermo and mechanical principles of a jet engine.
Prerequisites
None
Engines are the powerhouses that help the planes take-off, keep them afloat, make them blast at speeds over Mach 2 (2 times the speed of sound) and provide auxiliary power for the cabin. Learn the basic thermo and mechanical principles of a jet engine.
Prerequisites
None
Fabric Engineering: Building Teddy
Teachers:
E Rosser
As a child, curled in your bed, snuggling with your favorite stuffed bear/dog/velociraptor, did you ponder the geometries that made his cuddly shape possible? Did you envision the static equilibriums and strains that held his cute little nose together? Did you contemplate the Young's Modulus of his soft, fluffy fur? If so, you and your unique childhood are welcome for this class!
We will look at stuffed animals and how they are held together, talk some basic mechanics and materials, and apply these principles to making our own stuffed...critter. These skills can not only be applied to standard engineering problems, but especially to sewing and design projects.
Prerequisites
Basic sewing skills are useful, but not necessary. Come with imaginations warm and revving!
We will look at stuffed animals and how they are held together, talk some basic mechanics and materials, and apply these principles to making our own stuffed...critter. These skills can not only be applied to standard engineering problems, but especially to sewing and design projects.
Prerequisites
Basic sewing skills are useful, but not necessary. Come with imaginations warm and revving!
It's the Future! Why Aren't We Living in Space Yet? Full!
Teachers:
Ben Corbin
Everyone's grandparents grew up thinking that by the year 2000 we'd have flying cars and round trip service to Moon hotels. Student will learn many of the challenges that still face our space program in allowing humans to live off Earth. Moon and Mars habitats as well as free-floating space colonies will be discussed along with the environmental barriers that must be overcome. Hosted by the Students for the Exploration and Developement of Space.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Humanities
Introduction to Ancient Greek, Part I Full!
Teachers:
Pamela Alvarez
In this class for beginners, we will cover as much of the grammar of Classical (Attic) Greek as time will permit us.
In Part I of this two-class sequence, we will learn the Greek alphabet, along with some vocabulary, a declension or two, and some verb paradigms.
In Part II, we will continue our discussion of grammar and read some epigrams and the beginning of a Socratic dialogue in their original Greek.
Prerequisites
Prior study of Latin extremely helpful, but not required
In Part I of this two-class sequence, we will learn the Greek alphabet, along with some vocabulary, a declension or two, and some verb paradigms.
In Part II, we will continue our discussion of grammar and read some epigrams and the beginning of a Socratic dialogue in their original Greek.
Prerequisites
Prior study of Latin extremely helpful, but not required
Politics in Science Fiction: Battlestar Galactica and Foundation Full!
Teachers:
Louis Wasserman
The reimagined Battlestar Galactica series presents a stunning examination of the war on terror, civil liberties, prisoner torture, religious conflict, and democratic politics, through the lens of science fiction. Asimov's Foundation sequence depicts a growing political unit through periods related to American Manifest Destiny and to the rise of fascism in Germany. We'll discuss these depictions, and how the genre of science fiction enables us to consider important questions in a new light.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with the Foundation sequence or the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series is recommended.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with the Foundation sequence or the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series is recommended.
Introduction to Human Rights Full!
Teachers:
Anya Thetford,
Nalika Vasudevan
We're starting to hear the term "Human Rights" more and more both at home and abroad, but what are human rights? What is the philosophical basis for human rights and what do human rights look like in practice? We'll be answering these questions and more in this class!
Swedish History, 1610-1650 Full!
Teachers:
Sweet Tea Dorminy
Sweden sometimes seems like a backwoods of Europe, but in fact it was an influential player in early modern Europe. Did you know that Sweden had a colony in the New World? Or that Sweden was regarded as the European defender of Protestantism from 1630 to 1720? We'll examine Swedish history through the perspective of Axel Oxenstierna, Lord High Chancellor of Sweden and thus second in power to the king from 1610-1650.
We'll touch on Sweden in the New World, Sweden's progress from a medieval to a modern nation, their governmental reforms, and Oxenstierna's personal contributions to modernizing Sweden.
We'll touch on Sweden in the New World, Sweden's progress from a medieval to a modern nation, their governmental reforms, and Oxenstierna's personal contributions to modernizing Sweden.
Thinking about Places Full!
Teachers:
Luke Joyner,
Anya Thetford
In this class, we'll have an open discussion about the places we know well, what makes them different from other places, and how they absorb cultural identities.
We may talk about some or all of the following: our stereotypes of places; what we like or dislike in a place; what it really is about places that creates meaning; the differences between shallow expressions of local culture and more meaningful ones; the effect of different time periods and technologies and cultural movements on how we experience place; whether very small details can change individuals' views of places; how individuals can have different impressions of the same places.
Please come to this class with your own ideas on some of the issues raised in this description, or other related issues. Be ready to share your ideas, think about others' ideas, and see where the conversation takes us.
There will be a lot of pictures and maps to spur conversation, and I'll be ready to look for pictures on the fly to illustrate examples we may end up discussing.
Prerequisites
An interest in place, and in what makes places special. A willingness to share your ideas, listen to others, and participate in a conversation that may end up just about anywhere.
We may talk about some or all of the following: our stereotypes of places; what we like or dislike in a place; what it really is about places that creates meaning; the differences between shallow expressions of local culture and more meaningful ones; the effect of different time periods and technologies and cultural movements on how we experience place; whether very small details can change individuals' views of places; how individuals can have different impressions of the same places.
Please come to this class with your own ideas on some of the issues raised in this description, or other related issues. Be ready to share your ideas, think about others' ideas, and see where the conversation takes us.
There will be a lot of pictures and maps to spur conversation, and I'll be ready to look for pictures on the fly to illustrate examples we may end up discussing.
Prerequisites
An interest in place, and in what makes places special. A willingness to share your ideas, listen to others, and participate in a conversation that may end up just about anywhere.
A Brief Conversation About the Baha'i Faith Full!
Teachers:
David Nawi
Can you imagine covering an entire religion in one hour? Neither can I. So let’s sit down, get relaxed, and have a short conversation about a religion you may not have heard of or know much about. Be sure to bring your questioning nature and open mind along for the ride.
Prerequisites
no prerequisites.
Prerequisites
no prerequisites.
What We Say to People, What People Hear
Teachers:
Josh Shaine
“I don’t understand!” “What do you mean?” “How could you do that to me?” Have any of these been said to you? Did you know the answer? If you aren’t sure, take this course. We’ll discuss some of the reasons you are so misunderstood. The class will be lecture/discussion, with references to major theories and theorists as an inclusion, but not the major focus. The purpose of this course is to give you some tools for self-examination. It is neither for counseling nor for therapy.
Prerequisites
The major prerequisite is open-mindedness, and the other is to be non-critical of other participant.
Prerequisites
The major prerequisite is open-mindedness, and the other is to be non-critical of other participant.
The Privacy Architecture of Facebook
Teachers:
Chris Peterson
Everybody knows that privacy is a problem on social network sites.
But what is privacy, and what kind of problem is it? Why do these problems occur, and what can stop them?
This course will introduce students to some basic theories of privacy as a sociolegal construct. It will then discuss the environmental or architectural elements of privacy that are often invisible in our world. It will describe how these factors contribute to Facebook privacy problems, and what steps we might take to fix them.
This class is taught from an interdisciplinary humanities perspective. It will feature wide-ranging discussion about the various issues, and plenty of time for derails and interesting explorations of marginally related issues with privacy and social software.
But what is privacy, and what kind of problem is it? Why do these problems occur, and what can stop them?
This course will introduce students to some basic theories of privacy as a sociolegal construct. It will then discuss the environmental or architectural elements of privacy that are often invisible in our world. It will describe how these factors contribute to Facebook privacy problems, and what steps we might take to fix them.
This class is taught from an interdisciplinary humanities perspective. It will feature wide-ranging discussion about the various issues, and plenty of time for derails and interesting explorations of marginally related issues with privacy and social software.
Introduction to Latin, Part I Full!
Teachers:
Pamela Alvarez
In this class for beginners, we will cover as much Latin grammar and vocabulary as time will allow us.
By the end of Part I of this two-class sequence, expect to be able to form simple sentences and read a couple of authentic inscriptions in Latin.
By the end of Part II, you will be able to read the beginning of Vergil's Aeneid in its original Latin.
Prerequisites
Study of another foreign language helpful, but not required. Feel free to sign up for Part I but not Part II, and vice versa.
By the end of Part I of this two-class sequence, expect to be able to form simple sentences and read a couple of authentic inscriptions in Latin.
By the end of Part II, you will be able to read the beginning of Vergil's Aeneid in its original Latin.
Prerequisites
Study of another foreign language helpful, but not required. Feel free to sign up for Part I but not Part II, and vice versa.
The Greek of Homer: Alphabet and initial paradigms Full!
Teachers:
Craig Abernethy
We will learn the Greek alphabet and begin to look at how nouns and verbs behave in the Greek of Homer. At the end of the instruction, you will be able to read aloud some lines from the beginning of the first book of the Iliad.
Prerequisites
Open to high school students. If you like studying foreign languages, you will probably enjoy this activity.
Prerequisites
Open to high school students. If you like studying foreign languages, you will probably enjoy this activity.
Why the World is the Way It Is: Recent World History Full!
Do you remember the Berlin Wall? 16-bit video game consoles? The Challenger disaster? Madeleine Albright? The Iran-contra scandal?
In this class we’ll explore how the short-term effects of events after 1960 have shaped the current state of the world.
This will be a discussion-based class. Bring questions that you might have about recent history, and we'll do our best to answer them!
In this class we’ll explore how the short-term effects of events after 1960 have shaped the current state of the world.
This will be a discussion-based class. Bring questions that you might have about recent history, and we'll do our best to answer them!
U.N Millenium Goals: Can it be achieved? Full!
Teachers:
Asvin Srinivasan
When many of us think of the United Nations we typically think of the Security Council and nuclear arms. However some of the U.N's most critical work is in development and poverty area. In 2000, the Millennium development goals were laid out as a roadmap for reducing poverty and improving the lives of millions. How is the U.N attempting to accomplish this? Are there better ways? How can you contribute? What does this mean for us as Americans?
Prerequisites
I will provide some course background reading about the Millennium development goals prior to the class.
Prerequisites
I will provide some course background reading about the Millennium development goals prior to the class.
What is a liberal education?
Teachers:
Michael Shaw
Many of you will end up in college in the not so distant future. You may be deciding between "liberal arts" colleges offering a well-rounded education, and technical schools providing more focused training. Howsoever can you choose?
Our nation is in the midst of a standards-based revolution, with the No Child Left Behind Act the epitome thereof. Teachers are told precisely which facts students are to know, and they teach you the same, but is this the right way to go about education? Should schools tell you what to learn?
More fundamentally, what should we all know? Patrons of the liberal arts believe that widespread knowledge of Shakespeare make our country better. Scientists say that unless most people learn more about evolution, about global warming, that we face impending catastrophe. Is this just specialists arguing for the supremacy of their field, or is there truth to their assertions?
We will spend the class probing our own ideas about a liberal education, about what we all should know to be good citizens, good people. You will come out of this class with a sense of the variety of perspectives in the world, and a firmer grasp of your own thoughts on the issue.
Our nation is in the midst of a standards-based revolution, with the No Child Left Behind Act the epitome thereof. Teachers are told precisely which facts students are to know, and they teach you the same, but is this the right way to go about education? Should schools tell you what to learn?
More fundamentally, what should we all know? Patrons of the liberal arts believe that widespread knowledge of Shakespeare make our country better. Scientists say that unless most people learn more about evolution, about global warming, that we face impending catastrophe. Is this just specialists arguing for the supremacy of their field, or is there truth to their assertions?
We will spend the class probing our own ideas about a liberal education, about what we all should know to be good citizens, good people. You will come out of this class with a sense of the variety of perspectives in the world, and a firmer grasp of your own thoughts on the issue.
Highlights of Communications Law
Teachers:
Paul Kominers
We'll discuss six important court cases dealing with emerging electronic communications (from telephones to radio to email), dealing with standards for privacy and obscenity. We'll also discuss implications of the cases, the reasons I got interested in the first place, and why Terry v. Ohio, which has nothing whatsoever to do with electronic communications, is awesome.
Inner Light: A Brief Introduction to Jainism Full!
Teachers:
Finale Doshi-Velez
Jainism is a Eastern religion that talks about finding peace with oneself and the world. Although relatively little-known, it served as inspiration for the nonviolent nature of Gandhi's protests (which later inspired Martin Luther King). What else does Jainism say, and what do you have say in response? After a brief introduction about its history and principles, we'll focus the discussion on the implications of its philosophy in our current society.
Prerequisites
open mind
Prerequisites
open mind
A quick introduction to the Arabic Language Full!
Teachers:
Ammar Ammar,
Maria Guirguis
Learn the basics of Arabic and get to hear some good Arabic music =-)
Creativity Full!
Teachers:
Thomas Murphy
Creativity is one of the most highly-valued human traits. It has application in every field of human endeavor.
We will talk about creativity's role and function:
What causes it? Is it always desirable? Can peoples' limitations cause (or be) creativity? How much does it depend on environment? What is worth sacrificing for it?
Because they are well-suited to short classes, we will primarily talk about creativity in terms of art (movies, music, painting), but we'll also talk about business, interpersonal relationships, computer programming, and more.
We will talk about creativity's role and function:
What causes it? Is it always desirable? Can peoples' limitations cause (or be) creativity? How much does it depend on environment? What is worth sacrificing for it?
Because they are well-suited to short classes, we will primarily talk about creativity in terms of art (movies, music, painting), but we'll also talk about business, interpersonal relationships, computer programming, and more.
Henry David Thoreau Full!
Teachers:
Rachel Sealfon
"The greater part of what my neighbors call good I believe in my soul to be bad, and if I repent of anything, it is very likely to be my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?"--Henry David Thoreau
Have you ever visited Walden Pond? I visited Walden Pond for the first time last summer, and became curious about Thoreau, who lived for two years in a one-room cabin on the shores of Walden. In this seminar, we will read and discuss excerpts from Thoreau's writings (possibly parts of Walden or Civil Disobedience), and try to understand why Thoreau's revolutionary thoughts have inspired poets, writers, naturalists, leaders and reformers, including William Butler Yeats, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Each student in this class will receive a free copy of "Civil Disobedience and Other Essays" by Thoreau.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course
Have you ever visited Walden Pond? I visited Walden Pond for the first time last summer, and became curious about Thoreau, who lived for two years in a one-room cabin on the shores of Walden. In this seminar, we will read and discuss excerpts from Thoreau's writings (possibly parts of Walden or Civil Disobedience), and try to understand why Thoreau's revolutionary thoughts have inspired poets, writers, naturalists, leaders and reformers, including William Butler Yeats, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Each student in this class will receive a free copy of "Civil Disobedience and Other Essays" by Thoreau.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course
Anatomy of a Metaphor
Teachers:
A L
Running short on time? Classes giving you stress? Financial troubles weighing you down?
These questions may not seem metaphorical, but they are.
We not only encounter metaphors in the arts but also think with them. In this workshop, we'll look at various multimedia examples and discuss how metaphors are described in Conceptual Metaphor Theory to understand how we reason about and with them.
These questions may not seem metaphorical, but they are.
We not only encounter metaphors in the arts but also think with them. In this workshop, we'll look at various multimedia examples and discuss how metaphors are described in Conceptual Metaphor Theory to understand how we reason about and with them.
The Sonnet
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 must follow 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 and language
Prerequisites
Interest in poetry and language
The French Revolution
Teachers:
Michelle Bentivegna
In 1789, the French people rose up against the monarchy. What happened in 1789 that made them want to rise up? What kind of government did they want to create? Did they even know? And why did they have to chop off so many heads? Take this class to find out!
Prerequisites
You should be able to look at a map of Europe, and label the major powers.
Prerequisites
You should be able to look at a map of Europe, and label the major powers.
Partiality Full!
Teachers:
Alex Kandell
When are we justified in favoring a certain person or group of people over others? Few would criticize a parent for providing food for their children at the expense of others (who may be more needy). On the other hand, a politician using such a relationship as justification for appointing the child to an important position would be frowned on. Our intuition is clear in these cases, but justifying such intuition can be tricky. Other cases of partiality are far more difficult to render a decision on - affirmative action, for example. We'll look at what a few philosophers have to say on these issues, then see what you think about them.
Prerequisites
None. Experts are welcome, but should be warned that I'd like to keep the discussion accessible for beginners.
Prerequisites
None. Experts are welcome, but should be warned that I'd like to keep the discussion accessible for beginners.
But Aren’t We Friends on Facebook?
Teachers:
Rhochelle Krawetz,
Soren Rehn
You have 2 friend requests.
Aristotle – 2 mutual friends
Confirm? Ignore?
Karl Marx – 0 mutual friends
Confirm? Ignore?
Well, before we respond, maybe we should consider what they think a friend is. Have you ever stopped to think about this word “friend”? What is a friend to you? Why do we have them? How can we be better friends?
To help us think about these questions, we’ll be exploring how great minds like Aristotle and Karl Marx approached friendship. The goal is to help us form our own ideas and discuss them.
So, Confirm or Ignore?
Aristotle – 2 mutual friends
Confirm? Ignore?
Karl Marx – 0 mutual friends
Confirm? Ignore?
Well, before we respond, maybe we should consider what they think a friend is. Have you ever stopped to think about this word “friend”? What is a friend to you? Why do we have them? How can we be better friends?
To help us think about these questions, we’ll be exploring how great minds like Aristotle and Karl Marx approached friendship. The goal is to help us form our own ideas and discuss them.
So, Confirm or Ignore?
Feminism: An Introduction
Teachers:
Nalika Vasudevan
How many of us know what it really means to be a feminist? In this class we'll explore how the feminist movement began and how it has changed over the last century, and by the end of the class, we'll hopefully arrive at a clear conception of what feminism looks like today.
Social Innovation and Volunteerism - How to Make a Difference?
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-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-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
An open mind and a desire to make a difference in the world.
Prerequisites
An open mind and a desire to make a difference in the world.
History of Video Game Music
Teachers:
Rob Speer
Atari. Commodore 64. The NES. Sega Genesis. The demoscene. MIDI. SoundBlaster. Koji Kondo. Bobby Prince. Nobuo Uematsu. Yasunori Mitsuda. OverClocked ReMix.
Video game music has evolved over three decades from simple blips and bleeps into a genre of its own. This genre has been influenced by the technological limitations of its roots, but also by numerous crossovers from popular music, electronic music, film soundtracks, and anime. In this class, I'll give a tour of the history of video game music, and we'll take time to appreciate some of the most significant technological and artistic accomplishments along the way.
Video game music has evolved over three decades from simple blips and bleeps into a genre of its own. This genre has been influenced by the technological limitations of its roots, but also by numerous crossovers from popular music, electronic music, film soundtracks, and anime. In this class, I'll give a tour of the history of video game music, and we'll take time to appreciate some of the most significant technological and artistic accomplishments along the way.
An Introduction to Current Events
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
Interested in news and politics? We'll talk about all the latest events, focused on major activity in the last week before Splash. What happened to health care reform? What about the stimulus effort? What about Afghanistan? Iran? North Korea? In this whirlwind overview, we'll touch on a lot of the happenings, with an emphasis on US politics. We'll do things from the beginning; if you're not up on the news, that's OK. (It's what the class is for!)
Prerequisites
You should have a basic understanding of the US government structure, and a general understanding of history and geography that you'd get from school.
Prerequisites
You should have a basic understanding of the US government structure, and a general understanding of history and geography that you'd get from school.
Deep Play: Reexamining The Balinese Cock-Fight
Teachers:
Race Wright
Cock Fights, though now illegal, remain an important part of Balinese culture, and an interesting phenomenon for analysis. Cock Fights are a more complex social phenomena than simply a "barbaric blood sport" which dirty "uncivilized" people in the middle of nowhere enjoy-- for the Balinese there are deep social and personal identity issues at stake in the fight.
This class is for anyone interested in applying a little bit of anthropological analysis to a social phenomena, or anyone interested in exploring something from an interesting and different culture.
Students are cautioned that there will be some media used in the class which some students might find disturbing.
This class is for anyone interested in applying a little bit of anthropological analysis to a social phenomena, or anyone interested in exploring something from an interesting and different culture.
Students are cautioned that there will be some media used in the class which some students might find disturbing.
American Sign Language by Deluge Full!
Teachers:
Shawn Westerdale
Learn American Sign Language (kinda)! This class will be an hour long attempt at introducing ASL via submersion. I will try to familiarize you with ASL by only signing to you (I won't voice once the whole hour). We'll see how much we can cover before class ends, and in the end I'll point you to resources to learn more.
Prerequisites
This class doesn't have any prerequisites, although I recommend familiarizing yourselves with the signed alphabet before coming to class.
Prerequisites
This class doesn't have any prerequisites, although I recommend familiarizing yourselves with the signed alphabet before coming to class.
Why So Serious?: Bad Things That Wouldn't Have Happened if We Just Lightened Up
Teachers:
Kirsten Madsen
Sure, ruling the world is serious business, but sometimes world leaders just need to take a deep breath and count to ten. In this class, we will discuss historical events (from the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy to World War I) that would've happened very differently if the people involved had just calmed down a little. We will use our hindsight (it is 20/20, after all) to create alternative solutions for the sticky situations we discuss, in addition to discussing current crossroads where world leaders are choosing between laughing things off over a cup of coffee and launching full-scale military invasions.
Prerequisites
An interest in history and historical anecdotes; A sense of humor
Prerequisites
An interest in history and historical anecdotes; A sense of humor
A Discussion of Current Events Full!
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
We'll pick 1-2 topics from current events and have a freeform discussion. We'll talk about what's been happening, who the major players are and what their plans are, and what we think the "right" course is.
Be prepared to contribute: this is for you to discuss, and there's no agenda or lesson plan for the class!
Prerequisites
You should have an up-to-date knowledge of current events, for example, by taking the Introduction to Current Events class.
Be prepared to contribute: this is for you to discuss, and there's no agenda or lesson plan for the class!
Prerequisites
You should have an up-to-date knowledge of current events, for example, by taking the Introduction to Current Events class.
Story Writing Full!
Teachers:
Lyndsey Moulds
Maybe you're just getting started with creative writing. Or, maybe you're putting the finishing touches on your 4000 page epic trilogy about the fated elves of Nornendorfendor. Either way, it never hurts to look at your writing through a different lens. In this workshop, we'll discuss how to write a story with a mature plot by beginning with a simple premise. We'll also do a few writing exercises, and share thoughts about the importance of characters, setting, and plot.
Prerequisites
Students do NOT need prior experience in writing fiction, but they should come with an interest in crafting their own stories.
Prerequisites
Students do NOT need prior experience in writing fiction, but they should come with an interest in crafting their own stories.
Devious Machinations: Contemporary Conspiracy Theories Full!
Teachers:
Vikki Chou,
Kyle Fritz
Everybody with power has an agenda, but all too often those motives are obscured behind distractions, innuendos, half-truths, and lies. How do you sort through the disinformation? Are you better off living in ignorance or knowing the truth? We will examine the evidence behind contemporary conspiracy theories and judge their legitimacy. Conspiracies can include FEMA, the H1N1 virus, Monsanto, world governments, global warming, and more. We will also construct our own conspiracy theory and support it with facts! The truth is out there!
Come Join The Terror of the North!
Teachers:
Soren Rehn
Vikings held Europe in awe and terror for several hundred years. Come for a look deep into the runic lore, that we might find how the Norsemen wielded such power. (and perhaps there will be some adventures of our own!)
Elements of Fiction: A Writing Workshop
Teachers:
Lyndsey Moulds
Should we always "write what we know," or write about what interests us? Is it always better to show instead of tell? By examining the elements of fiction that draw us to certain books, we can learn more about how to write stories that will keep us interested in writing and our audience interested in reading.
If you remember, please bring a copy of your favorite novel to this class.
Prerequisites
Prior experience in writing fiction is not required, but students with interest in writing any sort of story (be it flash fiction or a full novel) are encouraged to register.
If you remember, please bring a copy of your favorite novel to this class.
Prerequisites
Prior experience in writing fiction is not required, but students with interest in writing any sort of story (be it flash fiction or a full novel) are encouraged to register.
To be or not to be? A discussion about discussing. Full!
Teachers:
Alexa Kottmeyer
I exist. Sometimes I think. Am I? Does one think when asleep? If not, does one exist when asleep? Does being imply thinking?
What is the difference between a sound argument and a valid one?
What can or must be assumed in any discussion?
In this course we will discuss these questions and more. I do not promise answers to most of the questions that we may discuss. Please feel free to bring any philosophical questions that you would like to talk about. (What makes a question philosophical?)
Prerequisites
The ability to follow (and possibly create) a logical argument is necessary, but not sufficient, to enjoy this class.
What is the difference between a sound argument and a valid one?
What can or must be assumed in any discussion?
In this course we will discuss these questions and more. I do not promise answers to most of the questions that we may discuss. Please feel free to bring any philosophical questions that you would like to talk about. (What makes a question philosophical?)
Prerequisites
The ability to follow (and possibly create) a logical argument is necessary, but not sufficient, to enjoy this class.
Unknown Science Fiction and Fantasy Full!
Teachers:
Josh Shaine
There’s nobody to discuss this book with, because you are the only person who has ever read it, that you know of! If you join us, you will be able to spread the word of unsung masterpieces, little known authors, and rare favorites, while picking up some new ideas for yourself! Be prepared to talk about what you recommend from beyond the mainstream, and why you recommend it. Please email me titles you know you are interested in discussing. That will help me to figure out what we will and will not be discussing and to prepare a list for the class.
Prerequisites
You must enjoy reading Science Fiction and/or Fantasy and have opinions. A little bit of reasoning ability can be useful, too.
Prerequisites
You must enjoy reading Science Fiction and/or Fantasy and have opinions. A little bit of reasoning ability can be useful, too.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: A Discussion Full!
Teachers:
Michael Lin
Viewing of Joss Whedon's web series "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," as well as a discussion of the circumstances that brought about its creation and its context in the rest of Whedon's body of work. All are welcome, but newcomers to Dr. Horrible are especially encouraged.
How to Learn SAT Vocabulary Quickly and Easily
Teachers:
Jae-Won (Jay) Kim
There is no escaping the fact that much of the verbal section of the SAT is really just a vocabulary test in disguise. I will show you strategies to memorize a large number of new words quickly and easily.
Prerequisites
This class is designed for students who are taking the SAT at least 12 months from now. Students should have the desire to reach a score of 700 or higher on the verbal section.
Prerequisites
This class is designed for students who are taking the SAT at least 12 months from now. Students should have the desire to reach a score of 700 or higher on the verbal section.
Market Economics: Supply and Demand
Teachers:
Zoe Thorkildsen
You hear about supply and demand on the news all the time, but what do they really mean? And are the newscasters even using the words correctly? (Answer: sometimes.) Learn about Adam Smith’s theory of the invisible hand, and about how markets reach equilibrium. We will also discuss elasticity of demand and supply and what implications they have for buyers and sellers in a market. From there, we will explore consumer and producer theory, as interest dictates. No previous knowledge of economics is required.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of the Cartesian coordinate plane and graphing linear functions (ie y=mx+b).
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of the Cartesian coordinate plane and graphing linear functions (ie y=mx+b).
Distributive Justice
Teachers:
Gregory Westcott
How is wealth distributed in our society? What is that distribution based on? Is that distribution fair? In this lecture, we will talk about some of the more influential theories of distributive justice and how they have affected our current society. We will start with a brief history of distributive justice followed by a more detailed discussion of modern thinkers on this subject (specifically John Rawls, Robert Nozick, and Michael Walzer). The focus will be theoretical rather than political, though I think that you will find many political applications.
49 Reasons Why California Is Better Than Your State
Teachers:
Vikki Chou,
Kyle Fritz
Every state in our country has rich culture and bountiful gifts. Yet, in our own completely unbiased opinions, California is the best state in the Union. But what specifically makes it so much better? In this course, we will look at what each state is best known for. Then, we will see how California does that same thing better. This most delightful look at California will enrich not only your knowledge of The Golden State, but also the rest of the country, and you too will be convinced that California is better than your state.
History of Europe in Two Hours
Teachers:
Bruce Arthur
This class will cover the history of Europe from Ancient Greece to the modern day.
It is intended for students who have not yet taken a class on European History, or for those who want a quick review.
Prerequisites
This is an introductory course. If you already know a lot about European History, you will probably find it uninteresting. Explore something new instead!
It is intended for students who have not yet taken a class on European History, or for those who want a quick review.
Prerequisites
This is an introductory course. If you already know a lot about European History, you will probably find it uninteresting. Explore something new instead!
Connecting Religious and Scientific Belief Full!
Teachers:
David Nawi
It is our beliefs that help guide our decisions and help us make sense of the world. Religious and scientific belief can thus be seen as two distinct yet complimentary aspects of our beliefs as a whole, and not as mutually exclusive. Come discuss more about why so many people feel the need to separate the two and denigrate one or the other, and how you can weave the two together in your own life.
Prerequisites
no prerequisites
Prerequisites
no prerequisites
Educational Policy: How Should We Fix America's Schools? Full!
Teachers:
Michelle Bentivegna
American education receives consistently low ratings in international comparisons. Why is this? What should we do to fix this?
This class will be discussion-based - I want you to come and share your ideas with other students.
Prerequisites
A good knowledge of educational policy. You should be familiar with what a charter school is, the details of "No Child Left Behind", school vouchers, and other issues in education.
This class will be discussion-based - I want you to come and share your ideas with other students.
Prerequisites
A good knowledge of educational policy. You should be familiar with what a charter school is, the details of "No Child Left Behind", school vouchers, and other issues in education.
Predictably Irrational Behavior Full!
Teachers:
Jae-Won (Jay) Kim
Why do people wait in line for hours on Black Friday just to save a few bucks? Why do people waste money, even if they know it's bad for them? We'll talk about consumer decisions that are clearly not rational, and the psychology behind what makes those behaviors predictable.
Prerequisites
None.
Prerequisites
None.
Where the Musical Scale Comes From Full!
Teachers:
Rob Speer
Why does the musical scale we know consist of 12 notes, and why are they those notes in particular? It turns out that there’s some simple math that describes what sounds good to the human ear, and you can use that math to build up the familiar Western scale. Like curious engineers, we’re going to take apart the scale and see how it works — and then we’re going to put it back together differently.
By making different choices, you can end up building other musical scales used through history and around the world, or exotic scales that few people have ever heard. Instead of 12 notes, you could have 5, 19, 22, or even 53 notes in each octave.
You’ll hear some examples of music that doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before, learn why every piano is “out of tune” in one way or another, and you’ll even have the opportunity to play a keyboard with a 19-note scale.
Prerequisites
This class will make use of some math. You should understand how to multiply fractions and raise numbers to a power. If you are familiar with logarithms, you will get more out of the math. If you are familiar with musical intervals -- for example, what thirds and fifths sound like -- you will get more out of the music.
By making different choices, you can end up building other musical scales used through history and around the world, or exotic scales that few people have ever heard. Instead of 12 notes, you could have 5, 19, 22, or even 53 notes in each octave.
You’ll hear some examples of music that doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before, learn why every piano is “out of tune” in one way or another, and you’ll even have the opportunity to play a keyboard with a 19-note scale.
Prerequisites
This class will make use of some math. You should understand how to multiply fractions and raise numbers to a power. If you are familiar with logarithms, you will get more out of the math. If you are familiar with musical intervals -- for example, what thirds and fifths sound like -- you will get more out of the music.
How to Take Over the World Full!
Teachers:
Naren Tallapragada
The year is 2020. You are a member of the Chinese Politburo, in charge of a country about to assume the role of the world's most powerful nation from the United States. In your way are challenges both internal and external, from shortages of food and water due to climate change to the American military, Indian spies and political dissidents. Your task - deal with these challenges and make China #1, whatever that means.
If you've ever wondered what the future might hold for the United States, wanted to know how empires have risen and fallen through history, or just wanted to be a megalomaniac for a day, this class is for you. The format is an interactive simulation.
Prerequisites
- Enthusiasm - A willingness to write and think on your feet - Basic knowledge of current events
If you've ever wondered what the future might hold for the United States, wanted to know how empires have risen and fallen through history, or just wanted to be a megalomaniac for a day, this class is for you. The format is an interactive simulation.
Prerequisites
- Enthusiasm - A willingness to write and think on your feet - Basic knowledge of current events
No Logo: The Rise of the Corporation
Teachers:
Netia McCray
This class explores the effects of the brand in our world by exploring several categories:
Introduction: The Corporation
No Space: Marketing
No Choice: Rise of Corporate Culture
No Jobs: The Decline of the Employee
No Logo: Anti-corporate Activism
Based on the critically acclaimed book, No Logo by Naomi Klein. This class will feature the book as reference material. The class will also include material from such films and books as:
The Corporation Documentary
Capitalism: A Love Story
Super Size Me
Fast Food Nation
Hegemony and Survival: Noam Chomsky
The purpose is to explore the explosive growth of the Corporation in the past 140 years, the consequences of this growth, and solutions for the future. This class will be available online for those interested in exploring the topics discussed further or cannot attend the class.
Prerequisites
None except an interest in globalization, capitalism, and corporate culture. I would suggest watching The Corporation (available for free on YouTube, seriously) before coming to Lecture so material will not seem so overwhelming. We will be covering 1000 pages of textbook material in 4 hours!
Introduction: The Corporation
No Space: Marketing
No Choice: Rise of Corporate Culture
No Jobs: The Decline of the Employee
No Logo: Anti-corporate Activism
Based on the critically acclaimed book, No Logo by Naomi Klein. This class will feature the book as reference material. The class will also include material from such films and books as:
The Corporation Documentary
Capitalism: A Love Story
Super Size Me
Fast Food Nation
Hegemony and Survival: Noam Chomsky
The purpose is to explore the explosive growth of the Corporation in the past 140 years, the consequences of this growth, and solutions for the future. This class will be available online for those interested in exploring the topics discussed further or cannot attend the class.
Prerequisites
None except an interest in globalization, capitalism, and corporate culture. I would suggest watching The Corporation (available for free on YouTube, seriously) before coming to Lecture so material will not seem so overwhelming. We will be covering 1000 pages of textbook material in 4 hours!
Intro to Newswriting Full!
Teachers:
Natasha Plotkin
Learn the nuts and bolts of crafting a news article, from interviewing and researching to writing and editing. Key points will be illustrated through both hands-on exercises and stories from the muckraking experiences of a student journalist at MIT.
Social Psychology Full!
Teachers:
Josh Shaine
Why do people behave differently in groups than they do when alone? Why would a perfectly reasonable person agree to administer shocks to somebody just because that person got questions wrong? Does power corrupt and if so, how? What experiment predicted what would happen at the prison, Abu Ghraib.
Prerequisites
Willingness to question assumptions and your own thinking. Willingness to listen to others.
Prerequisites
Willingness to question assumptions and your own thinking. Willingness to listen to others.
What is Economics, Really? (Microeconomics) Full!
Teachers:
Zoe Thorkildsen
When most people think of economics, they think of checkbooks, interest rates, credit cards, and the Fed. In fact, economics is the study of human behavior, faced with constraints. In this course, we will briefly discuss recent research published in economics journals, and expand your knowledge of what economists really do with their lives.
How to Read a Newspaper Like an Economist
Teachers:
Peter Rigano
"Eating tomatoes prevents cancer." "Having fat friends makes you fat." "Harvard is the best school in the U.S.A."
All of these statements have been presented as "facts" by major newspapers - but are they? What's correlation vs. causation? How can we spot researcher bias? What makes a good study? This class will give you the tools to read newspapers critically.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of algebra.
All of these statements have been presented as "facts" by major newspapers - but are they? What's correlation vs. causation? How can we spot researcher bias? What makes a good study? This class will give you the tools to read newspapers critically.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of algebra.
The Politics of European Soccer
Teachers:
Diyang Tang
A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but soccer by another name is a bigger deal. In Europe, as in many other places, "football" is important enough for us to use it to examine dynamics in European society and politics. This class will show you exactly how much you can determine about a place from soccer, and why we can determine all of that.
Prerequisites
Interest in politics, sociology, international relations, or soccer's place in society make this class enjoyable.
Prerequisites
Interest in politics, sociology, international relations, or soccer's place in society make this class enjoyable.
Efficiency in Economics Full!
Teachers:
Leonid Grinberg
Why do governments institute taxes? Is the stimulus bill a good idea? How about the healthcare bill? These are all incredibly open-ended questions with many difficult issues that need to be considered. We will look at one particular issue -- the question of economic efficiency, which helps us objectively look at some issues involved, without getting caught up in political ideology. Come and learn what operating systems, water fountains, car companies, and broken windows have in common, and be prepared to discuss some important open-ended issues!
Prerequisites
Some algebra is a must; calculus could help a little, but is certainly not required. Be willing to tackle complex and open-ended issues!
Prerequisites
Some algebra is a must; calculus could help a little, but is certainly not required. Be willing to tackle complex and open-ended issues!
Conversational Sign Language Full!
Teachers:
Sachi Hashimoto
American Sign Language is a very useful language, whether you're using it to communicate with the Deaf, or with your friends in class. Come learn the basics of sign language and practice signing.
Prerequisites
You should try and learn the ASL alphabet before coming to class. (Wiki page for the alphabet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_manual_alphabet )
Prerequisites
You should try and learn the ASL alphabet before coming to class. (Wiki page for the alphabet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_manual_alphabet )
Anatomy of a Banking Crisis
Teachers:
Jean Otrakji
What exactly is a banking crisis and how do they occur? What are the economic implications thereafter? This class aims to dissect the anatomy of a banking crisis from its earliest phases to the subsequent recovery. Recommended for anyone interested in finance, economics, or current events.
Prerequisites
General awareness of current events.
Prerequisites
General awareness of current events.
Learn the IPA! Full!
Teachers:
Jennifer Melot
The International Phonetic Alphabet is a system of phonetic transcription that provides a relatively unambiguous way to notate speech. Extremely useful if you like learning foreign languages or are at all interested in linguistics.
This is a class for beginners - we will make various strange sounds at each other, match those sounds to symbols, and hopefully have a bit of fun! Time permitting we may play a little with Praat, a program which lets you make neat spectrograms of speech.
This is a class for beginners - we will make various strange sounds at each other, match those sounds to symbols, and hopefully have a bit of fun! Time permitting we may play a little with Praat, a program which lets you make neat spectrograms of speech.
Paradoxes of Democracy: Fair Elections and Voting
Teachers:
Stephen M. Hou
Come learn ideas with applications in mathematics, economics, engineering, and political science! What if, in hypothetical two-way races during the 2008 primaries, Clinton beats Obama, Obama beats Edwards, and Edwards beats Clinton? Is this even possible? (Yes.) What would then be a fair way to decide the "best" preferences of Democrats? 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.
Introductory Swedish language Full!
Teachers:
Benedict Landgren Mills
Swedish from the ground up.
Prerequisites
A desire to learn Swedish.
Prerequisites
A desire to learn Swedish.
Introduction to Latin, Part II
Teachers:
Pamela Alvarez
In this class for beginners, we will cover as much Latin grammar and vocabulary as time will allow us.
By the end of Part I of this two-class sequence, expect to be able to form simple sentences and read a couple of authentic inscriptions in Latin.
By the end of Part II, you will be able to read the beginning of Vergil's Aeneid in its original Latin.
Prerequisites
Completion of Part I, or the equivalent
By the end of Part I of this two-class sequence, expect to be able to form simple sentences and read a couple of authentic inscriptions in Latin.
By the end of Part II, you will be able to read the beginning of Vergil's Aeneid in its original Latin.
Prerequisites
Completion of Part I, or the equivalent
Introduction to Sudden Fiction Workshop Full!
Teachers:
A L
The ideas and questions some writers pack into really short stories (mere paragraphs or even just sentences) can be surprising, intriguing and delightful.
This 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, really short stories can be humorous, thought-provoking, informative and much more. Come sample some microfiction and write your own in this workshop! Bring writing materials!
This 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, really short stories can be humorous, thought-provoking, informative and much more. Come sample some microfiction and write your own in this workshop! Bring writing materials!
One facet of Marxism: Surplus value = Social dynamite Full!
Teachers:
Craig Abernethy
In this activity, we will look at the social roles of worker and capitalist, as Marx explains them in the first volume of Capital, with a primary focus on Marx's understanding of surplus value, which, according to Marx, is created by workers, but pocketed by those with capital, a process which is the mainspring of class conflict in industrial society.
Prerequisites
Open to high school students. If you are interested in how society works, you will probably enjoy this presentation.
Prerequisites
Open to high school students. If you are interested in how society works, you will probably enjoy this presentation.
Poetry Through the Ages Full!
Teachers:
Susan Shepherd
This class will present students with a brief history of songs and poems from the middle ages to the modern day (roughly divided into time periods), then give students the chance to listen to selections from each age. The class time will be roughly one-fifth history, one-fifth poem summaries and students voting on the poem(s) they want to hear, and three-fifths poetry reading.
Egyptian Mythology: Creation to Contendings
Teachers:
Raisa Lardie
Most history classes gloss over Egyptian mythology in favor of studying the more well-known Greek and Roman gods—find out what you’ve been missing! We’ll cover the major gods involved in the Egyptian creation myth up to the Contendings of Horus and Seth, from Horus and Seth (duh), to lesser well-known deities like Khonsu and Nit.
Prerequisites
None. If you're already familiar with ancient Egyptian mythology, you might bit a tad bored.
Prerequisites
None. If you're already familiar with ancient Egyptian mythology, you might bit a tad bored.
Non-Linear Thinking in a Linear World
Teachers:
Josh Shaine
Does doing one thing at a time drive you batty? Do people frequently tell you to pay attention or to stay on topic? Do you think in pictures instead of words? Does the whole “you have to do it in the right order” concept bother you? Join us for an exploration of hows and whys of non-linear thinking. We’ll talk about how to recognize and develop strengths, not just how to “fit in.”
Introduction to Socionics
Teachers:
Roan LaPlante
Socionics is a field of barely scientific (some argue protoscientific) analytical psychology developed by Ausra Augustinavicitue, building upon ideas developed by Carl Jung. It is far more well known in Eastern Europe, where the majority of the major bodies of socionics study (such as the International Institute of Socionics in Kiev) exist.
Socionics, following in Jungian tradition, is perhaps best described as a language for understanding and interpreting processes of personality. It can be used as a typology, assigning particular personality types to individuals and using these types to systematically predict relational compatibility, but it is also often used to describe the habits and personality of different cultures (integral types) and myriad other applications with only a loose relationship to individual attributes. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, thinking about socionics provides a concrete framework for thinking about questions of personality, social behavior, cognition, and philosophy.
Prerequisites
none; familiarity with MBTI is potentially helpful but also potentially detrimental. familiarity with contemporary research on personality, social, and cognitive psychology and Russian language are invaluable for further study of socionics, but no background in psychology, socionics or Russian language is expected of any students in this class.
Socionics, following in Jungian tradition, is perhaps best described as a language for understanding and interpreting processes of personality. It can be used as a typology, assigning particular personality types to individuals and using these types to systematically predict relational compatibility, but it is also often used to describe the habits and personality of different cultures (integral types) and myriad other applications with only a loose relationship to individual attributes. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, thinking about socionics provides a concrete framework for thinking about questions of personality, social behavior, cognition, and philosophy.
Prerequisites
none; familiarity with MBTI is potentially helpful but also potentially detrimental. familiarity with contemporary research on personality, social, and cognitive psychology and Russian language are invaluable for further study of socionics, but no background in psychology, socionics or Russian language is expected of any students in this class.
Glorious Music
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, and Puccini.
Prerequisites
Interest in orchestral music
Prerequisites
Interest in orchestral music
EMP: The Iranian Threat to America
Teachers:
Yale Zussman
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union built up vast arsenals of nuclear weapons in pursuit of a strategy called "Mutual Assured Destruction." (MAD) The idea behind MAD was that if each country expected to be destroyed by the other in the event of war, neither would initiate an attack. Since we are still here, the strategy
"worked."
In the last few years, a new strategy has emerged that would enable a state with only a small number of nuclear weapons to destroy a much larger enemy. That strategy is called an electro-magnetic pulse attack, or EMP for short.
In this program, we will discuss the effects of nuclear weapons, how an EMP attack would destroy an enemy, and finally both how the United States could protect itself as a nation and how you could prepare for the eventuality of such an attack.
Prerequisites
None
"worked."
In the last few years, a new strategy has emerged that would enable a state with only a small number of nuclear weapons to destroy a much larger enemy. That strategy is called an electro-magnetic pulse attack, or EMP for short.
In this program, we will discuss the effects of nuclear weapons, how an EMP attack would destroy an enemy, and finally both how the United States could protect itself as a nation and how you could prepare for the eventuality of such an attack.
Prerequisites
None
Paradoxes of Democracy: Fair Apportionment
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.
Prerequisites
Comfort with arithmetic; interest in voting, political science, decision-making, and/or economics.
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time
Teachers:
Josh Shaine
The Gathering Storm is out! Read it yet? If you have and you want to discuss it, complain about it, theorize on what will happen in the last two books, then this is a good place for you! . (The last time this class ran was right after Knife of Dreams, and I suggested we might debate whether he really WILL stop at 12 books, like he said. Clearly, the answer was no!)
So, come explore the saga of the Dragon Reborn!
Prerequisites
Being a Wheel of Time fan (or critic)!
So, come explore the saga of the Dragon Reborn!
Prerequisites
Being a Wheel of Time fan (or critic)!
Introduction to Ancient Greek, Part II
Teachers:
Pamela Alvarez
In this class for beginners, we will cover as much of the grammar of Classical (Attic) Greek as time will permit us.
In Part I of this two-class sequence, we will learn the Greek alphabet, along with some vocabulary, a declension or two, and some verb paradigms.
In Part II, we will continue our discussion of grammar and read some epigrams and the beginning of a Socratic dialogue in their original Greek.
Prerequisites
Completion of Part I, or the equivalent
In Part I of this two-class sequence, we will learn the Greek alphabet, along with some vocabulary, a declension or two, and some verb paradigms.
In Part II, we will continue our discussion of grammar and read some epigrams and the beginning of a Socratic dialogue in their original Greek.
Prerequisites
Completion of Part I, or the equivalent
Parliamentary Debate
Teachers:
Simone Agha
Decorum! Learn how to write your own bills and debate them using the much-loved Robert's Rules of Order.
Communist Thought and Theory Full!
Teachers:
Wendy Cheang
During the 19th century, a radical new idea shook the very foundations of society. A German philosopher by the name of Karl Marx stunned the world with his publication of The Communist Manifesto. His writing inspired many of the greatest revolutions of his day.
This class analyzes basic communist theory, starting with The Communist Manifesto and moving into the writings of the communist thinkers Lenin and Trotsky. The readings will be supplemented by 19th and 20th century history and discussion.
Prerequisites
A desire to learn and discuss history and philosophy.
This class analyzes basic communist theory, starting with The Communist Manifesto and moving into the writings of the communist thinkers Lenin and Trotsky. The readings will be supplemented by 19th and 20th century history and discussion.
Prerequisites
A desire to learn and discuss history and philosophy.
How to Read a Poem
Teachers:
Lance Ozier
Have you ever read a poem and wondered what the heck is going on? Or, to paraphrase the poet T. S. Eliot, have you “had the experience but missed the meaning”? In this class you will learn some simple ways to help you make more sense of the poems you read.
Prerequisites
Interest in poetry and language
Prerequisites
Interest in poetry and language
Grammar is Fun Full!
Teachers:
Avril Kenney
In this class we will explore the structure of English sentences. Ideally it will be discussion-based, so come with questions! What we talk about will depend on the interests of the students. Some possible topics are:
- parts of speech
- common grammatical errors
- things your English teacher tells you not to do but aren't actually wrong
- ambiguous sentences
Prerequisites
Some interest in language/grammar. If you know a lot you might be bored, depending on how much other people know.
- parts of speech
- common grammatical errors
- things your English teacher tells you not to do but aren't actually wrong
- ambiguous sentences
Prerequisites
Some interest in language/grammar. If you know a lot you might be bored, depending on how much other people know.
Newcomb's Paradox Full!
Teachers:
David Farhi
What does it mean to act rationally? In this class we'll discuss Newcomb's paradox, a strange philosophical question about the meaning of rationality. We may get sidetracked into discussions of free will, time travel, and parallel universes.
Comics, Heroes, and Mythology
Teachers:
Zev Hurwich
From Samuel to Odin to Batman, mythology is one of the greatest forms of story mankind has to offer. Learn about what makes a hero super and why we even tell these stories. We will discuss fundamental questions like What is mythology? Why do we tell it?
We'll be delving into the basic stories of the myths we are analyzing, as well as a brief overview of a fair amount of super heroes. The first portion of class will be mostly lectures with a few important discussion questions. As we go over more background we will however be able to go over deeper questions, and will move to a discussion based format.
The class focuses on Norse, Greek, and Jewish cultures. We will read classical texts relating to Norse myth, biblical tales, and comic books like The Sandman, Superman, and more!
Also check out the class website to see what specifically is going to go down in this class.
Prerequisites
Students should have background with basic myths (i.e. exposure to Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and whatnot), also students will be expected to discuss material as we go over it in class. This class will be delving into the religious beliefs of a number of cultures, however we will not be discussing veracity or legitimacy of any of them.
We'll be delving into the basic stories of the myths we are analyzing, as well as a brief overview of a fair amount of super heroes. The first portion of class will be mostly lectures with a few important discussion questions. As we go over more background we will however be able to go over deeper questions, and will move to a discussion based format.
The class focuses on Norse, Greek, and Jewish cultures. We will read classical texts relating to Norse myth, biblical tales, and comic books like The Sandman, Superman, and more!
Also check out the class website to see what specifically is going to go down in this class.
Prerequisites
Students should have background with basic myths (i.e. exposure to Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and whatnot), also students will be expected to discuss material as we go over it in class. This class will be delving into the religious beliefs of a number of cultures, however we will not be discussing veracity or legitimacy of any of them.
Egyptian art history
Teachers:
Elisabeth Caron
We'll take a whirlwind virtual tour through the history of ancient Egypt, beginning with the primitive art of predynastic Egypt and ending with the foreign influences under Greek and Roman occupation. We'll discuss many works on display at Boston's MFA, so you can go see them in person if you'd like!
Prerequisites
A familiarity with ancient Egypt or art history would be helpful, but is not required.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with ancient Egypt or art history would be helpful, but is not required.
Mathematics
Integers and Sequences
Teachers:
Tanya Khovanova
Have you ever heard of "untouchable numbers"? How about "aspiring numbers"? I will tell you what they are.
I will explain how "perfect numbers" are connected to Mersenne primes. I will describe the biggest known prime number.
Have you ever wondered which is the most famous number sequence? Or which is the most versatile sequence? We will discuss that.
What is the largest amount of money in coins that you can have without being able to make change for a dollar? You can bring your answer to this seminar. What is so special about 1089? You will learn that, too. Is 42 (The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything) more famous than 47 (the secret Star Trek TNG number)? I promise you the answer to that.
I will also show you key Internet resources about numbers, so that you'll be able to discover new truths about your favorite numbers.
I will explain how "perfect numbers" are connected to Mersenne primes. I will describe the biggest known prime number.
Have you ever wondered which is the most famous number sequence? Or which is the most versatile sequence? We will discuss that.
What is the largest amount of money in coins that you can have without being able to make change for a dollar? You can bring your answer to this seminar. What is so special about 1089? You will learn that, too. Is 42 (The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything) more famous than 47 (the secret Star Trek TNG number)? I promise you the answer to that.
I will also show you key Internet resources about numbers, so that you'll be able to discover new truths about your favorite numbers.
Diophantine Equations
Teachers:
John Hawley
Diophantine equations are polynomial equations in several variables that have integer solutions. Starting with only some basic facts about integers, we can find solutions to these equations and prove their uniqueness.
Prerequisites
High school algebra. No knowledge of number theory required.
Prerequisites
High school algebra. No knowledge of number theory required.
Fractals and Fractal Dimension
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
Math through a kaleidoscope: http://www.fractal-recursions.com/
Beautiful, no?
This class will dive headfirst into the key concepts of Fractals including Symmetry, Expressible Infinity, and Chaos. Specifically, we will take an in depth look at the Sierpinski Triangle (briefly covering the difference between fractal dimension and topological dimension), the Lorenz Water Wheel (illustrating the ideas of the Butterfly Effect and Strange Attractors), and the well-known Mandelbrot Set. If you want to see mathematics from a completely alien perspective, this class is for you.
Beautiful, no?
This class will dive headfirst into the key concepts of Fractals including Symmetry, Expressible Infinity, and Chaos. Specifically, we will take an in depth look at the Sierpinski Triangle (briefly covering the difference between fractal dimension and topological dimension), the Lorenz Water Wheel (illustrating the ideas of the Butterfly Effect and Strange Attractors), and the well-known Mandelbrot Set. If you want to see mathematics from a completely alien perspective, this class is for you.
Build your own Stellated Polyhedra!
Teachers:
Julia Boortz
Like building? Try your hand at building your very own stellated polyhedra out of straws. After you finish building it, you can even use it to blow bubbles!
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Counting to Infinity Full!
Teachers:
Daniel Bulmash
Did you know that a set can be completely contained in a set of the same size? Or that there are multiple sizes of infinity? Infinity makes strange things happen, and in this class we'll talk about some of these things along with the notion of countability.
Regression Analysis Full!
Teachers:
Zoe Thorkildsen
Regression analysis is a statistical method that allows researchers to explore relationships between dependent and independent variables. These could range from the relationship between SAT scores and college admissions, or between natural resource abundance and likelihood of civil war. Far more than a simple correlation coefficient, regression analysis allows much more detailed and informative analysis. In this course, we’ll touch on research methods, basic statistics, conceptual mathematics, econometrics, and the study of social issues. You’ll get to participate in a mini-research project using statistical software to analyze some real world data using regression techniques.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra (y = mx + b) and some very basic intuition about data, models, correlations, and best fit lines.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra (y = mx + b) and some very basic intuition about data, models, correlations, and best fit lines.
Geometry, Topology, and the Fourth Dimension
Teachers:
Sachi Hashimoto
Delve into the mathematics behind how space could be shaped...what if the universe were curved? If we were living on the surface of a fourth dimensional Mobius strip? What does that even mean? We'll talk about universes where if you walk long enough, not only will you end up back where you started, all your writing will look like its mirror image, to everyone else—and everything about them will look like it's been mirrored to you! We'll also look at the complex plane, spheres, and different geometries, and relate that to all of these crazy universes.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites, but we'll be moving fast and covering a lot of somewhat advanced math in a short period of time.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites, but we'll be moving fast and covering a lot of somewhat advanced math in a short period of time.
Sequences
Teachers:
Robert Assaly
What comes after 1, 1, 4, 10, 28? If you enjoy puzzles like this one, this class is for you. Not only are these problems fun, they lead to useful procedures for solving many math problems. We shall look into arithmetic sequences, geometric sequences, the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio. With what we learn we shall solve some equations, and this by methods not presented in regular classes.
Prerequisites
Elementary algebra and an enjoyment of mathematics.
Prerequisites
Elementary algebra and an enjoyment of mathematics.
Samples from an Infinite Buffet: An Introduction to Nonparametric Statistics Full!
Teachers:
Finale Doshi-Velez
What does a Chinese restaurant have to do with models of gene classification? An Indian buffet with models of what movies people will enjoy? Welcome to the quirky, exciting, and ultimately useful world of Bayesian nonparametric statistics, an area of mathematical modeling that says: "If designing big models is hard, maybe making them infinite will make things easier!" In this class you'll be introduced to two classic nonparametric models: the Chinese Restaurant Process and the Indian Buffet Process. We'll talk about what they are, how they're useful, and how to "solve" them using inference.
Prerequisites
basic familiarity with random variables and probability distributions
Prerequisites
basic familiarity with random variables and probability distributions
Metric Spaces, Compactness, and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra Part I
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
This class is about several different concepts in mathematics, and how they interact to produce some really stunning results. It’s about the power of generalization. And it all starts with one simple question. What is distance?
We’ll ask what the most important ideas about the notion of “distance” are, and then find a way to generalize them to places far different than just the distance between two points in space. This will lead us to define mathematical objects called “metric spaces,” sets of points where we can tell how far apart two points are, but nothing else. Yet even with just that – just a notion of distance – we’ll be able to come up with a huge host of results, including, finally, the idea of “compactness,” one of the most fundamental notions in mathematics.
These ideas are extremely abstract, and you should come prepared for a very difficult math class --- and a long one, lasting a total of six hours. However, when we’re done, we’ll be able to prove a truly amazing result: every polynomial has a root in the complex numbers. You'll also be grounded in an advanced field of mathematics possibly unlike anything you've ever seen before.
Prerequisites
An open willingness for generalization. You are welcome to sign up just for Part I to see how it goes, and decide later if you want to take the rest. You should be very comfortable with high-school algebra. Note that you'll be expected to work on the mathematics during the class, not just to listen passively!
We’ll ask what the most important ideas about the notion of “distance” are, and then find a way to generalize them to places far different than just the distance between two points in space. This will lead us to define mathematical objects called “metric spaces,” sets of points where we can tell how far apart two points are, but nothing else. Yet even with just that – just a notion of distance – we’ll be able to come up with a huge host of results, including, finally, the idea of “compactness,” one of the most fundamental notions in mathematics.
These ideas are extremely abstract, and you should come prepared for a very difficult math class --- and a long one, lasting a total of six hours. However, when we’re done, we’ll be able to prove a truly amazing result: every polynomial has a root in the complex numbers. You'll also be grounded in an advanced field of mathematics possibly unlike anything you've ever seen before.
Prerequisites
An open willingness for generalization. You are welcome to sign up just for Part I to see how it goes, and decide later if you want to take the rest. You should be very comfortable with high-school algebra. Note that you'll be expected to work on the mathematics during the class, not just to listen passively!
Number Theory
Teachers:
David Roe
Number theory is the branch of mathematics that studies properties of the integers. Despite being around for thousands of years, there are still many fundamental unsolved problems. In this class we will cover some of the basic techniques of number theory, including modular arithmetic, Fermat’s Little Theorem, primes and unique factorization. These can help you understand where divisibility rules come from, how primality tests work and how to solve systems of modular equations.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course, but a comfort with abstract mathematics will help you get more out of this class.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course, but a comfort with abstract mathematics will help you get more out of this class.
Directional Derivatives
Teachers:
Andrew Spieker
So, we know how to differentiate a function of a single variable. The derivative of a function at a point gives you the slope of the tangent line, of course!
But suppose you're standing on a surface in three dimensions, and you want to know what the instantaneous rate of change would be should you choose to move ANY direction whatsoever in three-space...is there a way to figure this out?
Of course there is! In this seminar we introduce partial derivatives of functions of several variables, the gradient vector, and the directional derivative, which will answer questions that will suddenly make math seem even cooler than it already is!
Prerequisites
Understand what the derivative of a function is and how to find it; know how to differentiate basic polynomial functions. (At least currently taking calculus, essentially). An intuition of what surfaces in 3D look like could help you, but is not entirely necessary.
But suppose you're standing on a surface in three dimensions, and you want to know what the instantaneous rate of change would be should you choose to move ANY direction whatsoever in three-space...is there a way to figure this out?
Of course there is! In this seminar we introduce partial derivatives of functions of several variables, the gradient vector, and the directional derivative, which will answer questions that will suddenly make math seem even cooler than it already is!
Prerequisites
Understand what the derivative of a function is and how to find it; know how to differentiate basic polynomial functions. (At least currently taking calculus, essentially). An intuition of what surfaces in 3D look like could help you, but is not entirely necessary.
The Projective Plane Full!
Teachers:
Lisa Danz
In the projective plane, all lines intersect, even "parallel" ones. You get the projective plane if you sew a disc onto a mobius band. (It is not physically possible to finish sewing this in three dimensions.) It's a pretty crazy world. Come along for the ride!
Prerequisites
Algebra I and Geometry (or equivalent), a general comfort with using coordinates to describe points on a plane and in three-dimensional space (I mean your everyday planes and spaces; you don't need to know any projective geometry beforehand.)
Prerequisites
Algebra I and Geometry (or equivalent), a general comfort with using coordinates to describe points on a plane and in three-dimensional space (I mean your everyday planes and spaces; you don't need to know any projective geometry beforehand.)
Math from Way Back When
Teachers:
William Steadman
What can you do if you don't have division? The Egyptians were able to build the Pyramids. What if you don't have multiplication? The Mayans were able to follow the orbits of planets. We'll look at how people discovered ideas that today we all take for granted.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Microeconomics in 50 Minutes Full!
Teachers:
Scott Kominers
The title is self-explanatory.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra is a must. Some calculus may be helpful, but is certainly not necessary.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra is a must. Some calculus may be helpful, but is certainly not necessary.
How much do you bid? Full!
Teachers:
Scott Kominers
First price auctions!
Second price auctions!
Auctions, auctions, and more auctions!
Prerequisites
Basic algebra, critical thinking
Second price auctions!
Auctions, auctions, and more auctions!
Prerequisites
Basic algebra, critical thinking
Metric Spaces, Compactness, and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra Part II
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
This is Part II of a three-part class. See the description under Part I!
This Ain't Yo' Gramma's Geometry!
Teachers:
Kenan Diab,
Lauren McGough
Did you know that every "nice" map from a ball to itself maps at least one point to itself? Can you imagine proving facts about polynomials using projection of a sphere onto a plane? Yo' gramma sure didn't know any of this stuff! In this class, we'll talk about how mathematicians study sufficiently "nice" surfaces and use them to derive beautiful results in a wide range of fields with little more than calculus.
Prerequisites
Comfort with algebra and comfort following mathematical arguments, calculus
Prerequisites
Comfort with algebra and comfort following mathematical arguments, calculus
Theory of Stochastic Processes
Teachers:
Andrew Spieker
Stochastic Processes are, in short, just random process. In this two-hour seminar, we discuss some of the following topics:
+Conditional expectation and Wald's Lemma; +Gambler's Ruin and Game Strategy
+Random Walks
+Brownian Motion
Chances are, if you have enough interest in these topics, you will have sufficient motivation to master the material. This is the heart of applications of probability theory.
Prerequisites
Algebra II (successful completion or current enrollment). Exposure to basic probability theory is helpful. Exposure to matrices may be helpful.
+Conditional expectation and Wald's Lemma; +Gambler's Ruin and Game Strategy
+Random Walks
+Brownian Motion
Chances are, if you have enough interest in these topics, you will have sufficient motivation to master the material. This is the heart of applications of probability theory.
Prerequisites
Algebra II (successful completion or current enrollment). Exposure to basic probability theory is helpful. Exposure to matrices may be helpful.
How to Become a Mathemagician: Mental Calculations and Math Magic
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! Amaze your friends, speed up your calculations, and get the phone number of that cute boy/girl who sits in front of you in class! (Seriously, I'm not kidding.)
Prerequisites
None. The background information required for some of the explanations will be discussed in the course.
In this course, entertainment meets education as I show you some incredible mathematical tricks, how to do them, and why they work! Amaze your friends, speed up your calculations, and get the phone number of that cute boy/girl who sits in front of you in class! (Seriously, I'm not kidding.)
Prerequisites
None. The background information required for some of the explanations will be discussed in the course.
Linear Algebra
Teachers:
Ammar Ammar,
Maria Guirguis
What are matrices and where do they come from? Are they actually useful? How can they be interpreted geometrically and related to the real world? All these questions and more will be answered in this session about matrices!
Quaternion Algebras
Teachers:
David Roe
You've seen the complex numbers: they form a system of arithmetic where each number is specified by a pair of real numbers. Can you figure out a way to add and multiply triples of real numbers? Quadruples?
It turns out that if you want all of the rules of arithmetic to hold, you're out of luck. But if you're willing to relax the requirement that $xy=yx$, then it's possible to define a way of multiplying quadruples of real numbers (but not triples!) in a way that gets you everything else you'd want.
We'll construct these quaternions, discuss why it doesn't work in any dimension other than 4, and apply them to problems like efficiently rotating coordinates in 3 dimensions and generalize them to algebras over other fields.
This will be a difficult class: come prepared for quite a bit of abstraction.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with complex numbers.
It turns out that if you want all of the rules of arithmetic to hold, you're out of luck. But if you're willing to relax the requirement that $xy=yx$, then it's possible to define a way of multiplying quadruples of real numbers (but not triples!) in a way that gets you everything else you'd want.
We'll construct these quaternions, discuss why it doesn't work in any dimension other than 4, and apply them to problems like efficiently rotating coordinates in 3 dimensions and generalize them to algebras over other fields.
This will be a difficult class: come prepared for quite a bit of abstraction.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with complex numbers.
Unanswered Questions in Mathematics
Teachers:
Michael Kling
Come check out some questions in mathematics that are simple to state, but still remain unanswered. Examples include the Collatz conjecture, the 196 algorithm, the Goldbach conjecture, and others. These can be stated in a sentence or two using only arithmetic and basic algebra, but we still don't understand how they work.
Prerequisites
Algebra
Prerequisites
Algebra
How far can YOU count with your fingers? Full!
Teachers:
Sofia Magkiriadou
Ten? Twenty-five? How about 59,048?
We will try to come up with various counting systems that will allow us to use our hands to count to numbers much, MUCH greater than ten.
Prerequisites
You should know how to count.
We will try to come up with various counting systems that will allow us to use our hands to count to numbers much, MUCH greater than ten.
Prerequisites
You should know how to count.
Metric Spaces, Compactness, and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra Part III
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
This is Part III of a three-part class. See the description under Part I for more information!
The Mathematics of Monsters and Machines
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
Can you add by dropping marbles through a maze of switches? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcDshWmhF4A (watch with the volume off and figure out how it works - /very/ simple, but elegant, no?)
That machine clearly only works as directed for some range of numbers. How about if you want to add arbitrarily large numbers with one, finite machine? Can you build such a machine and then tell someone how to drop marbles into it to add their numbers? – NO!! STOP!! I did not ask, ‘how would you’ – I asked CAN you? Sure, you could prove the affirmative by construction, by making a machine which does so (if one can exist) but can you more succinctly, more elegantly, simply prove that such a machine exists? What if one could not exist? How would you go about proving this?
If you like looking at machines and figuring out what they do, or constructing machines to solve problems, then you will probably like this class. On the other hand, what this class is /really/ about is the mathematical treatment of ALL machines, ALL languages, ALL algorithms. Exactly what abilities – finitely many states? finite memory? infinite memory? non-determinism? – are necessary to solve problems? What sets of abilities are equivalent? How long does it take to solve problems of sufficient complexity? Are there problems that are simply impossible to solve, although they clearly must have an answer?
To answer the last question, YES! However, if you are willing to accept this claim without /proof! ‘you CANNOT say something like that without PROOF!’/ you probably can skip this class. But if that kind of claim shakes your world up a bit, come to this class and be shaken!!
Prerequisites
Extremely fast paced, but starting from truth tables and binary. I intend the class to 1) be an awe inspiring introduction to the field of Theoretical Computer Science (TCS – my major!), and 2) introduce enough of the modern concepts and terminology to cover current TCS research topics like Pvs.NP and Building a “Turing Complete” Computer or AI.
That machine clearly only works as directed for some range of numbers. How about if you want to add arbitrarily large numbers with one, finite machine? Can you build such a machine and then tell someone how to drop marbles into it to add their numbers? – NO!! STOP!! I did not ask, ‘how would you’ – I asked CAN you? Sure, you could prove the affirmative by construction, by making a machine which does so (if one can exist) but can you more succinctly, more elegantly, simply prove that such a machine exists? What if one could not exist? How would you go about proving this?
If you like looking at machines and figuring out what they do, or constructing machines to solve problems, then you will probably like this class. On the other hand, what this class is /really/ about is the mathematical treatment of ALL machines, ALL languages, ALL algorithms. Exactly what abilities – finitely many states? finite memory? infinite memory? non-determinism? – are necessary to solve problems? What sets of abilities are equivalent? How long does it take to solve problems of sufficient complexity? Are there problems that are simply impossible to solve, although they clearly must have an answer?
To answer the last question, YES! However, if you are willing to accept this claim without /proof! ‘you CANNOT say something like that without PROOF!’/ you probably can skip this class. But if that kind of claim shakes your world up a bit, come to this class and be shaken!!
Prerequisites
Extremely fast paced, but starting from truth tables and binary. I intend the class to 1) be an awe inspiring introduction to the field of Theoretical Computer Science (TCS – my major!), and 2) introduce enough of the modern concepts and terminology to cover current TCS research topics like Pvs.NP and Building a “Turing Complete” Computer or AI.
Big Numbers
Teachers:
Leonid Grinberg
Have you ever wanted to name a really large, thousand-digit number, and not known how to do it? Come to this class and learn about huge numbers -- numbers that it would take you the age of the universe to write out, numbers that, in some cases, cannot even be calculated by a computer, no matter how powerful. In the process, we will look at various sequences of numbers and learn nice ways of classifying and analyzing them.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra. If you have seen calculus, you will understand some concepts a little bit better, but it's certainly not required.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra. If you have seen calculus, you will understand some concepts a little bit better, but it's certainly not required.
Lagrange's Four Squares Theorem
Teachers:
David Roe
$$719 = 26^2 + 5^2 + 3^2 + 3^2$$. Can you write it as a sum of three squares? Can you write $$2007$$ as a sum of four squares?
As it turns out, every positive integer can be written as the sum of four squares. We'll prove this result using a method known as infinite descent, and then proceed to discuss the number of ways a given $$n$$ can be represented so.
As for a sum of three squares, we'll see which numbers can be represented in this fashion along the way. See if you can figure out the answer now (and prove it too).
We'll use the tools developed in my Number Theory class. This course will not be as hard as Quaternion Algebras, but it will still be reasonably difficult, especially near the end.
Prerequisites
Number Theory (in particular, a comfort with modular arithmetic, squares modulo $$p$$ and Diophantine equations)
As it turns out, every positive integer can be written as the sum of four squares. We'll prove this result using a method known as infinite descent, and then proceed to discuss the number of ways a given $$n$$ can be represented so.
As for a sum of three squares, we'll see which numbers can be represented in this fashion along the way. See if you can figure out the answer now (and prove it too).
We'll use the tools developed in my Number Theory class. This course will not be as hard as Quaternion Algebras, but it will still be reasonably difficult, especially near the end.
Prerequisites
Number Theory (in particular, a comfort with modular arithmetic, squares modulo $$p$$ and Diophantine equations)
Fractional Calculus
Teachers:
W D
You've probably taken a derivative. Maybe even a second derivative. And if your teacher hated you, they probably made you take it at least n times, where you then looked at it in bamboozled awe. But your teacher stopped there, didn't they? They didn't tell you about $$\frac{1}{2}$$-derivatives, $$\frac{1}{4}$$-derivatives, $$\pi$$-derivatives, or $$i$$-derivatives, did they?
The time is nil to break free of integral constraints. We will explore the underworld of fractional calculus, where you can differentiate or integrate to any order you could possibly dream of.*
*Complex numbers, that is. Leave your quaternions and Cayley algebras at home.
Prerequisites
Single variable calculus a must. The more math, the better!
The time is nil to break free of integral constraints. We will explore the underworld of fractional calculus, where you can differentiate or integrate to any order you could possibly dream of.*
*Complex numbers, that is. Leave your quaternions and Cayley algebras at home.
Prerequisites
Single variable calculus a must. The more math, the better!
Derivatives and integrals I: basic ideas and examples
Teachers:
Michael Livshits
Let $$f(x)$$ be a polynomial and $$a$$ be a number. Then $$f(x)-f(a)$$ is also a polynomial in $$x$$, and $$a$$ is its root. Then, as you may remember from your algebra class, $$f(x)-f(a)=p(x,a)(x-a)$$, where $$p$$ is a polynomial in $$x$$ and $$a$$. The number $$p(a,a)$$ is called the derivative of $$f$$ at $$a$$ and written as $$f'(a)$$. This is differentiation, as understood by Descartes. You may notice that $$a$$ is a double root of $$f(x)-f(a)-f'(a)(x-a)$$, that is why the straight line $$y-f(a)=f'(a)(x-a)$$ is the tangent at the point $$(a,f(a))$$ to the curve $$y=f(x)$$, the graph of $$f$$, and why polynomials with positive derivarives are increasing functions.
You can look at $$f$$' as a new function, the derivative of $$f$$. Now, for $$x > 0$$ take the triangle on the xy-plane with the vertices $$(0,0)$$, $$(x,x)$$ and $$(0,x)$$. Its area, $$A(x)=x^2/2$$ is "the area under the graph" of the function $$y=x$$ between $$0$$ and $$x$$. When you differentiate it, you get $$A'(x)=x$$, which is the function you had started with! This fact is called Newton-Leibniz theorem and it is useful for calculating areas, since for many functions $$f$$ it is easy to find an antiderivative, i.e., such a function $$F$$ that $$F'=f$$. Definite integrals are areas under the graphs, and indefinite integrals are antiderivatives.
Looks rather simple so far? It is, but we have to deal not only with polynomials, and it gets a bit tricky. I will explain some of these tricks in a mathematically sound manner, but without obscuring the basic ideas with excessive generality and heavy technicalities, such as continuity, limits or real numbers.
Prerequisites
Fluency in high school algebra (powers, roots, polynomials, factoring) and plane geometry (tangency, area) is essential, familiarity with functions and their graphs, a.k.a. "precalculus" is desirable. Interest in physics and other natural sciences, as well as mathematical reasoning and problem solving would help with motivation.
You can look at $$f$$' as a new function, the derivative of $$f$$. Now, for $$x > 0$$ take the triangle on the xy-plane with the vertices $$(0,0)$$, $$(x,x)$$ and $$(0,x)$$. Its area, $$A(x)=x^2/2$$ is "the area under the graph" of the function $$y=x$$ between $$0$$ and $$x$$. When you differentiate it, you get $$A'(x)=x$$, which is the function you had started with! This fact is called Newton-Leibniz theorem and it is useful for calculating areas, since for many functions $$f$$ it is easy to find an antiderivative, i.e., such a function $$F$$ that $$F'=f$$. Definite integrals are areas under the graphs, and indefinite integrals are antiderivatives.
Looks rather simple so far? It is, but we have to deal not only with polynomials, and it gets a bit tricky. I will explain some of these tricks in a mathematically sound manner, but without obscuring the basic ideas with excessive generality and heavy technicalities, such as continuity, limits or real numbers.
Prerequisites
Fluency in high school algebra (powers, roots, polynomials, factoring) and plane geometry (tangency, area) is essential, familiarity with functions and their graphs, a.k.a. "precalculus" is desirable. Interest in physics and other natural sciences, as well as mathematical reasoning and problem solving would help with motivation.
Trigonometry With Pictures
Teachers:
Andrew Geng
Trigonometry can be intimidating, especially if you're trying to understand it intuitively. Formulas like the law of cosines look pretty scary, but since they're supposed to address questions from geometry, geometry might give us some insight into why they work!
So, armed with the techniques of high school geometry, we'll draw some pretty pictures and derive the law of sines, the law of cosines, the angle addition formulas, the half-angle rules, and a few more obscure identities if we have time!
Prerequisites
I will assume familiarity with high school geometry and prior acquaintance with trig functions. If you can (1) explain why two right triangles sharing an angle are similar and (2) calculate (or remember) the cosine of 60 degrees, you're probably ready.
So, armed with the techniques of high school geometry, we'll draw some pretty pictures and derive the law of sines, the law of cosines, the angle addition formulas, the half-angle rules, and a few more obscure identities if we have time!
Prerequisites
I will assume familiarity with high school geometry and prior acquaintance with trig functions. If you can (1) explain why two right triangles sharing an angle are similar and (2) calculate (or remember) the cosine of 60 degrees, you're probably ready.
The Infinitely Many Gnomes Game
Teachers:
Lauren McGough
You have infinitely many gnomes, and you give each one a hat.... can all but finitely many guess their hat color correctly? Do the gnomes have a winning strategy? We'll discuss different types of infinity in order to build up to a very crazy game with gnomes in more detail, and go over some very counterintuitive results!
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Become a LaTeXer!
Teachers:
Jason Gross,
Michele Pratusevich
Want to learn how to use LaTeX to format your mathematical formulae like this: $$\sum_{n = 1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}$$? Want to make your English teachers think you're crazy for having your papers formatted nicely in scientific form? Come learn the basics of LaTeX, the standard mathematical typesetting language. Works on any platform. We provide the computers. But we'll tell you how to install it on your own computers.
Although we'll provide example mathematics to typeset, you'll probably get more out of the class if you bring your own mathematics to typeset (e.g. notes or homework from your math class).
If you want to use your laptop instead, you should install MiKTeX and TeXnicCenter (either together from http://www.tug.org/protext/, or separately from http://miktex.org/2.8/setup and http://www.texniccenter.org/resources/downloads/29), or another LaTeX editor (if you don't use windows) before you arrive; the installation of MiKTeX can take about half an hour to an hour.
Although we'll provide example mathematics to typeset, you'll probably get more out of the class if you bring your own mathematics to typeset (e.g. notes or homework from your math class).
If you want to use your laptop instead, you should install MiKTeX and TeXnicCenter (either together from http://www.tug.org/protext/, or separately from http://miktex.org/2.8/setup and http://www.texniccenter.org/resources/downloads/29), or another LaTeX editor (if you don't use windows) before you arrive; the installation of MiKTeX can take about half an hour to an hour.
Small Universes
Teachers:
Sachi Hashimoto
If I lived on a universe that was connected to itself, I could walk forward and end up where I started. What would it look like if that universe were only as big as a room and I looked up? I could play catch with myself. If it were twisted, even more weird stuff happens. Find out more in this class.
Melissa the Mathemagician
Teachers:
Melissa Kaufman
Amaze your friends with these fun math tricks! I lnow a bunch of mind-reading tricks to share with you, but feel free to bring your own.
Prerequisites
pre-algebra (very basic, know how to solve things like 2x+3=11)
Prerequisites
pre-algebra (very basic, know how to solve things like 2x+3=11)
Surfaces and Low-Dimensional Topology
Teachers:
Daniel Zaharopol
There are some amazing things that happen in two dimensions.
“Two dimensions” doesn’t mean the plane. It means all spaces that *look* two dimensional, like spheres and the surfaces of donuts (what mathematicians call “tori”). It also means strange, less familiar spaces, like the Klein bottle – which is two-dimensional everywhere, but you can’t fit a copy of it in our three-dimensional world; you need four-dimensions to comfortably fit it at all.
We’re going to explore the many (infinitely many!) kinds of “surfaces,” two-dimensional objects like these. Even though the objects are two-dimensional, they might not fit even in our three-dimensional world, yet we'll still be able to develop a way to study them. By the end, we’ll understand what all of them look like, even the ones that don’t fit in three dimensions at all. I’ll also talk a little bit about what happens in higher dimensions, studying a kind of object called a “manifold.”
This class will require a lot of thinking, so please come prepared for some very challenging abstract thought.
Prerequisites
Recommended only for high-school age and above.
“Two dimensions” doesn’t mean the plane. It means all spaces that *look* two dimensional, like spheres and the surfaces of donuts (what mathematicians call “tori”). It also means strange, less familiar spaces, like the Klein bottle – which is two-dimensional everywhere, but you can’t fit a copy of it in our three-dimensional world; you need four-dimensions to comfortably fit it at all.
We’re going to explore the many (infinitely many!) kinds of “surfaces,” two-dimensional objects like these. Even though the objects are two-dimensional, they might not fit even in our three-dimensional world, yet we'll still be able to develop a way to study them. By the end, we’ll understand what all of them look like, even the ones that don’t fit in three dimensions at all. I’ll also talk a little bit about what happens in higher dimensions, studying a kind of object called a “manifold.”
This class will require a lot of thinking, so please come prepared for some very challenging abstract thought.
Prerequisites
Recommended only for high-school age and above.
Proof
Teachers:
Ruth Byers
Proofs are a part of math that is fun rather than tedious! Students will be shown basic proof techniques and then get a chance to try their hands at simple proofs.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of geometry
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of geometry
Probabilistic Banana Peels
Teachers:
Stephen Xu
People have good intuitions about a lot of things, but probability isn't one of them. The world of probability is full of unintuitive results and surprises that most people will trip over. We'll go through several of these examples, starting with the famous Monty Hall problem and moving on to answer questions such as "Do men have more sisters than women?", famous paradoxes like Simpson's paradox, and others.
Note: This course will likely not involve bananas in any way. The banana peels are purely metaphorical.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of probability
Note: This course will likely not involve bananas in any way. The banana peels are purely metaphorical.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of probability
Derivatives and integrals II: some theory and many variables
Teachers:
Michael Livshits
Continuation of Derivatives and Integrals I.
I will present a streamlined theory of differentiation and integration, based on some simple inequalities. Then I will show how the ideas that work for functions of one variable can be extended to two variables. I will discuss more than 2 variables briefly, depending on time and the audience.
Prerequisites
Derivatives and integrals I, or calculus in one variable. For 2 variables familiarity with vectors, linear functions and linear transformations in 2 variables, 2x2 matrices and their determinants will suffice. For many variables the higher-dimensional analogs of these notions, i.e., some rudiments of linear algebra will help.
I will present a streamlined theory of differentiation and integration, based on some simple inequalities. Then I will show how the ideas that work for functions of one variable can be extended to two variables. I will discuss more than 2 variables briefly, depending on time and the audience.
Prerequisites
Derivatives and integrals I, or calculus in one variable. For 2 variables familiarity with vectors, linear functions and linear transformations in 2 variables, 2x2 matrices and their determinants will suffice. For many variables the higher-dimensional analogs of these notions, i.e., some rudiments of linear algebra will help.
Rational Tangles Full!
Teachers:
Liz Simon
Knot theory is a subfield of topology which studies knots from a mathematical perspective. A tangle is a portion of a knot, examined independent from the rest of the knot. Come to learn about the interesting properties of a subset of tangles: rational tangles, and how they relate to the rational numbers!
Prerequisites
Some interest in theoretical mathematics. No specific math experience needed.
Prerequisites
Some interest in theoretical mathematics. No specific math experience needed.
Solve this SUDOKU Full!
Teachers:
Robert Assaly
x7x xxx x51
8x5 1xx x36
3xx xx4 xx8
xxx x35 xxx
x38 x7x 54x
xxx 24x xxx
1xx 4xx xx5
75x xx3 6x4
46x xxx x9x
and show us how you did it,
at the board.
Better still, make a handout, 25 or so.
Other Sudoku and KenKen puzzles
will be presented.
Prerequisites
Know the requirements for the solutions of these puzzles..
8x5 1xx x36
3xx xx4 xx8
xxx x35 xxx
x38 x7x 54x
xxx 24x xxx
1xx 4xx xx5
75x xx3 6x4
46x xxx x9x
and show us how you did it,
at the board.
Better still, make a handout, 25 or so.
Other Sudoku and KenKen puzzles
will be presented.
Prerequisites
Know the requirements for the solutions of these puzzles..
How to Win $$$ Full!
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
How to make the right choice… in order to win money, of course! A bit of math, and then some game shows tricks and gambling card games in which most people are /very/ likely to slip up. And if you’re not into gambling yourself, at least come learn how to not get tricked.
Complex Variables
Teachers:
Andrew Spieker
So you're told that there are these things called "complex numbers" that are of the form a+bi, where i is the square root of -1; but what does that actually mean? How did people come up with this garbage?
We will discuss functions of a complex variable, the motivation for them, isomorphism (what? come and find out!) between the complex plane and two dimensional space, geometry of functions of a complex variable.
Did I mention that e^(pi*i) = -1? Well anyway, that is true. Come and find out why!
This seminar will be quick-paced, activity-based, and a lot of fun. Three hours goes by very, very quickly on this topic, so it's an investment of your time you probably want to make, and an opportunity you don't want to miss!
Prerequisites
Just some knowledge of polynomial functions, how the behave, basic algebra. Motivation to think abstractly is a must. Previous exposure to complex numbers can be beneficial.
We will discuss functions of a complex variable, the motivation for them, isomorphism (what? come and find out!) between the complex plane and two dimensional space, geometry of functions of a complex variable.
Did I mention that e^(pi*i) = -1? Well anyway, that is true. Come and find out why!
This seminar will be quick-paced, activity-based, and a lot of fun. Three hours goes by very, very quickly on this topic, so it's an investment of your time you probably want to make, and an opportunity you don't want to miss!
Prerequisites
Just some knowledge of polynomial functions, how the behave, basic algebra. Motivation to think abstractly is a must. Previous exposure to complex numbers can be beneficial.
The Pigeonhole Principle
Teachers:
Lauren McGough
If you put 3 things in two boxes, at least two of them are in the same box. This simple principle has a vast array of surprising results in math! We'll be talking about lots of problems that use the Pigeonhole principle in surprising and interesting ways.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
The Joy of Eigenvalues
Teachers:
Kyle Miller
Linear recurrence relations, generating functions, graphs, oh my! We will explore the connection between these seemingly unrelated ideas by the numbers which are intrinsic to their structure. Applications include Google PageRank, vibrating systems, and population dynamics. We will start with the definition of an eigenvalue and continue from there (with many examples and $$\lambda$$'s).
Prerequisites
A strong background in at least precalculus is preferred.
Prerequisites
A strong background in at least precalculus is preferred.
Vectors and Matrices
Teachers:
Andrew Spieker
So, matrices are arrays of numbers, and vectors are arrows with magnitude and direction that are defined component-wise. But, what do they actually do? In this class, we will discuss some of the cool things that matrices and vectors can do, and we will try to classify some linear transformations and endomorphisms. Possible topics also include eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
Prerequisites
As long as you know what a matrix is, and how to add and subtract, you'll be all set.
Prerequisites
As long as you know what a matrix is, and how to add and subtract, you'll be all set.
The Magic of Wedge Products
Teachers:
Andrew Geng
Did you ever find it suspicious that the cross product only works in three dimensions? Does it disturb you that physics makes such heavy use of cross products? What about matrix determinants? How come it's possible to compute a cross product using a determinant?
This is why we have the wedge product (try looking it up on MathWorld or Wikipedia)! You can compute it using two easy rules, and it can be used to find both cross products and determinants! We'll warm up with a quick review of cross products, and then we'll define the wedge product and see how far we can go!
Prerequisites
You should have some prior experience with either cross products or matrix determinants, otherwise this class probably won't make much sense to you.
This is why we have the wedge product (try looking it up on MathWorld or Wikipedia)! You can compute it using two easy rules, and it can be used to find both cross products and determinants! We'll warm up with a quick review of cross products, and then we'll define the wedge product and see how far we can go!
Prerequisites
You should have some prior experience with either cross products or matrix determinants, otherwise this class probably won't make much sense to you.
Wanna Bet? Interesting Puzzles from Betting and Probability
Teachers:
Stephen M. Hou
Are you the type who calculates the odds of getting a particular hand when you play poker? Do you enjoy explaining the Monty Hall problem to your parents and friends? If so, this class is for you! We will examine some classic puzzles that involve betting or probability. If time permits, I'll discuss the mathematical, economic, and psychological reasons why people buy insurance policies and lottery tickets, even though they know that, on average, they will lose money in the long run (and the insurance companies and lottery commissions will earn a profit). Note: This class is intended to teach mathematics and to have fun solving challenging puzzles. This is NOT to promote or endorse gambling.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with probability, combinatorics, and algebra. Strong interest in math puzzles and challenges.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with probability, combinatorics, and algebra. Strong interest in math puzzles and challenges.
Permutations Full!
Teachers:
Lauren McGough
How many ways can you order a set of 3 things? of 4 things? of $n$ things? What if I put you and some friends in a line, and asked you to get into order by height, but put some restrictions on how you can switch positions? When will it be possible for you to get into the right order? How many moves will it take? We'll discuss the rich mathematics of permutations, play some games involving them, and derive some results about which permutations are obtainable from other permutations using certain kinds of "moves"!
Prerequisites
None! This class will not require heavy algebra or geometry; we'll spend most of our time thinking about how to order things and how to count ways to order things given different restrictions
Prerequisites
None! This class will not require heavy algebra or geometry; we'll spend most of our time thinking about how to order things and how to count ways to order things given different restrictions
Linear Algebra
Teachers:
Holden Lee
Linear algebra? What could be harder than y=mx+b?
A lot.
To help demystify this challenging topic, we'll connect the abstract (vector spaces, linear transformations) with the concrete (matrices and linear equations).
Have you wondered where the crazy formula for the determinant comes from? We'll derive it, from the ground up.
Next, we'll explore eigenvalues and diagonalization. Finally, we'll see some surprising applications to combinatorics.
The following topics may be included or substituted based on time and student interest:
-Inner product spaces and orthogonality
-Canonical forms
-Multilinear forms
-Sequences
Prerequisites
Algebra 1. Know what a matrix is. Algebra 2 recommended.
A lot.
To help demystify this challenging topic, we'll connect the abstract (vector spaces, linear transformations) with the concrete (matrices and linear equations).
Have you wondered where the crazy formula for the determinant comes from? We'll derive it, from the ground up.
Next, we'll explore eigenvalues and diagonalization. Finally, we'll see some surprising applications to combinatorics.
The following topics may be included or substituted based on time and student interest:
-Inner product spaces and orthogonality
-Canonical forms
-Multilinear forms
-Sequences
Prerequisites
Algebra 1. Know what a matrix is. Algebra 2 recommended.
Advantage gambling: the casino business model, the poker boom, and gambling teams.
Teachers:
Dennis Liu
A professional gambler talks about math, casinos, and myths and realities of professional gambling. Topics covered will include how probability can lead to profitable opportunities in casinos(i.e. card counting, use and abuse of bonus jackpots), why many math nerds are playing poker, and why casinos fear gambling teams.
Prerequisites
Some understanding of basic probability(including permutations and combinations) will be useful.
Prerequisites
Some understanding of basic probability(including permutations and combinations) will be useful.
Circuits over Sets of Natural Numbers
Teachers:
Jason Gross
This class will be a discussion about the math research I've been doing for the past three years. I will talk about the various problems I've been investigating (see below for a brief overview), and then we will discuss the progress that I've made, the open problems I'm currently working on, or whatever aspects of the topic you find interesting.
Consider the operations union, intersection, complementation, addition, and multiplication on sets of natural numbers (where the sum or product of two sets is the set of sums or products). What are all the sets that can be constructed, starting from one element sets of natural numbers? For example, the set of composite numbers (along with 0) is definable as $$\overline{\{1\}}\times \overline{\{1\}}$$ (where ¯ is complementation). The set of squares (1, 4, 9, 16, ...), however, is believed to not be definable. Another question we can ask is, is it possible (and if so, how long will it take) to decide if a given number is in the set defined by a given formula? What if you disallow some of the operations?
Prerequisites
Familiarity with basic set theory, exposure to proofs. If you can understand http://blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2003/01/circuits-over-sets-of-natural-numbers.html and/or http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~mckenzie/Dagstuhl02.pdf, you should be fine. If you can understand http://sites.google.com/site/miscfilessite/Home/Stacs03.pdf, you'll have no problem (if you can't understand it, don't worry).
Consider the operations union, intersection, complementation, addition, and multiplication on sets of natural numbers (where the sum or product of two sets is the set of sums or products). What are all the sets that can be constructed, starting from one element sets of natural numbers? For example, the set of composite numbers (along with 0) is definable as $$\overline{\{1\}}\times \overline{\{1\}}$$ (where ¯ is complementation). The set of squares (1, 4, 9, 16, ...), however, is believed to not be definable. Another question we can ask is, is it possible (and if so, how long will it take) to decide if a given number is in the set defined by a given formula? What if you disallow some of the operations?
Prerequisites
Familiarity with basic set theory, exposure to proofs. If you can understand http://blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2003/01/circuits-over-sets-of-natural-numbers.html and/or http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~mckenzie/Dagstuhl02.pdf, you should be fine. If you can understand http://sites.google.com/site/miscfilessite/Home/Stacs03.pdf, you'll have no problem (if you can't understand it, don't worry).
A Traversal of Graph Theory
Teachers:
Kyle Miller
Graph theory is the study of connections between objects, be it cables and computers, bridges and islands, or relationships and people. We will start with the definitions of vertices and edges and cover basic properties of graphs, spanning trees, flows, electrical networks, random walks, graph coloring, and introductory Ramsey theory.
Prerequisites
Mathematical reasoning.
Prerequisites
Mathematical reasoning.
Powers of Two and Epsilon
Teachers:
Shaunak Kishore
We'll look at the very large and very small in mathematics and computer science. Compared to these numbers, $10^70$ protons in the universe is NOTHING.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
The category of sets
Teachers:
Eric Wofsey
Category theory is a highly abstract branch of mathematics that involves looking at what ideas and constructions are common throughout all of mathematics. In this class, we'll take a more concrete look at some of the ideas of category theory through the most basic category of all, the category of sets. Roughly speaking, studying the category of sets means studying sets by only talking about functions between sets and forgetting the sets themselves! We'll see that many things you can do with sets can be expressed in this language. In particular, we'll show that some basic properties of arithmetic are really general principles of category theory!
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with sets and functions. Familiarity with the idea of cardinality of sets and bijections would be helpful but is not required.
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with sets and functions. Familiarity with the idea of cardinality of sets and bijections would be helpful but is not required.
The Riemann Zeta Function
Teachers:
Philip Engel
We will use the Riemann zeta function to prove a number of facts about primes. Then, we will extend the Riemann zeta function to all complex numbers, allowing us to state the most famous unsolved problem in mathematics: The Riemann Hypothesis. We will continue by generalizing the Riemann zeta function to other objects of mathematical interest.
Prerequisites
For the beginning of the class, some familiarity with algebra will be useful. For the second part of the class, calculus will be necessary. For the last part of the class, just try holding on to your seats.
Prerequisites
For the beginning of the class, some familiarity with algebra will be useful. For the second part of the class, calculus will be necessary. For the last part of the class, just try holding on to your seats.
Why are there five Platonic solids?
Teachers:
Marisa Debowsky
Tetrahedron. Hexahedron. Octahedron. Dodecahedron. Icosahedron. What is it, exactly, that makes these the Platonic Solids -- the only five convex regular polyhedra? We'll describe their elegant and simple classification using an observation from topology, some easy results from graph theory, and some clever counting. And probably some chalk.
Time permitting, we'll talk about what Platonic solids you might get if your basic shape were a donut (torus) rather than a ball (sphere).
Prerequisites
This course will be accessible to a pretty wide audience: I'll be walking through several proofs (including one by induction), but doing so carefully and while drawing lots of pictures. No specific math background assumed, but you should be interested in proofs.
Time permitting, we'll talk about what Platonic solids you might get if your basic shape were a donut (torus) rather than a ball (sphere).
Prerequisites
This course will be accessible to a pretty wide audience: I'll be walking through several proofs (including one by induction), but doing so carefully and while drawing lots of pictures. No specific math background assumed, but you should be interested in proofs.
[Deprecated] Science
Why the Lorentz Equation? Full!
Teachers:
Ian Leroux
The most famous equation in relativity is $$E=mc^2$$, but the most important one, the one that predicts time dilation, length contraction and all the weird physics and mind-bending paradoxes you learn about in S2846 and S2847, is the Lorentz equation.
In this class we'll derive that equation from a few simple experimental facts, some basic ideas of symmetry, and straightforward algebra. We won't explore its consequences (that's what S2846/S2847 are for), but we'll show where it comes from and why it couldn't be any different. And we won't skip steps.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra (e.g. from a+bx=c you know that x=(c-a)/b. Familiarity with the square root function. No prior knowledge of relativity or of the Lorentz equation is assumed.
In this class we'll derive that equation from a few simple experimental facts, some basic ideas of symmetry, and straightforward algebra. We won't explore its consequences (that's what S2846/S2847 are for), but we'll show where it comes from and why it couldn't be any different. And we won't skip steps.
Prerequisites
Basic algebra (e.g. from a+bx=c you know that x=(c-a)/b. Familiarity with the square root function. No prior knowledge of relativity or of the Lorentz equation is assumed.
IRAF Image Calibrations for Win32/OSX
Teachers:
Robert A. R. Arlt Jr
Learn how to use IRAF to calibrate astronomy CCD images. Will include installation of IRAF on Windows or Mac.
Prerequisites
Computer with Windows XP or later or Max OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher.
Prerequisites
Computer with Windows XP or later or Max OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher.
Introduction to Interstellar Warfare Full!
Teachers:
Daniel Kane,
Bram Sterling
Alternate title:
Defense of a gravity well against a first strike countervalue attack by an interstellar known-physics adversary with a substellar mass economy
Or, dodging rocks
Topics include relativistic bombardment, singularities, Von Neumann devices, and innocuous antimatter weapons.
Material largely overlaps with previous years.
Defense of a gravity well against a first strike countervalue attack by an interstellar known-physics adversary with a substellar mass economy
Or, dodging rocks
Topics include relativistic bombardment, singularities, Von Neumann devices, and innocuous antimatter weapons.
Material largely overlaps with previous years.
Energy and Its Link To Global Warming (beginner) Full!
Teachers:
Andrew Greenhut
These days, everyone is talking about energy, carbon dioxide, and global warming. But what do these things have in common? What are they? Where do they come from? Why is it so important?
This class will give you a better (more scientific) understanding of the following three topics:
1. Energy
2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gasses
3. Global Warming
This class will be interactive and you can ask any questions you want.
This class will give you a better (more scientific) understanding of the following three topics:
1. Energy
2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gasses
3. Global Warming
This class will be interactive and you can ask any questions you want.
Introduction to Interstellar Empires
Teachers:
Daniel Kane,
Bram Sterling
We discuss models for interstellar empires compatible with known physics. In particular we discuss methods of dealing with the difficulties of interstellar transport and communication.
Topics include: interstellar colonization, ramscoops, stellar mining, tame von Neumann machines, and ballistic dyson spheres.
Topics include: interstellar colonization, ramscoops, stellar mining, tame von Neumann machines, and ballistic dyson spheres.
When cells die
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.
A Table, Periodically
Teachers:
Qiaodan (Jordan) Jin Stone,
Diyang Tang
If you had to guess, how many elements would you say there are? (Hint: there are fewer elements than there are Pokemon.) How many do you know? Do you have a favorite? Do you want one? This class will cover all the cool things that make elements distinctive and all the cool things that make them similar, and we'll top it all off with a dash of music.
Timeloop Genetics
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!
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Play Games to Find Cures
Teachers:
Alex Chisholm
Generation Cures, a new education and fundraising program at Children's Hospital Boston, invites kids to use their powers for good by playing games that teach them about the scientific research process. As they play and recruit sponsors for an online "game-a-thon," the money they raise goes directly to helping doctors find cures for the most challenging childhood diseases. During this course, students will have an opportunity to play the five levels of the CADUCEUS game, which was designed by researchers at the MIT Education Arcade, and discuss what they learned and the strategies they used to progress through levels. They will also have an opportunity to brainstorm designs for future game levels.
Prerequisites
Interest in the biological sciences, learning games, and/or brain design. Free account registration and parent approval to play the full CADUCEUS game at: http://kids.generationcures.org/play
Prerequisites
Interest in the biological sciences, learning games, and/or brain design. Free account registration and parent approval to play the full CADUCEUS game at: http://kids.generationcures.org/play
Origins of Modern Science from Copernicus to Newton
Teachers:
Lance Ozier
About 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.
Sensory Perception Full!
Teachers:
Ryan Andrews
In this course, you will learn how your brain processes sensory information. We will first cover the brain area(s) involved in sensory perception, and then we'll work our way backwards to the primary sensory receptors. We will also briefly cover diseases and problems that arise in sensory perception (color blindness, optical illusions, etc).
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Coral Reef Conservation and Ecology
Teachers:
William Kalb
Do you like the ocean? Do you like fish and coral? How do you feel about coral reefs? If you answered in a vaguely positive manner to these questions, come learn about the ecology of coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. I'll show you stuff from the mechanics of reef formation to the fish populations of reefs to the biology of a coral polyp to where, exactly, sand comes from (the answer may surprise you!). We'll also learn about the drastic environmental plight faced by all of Earth's reefs, but I won't be too preachy about that.
Prerequisites
You must know what the ocean is, have seen a picture of a fish at some point in your life, and know that humans usually cannot breath unaided underwater.
Prerequisites
You must know what the ocean is, have seen a picture of a fish at some point in your life, and know that humans usually cannot breath unaided underwater.
You Are Not Human
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
a basic understanding of biology
Prerequisites
a basic understanding of biology
Run! It's Organic Chemistry!
Teachers:
Letitia Li
Is it really so hard that it's a miracle to just pass? And what use can it be? Try to learn 2 semesters worth of reactions in 1 hour, as well as how to make TNT.
Prerequisites
General Chemistry
Prerequisites
General Chemistry
Quantum Tunneling, Black Holes, and The Weird Universe
Teachers:
Nabil Iqbal,
Hiro Miyake
It turns out that behind the scenes nature works in bizarre and wonderful ways. We’ll explain some of these ideas, ranging from the very small – where particles routinely walk through walls and almost anything can happen – to the very large – where the fabric of space and time itself is curved, a glance at the sky can show you the birth of the universe, and mysteriously named Black Holes are inescapable for anything, even light itself. We’ll discuss these cryptic sentences and explain how weird our universe really is.
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge needed. Only a desire to learn something new about our universe.
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge needed. Only a desire to learn something new about our universe.
Basics of brains
Teachers:
Abby Noyce
So what does your brain actually *do*? This class will examine the basic properties of the nerve cells that make up your brain - how they take in, process, and output information.
Prerequisites
A little bit of biology (you should be familiar with cells) and a little bit of chemistry (you should be okay with the idea that solutions consist of ions with positive or negative charges). (Advanced high-schoolers may find this class a bit slow.)
Prerequisites
A little bit of biology (you should be familiar with cells) and a little bit of chemistry (you should be okay with the idea that solutions consist of ions with positive or negative charges). (Advanced high-schoolers may find this class a bit slow.)
Introduction to Photography and Its Importance in Scientific Research Full!
Teachers:
Dhaval Adjodah
Ever wondered how a digital camera works?
Ever wondered what is so fancy about those big black cameras compared to your normal point and shoot camera?
Aperture? Shutter speed? Sensitivity?
Do you think cameras are only used for taking birthday pictures? Wait, cameras are used for cutting-edge scientific research?
Want to know about that camera that takes 150 000 pictures per second? or better, watch videos of it? or even see it?
Want to know how to take pictures of bullets exploding though apples? (the theory of it and pictures of the explosions)
Want to see natural phenomena that are so beautiful that pictures of them seem like captivating abstract art?
WELL THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU!
Prerequisites
previous knowledge of wanting to have fun required
Ever wondered what is so fancy about those big black cameras compared to your normal point and shoot camera?
Aperture? Shutter speed? Sensitivity?
Do you think cameras are only used for taking birthday pictures? Wait, cameras are used for cutting-edge scientific research?
Want to know about that camera that takes 150 000 pictures per second? or better, watch videos of it? or even see it?
Want to know how to take pictures of bullets exploding though apples? (the theory of it and pictures of the explosions)
Want to see natural phenomena that are so beautiful that pictures of them seem like captivating abstract art?
WELL THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU!
Prerequisites
previous knowledge of wanting to have fun required
Chemical Sensors
Teachers:
Chris Kennedy
How do you detect a bomb without a metal detector, x-ray equipment, or any kind of search? The answer lies in chemical sensors, which are extremely sensitive devices that can pick up traces of TNT, nerve gas, or other dangerous chemicals from several meters away. We’ll examine the inner workings of chemical sensors that rely on polymers that conduct electricity, which currently give the most sensitive equipment known to man. If you like chemistry, you’ll like this class.
Prerequisites
About a year of chemistry is necessary to understand what's going on.
Prerequisites
About a year of chemistry is necessary to understand what's going on.
Pushing the Limits Full!
Teachers:
Ian Leroux
How efficiently can we transmit power over long distances? How cold can we make a piece of metal? How intense can we make a beam of light? How fast can we make a plane fly?
One of the most useful questions in science and engineering is: "How well is it physically possible to do this task? And why aren't we doing it that well?" In this class we'll look at performance limits: how to calculate where they should be, and how to look past them to find new insights.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with concepts of energy, momentum, electrical resistance, voltage, friction etc may be helpful but is not essential.
One of the most useful questions in science and engineering is: "How well is it physically possible to do this task? And why aren't we doing it that well?" In this class we'll look at performance limits: how to calculate where they should be, and how to look past them to find new insights.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with concepts of energy, momentum, electrical resistance, voltage, friction etc may be helpful but is not essential.
Harmony in Hilbert Space and All Around Us (i.e., Intro to Quantum Mechanics)
Teachers:
Bhaskar Mookerji
The goal of this class will be to provide a taste of one of the most useful physical theories ever devised (quantum mechanics) and how implications drive the engineering of modern devices (transistors, lasers, magnetic materials, etc.) and those that have yet to come (quantum computers and key distribution systems). Studying this subject will put you on the road to having a modern, fundamental understanding of how light and matter behave at the atomic scale.
We'll introduce basic ideas in quantum electrodynamics as a way to understanding matter from very elementary physical principles. General quantum mechanics formalism: states, operators, Dirac notation, physical observables, and measurement.
Prerequisites
Mathematical maturity, calculus, basic matrix manipulation (2x2's), and a familiarity with classical electromagnetism and early results of modern physics.
We'll introduce basic ideas in quantum electrodynamics as a way to understanding matter from very elementary physical principles. General quantum mechanics formalism: states, operators, Dirac notation, physical observables, and measurement.
Prerequisites
Mathematical maturity, calculus, basic matrix manipulation (2x2's), and a familiarity with classical electromagnetism and early results of modern physics.
Chemistry of Stink
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
We have been so obsessed with ridding the world of odor that the art of using your nose to investigate science is being lost. By examining the chemistry of some common odious odors and the chemicals used to eradicate them, I hope to give students a more sophisticated understanding of what's in your household cabinets and the esoteric experience of judging a chemical's composition by smell alone.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of acids and bases.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of acids and bases.
Entropy
Teachers:
David Farhi
Why does your room always get messier and messier, never cleaner? Why don't all the air molecules fall to the ground? In this class we'll talk about entropy and randomness in nature and how they connect to energy, heat, temperature, and engines. This class will probably be fairly rigorous and math-intensive.
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with algebra and probability.
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with algebra and probability.
What is speech? Full!
Teachers:
Jeremy Kuhn
We use speech every day.
And yet, did you ever stop to wonder how the vocal chords actually WORK? Or why vowels sound different from each other? Or what the heck Tuvan throat singing is? Or how to tell size of a Rhesus Monkey without looking at it?
In this class, we show how human anatomy and fundamental concepts in physics give rise to surprising trends that we see in Linguistic Theory.
And yet, did you ever stop to wonder how the vocal chords actually WORK? Or why vowels sound different from each other? Or what the heck Tuvan throat singing is? Or how to tell size of a Rhesus Monkey without looking at it?
In this class, we show how human anatomy and fundamental concepts in physics give rise to surprising trends that we see in Linguistic Theory.
Molecules that will KILL you. Full!
Teachers:
Christina Dedrick,
Alex Vai
Remember when your teachers told you to wear safety goggles, aprons and gloves? Well, they were right - chemistry can be dangerous. In this class, we will explore some chemistry concepts, using as examples some of the most dangerous molecules known to man. Together we will explore The corrosive! The toxic! The flammable! The reactive! The All of the Above! Remember, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of chemical formulas and the periodic table is required. (Aka, know what H2O or NaCl means)
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of chemical formulas and the periodic table is required. (Aka, know what H2O or NaCl means)
Radio Astronomy: The Universe from Your Backyard
Teachers:
Sho Uemura
What do you see when you look outside at night, with your eyes or with a small telescope? For the most part, only things very close to Earth - the planets, the closest stars and our neighborhood in the Milky Way.
A radio telescope sees a completely different universe. Even a radio telescope small enough to build in your backyard can see the motion of the Milky Way and make a map of the entire galaxy. In this class, you will learn how a radio telescope works, and see examples of the uses of radio telescopes.
Prerequisites
Basic astronomy - know what stars, planets and galaxies are. Physics at a high-school level - electricity and magnetism, Doppler effect.
A radio telescope sees a completely different universe. Even a radio telescope small enough to build in your backyard can see the motion of the Milky Way and make a map of the entire galaxy. In this class, you will learn how a radio telescope works, and see examples of the uses of radio telescopes.
Prerequisites
Basic astronomy - know what stars, planets and galaxies are. Physics at a high-school level - electricity and magnetism, Doppler effect.
Pick Your Poison: An Intro to Spectroscopy Full!
Teachers:
Nathan Benjamin
I give you three unlabeled glasses: one containing water, one containing cranberry juice, and one containing a colorless poison. How do you tell (without drinking!) which is which? Well the cranberry juice is easy; just look at the color. But how about the other two? Turns out we can use light to help us, in a way quite similar to just observing color. Come to this class to find out how!
Prerequisites
High school chemistry and physics (AP is plenty)
Prerequisites
High school chemistry and physics (AP is plenty)
On Black Holes, Singularities, and the Event Horizon: A Journey into the Abyss
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.
Bayesian Inference
Teachers:
Jacob Steinhardt
We will study the behavior of a rational agent acting under uncertainty. As a result, we will develop Bayesian inference and use it as a model for human cognition. We will also demonstrate the Bayesian Occam's razor and investigate applications to model-fitting in statistics.
Prerequisites
Students should be comfortable with probability and algebra. Some calculus will be used in the class, but will not be necessary for a general understanding of the material.
Prerequisites
Students should be comfortable with probability and algebra. Some calculus will be used in the class, but will not be necessary for a general understanding of the material.
Theoretical Cryomania
Teachers:
Enrique Cintron,
Joshua Velson
Liquid nitrogen is awesome. Engineering is awesome. And since Splash! is awesome, we can bring both of them together. In this class, our dedicated team of cryomaniacs will be putting on our engineer's hats and using liquid nitrogen as a tool to teach and demonstrate core scientific concepts in chemical and mechanical engineering. This class is much more academically focused than Applied Cryomania. Topics covered will include: elasticity, non-ideal gas laws, phase equilibrium, heat transfer, and distillation.
Prerequisites
At least one year of general chemistry and single variable calculus is required. A basic understanding of vector calculus and/or differential equations is a very big plus, but not required.
Prerequisites
At least one year of general chemistry and single variable calculus is required. A basic understanding of vector calculus and/or differential equations is a very big plus, but not required.
A Hardcore Seminar on Solving Difficult Mechanics Problems.
Teachers:
Ky-Anh Tran
Do vertiginous incline planes make you perspire? Do rolling cylinders, collisions of blocks, pulley mass systems make you excited?
If so, this is the class for you. We will together solve the most awesome problems in mechanics that do not require calculus, using only Newtonian mechanics (the first thing we learn in high school physics) and some precalculus. I will share with you my tips and tricks in solving difficult mechanics problems. Furthermore, this class will serve as a decent warm up (and maybe more) for those of you interested in Physics olympiad.
In the process, we will examine the greatest hits in standard introductory level mechanics problems, pulled from an almanac of hair-pulling/ elegant problems in physics:
-Irodov Problems in General Physics
-David Morin's Classical Mechanics
-An "Introduction" to Mechanics by Kleppner and Kolenkow.
Prerequisites
Solid Precalculus (vectors, geometry, trigonometry, algebra), fair knowledge of mechanics at the AP physics B or AP physics C level (force diagrams, rotational motion,Torque, linear and angular momentum, conservation of energy). NO CALCULUS NEEDED.
If so, this is the class for you. We will together solve the most awesome problems in mechanics that do not require calculus, using only Newtonian mechanics (the first thing we learn in high school physics) and some precalculus. I will share with you my tips and tricks in solving difficult mechanics problems. Furthermore, this class will serve as a decent warm up (and maybe more) for those of you interested in Physics olympiad.
In the process, we will examine the greatest hits in standard introductory level mechanics problems, pulled from an almanac of hair-pulling/ elegant problems in physics:
-Irodov Problems in General Physics
-David Morin's Classical Mechanics
-An "Introduction" to Mechanics by Kleppner and Kolenkow.
Prerequisites
Solid Precalculus (vectors, geometry, trigonometry, algebra), fair knowledge of mechanics at the AP physics B or AP physics C level (force diagrams, rotational motion,Torque, linear and angular momentum, conservation of energy). NO CALCULUS NEEDED.
Genetics in Human Affairs
Teachers:
Cheston Saunders
A discussion of basic principles of genetics for non-majors or majors with the ultimate goal of developing an understanding of the relationship of genetics to the society of today and its possible influence on the future of man. A survey of current knowledge of the inheritance of human traits is included. Human chromosomal diseases will be discussed in an attempt to unify the themes of society and science.
Natural Experiments
Teachers:
Anthony Fowler
Does education lead to wealth? Does minimum wage reduce employment? Does good parenting matter?
This course will discuss important but difficult questions that cannot be answered by traditional scientific experiments. To answer these questions, we must look for experiments that occur naturally in the real world. We will discuss natural experiments and how they can be applied to everyday problems in politics, economics, business, education, public policy, and health.
This course will discuss important but difficult questions that cannot be answered by traditional scientific experiments. To answer these questions, we must look for experiments that occur naturally in the real world. We will discuss natural experiments and how they can be applied to everyday problems in politics, economics, business, education, public policy, and health.
Cosmology, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe
Teachers:
David Farhi
"Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice." (Robert Frost)
As it turns out, we're pretty sure we know the world will end in ice. Come to this class to find out why! We'll talk along the way about the shape of the universe, the Big Bang, and vacuum energy.
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with algebra II.
Some say in ice." (Robert Frost)
As it turns out, we're pretty sure we know the world will end in ice. Come to this class to find out why! We'll talk along the way about the shape of the universe, the Big Bang, and vacuum energy.
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with algebra II.
Harmonic Oscillation is Everywhere
Teachers:
Reuben Aronson
We'll take a look at one differential equation, $$x'' + kx = 0$$, and how it shows up in so many different places in nature. We'll do some mathematical demonstrations and have some physical demos, too.
Prerequisites
You should know what a derivative is.
Prerequisites
You should know what a derivative is.
Keeping the Earth From Going ‘Foom’ Full!
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
Every second, the sun radiates, in addition to light, more than a million tons of protons and elections. If the earth didn’t have some protection, we might look a lot like Mars. However, the earth has a magnetic field (a force field!) that protects us from this ‘solar wind.’ This field exists because of four beautiful relations called Maxwell’s equations. In this class, we will discuss how Maxwell’s Equations explain these phenomena. We will also make magnets out of electricity, nails, wire, and math.
Prerequisites
This class is intended as a Lab for students who just completed “Maxwell’s Equations” in the previous hours, but it is open to anyone who wants to build a solenoid and see some beautiful calculus and multivariable calculus applied to physics
Prerequisites
This class is intended as a Lab for students who just completed “Maxwell’s Equations” in the previous hours, but it is open to anyone who wants to build a solenoid and see some beautiful calculus and multivariable calculus applied to physics
Introduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics
Teachers:
Kenan Diab
What are the fundamental building blocks of the universe? In what sorts of weird, strange ways can particles interact with each other? What unanswered questions remain regarding the most basic laws of physics? The answer to these questions and more will be given in this (mostly) nontechnical class about the Standard Model. Basic concepts of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory will be developed along the way to intuitively explain why our description of the universe so far is put together in the way it is. We'll also touch on open questions that are likely to be addressed at the LHC or are theoretically addressed by string theory and other models.
Prerequisites
Some sort of substantial exposure to classical physics (for example, AP Physics B, AP Physics C: Mechanics, equivalent self-study), calculus
Prerequisites
Some sort of substantial exposure to classical physics (for example, AP Physics B, AP Physics C: Mechanics, equivalent self-study), calculus
Weird Fluids: The Science of Non-Newtonian Flow
Teachers:
Muzhou Wang
You can run over tubs of cornstarch in water without sinking. You can break silly putty if you pull it quickly, but you can stretch it if you pull it slowly. How is this possible?
In this class we will learn about non-newtonian fluids. We will start from basic concepts of fluid mechanics and build up to different ways of classifying fluids and explaining their behavior. Finally, we will explore real-world applications of these weird materials.
Prerequisites
A strong interest and background in science (especially physics) is recommended.
In this class we will learn about non-newtonian fluids. We will start from basic concepts of fluid mechanics and build up to different ways of classifying fluids and explaining their behavior. Finally, we will explore real-world applications of these weird materials.
Prerequisites
A strong interest and background in science (especially physics) is recommended.
Guesswork and Uncertainty: knowing how much you don't know
Teachers:
David Farhi
How much does the Atlantic Ocean weigh? How many cells are in a human hand? What fraction of the earth's mass is contained in people?
In this class we'll learn the art of making up data and guessing reasonable answers to complicated and difficult questions. We will also discuss uncertainty and the art of estimating errors.
In this class we'll learn the art of making up data and guessing reasonable answers to complicated and difficult questions. We will also discuss uncertainty and the art of estimating errors.
Relativity in Electricity and Magnetism. Full!
Teachers:
Ky-Anh Tran
Electricity and magnetism are intricately connected, but did you know we could show and explain how magnetism is just an electric phenomena with a relativisitic twist?...
You might think that relativity is not so applicable, because the first things that come to mind when we talk about relativistic effects are things that, say, move at 2000000m/s, or, in other words, things that go thousands of time faster than a bullet.
Then, what does relativity have to do with Electricity and Magnetism? By that, how do currents in wires that have a drift velocity of the order of 1 cm/s exhibit relativistic effects in tangible ways? Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with it. In fact, magnetic phenomenas can be explained solely using electricity and special relativity. And that's exactly what WE will do.
In this class, we will take some ideas from Einstein's special relativity, mix it up vigorously with coulomb's law, and what we get out of it is... MAGNETISM!
Prerequisites
- Some basic knowledge of physics: coulomb's law (like charges repel, opposite charges attrack), electric current is made of moving charges, magnetic force. - Algebra - It's helpful to also know some special relativity (length contraction).
You might think that relativity is not so applicable, because the first things that come to mind when we talk about relativistic effects are things that, say, move at 2000000m/s, or, in other words, things that go thousands of time faster than a bullet.
Then, what does relativity have to do with Electricity and Magnetism? By that, how do currents in wires that have a drift velocity of the order of 1 cm/s exhibit relativistic effects in tangible ways? Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with it. In fact, magnetic phenomenas can be explained solely using electricity and special relativity. And that's exactly what WE will do.
In this class, we will take some ideas from Einstein's special relativity, mix it up vigorously with coulomb's law, and what we get out of it is... MAGNETISM!
Prerequisites
- Some basic knowledge of physics: coulomb's law (like charges repel, opposite charges attrack), electric current is made of moving charges, magnetic force. - Algebra - It's helpful to also know some special relativity (length contraction).
Solar Panels, Hand Grenades, and Blowing Up the Moon: How to Think About Energy
Teachers:
Randall Munroe
Which has more energy -- a laptop battery or a hand grenade? A pound of cookies or a pound of gasoline? A fastball or a bullet? How high could a Double-A battery lift you? How many solar panels would it take to run a toaster, or a cell phone, or a city? If a bird caught a mosquito made of antimatter outside your building, would you survive the explosion? If you blew up the Moon, what would happen to the Earth?
This class will discuss what energy is, how to tell how much of it there is, and how to figure out what it can do. We'll discuss different power sources and how to compare them, from cell phone batteries to nuclear power plants. Throughout the discussion, we will focus on getting fast answers to real-world physics questions using basic math, a piece of scratch paper, and Google Calculator.
This class will discuss what energy is, how to tell how much of it there is, and how to figure out what it can do. We'll discuss different power sources and how to compare them, from cell phone batteries to nuclear power plants. Throughout the discussion, we will focus on getting fast answers to real-world physics questions using basic math, a piece of scratch paper, and Google Calculator.
Balance and the Vestibular System
Teachers:
Tobie Tepfer
A brief overview of how we humans stay upright and balanced from a physical therapy point of view.
Learn about the three main systems we use to perceive our position in space, a few principles behind our ability to stay upright, and the reflexive strategies we utilize to keep ourselves that way when faced with a challenge.
Learn about the three main systems we use to perceive our position in space, a few principles behind our ability to stay upright, and the reflexive strategies we utilize to keep ourselves that way when faced with a challenge.
How Scientists Solve the Mysteries Behind the Biology of Love Full!
Teachers:
dena leeman
Have you ever wondered what’s going on in people's brains when they fall in love? Wondered why some animals/people stay with one partner for a long time and others don't?
Ever wondered how scientists would figure that out?
Come learn about the logic of designing experiments to answer these questions and about recent scientific discoveries on how organisms choose their mates and hard-wire the concept of “committed love” into their brains.
Ever wondered how scientists would figure that out?
Come learn about the logic of designing experiments to answer these questions and about recent scientific discoveries on how organisms choose their mates and hard-wire the concept of “committed love” into their brains.
Evolutionary Dynamics: Graphs, Genes, and Germs
Teachers:
Stephen Serene
Yes, it's true, evolution happens. But how? Darwin had an awfully good guess: species evolve from a low to a high level of fitness through a series of intermediates, getting fitter at each step. This guess seems pretty radical. After all, as many people ask, what use is half an eye? Or, as slightly fewer people ask, what use is half an intracellular regulatory network? My lab and others are just beginning to test Darwin's guess by using synthetic biology to generate the intermediate steps bacteria pass through as they evolve resistance to antibiotics. I'll discuss the techniques we use, how we analyze our data (a fun variation of graph search, for you computer people), and what people have found out so far about Darwin's guess. And I'll discuss how these tools could eventually be used to stem the spread of antibiotic resistance in the real world.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with basic molecular biology. If you know what genes, proteins, mutations, and bacteria are, you should be set.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with basic molecular biology. If you know what genes, proteins, mutations, and bacteria are, you should be set.
Light in the Dark Full!
Teachers:
Vincent Lee
Ever wonder about the true nature of fluorescence, black-body radiation, and the visible light spectrum, and the dual nature of light? Want to learn about ground-breaking research about how to process light in the field of computational photography?
Want to do all of this IN THE DARK??
Want to do all of this IN THE DARK??
Changing Your Brain: What actually happens in learning and memory. Full!
Teachers:
Abby Noyce
It's been clear for decades that learning has to involve some sort of changes within the brain. What sort of changes? Where? How might those happen? This class will tackle those questions, using evidence from psychology, neuroimaging, cellular biology, and more.
Prerequisites
High-school biology is *strongly* recommended.
Prerequisites
High-school biology is *strongly* recommended.
Orgo is everywhere
Teachers:
Eric Chang
A brief introduction of organic chemistry and its application in daily life.
Prerequisites
General Chemistry
Prerequisites
General Chemistry
Intro to Criminal Justice
Teachers:
Shar Gunn
Intro to Criminal Justice is an interactive class, where students will learn the basic terms, definitions and procedures to help them understand the criminal justice system.
Students will learn about violent crimes, job and educational requirements, arrest procedures, the cycle of crime and finger printing analysis. Students will be able to analyze their own fingerprints and patterns and participate in classroom role plays.
Topics of discussion:
• Team building
• Booking
• Arrests and Pat Searches
• Crime and Trends
Prerequisites
Students should be mature and able to handle topics related to criminal justice, such as: Robbery, Assault, Rape and Murder = Uniform Crime Report (violent crimes). In which, we will have a brief discussion on.
Students will learn about violent crimes, job and educational requirements, arrest procedures, the cycle of crime and finger printing analysis. Students will be able to analyze their own fingerprints and patterns and participate in classroom role plays.
Topics of discussion:
• Team building
• Booking
• Arrests and Pat Searches
• Crime and Trends
Prerequisites
Students should be mature and able to handle topics related to criminal justice, such as: Robbery, Assault, Rape and Murder = Uniform Crime Report (violent crimes). In which, we will have a brief discussion on.
Human Vision
Teachers:
Zandra Vinegar
From the physics of parallax, to the bio-chemistry of rods and cones, to theories of human visual cognition, this class will explore, in depth, the mechanisms of human vision.
Three lecture segments will be broken by two blocks of hands-on lab. The first lecture will be an introduction to the eye biologically. The first lab will be on the mathematics of how parallax gives you depth perception. The second lecture will delve into the chemistry of the rods and cones which lead to our experiences of light and color. The second lab will be a series of experiments on the associated phenomena of “primary colors.” (Magenta is a lie! A delusion of the human state!) And the final lecture will introduce some of the neurological components of sight, specifically those which lead to our experience of optical illusions.
Prerequisites
None, but we will move quickly as to cover a huge amount of material. Bring questions.
Three lecture segments will be broken by two blocks of hands-on lab. The first lecture will be an introduction to the eye biologically. The first lab will be on the mathematics of how parallax gives you depth perception. The second lecture will delve into the chemistry of the rods and cones which lead to our experiences of light and color. The second lab will be a series of experiments on the associated phenomena of “primary colors.” (Magenta is a lie! A delusion of the human state!) And the final lecture will introduce some of the neurological components of sight, specifically those which lead to our experience of optical illusions.
Prerequisites
None, but we will move quickly as to cover a huge amount of material. Bring questions.
Smart Grid: Crazy Clean Power and the Energy Internet
We're in the midst of an energy revolution! So what technologies actually exist and what can we do with them?
How do you make a battery with a virus? A windmill without turbines? A powerplant in the ocean?
Come learn about solar concentrators, geothermal heat pumps, carbon nanotubes, hydrogen fuel cells, superconducting cables and more!
We'll end with a discussion of smart technology grids and an energy internet: science fiction or inevitable development? You decide!
How do you make a battery with a virus? A windmill without turbines? A powerplant in the ocean?
Come learn about solar concentrators, geothermal heat pumps, carbon nanotubes, hydrogen fuel cells, superconducting cables and more!
We'll end with a discussion of smart technology grids and an energy internet: science fiction or inevitable development? You decide!
Hunting for Extra-Solar Planets
Teachers:
Rebekah Dawson
Who will discover the next planet around another star? It may be you! Unlike projects like Folding@Home or SETI@Home designed by scientists who want to use your computer to crunch their data, the world's premier planet hunting team at Lick Observatory wants to use your brain. Come learn about the techniques astronomers use to discover extra-solar planets and receive all the training you need to use the systemic console -- a free piece software developed by astronomers at Lick -- to search for new extra-solar planets by analyzing radial velocity measurements. At the end we'll explore some of the other "citizen astronomer" projects you can get involved with, including galaxy zoo, a galaxy classification project where participants have discovered a new type of galaxy call "green peas."
Prerequisites
A high school physics course is helpful but not essential.
Prerequisites
A high school physics course is helpful but not essential.
Energy and Its Link To Global Warming (intermediate) Full!
Teachers:
Andrew Greenhut
These days, everyone is talking about energy, carbon dioxide, and global warming. But what do these things have in common? What are they? Where do they come from? Why is it so important?
This class will give you a better (more scientific) understanding of the following three topics:
1. Energy
2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gasses
3. Global Warming
This class will be interactive and you can ask any questions you want.
This class will give you a better (more scientific) understanding of the following three topics:
1. Energy
2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gasses
3. Global Warming
This class will be interactive and you can ask any questions you want.
Applied Cryomania
Teachers:
Enrique Cintron,
Joshua Velson
Liquid nitrogen is cold. Really, really cold. Colder than the heart of a freshman physics teacher. And it is concentrated, pourable awesome. In this class our dedicated team of cryomaniacs will take you through 77 Kelvins worth of the science and practice of playing with some very, very cold things. Remember kids, when the ice cream stops steaming, it’s warm enough to eat.
Play Games to Find Cures
Teachers:
Alex Chisholm
Generation Cures, a new education and fundraising program at Children's Hospital Boston, invites kids to use their powers for good by playing games that teach them about the scientific research process. As they play and recruit sponsors for an online "game-a-thon," the money they raise goes directly to helping doctors find cures for the most challenging childhood diseases. During this course, students will have an opportunity to play the five levels of the CADUCEUS game, which was designed by researchers at the MIT Education Arcade, and discuss what they learned and the strategies they used to progress through levels. They will also have an opportunity to brainstorm designs for future game levels.
Prerequisites
Interest in the biological sciences, learning games, and game design. Free account registration and parent approval at: kids.generationcures.org/play
Prerequisites
Interest in the biological sciences, learning games, and game design. Free account registration and parent approval at: kids.generationcures.org/play
Molecular Biology: FUNdamentals and Medical Applications
Teachers:
Dima Ter-Ovanesyan,
Richard Whalley
For the first half of the class we will be reviewing the basics of molecular biology and then, for the second half, we will go into some interesting examples of applications in medicine based on what we learned in the first half.
Prerequisites
Some basic biology knowledge is helpful, but not necessary. If you have taken or are taking AP Bio, you will already know all of the basics we will teach.
Prerequisites
Some basic biology knowledge is helpful, but not necessary. If you have taken or are taking AP Bio, you will already know all of the basics we will teach.
HIV/AIDS
Teachers:
Samin Houshyar,
Mariya Samoylova
In this class we look at the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus, its biology and finally the disease it is responsible for. We will then look at current drugs and treatments, and discuss the possibility of a vaccine or a cure.
Prerequisites
Strong background in biology and chemistry, an interest in infectious disease and medicine
Prerequisites
Strong background in biology and chemistry, an interest in infectious disease and medicine
Unusual Cells
Teachers:
Alioth Drinkwater
In basic biology classes, you study what are essentially cartoon cells, with a nucleus and whatnot. But the world is full of many different types of cells with unusual adaptations to unusual circumstances. In this class we'll cover:
* what makes bacteria awesome in their own right, not just eukaryotes-without-a-nucleus
* some of the unusual cell types found in the human body, such as the meter-long neuron that runs down your leg
* what it takes to survive extremes of temperature, salinity, and pH
Prerequisites
High school biology or equivalent understanding of cells and biological molecules. If you've heard of Okazaki fragments and know what a catalyst does, you're probably good.
* what makes bacteria awesome in their own right, not just eukaryotes-without-a-nucleus
* some of the unusual cell types found in the human body, such as the meter-long neuron that runs down your leg
* what it takes to survive extremes of temperature, salinity, and pH
Prerequisites
High school biology or equivalent understanding of cells and biological molecules. If you've heard of Okazaki fragments and know what a catalyst does, you're probably good.
A Hands-on Approach to Clean Water For All
Have you ever wondered what is in your drinking water? What makes water safe to drink? What makes you sick from drinking water?
We'll discuss these questions and perform hands-on water-quality tests on your choice of water (e.g. Charles River, Evian, tap water, etc.). Find out what you're drinking every day!
NOTE: Information presented in this workshop is being used globally to help millions of people gain access to healthy drinking water. You can contribute too. Join us to find out how.
Prerequisites
passion for water quality improvement and global health; the prerequisite for the second day of this workshop is having attended the first day
We'll discuss these questions and perform hands-on water-quality tests on your choice of water (e.g. Charles River, Evian, tap water, etc.). Find out what you're drinking every day!
NOTE: Information presented in this workshop is being used globally to help millions of people gain access to healthy drinking water. You can contribute too. Join us to find out how.
Prerequisites
passion for water quality improvement and global health; the prerequisite for the second day of this workshop is having attended the first day
"Dude, which way's North...?" A Crash Course in Gyroscopic Motion
Teachers:
Grant Robinson,
Stephanie Thompson
This class covers the craziest, most unholy portion of Newtonian mechanics known to man- gyroscopic motion. We intend to focus specifically on the gyrocompass and, building upon it, teach the physics that describes its motion, from angular momentum to torque and beyond...
...but we're really explaining why some things keep spinning when common sense holds that they should fall.
[Fear the gyroscope.]
Prerequisites
Some physics / calculus background is helpful, but not required. A desire to have one's mind blown, however, is.
...but we're really explaining why some things keep spinning when common sense holds that they should fall.
[Fear the gyroscope.]
Prerequisites
Some physics / calculus background is helpful, but not required. A desire to have one's mind blown, however, is.
The Incredible Water Bear!
Teachers:
Ana Lyons
Come learn about, see with your own eyes, and maybe even befriend the incredible water bear!
As this miniature beast is the first member of the animal kingdom to successfully survive exposure to outer space, become a model for cutting-edge cryptobiosis research, and recently make news headlines about helping solve the quantum superposition of living organisms paradigm, you might be surprised to learn that the water bear (a transparent microscopic invertebrate with eight legs, claws, and eye spots that belongs to the phylum Tardigrada) can actually be found in virtually any film of water, fresh or marine - even in your backyard.
As an oddball of the animal kingdom, you probably won't learn about tardigrades in your high school biology class, but come learn the little-known history of the phylum (consisting of over 1000 species), how to collect and view the adorable critter on your own with just a few basic tools, and build up your repertoire on the most recent tardigrade research with applications to medicine, molecular biology, systematics, ecology, and even quantum physics.
We'll have demonstrations of live organisms and cool handouts, plus we'll even talk about ways that YOU can contribute the growing pool of tardigrade knowledge. Before you know it, you'll be your local water bear expert!
Prerequisites
An appreciation for cuddly microorganisms and their potential applications to a wide array of scientific fields
As this miniature beast is the first member of the animal kingdom to successfully survive exposure to outer space, become a model for cutting-edge cryptobiosis research, and recently make news headlines about helping solve the quantum superposition of living organisms paradigm, you might be surprised to learn that the water bear (a transparent microscopic invertebrate with eight legs, claws, and eye spots that belongs to the phylum Tardigrada) can actually be found in virtually any film of water, fresh or marine - even in your backyard.
As an oddball of the animal kingdom, you probably won't learn about tardigrades in your high school biology class, but come learn the little-known history of the phylum (consisting of over 1000 species), how to collect and view the adorable critter on your own with just a few basic tools, and build up your repertoire on the most recent tardigrade research with applications to medicine, molecular biology, systematics, ecology, and even quantum physics.
We'll have demonstrations of live organisms and cool handouts, plus we'll even talk about ways that YOU can contribute the growing pool of tardigrade knowledge. Before you know it, you'll be your local water bear expert!
Prerequisites
An appreciation for cuddly microorganisms and their potential applications to a wide array of scientific fields
The Strange World of Relativity (Part I)
Teachers:
David Farhi
Have you ever wanted to travel forward in time? Fit a 20ft pole into a 10ft barn? Weigh as much as the sun? Come see how you can do these and other really weird things, just by traveling really fast.
This will be a self-contained course where we will discover some of the basic features of special relativity based upon some remarkably simple assumptions. You do not need to take the second part to be in this course.
Prerequisites
High School Algebra
This will be a self-contained course where we will discover some of the basic features of special relativity based upon some remarkably simple assumptions. You do not need to take the second part to be in this course.
Prerequisites
High School Algebra
Cancer: Is it really curable?
Teachers:
Samin Houshyar,
Evgeny Kiner
In this class we will cover the basics behind what cancer is and how we can try to cure it.
We will talk about possible reasons for cancer emergence, its progression and mostly about current and future therapies.
Prerequisites
Basic Biology background is strongly recommended, but not required.
We will talk about possible reasons for cancer emergence, its progression and mostly about current and future therapies.
Prerequisites
Basic Biology background is strongly recommended, but not required.
Life Cycle of Stars
Teachers:
Rutuparna Das,
Baiaboo Rai
Ever wondered how a star was created? What determines its lifespan? What happens to it after it "dies?" Come find out what makes stars tick, why some stars are the size of Cambridge, MA, why black holes exist, and why "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is the most scientific nursery rhyme ever written.
How the brain works: a hands-on introduction
Curious about how your brain works? Ever wanted to peek inside your head and see what’s going on? In this class, you’ll learn about different brain structures and some of their functions. After learning some basics, you’ll participate with a partner in dissecting a sheep brain (similar to the human brain). Come and learn how these remarkable biological computers work!
Check out the website from a previous year we offered this class:
http://hebb.mit.edu/splash/
-Joel Z Leibo, Talia Konkle and Laura Lewis
Prerequisites
None but students should be comfortable with dissection exercise.
Check out the website from a previous year we offered this class:
http://hebb.mit.edu/splash/
-Joel Z Leibo, Talia Konkle and Laura Lewis
Prerequisites
None but students should be comfortable with dissection exercise.
Journey Through the Cosmos: The Universe in a Nutshell Full!
Teachers:
Ben Corbin,
Ryan McLinko
We will look up into the night sky and peer deep into the universe, exploring our own solar system, the Milky Way Galaxy, and beyond! Students will learn about just how big our universe is, and how diverse the matter that fills it is. Hosted by the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Astrophotography Team.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
I <3 My Heart
Teachers:
Swetha Kambhampati,
Grace Lee
Have you ever thought about how your heart works? How does it pump blood throughout your body? How does it fill your blood with oxygen? Where does your blood go after it leaves the heart? What can go wrong with this system? And how can you keep your heart healthy?
In this class, we will discuss the basics of how the heart and the circulatory system work. Come see videos of ECG's, angiograms, and heart ultrasounds! You will also be treated to an exclusive performance of the Circulation Song... prepare to be amazed!
In this class, we will discuss the basics of how the heart and the circulatory system work. Come see videos of ECG's, angiograms, and heart ultrasounds! You will also be treated to an exclusive performance of the Circulation Song... prepare to be amazed!
The Flu: Myths, Facts and How Not To Get It
Teachers:
Roshini Zachariah
Can you get swine flu by eating bacon? Will the flu shot prevent me from getting sick? Does antibacterial hand soap actually work?
We'll be going over the influenza virus, its famous incarnations and the best ways to avoid getting sick this winter.
Prerequisites
High-school biology is REQUIRED. We will be covering the genetics of viral reproduction
We'll be going over the influenza virus, its famous incarnations and the best ways to avoid getting sick this winter.
Prerequisites
High-school biology is REQUIRED. We will be covering the genetics of viral reproduction
The Strange World of Relativity (Part II)
Teachers:
David Farhi
As you have probably discerned with your brilliant powers of deduction, this class is a continuation of the class "The strange world of relativity (Part I)." We will learn more about the consequences of special relativity, possibly including but not limited to Minkowski space-time, stellar aberration, and mass-energy equivalence ($$E=mc^2$$).
Prerequisites
You must also take the precursor class, "The strange world of relativity." If you've taken my relativity class at a previous Splash/Spark, that works too.
Prerequisites
You must also take the precursor class, "The strange world of relativity." If you've taken my relativity class at a previous Splash/Spark, that works too.
Coke Science Full!
Teachers:
Vincent Lee
Learn EVERYTHING that makes the popular, delicious, and fizzy beverage, Coca-Cola, work, and enjoy some *explosive* applications of the science of Coke.
Maxwell’s Equations
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.
Why does my body DO that?
Teachers:
Manishika Agaskar,
Amanda Turk
Have you ever wondered why you yawn? What makes your hairs stand on end when you're cold? How hiccups and snoring work? Come explore the fascinating world of curly hair, blinking eyes, itchy skin, chattering teeth, growling stomachs, and all the other weird stuff your body does...
Prerequisites
None; this class not recommended for students with extensive biology background.
Prerequisites
None; this class not recommended for students with extensive biology background.
Why Caffeine Keeps You Awake
Teachers:
Tina Tallon
Ever wondered why millions of people the world over reach for coffee when they start to feel drowsy? What is it about caffeine that keeps us awake? Come learn the biochemical secrets to the business models that drive companies such as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts!
Prerequisites
A background in both biology and basic chemistry (preferably AP Biology).
Prerequisites
A background in both biology and basic chemistry (preferably AP Biology).
When Organs die Full!
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
A continuation of “When cells Die” but may be taken on its own.
This shall expand on the physical and visual (microscopic) changes described in “When cells Die” by examining the broader changes in whole organ systems when they are altered by various disease processes.
Prerequisites
1 year introductory biology
This shall expand on the physical and visual (microscopic) changes described in “When cells Die” by examining the broader changes in whole organ systems when they are altered by various disease processes.
Prerequisites
1 year introductory biology
Science Discovers God
Teachers:
Yale Zussman
By identifying certain themes that connect the various sciences, it is possible to derive a scientific requirement for an entity having all the essential properties of God. Along the way, we will discuss the role of pure chance in physics and chemistry, what distinguishes life from non-life, why animals are different from other living things, what distinguishes humans from other animals, and the role of civilization. Although it will not be highly technical,
this course is not for the intellectually faint of heart.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with current thinking about the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and the development of civilization, and an open mind. The course will not vindicate the beliefs of any specific religion, or of religions in general, and students who are not prepared to consider alternatives to their specific religious doctrines will not find this class acceptable to them.
this course is not for the intellectually faint of heart.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with current thinking about the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and the development of civilization, and an open mind. The course will not vindicate the beliefs of any specific religion, or of religions in general, and students who are not prepared to consider alternatives to their specific religious doctrines will not find this class acceptable to them.
A "Quick" Survey of Physics
Teachers:
Lester Kim
This course is a qualitative introduction to some basic areas in physics: Newtonian mechanics, electrodynamics, relativity, and quantum mechanics. We will discuss the scientific and philosophical importance of the discoveries made by physicists like Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Heisenberg, etc.
Prerequisites
The mathematical preparation necessary for this class will be minimal. High school algebra and familiarity with functions should suffice.
Prerequisites
The mathematical preparation necessary for this class will be minimal. High school algebra and familiarity with functions should suffice.
How the mind works
Teachers:
Timothy Brady,
Adena Schachner
Why are our memories sometimes false, and our perceptions fooled by illusions? When should you prefer not to get paid for your work? Could the temperature of my cup of coffee really affect how much I like you later? How could your decisions, your desires, and even your test scores be affected by subtle changes in your environment? In this class we will discuss surprising and important psychology findings that will change the way you think about experiences in your every day life.
Prerequisites
We taught the same class in Spring 2008 at Spark.
Prerequisites
We taught the same class in Spring 2008 at Spark.
Miscellaneous
The Dots and Boxes Game
Teachers:
Vincent Le
Do you like to play Dots and Boxes? Do you want to learn? Do you simply like to draw squares on graph paper?
This is the class for you.
Oh, and you'll probably be able to beat your friends afterwards. A lot.
This is the class for you.
Oh, and you'll probably be able to beat your friends afterwards. A lot.
How to Travel (Almost) Free of Charge
Teachers:
Jae-Won (Jay) Kim
Did you know that you can sometimes fly to Europe for less than $100? Between London and Paris for $50? How about staying in above-average European hotels for $15 a night? I will share my secrets on how to travel on a shoe-string budget. As an example, I will show how three of my friends traveled to four European countries in the summer of 2008 and spent only $500 per person for their 12-day trip, including airfare, transportation, food, hotels, and entertainment.
Prerequisites
A love of travel.
Prerequisites
A love of travel.
Surviving an Apocalypse Full!
Teachers:
Nur Shahir
What would you do with your last hours of freedom if an alien species
took over Earth and enslaved the human race? Or if a tsunami wiped out the
Eastern coast of the United States, resulting in mass migrations (and land
riots) of unprecedented magnitude? Would you have what it takes to survive?
Put your creative thinking skills to the test in this class, where you'll
discuss strategies and methods of surviving apocalypses! Come unassuming,
leave thinking about hypotheticals you never thought you would.
took over Earth and enslaved the human race? Or if a tsunami wiped out the
Eastern coast of the United States, resulting in mass migrations (and land
riots) of unprecedented magnitude? Would you have what it takes to survive?
Put your creative thinking skills to the test in this class, where you'll
discuss strategies and methods of surviving apocalypses! Come unassuming,
leave thinking about hypotheticals you never thought you would.
Nuclear War
Teachers:
Bruce Arthur
This is a class about nuclear weapons and how to use them. We will begin by looking at how nuclear weapons work and what types of nuclear weapons can be built. Then we will talk about ways of delivering nuclear weapons to your target (e.g., missiles, planes, submarines) and strategies for using nuclear weapons. Finally, we will look at the possibility of nuclear terrorism today.
Prerequisites
This is an introductory course; if you already know a lot about nuclear weapons and nuclear war, you will probably have more fun taking a class about something else that you know less about.
Prerequisites
This is an introductory course; if you already know a lot about nuclear weapons and nuclear war, you will probably have more fun taking a class about something else that you know less about.
How To Make a Jigsaw Puzzle
Teachers:
Michele Pratusevich
Do you like to solve jigsaw puzzles? Or do you just like to make impossible puzzles for others to solve? In both cases, I'll show you how to make your own jigsaw puzzle using very simple materials. Challenge your friends with your new puzzle; make it as easy or as diabolical as you like!
Prerequisites
A desire to try something new!
Prerequisites
A desire to try something new!
Game Shows Round 1 Full!
Teachers:
JB Parkes
Introduce topics related to game shows including: statistics, entertainment value, the change of American game shows over time, foreign game shows, what makes a good game show, prizes, risk/reward etc.
Prerequisites
Have not been living under a rock
Prerequisites
Have not been living under a rock
The Basics of Tea Full!
Teachers:
Vicky Cassis
Do you like tea? Would you LIKE to like tea?
In this class we'll go over exactly what tea is, the different types, how to prepare them, and why they're good for you. We might even talk about herbal teas if you want to. And yes, we'll be drinking tea!
If you were to knit while I talked, I think that would be so neat.
In this class we'll go over exactly what tea is, the different types, how to prepare them, and why they're good for you. We might even talk about herbal teas if you want to. And yes, we'll be drinking tea!
If you were to knit while I talked, I think that would be so neat.
To Cube Part 1 Full!
Teachers:
Chinua Shaw
Have you ever wondered why it is that others can solve a Rubik's Cube as if it were nothing, but no matter how hard you try you can't get more than one face? Well this can be changed. Solving a Rubik's cube is not a simple measure of your IQ, anyone can do it. You just have to learn how, and I can teach you.
In this, the first of a two part series, I will teach how to solve two of the three layers of the Rubik's cube and will get you on your way to being willing to actually let your cube be scene.
Prerequisites
A desire to learn
In this, the first of a two part series, I will teach how to solve two of the three layers of the Rubik's cube and will get you on your way to being willing to actually let your cube be scene.
Prerequisites
A desire to learn
The Gentlemen's Game: Bridge and Bridge Conventions Full!
Teachers:
Aditya Kalluri,
Arvind Thiagarajan
Some games transcend amusement. Some games surpass idle enjoyment to become showcases of human intellect and strategic achievement. Join us for a whirlwind introduction to bridge, referred to by many as the chess of card games. In one hour, you'll learn the basic rules of bridge, as well as the strategies and bidding conventions that make it the high-class game of MIT-worthy intellects everywhere.
Prerequisites
--Basic knowledge of the four suits of cards--knowledge of the four tarot suits, while non-ideal, is acceptable. --Possession of fine motor skills and manual dexterity required to handle playing cards. --Understanding of the relative values of natural numbers, as well as the ability to generalize this understanding to bidding situations
Prerequisites
--Basic knowledge of the four suits of cards--knowledge of the four tarot suits, while non-ideal, is acceptable. --Possession of fine motor skills and manual dexterity required to handle playing cards. --Understanding of the relative values of natural numbers, as well as the ability to generalize this understanding to bidding situations
How to Start a Successful Business Before College Full!
Teachers:
Jae-Won (Jay) Kim
Plenty of enterprising young people have become millionaires even before starting college. How did they do it? I will share the stories of a few inspiring entrepreneurs. We'll discuss how YOU can try your hand at striking it rich before you can even vote.
Prerequisites
Energy and enthusiasm
Prerequisites
Energy and enthusiasm
A Brief History of Serial Killers Full!
Teachers:
Ian Ynda-Hummel
A coarse overview of the history of serial killers starting from the 19th century up through the present day.
Prerequisites
A strong stomach.
Prerequisites
A strong stomach.
Chinese Arts and Crafts Full!
Teachers:
Danielle Wang
This course is an introduction to a wide-range of arts and crafts from throughout China. Examples of activities include calligraphy and lantern making. Along with the crafts, you will learn a little bit about China's history, culture, and language! Presented to you by MIT's Chinese Students Club.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Insects!
Teachers:
David Rolnick
Would you like to learn about beetles with suction cups, ants that explode, and wasps that use metal-tipped drills? About why fruit is red, how to avoid mosquitoes, and what the fireflies are talking about when they glow? About insects that look like poop, insects that hide in poop, and still others that eat it? About how there is a world of fascinating life visible in a single square foot of weeds? In this class, we will explore insect ecology from the rainforests of Bolivia to the sidewalks of MIT, see why insects are so interesting and, in many cases, beautiful, and find out how to see and study miracles in one’s own backyard.
Prerequisites
A mind open to wonder.
Prerequisites
A mind open to wonder.
The Secret of Monkey Island
Teachers:
David Benjamin,
Rebecca Krentz-Wee
You are Guybrush Threepwood, mighty pirate of the Caribbean.
Well, actually you’re not all that mighty, and you’re not really a pirate yet… but you really want to be! And you can hold your breath for 10 minutes. That’s got to count for something.
Join us as we play through this LucasArts adventure game with its notoriously complicated puzzles and witty humor. Face devious enemies including the evil ghost pirate LeChuck! Featuring vegetarian cannibals, odd uses of rubber chickens, insult swordfighting.
“You fight like a dairy farmer!”
“How appropriate, you fight like a cow!”
Prerequisites
Not knowing how to beat Monkey Island already.
Well, actually you’re not all that mighty, and you’re not really a pirate yet… but you really want to be! And you can hold your breath for 10 minutes. That’s got to count for something.
Join us as we play through this LucasArts adventure game with its notoriously complicated puzzles and witty humor. Face devious enemies including the evil ghost pirate LeChuck! Featuring vegetarian cannibals, odd uses of rubber chickens, insult swordfighting.
“You fight like a dairy farmer!”
“How appropriate, you fight like a cow!”
Prerequisites
Not knowing how to beat Monkey Island already.
The 7 Deadly Films Full!
Teachers:
Ian Ynda-Hummel
Seven movies to see before you die. A film for every sin.
The Art of Money
Teachers:
Chris Su
Ever seen a hundred TRILLION dollars? Earlier this year, Zimbabwe rolled out a $$10^{14}$$ dollar paper note, making this officially the paper money with the most number of zeros ever printed.
Curious what's going to happen next year to quarters that the State Quarters finally came to a close? (did you know that it's been TEN YEARS since the Delaware Quarter?)
Come see 100,000,000,000,000 dollars, pick up a souvenir, and learn about the fascinating world of money!
Curious what's going to happen next year to quarters that the State Quarters finally came to a close? (did you know that it's been TEN YEARS since the Delaware Quarter?)
Come see 100,000,000,000,000 dollars, pick up a souvenir, and learn about the fascinating world of money!
Rise of Modern Gaming
Teachers:
Melissa Ko
Why do we play video games now more than ever? The Electronic Software Association reported in 2009 that 68% of American households play video games. How has the video game industry grown to attract such a large following? What attracts people to video games?
We have come a long way from Pong arcade games to Halo multiplayer online matches, setting new standards in gameplay, graphics, and storytelling. Learn about how influential games have shaped video games as we know them and see what events led to today's gaming culture.
Prerequisites
interest in video games and some curiosity about or nostalgia for older games
We have come a long way from Pong arcade games to Halo multiplayer online matches, setting new standards in gameplay, graphics, and storytelling. Learn about how influential games have shaped video games as we know them and see what events led to today's gaming culture.
Prerequisites
interest in video games and some curiosity about or nostalgia for older games
Teach anything! - How to fake a presentation Full!
Teachers:
Joshua Horowitz,
Kevin Hwang
Consider: It's a nice day out, and you're dozing off in the back of your class. Suddenly you get jolted awake by the kid sitting next to you, and you wake up to find everyone in the class and the teacher staring at you, waiting for you to give a surprise presentation. About import regulations on Afghani rugs. And you're in physics class!
Clearly, you don't stand a chance. Or do you?
Well, just because you don't know anything, doesn't mean you can't be prepared. In this class, we will teach you how to explain and present topics without concern for such trifling matters as prior knowledge or preparation. By the end of this class, you'll be happily presenting your Nobel Prize-winning chemistry research alongside the story of your grueling climb up Mount Everest to fulfill your kung fu master's dying wishes. Learn to demonstrate expertise that you may or may not have! All skill levels welcome.
Prerequisites
none
Clearly, you don't stand a chance. Or do you?
Well, just because you don't know anything, doesn't mean you can't be prepared. In this class, we will teach you how to explain and present topics without concern for such trifling matters as prior knowledge or preparation. By the end of this class, you'll be happily presenting your Nobel Prize-winning chemistry research alongside the story of your grueling climb up Mount Everest to fulfill your kung fu master's dying wishes. Learn to demonstrate expertise that you may or may not have! All skill levels welcome.
Prerequisites
none
Knitting
Teachers:
Lisa Danz
Ever wanted to knit a mobius band? Or knit anything really? Learn how to knit! If you already know how and want to show off your skillz, you're welcome to come too.
Prerequisites
none
Prerequisites
none
Austrian Cuisine: Wienerschnitzel and Knödel (dumplings) Full!
Teachers:
Julia Boortz
Come learn to cook Wienerschnitzel and Knödel (Austrian dumplings). Afterward we will of course eat it as well.
Prerequisites
Be willing to touch raw egg and raw meat (turkey). This course is not suitable for vegetarians or those with gluten allergies. Dumplings also contain milk.
Prerequisites
Be willing to touch raw egg and raw meat (turkey). This course is not suitable for vegetarians or those with gluten allergies. Dumplings also contain milk.
The Five Cupcakes You'll Meet in Heaven Full!
Teachers:
Emily Suter
Decorate cupcakes in cool and bizarre manners. Whether they actually end up heavenly is up to you...
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Write Your Name in Arabic! Full!
Teachers:
Anya Thetford
Interested in the Arabic language? Don't let the alphabet scare you away!
In this class, we'll go through the letters and numbers of the Arabic alphabet: how to write them, how they connect, and what sounds map onto them. Once you learn the alphabet, sounding out words is a piece of cake since Arabic is 100% phonetic.
Plus you'll leave the class with a new way to impress your friends--writing your name in Arabic!
Prerequisites
Everyone's welcome!
In this class, we'll go through the letters and numbers of the Arabic alphabet: how to write them, how they connect, and what sounds map onto them. Once you learn the alphabet, sounding out words is a piece of cake since Arabic is 100% phonetic.
Plus you'll leave the class with a new way to impress your friends--writing your name in Arabic!
Prerequisites
Everyone's welcome!
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge Full!
Teachers:
David Benjamin,
Rebecca Krentz-Wee
After the Secret of Monkey Island, we will be playing parts of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge.
Having played the first game is not required.
Prerequisites
Not already knowing how to beat Monkey Island.
Having played the first game is not required.
Prerequisites
Not already knowing how to beat Monkey Island.
Surviving an Apocalypse
Teachers:
Nur Shahir
"What would you do with your last hours of freedom if an alien species
took over Earth and enslaved the human race? Or if a tsunami wiped out the
Eastern coast of the United States, resulting in mass migrations (and land
riots) of unprecedented magnitude? Would you have what it takes to survive?
"Put your creative thinking skills to the test in this class, where you'll
discuss strategies and methods of surviving apocalypses! Come unassuming,
leave thinking about hypotheticals you never thought you would."
took over Earth and enslaved the human race? Or if a tsunami wiped out the
Eastern coast of the United States, resulting in mass migrations (and land
riots) of unprecedented magnitude? Would you have what it takes to survive?
"Put your creative thinking skills to the test in this class, where you'll
discuss strategies and methods of surviving apocalypses! Come unassuming,
leave thinking about hypotheticals you never thought you would."
The Mathematics of Juggling Full!
Teachers:
Jeremy Kuhn
What on earth does juggling have to do with mathematics?!
Siteswap notation is a means of expressing juggling patterns through strings of numbers. After introducing siteswap notation, we will use it to show some interesting and unexpected mathematical properties of juggling.
Prerequisites
None.
Siteswap notation is a means of expressing juggling patterns through strings of numbers. After introducing siteswap notation, we will use it to show some interesting and unexpected mathematical properties of juggling.
Prerequisites
None.
Let Them Eat Cake: An Unconventional Exploration of Political Philosophies
Teachers:
Kirsten Madsen
Do you like history or politics? Do you like cupcakes? Would you like to learn about various political philosophies while simultaneously learning about various methods of cupcake preparation and decoration? Well this is the class for you! We will use the baking and beautification of cupcakes as a metaphorical means to explore various methods of governing, from monarchy to Marxism.
By the end of this course, you will be really good at decorating cupcakes and really good at explaining political systems. It's a win-win.
By the end of this course, you will be really good at decorating cupcakes and really good at explaining political systems. It's a win-win.
Magic: The Gathering Full!
Teachers:
Robert A. R. Arlt Jr,
Tony Valderrama
Learn how to play Magic the Gathering or just show up for some fun games.
Prerequisites
None, but bring any cards you might have.
Prerequisites
None, but bring any cards you might have.
Creativity and Entrepreneurship
Teachers:
Shobha Narasimha
Do you ever wondered how successful companies like Google and Microsoft are created? What makes some company very successful and not others? Do you want to know what is thinking outside the box and how to do? Want to know - How creativity is connected with creating new successful company?
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Balloon Animal Bonanza Full!
Teachers:
Julia Boortz,
Jessie Mueller
Want to impress your friends? Intrigued by the balloon twisting of a clown? Learn to make a balloon dog and more! No experience (or large red nose) required. **Note: Balloons contain latex**
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Teacher! Teacher! (How to teach your own class in three easy steps)
We all know that you know that you know what you know, but did you know that we don't know what you know that you know? Did you know that we want to know what you know?
This class is a hands on class about teaching-- if you've ever wondered what it takes to be a teacher, or what it really takes to teach something-- this is the class for you.
We'll go through everything you need to teach a class: we'll discuss basic teaching techniques and theory (pedagogy), we'll brainstorm and plan a class-- and then we'll teach!
There are no prerequisites for the class-- but come with a couple of ideas of what you want to teach.
This class is a hands on class about teaching-- if you've ever wondered what it takes to be a teacher, or what it really takes to teach something-- this is the class for you.
We'll go through everything you need to teach a class: we'll discuss basic teaching techniques and theory (pedagogy), we'll brainstorm and plan a class-- and then we'll teach!
There are no prerequisites for the class-- but come with a couple of ideas of what you want to teach.
Beginning Orchid Care Full!
Teachers:
Jennifer Melot
Learn how to grow orchids of various genera and bits of orchid jargon. I will answer the questions of what to do when your orchid begins to look sickly, how to get orchids to rebloom, what it means when an orchid starts growing leaves in places you don't expect, and more.
This will be partially a hands-on class; you will get a young phalaenopsis which may bloom in a year or two and we will experiment with different potting materials.
This will be partially a hands-on class; you will get a young phalaenopsis which may bloom in a year or two and we will experiment with different potting materials.
Transgender 101 Full!
Teachers:
Reed Miller
Heard of LGBT? What does that T stand for anyway? Transgender! Some myths will be dispelled, historic and current struggles for civil rights and access to health care explained.
Prerequisites
Hate will not be tolerated...please bring an open mind.
Prerequisites
Hate will not be tolerated...please bring an open mind.
Game Shows Round 2
Teachers:
JB Parkes
Begin to explore game dynamics: What makes a good host? What makes a good contestant? Are shows with bigger prizes automatically more interesting? Games gone wrong?
Prerequisites
Students preferably participated in Game Shows Round 1
Prerequisites
Students preferably participated in Game Shows Round 1
Magic Systems for Dummies Full!
Teachers:
Lee Fuchs,
Susan Shepherd
A brief introduction to magical theory and composition as it relates to worldbuilding. If you're interested in designing a magic system, balancing (or unbalancing) it, and having it interact with other types of magic, technology, and / or the society around it, this class is for you.
Introductory Dark Chocolate Tasting
Teachers:
Rebecca Cox,
Paul Weaver
So you like chocolate. A lot. You even have a favorite brand. (Ghirardelli? Hershey's is not an acceptable choice.) But it’s all just chocolate, right? Wrong! There’s a lot more to chocolate than what you buy in the grocery store. There are gradations of how dark it is, different types of beans, even chocolate made from beans all from the same country or even the same plantation! And they all have distinctive tastes. We’ll have a range of different chocolates, as well as information about the different types of chocolate. We’ll explore several different aspects of high-quality chocolate (such as percentage cocoa contents, and what country it comes from) and discuss what these things do to the flavor. We’ll also bring some suggestions for where to look for buying your own chocolate. Note: Although younger students may take this class, please make sure they can sit still and join in a reasonable discussion. Anyone being rowdy will be asked to leave.
Prerequisites
Find Chocolate Tasty
Prerequisites
Find Chocolate Tasty
The Pretentious Class Full!
Teachers:
Vincent Lee
Learn how to have **exquisite** taste and flaunt it.
(will cover pretentious music tastes, pretentious scarf wearing, pretentious language, and so much more)
(will cover pretentious music tastes, pretentious scarf wearing, pretentious language, and so much more)
The Wonders of Recorded Audio Full!
Teachers:
Adam Hartz
In this class, we're going to take a look at what sound is, and how it has been recorded throughout the years, with a focus on digital audio. We'll learn about phonographs, vinyl records, and magnetic tape, but we'll focus more extensively on digital audio, how it is recorded, and how it can be manipulated.
Come learn how a piece of music can be represented as an etching in a vinyl surface, as a magnetic signal on a cassette tape, or as a sequence of 1's and 0's inside a computer.
Come learn how a piece of music can be represented as an etching in a vinyl surface, as a magnetic signal on a cassette tape, or as a sequence of 1's and 0's inside a computer.
Tofu
Teachers:
Rena Katz,
Melissa Ko
What is tofu? Where does it come from? Why should I eat it? How should I eat it? Have all of your lifelong questions on tofu answered! Get over your phobia of this mysteriously jiggly substance! You too can learn to appreciate and enjoy tofu like all of the cool kids.
Hardcore College Admissions
Teachers:
Chris Su
HYPMSC = Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, and Caltech. The Big Six.
Want to get in? Have questions? MIT Admissions Blogger and College Confidential enthusiast with 1,700+ posts decrypts the college application process for you in a fun seminar, since Splash 2007!
Topics include: high school preparation, GPA, SAT, AP, extracurriculars, teacher recommendations, personal essays, deadlines, compiling a college list, choosing a college, and a Q/A session.
Want to get in? Have questions? MIT Admissions Blogger and College Confidential enthusiast with 1,700+ posts decrypts the college application process for you in a fun seminar, since Splash 2007!
Topics include: high school preparation, GPA, SAT, AP, extracurriculars, teacher recommendations, personal essays, deadlines, compiling a college list, choosing a college, and a Q/A session.
Introduction to Diplomacy, War and Trade
Running a world power is an ever-changing art. No longer are the days of lining up army against army until one side is beaten into submission. Countries now have a larger repertoire of ways to fight their enemies, ranging from war and blackmail to propaganda and economic manipulation. War itself has become a highly complex, information-hungry operation, relying on high technology, mind-boggling coordination, battlefield knowledge, and political strategy. How are these wars fought? Why do (and don’t) we fight them? How do countries attack and defend without resorting to military confrontation?
This class will cover modern military technology and tactics, grand strategy, and political and negotiation frameworks. It can be taken as a stand-alone class or as preparation for Diplomacy, War and Trade Simulation.
This class will cover modern military technology and tactics, grand strategy, and political and negotiation frameworks. It can be taken as a stand-alone class or as preparation for Diplomacy, War and Trade Simulation.
Organizing campaigns for a cause: Tips and Lessons Learned
Teachers:
Reed Miller
Former Greenpeace campaign organizer and labor, LGBT student organizer will discuss some basics about grassroots campaign organizing. Planning, recruiting, leadership, escalating pressure. Lessons from 5+ years of campaigns won and lost will help students interested in joining in the struggle!
Prerequisites
none
Prerequisites
none
Trading Stocks
Teachers:
Traders at MIT
Ever wondered how finance and investing worked? Want to learn how to make money by trading stocks in the real world? Then this course is for you! Learn the basics of trading: where to trade, what a bid or ask is, how to manage risk, what skills are required for traders.
Finish off the course by participating in a live trading simulation on our state-of-the-art electronic trading software, and see whether you have what it takes to be a trader!
Finish off the course by participating in a live trading simulation on our state-of-the-art electronic trading software, and see whether you have what it takes to be a trader!
LockPicking 101 Full!
Teachers:
Harvey Yee
Lockpicking is a hack and MIT is famous for hacks. Come to this class to get a hands on introduction to the science and art of lockpicking a combination lock using two different types of hacks.
Come and explore the art, science, and history of lockpicking.
Prerequisites
None other than a sense of curiosity and a determination to break in.
Come and explore the art, science, and history of lockpicking.
Prerequisites
None other than a sense of curiosity and a determination to break in.
I Can Do Sushi Me Full!
Teachers:
Ben Sena
We will be making our own sushi. The first step is catching fish with our bare hands; then we make vinegar out of unicorn tears.
Vicious Card Games (and how to win) Full!
Teachers:
Christina Dedrick
Spit, Egyptian War, Canfield, Spoons: Each of these games goes by many names, and the way to win each one is speed. In this class, we will learn the rules and variations of 'uncivilized' card games and strategies to increase your speed and beat your friends.
Explore MIT
Teachers:
Beth Schaffer
This is not your average campus tour! We’ll explore the winding basements, the towering Green Building and some of the wackier elements of the architecture around MIT. I’ll be taking you on a tour of a lot of the stranger places around campus as well as some of the prettiest sights. Be prepared to walk!
How Soccer Explains the World
Teachers:
Chris Gatto
This course aims to illustrate how a sport such as Soccer can be used to explore and understand a range of other important concepts in politics, economics, and society. Soccer will be used to discuss nationalism, globalization, and racism. An important question that will be addressed: Why is soccer so much more popular in other parts of the world than in the U.S.?
SET
Teachers:
David Rolnick
Come play SET! Beginners and experts both welcome.
Prerequisites
No previous knowledge of SET is required.
Prerequisites
No previous knowledge of SET is required.
How to be a high school exchange student
Teachers:
Julia Boortz,
Amy Fritz
Every thought about studying abroad? Have questions about what it is like or how to become an exchange student? Now is your chance to ask a returnee.
Prerequisites
Interest in studying abroad
Prerequisites
Interest in studying abroad
MIT Mafia Society
Enjoy a bit of manic killing during the nighttime?
Perhaps you'd rather hone your investigative skills on suspicious members of society.
Perhaps you'd rather play the two-faced underling who frames innocents.
Perhaps you'd rather exercise your power by forcing lynchings.
Perhaps all you want to do is practice your pre-med skills.
No matter what your poison, the classic party game of Mafia has it all. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_(party_game)]. This turn- and discussion-based game allows you to hone your strategic skills in ways never before. From beginners to advanced strategists - all are welcome! Don't know how to play? Fret not - we'll teach the basics first and then delve right into some gameplay!
So polish up that knife, pack up that medical case, and load that gun - when the Mafia's at large, even the best of friends can become enemies.
Join the havoc today.
Prerequisites
none
Perhaps you'd rather hone your investigative skills on suspicious members of society.
Perhaps you'd rather play the two-faced underling who frames innocents.
Perhaps you'd rather exercise your power by forcing lynchings.
Perhaps all you want to do is practice your pre-med skills.
No matter what your poison, the classic party game of Mafia has it all. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_(party_game)]. This turn- and discussion-based game allows you to hone your strategic skills in ways never before. From beginners to advanced strategists - all are welcome! Don't know how to play? Fret not - we'll teach the basics first and then delve right into some gameplay!
So polish up that knife, pack up that medical case, and load that gun - when the Mafia's at large, even the best of friends can become enemies.
Join the havoc today.
Prerequisites
none
Patrol Full!
Teachers:
Alex Gurany
Patrol is a game sponsored by the MIT Assassins' guild. Participants are divided into a number of teams. Each player is armed with a dart gun and a small number of rubber darts. Each player also wears a colored headband denoting what team he/she is on and whether or not he/she is currently alive. The object of the game is to shoot members of the other teams without getting shot. If shot, the player can resurrect by visiting the resurrection floor. The main goal, however, is to have fun.
Prerequisites
Wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. Bring Signed Permission Slip.
Prerequisites
Wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. Bring Signed Permission Slip.
Time Travel for Fun and Profit Full!
Teachers:
Naomi Hinchen,
Susan Shepherd
This class aims to explore the role of time travel, parallel universes and alternate worlds in fiction, as well as possibilities for its existence in the real world. Concepts covered will include paradoxes, stable time loops, various hypotheses regarding multiple universe theory, white holes, and the ways in which time may flow. Examples from fiction may include, among others, Doctor Who, Jumper, All The Myriad Ways, Heroes, The Time Traveler's Wife, Stargate SG-1, Harry Potter, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Prerequisites
None. You may take this class more than once, but if you travel back in time to take it with your past self, please do not damage the timestream on MIT property, as crosstemporal lawsuits cause all sorts of legal headaches.
Prerequisites
None. You may take this class more than once, but if you travel back in time to take it with your past self, please do not damage the timestream on MIT property, as crosstemporal lawsuits cause all sorts of legal headaches.
Yakuza: the Japanese way.
Teachers:
Shinya Watanabe
Have you ever heard of the yakuza?
If you are reading this description, I assume you have. (For those wondering, the rough translation would be 'Japanese mafia'.)
If you want to know more about the structure, code and the belief (and perhaps to sacrifice a finger or two...which will be explained in more detail), this is the class for you.
Prerequisites
none.
If you are reading this description, I assume you have. (For those wondering, the rough translation would be 'Japanese mafia'.)
If you want to know more about the structure, code and the belief (and perhaps to sacrifice a finger or two...which will be explained in more detail), this is the class for you.
Prerequisites
none.
Approaches to International Development
Teachers:
Global Poverty Intiative Education Team
Learn how different technologies are making a difference in the developing world, as well as what challenges people and organizations face when doing development work.
Puzzles Puzzles Puzzles!
Teachers:
Vincent Le,
Michele Pratusevich
Hundreds of puzzles. Hundreds of challenges. Logic bends itself to solve such problems. Come for the logic, the puzzles, the mind-boggling solutions, and the mental ticking that comes with thinking too much. You will be bombarded with oodles and oodles of puzzles. And we will talk about how to solve them. Bring your own puzzles: there may be time to share at the end!
Stage Fighting
Teachers:
Solomon Spigel
Ever wanted to trick all your friends into thinking you just beat up a guy? Well now you can.
Prerequisites
Willingness to follow ridiculous safety precautions
Prerequisites
Willingness to follow ridiculous safety precautions
Myths about the College Admissions Process
Teachers:
Susan Shepherd
Worried about getting into the perfect school for you? You're not alone. Now's the time of year when the seniors start their college apps and the juniors, sophomores and freshmen ask themselves what they're going to do after graduation. But there are many myths and misconceptions regarding how colleges choose their students, how SAT scores and grades affect your future, and what it means when the colleges ask for extracurriculars.
This class aims to demystify the college application process. It will cover, in brief, how to choose a college, what the SAT / ACT scores mean and how they are used, what colleges are looking for in a student, why volunteering and extracurriculars are important, and a little about how to sell yourself to the college of your dreams.
This class aims to demystify the college application process. It will cover, in brief, how to choose a college, what the SAT / ACT scores mean and how they are used, what colleges are looking for in a student, why volunteering and extracurriculars are important, and a little about how to sell yourself to the college of your dreams.
The Physics of Harry Potter
Teachers:
Jae-Won (Jay) Kim
Did you know that researchers are working on an invisibility cloak? Harry Potter is still in the realm of science fiction, but some of the technologies you see in the series is theoretically possible.
Prerequisites
None.
Prerequisites
None.
Practical Knots
Teachers:
Peter Hedman
We will explore practical knots for tying shoes, hitching goats, lowering pails, and sailing on the high seas. We will scrutinize the legendary Ashley Book of Knots for inspiration and adventure.
Prerequisites
hands and a desire to tie things up
Prerequisites
hands and a desire to tie things up
ABC of investing
Teachers:
Shobha Narasimha
Do you want to make become rich by investing? Want to know what are different ways you can invest? Do you want to know the difference between investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds? Then this course is for you.
Prerequisites
Interest in investing and energy
Prerequisites
Interest in investing and energy
Urban Adventures: Eateries and Playgrounds Full!
Teachers:
Justin M,
Elena Serio
Need a reason to not do your homework, essay, project, reading, clarinet practice, newspaper article, yearbook design, science project, or other fun parts of being in high school?
Don't play Farmville on Facebook... go to Boston!
This class is designed to teach you how to take advantage of living in the great city of Boston. Together we will discover those unknown places that all your indie friends keep talking about.
[Class also features an Urban Adventure to get pancakes]
Prerequisites
Must like doing some walking as well as eating breakfast for lunch.
Don't play Farmville on Facebook... go to Boston!
This class is designed to teach you how to take advantage of living in the great city of Boston. Together we will discover those unknown places that all your indie friends keep talking about.
[Class also features an Urban Adventure to get pancakes]
Prerequisites
Must like doing some walking as well as eating breakfast for lunch.
Pipe Cleaner Hypercubes
Teachers:
William Kalb,
Victoria Vega
Pipe cleaners and hypercubes, hypercubes of pipe cleaners. Come for multidimensional chenille and metal fun!
ZDI.002: Intermediate Zombie Defense
A class for graduates of ZDI.001, ZDI.002 will provide a more careful look at some common mistakes made by novice zombie-hunters and will involve some class exercises.
Prerequisites
ZDI.001
Prerequisites
ZDI.001
How to Open a Paper Fan
Teachers:
Patrick Wu
Remember in the intro to that Jackie Chan Adventures cartoon where Jade flicks open her fans (followed by Uncle doing some weird martial arts moves)? Well, you can learn how to snap open a paper fan, too...with no wrist flick involved!
Prerequisites
Good hand/finger coordination and patience. Paper fans will be provided. Note: I will only be providing standard righty fans, so if you are lefty and are considering signing up for this class, you will have to be a righty for a day.
Prerequisites
Good hand/finger coordination and patience. Paper fans will be provided. Note: I will only be providing standard righty fans, so if you are lefty and are considering signing up for this class, you will have to be a righty for a day.
Live, Laugh, Lead: Crash Course Leadership Activities
Cross the deadly rivers of chocolate, escape dangerous minefields, rescue cute orphaned pandas, and more. What does all this have to do w/ Leadership? Come and find out..
Do you like games, teamwork, creative problem solving, or having FUN? Want to know how all this can help you be a better leader? Come participate in some fun and exciting activities, and maybe even learn a thing or two about leadership.
Prerequisites
Positive attitude and energy
Do you like games, teamwork, creative problem solving, or having FUN? Want to know how all this can help you be a better leader? Come participate in some fun and exciting activities, and maybe even learn a thing or two about leadership.
Prerequisites
Positive attitude and energy
The mathematics behind music Full!
Teachers:
Brian Lee
Have you ever wondered why we have 12 notes to an octave? Why was Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier so revolutionary? Why does a middle C from a guitar sound different from a middle C on a piano? For that matter, why does a computer-generated middle C sound so boring? What the heck does T-Pain do with his recordings?
Prerequisites
Enjoy music! It can be any kind, and I'll use examples from classical, pop, and everything in between.
Prerequisites
Enjoy music! It can be any kind, and I'll use examples from classical, pop, and everything in between.
Game Shows Round 3
Teachers:
JB Parkes
Discussion further on aspects of game shows: "playing along at home", "having a live studio audience", pros and cons of celebrity guests. Information for "Game Shows Bonus Round" will also be gathered during this class.
Prerequisites
Recommended that students also take Game Shows Rounds 1 & 2
Prerequisites
Recommended that students also take Game Shows Rounds 1 & 2
The Sacred Art of Ski & Snowboard Tuning
Teachers:
James Backman
Do you want to ski or ride better? If you truly do, you have to understand your equipment. You have to become one functioning unit on the mountain: you have to feel every small bump, the consistency of the snow under your feet, and move together to hammer down in perfect harmony. (It's kinda a Zen thing.)
The only way to truly achieve that ideal is to know everything about your skis or your snowboard. What do the bases feel like, how are the edges sharpened and at what angles? What is the flex of your ski, the shape, what can it do when you really put the hammer down? The only way to know this is to care for your skis yourself. And you will find that when they are at their peak conditioning, you will ride better, faster and longer then ever before.
Sure, you could get them to their top shape by sending them to the tuning center at the mountain, but then you end up paying $20-$40 for someone to just throw your skis into a machine. (And usually those machines do only a passable job, leaving a lot to be desired.) And you do that what? Once? Twice a year? A proper hand-tuning costs even more and is tougher to find.
Its time to treat your gear right, and to make it more of a personal affair. Learn how to tune, and care for your skis, learn the Sacred Art of Ski Tuning.
Prerequisites
This course has no requirements to join, but a Mountain License with the A, B, C, G, H, I, M, P, S, T & W endorsements is recommend. /p (Note: A - airborne B - bowl, C - cornice, G - gnar, H - hardpack, I - ice, M - moguls, P - powder, S - slush, T - tram, W - whiteout)
The only way to truly achieve that ideal is to know everything about your skis or your snowboard. What do the bases feel like, how are the edges sharpened and at what angles? What is the flex of your ski, the shape, what can it do when you really put the hammer down? The only way to know this is to care for your skis yourself. And you will find that when they are at their peak conditioning, you will ride better, faster and longer then ever before.
Sure, you could get them to their top shape by sending them to the tuning center at the mountain, but then you end up paying $20-$40 for someone to just throw your skis into a machine. (And usually those machines do only a passable job, leaving a lot to be desired.) And you do that what? Once? Twice a year? A proper hand-tuning costs even more and is tougher to find.
Its time to treat your gear right, and to make it more of a personal affair. Learn how to tune, and care for your skis, learn the Sacred Art of Ski Tuning.
Prerequisites
This course has no requirements to join, but a Mountain License with the A, B, C, G, H, I, M, P, S, T & W endorsements is recommend. /p (Note: A - airborne B - bowl, C - cornice, G - gnar, H - hardpack, I - ice, M - moguls, P - powder, S - slush, T - tram, W - whiteout)
Know Where Your Towel Is Full!
Teachers:
E Rosser
A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santragnius V; wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat, and of course you can dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be dry enough.
In this class, receive your towel and perform some routine towel maintenance as we discuss Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Prerequisites
None. Towels, conversation, and liquid which is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea provided. Knowledge of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is not required, for all you hoopy strags.
In this class, receive your towel and perform some routine towel maintenance as we discuss Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Prerequisites
None. Towels, conversation, and liquid which is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea provided. Knowledge of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is not required, for all you hoopy strags.
MIT Student Life
Teachers:
Paul Kominers
Do you have any questions about what MIT student life is like-what the dorms are all about, what that "hacking" thing really is, and whether conventional science has yet found a way to measure how much better we are than Harvard? Come and get them answered.
The MIT admissions process will be covered in the session immediately following.
The MIT admissions process will be covered in the session immediately following.
The Mad Scientist Archetype: A Farewell to Ethics in the Pursuit of Knowledge, Happiness, and Annihilation of the World
Teachers:
James Gatewood
The development of mad scientist's image is explored. Depictions in popular media are observed to try and analyze how the archetype came about and how it can be classified. Examples in popular media will be explored, and will be compared to alleged real-life purveyors of twisted academia.
Introduction to Hipster Culture
Teachers:
Justin M,
Ellen Reavey
Urban Outfitters, skinny jeans, Animal Collective, and other hipster icons have become major aspects of the mainstream American lifestyle. Together we will study just how Hipsters came to be, what exactly being a Hipster entails, and where the culture might be going.
Prerequisites
While not required, it is recommended that students be somewhat familiar with Urban Outfitters and Animal Collective.
Prerequisites
While not required, it is recommended that students be somewhat familiar with Urban Outfitters and Animal Collective.
Baking Delicious Scones Full!
Teachers:
Lyndsey Moulds
In this class, we'll learn to bake scones with raspberry and white chocolate chunks, as well as talking a little about the history of the food. (We'll be using dairy products, but no egg, lard, or other scary non-vegetarian things.)
Pastafarianism
Teachers:
A serious overview of Pastafarianism (aka FSMism) followed by tips on how to convert new followers into worship of his Noodly Goodness.
How to start your own Tech Business
An open-ended, discussion based class teaching the basics of idea generation, product development, and starting, and running a company.
We will cover everything from how and why to start a company to funding, business types, business plans, marketing, and product design/assembly/production chains. The focus will be on mechanical and software startups.
We will also talk about different types of funding, bootstrapping, Y-Combinator, the MIT Technology Licensing Office, incorporation, basic principles (i.e. making things people want), well-known startup successes and failures, and provide feedback from brainstorming sessions.
Prerequisites
A desire to form a startup eventually, and an idea or two for a product or company would be helpful.
We will cover everything from how and why to start a company to funding, business types, business plans, marketing, and product design/assembly/production chains. The focus will be on mechanical and software startups.
We will also talk about different types of funding, bootstrapping, Y-Combinator, the MIT Technology Licensing Office, incorporation, basic principles (i.e. making things people want), well-known startup successes and failures, and provide feedback from brainstorming sessions.
Prerequisites
A desire to form a startup eventually, and an idea or two for a product or company would be helpful.
Mind: Evolve! Patterns, Decisions, and Sustainable Change
Teachers:
Meri Jade Piltser
Many people have trouble reaching their goals. A resolution gets made, tried for a period of time, then lost in the entropy of life. Why does this happen? What works better?
"If you can not measure it, you can not improve it." - Lord Kelvin
If you have a perfect mind that does exactly what you want, you probably do not need this class, although you may find it interesting anyway.
We will focus on:
Knowing where you are now so you can get where you want to go.
Deciding where to go next in ways that leave you happy when you get there.
Learning how to design and implement sustainable changes.
Why you must track progress, and why you want to enjoy it, too.
Why “Evolve Now!” is often ineffective, while “evolve over time” works.
We are also likely to cover the nature of habits, the inconsistency of memory and personality, plasticity, simplicity, motivation, feelings, choice and freedom.
Bring questions and stories if you like; there is a lot we can learn from each other.
This class is part of a three class series entitled:
“Things I wish I knew without experimenting on myself.”
Each of these classes stands alone, but also complements the others.
- Body: An eclectic guide to Metabolism, Nutrition and Fitness
- Mind: Evolve! Patterns, Decisions, and Sustainable Change
- Life: College, Career, and Money and a few other thoughts
"If you can not measure it, you can not improve it." - Lord Kelvin
If you have a perfect mind that does exactly what you want, you probably do not need this class, although you may find it interesting anyway.
We will focus on:
Knowing where you are now so you can get where you want to go.
Deciding where to go next in ways that leave you happy when you get there.
Learning how to design and implement sustainable changes.
Why you must track progress, and why you want to enjoy it, too.
Why “Evolve Now!” is often ineffective, while “evolve over time” works.
We are also likely to cover the nature of habits, the inconsistency of memory and personality, plasticity, simplicity, motivation, feelings, choice and freedom.
Bring questions and stories if you like; there is a lot we can learn from each other.
This class is part of a three class series entitled:
“Things I wish I knew without experimenting on myself.”
Each of these classes stands alone, but also complements the others.
- Body: An eclectic guide to Metabolism, Nutrition and Fitness
- Mind: Evolve! Patterns, Decisions, and Sustainable Change
- Life: College, Career, and Money and a few other thoughts
MIT Admissions Information Session
Teachers:
McGreggor Crowley
In this session, we'll discuss how to apply to a selective university, holistic admissions processes, and MIT's processes in general.
Student life will be covered in the session immediately before hand.
Note: this will be a real MIT information session, run by a real MIT admissions officer; however, it is being run through Splash!, not by Splash! Splash! is not a recruiting event.
Student life will be covered in the session immediately before hand.
Note: this will be a real MIT information session, run by a real MIT admissions officer; however, it is being run through Splash!, not by Splash! Splash! is not a recruiting event.
ZDI.001: Introduction to Zombie Defense
The zombie apocalypse may be just around the corner, do you want to be fresh meat, or a prepared member of the Zombie Defense Initiative, ready for anything? Join us as we talk about the possible causes of a zombie apocalypse, proper preparation, and handy tactics for dealing with those shambling (or running) hordes of flesh-eaters!
Prerequisites
Pulse
Prerequisites
Pulse
Fabrication 101 Full!
Teachers:
Daniel Ronde
Never have anything to say? Want to make up ridiculous yet believable stories? Come learn the art of fabrication and prepare to fool the world.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Herbal Medicine for the Winter Time Full!
Teachers:
Vicky Cassis
Alongside being a quick intro to herbal medicine, this class will focus on using plants to fight off and prevent cold-season ailments. We'll mostly be talking about simple ways to use easily-accessed herbs so that everyone will be able to try these things at home.
Game Shows Bonus Round Full!
Teachers:
JB Parkes
Let's play an actual game show. Probably a version of Match Game with student contestants, prizes, and MIT/minor slightly famous guest panel, and live studio audience.
Prerequisites
Contestants must have attended Game Shows Rounds 1, 2 and/or 3 No prerequisites for audience members
Prerequisites
Contestants must have attended Game Shows Rounds 1, 2 and/or 3 No prerequisites for audience members
Urban Exploration
Teachers:
Joshua Horowitz
High places, low places, hidden places, and secret places -- urban explorers seek out the nooks and crannies of the built environment which most people don't even know exist. Among their ranks are adventurers, photographers, spelunkers, historians, and amateur archaeologists. What unites these characters is their sense of wonder at the world around them, and their desire to push the typical boundaries to discover what lies under their feet, or though that door.
Come learn about what makes "urbex" special. Fantastic images and stories will be presented, along with the more serious side: Where did urban exploration come from? What sorts of exploration exist? Why in the world do people do it? And the age-old philosophical question: What does it all mean?
Come learn about what makes "urbex" special. Fantastic images and stories will be presented, along with the more serious side: Where did urban exploration come from? What sorts of exploration exist? Why in the world do people do it? And the age-old philosophical question: What does it all mean?
Cheesecakeology Full!
Teachers:
Stephanie Bachar,
Roshini Zachariah
The follow-up to the award-winning* Breakfastology from Spark 2009, we'll be going over the finer points of cheesecake-making including: graham-cracker crushing, creaming cream cheese and topping with fruit/chocolate. Oh, also eating.
*awards may be fictional
Please note: both meeting times are for one class. The intervening time is for the cheesecake to cool.
Prerequisites
Being able to use kitchen implements without chopping off your fingers or burning yourself, being able to follow directions and *common sense*.
*awards may be fictional
Please note: both meeting times are for one class. The intervening time is for the cheesecake to cool.
Prerequisites
Being able to use kitchen implements without chopping off your fingers or burning yourself, being able to follow directions and *common sense*.
Intro to Blindfold Cubing
Teachers:
Vincent Le
Ever seen someone solve a Rubik's cube while blindfolded?
You can do it too.
We'll go over everything you need to know to be able to solve a cube blindfolded. All you need to do is practice.
Prerequisites
Students must understand cubing notation. Knowledge of how to solve a Rubik's cube isn't required, but is (very) strongly recommended.
You can do it too.
We'll go over everything you need to know to be able to solve a cube blindfolded. All you need to do is practice.
Prerequisites
Students must understand cubing notation. Knowledge of how to solve a Rubik's cube isn't required, but is (very) strongly recommended.
Real Card Tricks: How David Blaine Does It
Teachers:
Jack Wanderman
Have you ever gaped in awe at the magic tricks of David Blaine or Chris Angel? It seems so... magical. Well, this class will ruin all of that majesty by showing you how many popular card tricks performed by professional magicians world-wide work. Note: this is about serious card manipulation techniques, not the magic tricks you learned when you were five. It will be hard, and at the end you will never look at magic the same.
Prerequisites
Love of magic, suspicion of David Blaine, ability to keep a secret
Prerequisites
Love of magic, suspicion of David Blaine, ability to keep a secret
Becoming a Brilliant Babysitter Full!
Teachers:
Elisabeth Caron
Many high school students babysit as a way to earn a little extra cash, but how much do you actually know about working with children? Whether you're an experienced babysitter or a newbie to child care, this class will have tips, tricks, skills, and background information useful for everyone. You'll learn how to change a diaper and give a bottle, tips on interacting with parents, discipline techniques, developmental stages, and activities to entertain children of any age.
Please note: this is NOT a certification class, and we will NOT cover first aid or CPR. This class is for your edification only!
Prerequisites
Interest in working with children.
Please note: this is NOT a certification class, and we will NOT cover first aid or CPR. This class is for your edification only!
Prerequisites
Interest in working with children.
Body: An eclectic guide to Metabolism, Nutrition and Fitness Full!
Teachers:
Meri Jade Piltser
It is very hard to find coherent non-contradictory information about how your body works. We each have different bodies, different experiences and different perceptions, many of which change with time. On the other hand, since we have some biological similarities, there are patterns that can be seen and learned from.
The goal of this class is to dispel misconceptions about how our bodies function and provide quality information with which to make decisions. The goal is to allow you to minimize the damage you do to yourself, and maximize your enjoyment along the way.
Nothing here will apply to everyone, but much of it will apply to many.
If you have a perfect body that does exactly what you want, you probably do not need this class, although you may find it interesting anyway.
We will focus on:
- Impact of exercise and food on happiness and health.
- Creating an accurate understanding of how metabolism works and what it means.
- Meaningful indicators of health and fitness; why they can not be based on weight, size, and strength alone.
- What real food is and isn’t, and how to tell the difference.
- How to make food tasty; as opposed to slimy, or crunchy in all the wrong ways.
- A look at some specialized diets, from vegan to high protein.
- How to go from un-athletic to fit in a way that feels good.
- Achieving specific fitness goals, such as endurance, strength, flexibility, weight loss/gain, lung capacity, and bulk.
- Progressive training and avoiding injury.
We are also likely to cover base metabolic rate, some physiological difference between genders, blood sugar, hypoglycemia, allergies, food sensitivities, cooking, sleep, substances and moods.
Bring questions and stories if you like; there is a lot we can learn from each other.
This class is part of a three class series entitled:
“Things I wish I knew without experimenting on myself.”
Each of these classes stands alone, but also complements the others.
- Body: An eclectic guide to Metabolism, Nutrition and Fitness
- Mind: Evolve! Patterns, Decisions, and Sustainable Change
- Life: College, Career, and Money and a few other thoughts
The goal of this class is to dispel misconceptions about how our bodies function and provide quality information with which to make decisions. The goal is to allow you to minimize the damage you do to yourself, and maximize your enjoyment along the way.
Nothing here will apply to everyone, but much of it will apply to many.
If you have a perfect body that does exactly what you want, you probably do not need this class, although you may find it interesting anyway.
We will focus on:
- Impact of exercise and food on happiness and health.
- Creating an accurate understanding of how metabolism works and what it means.
- Meaningful indicators of health and fitness; why they can not be based on weight, size, and strength alone.
- What real food is and isn’t, and how to tell the difference.
- How to make food tasty; as opposed to slimy, or crunchy in all the wrong ways.
- A look at some specialized diets, from vegan to high protein.
- How to go from un-athletic to fit in a way that feels good.
- Achieving specific fitness goals, such as endurance, strength, flexibility, weight loss/gain, lung capacity, and bulk.
- Progressive training and avoiding injury.
We are also likely to cover base metabolic rate, some physiological difference between genders, blood sugar, hypoglycemia, allergies, food sensitivities, cooking, sleep, substances and moods.
Bring questions and stories if you like; there is a lot we can learn from each other.
This class is part of a three class series entitled:
“Things I wish I knew without experimenting on myself.”
Each of these classes stands alone, but also complements the others.
- Body: An eclectic guide to Metabolism, Nutrition and Fitness
- Mind: Evolve! Patterns, Decisions, and Sustainable Change
- Life: College, Career, and Money and a few other thoughts
Anime: Begin the Addiction
Teachers:
Robert A. R. Arlt Jr,
Jessica Perez
We will watch the beginnings of several animes. Gundam Wing, Hale and Guu, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, Lucky Star, and Elfen Lied.
How to be "One of the Guys"...Even if you Hate Football
Teachers:
Sarah Merriman
You and I both know that there are differences between the genders. Boys like mud and have cooties, girls like to bake and always smell like flowers.
Or...not.
There is no rule book that states that different genders can't be friends. There are subtle similarities between the genders that can be exploited to make friends, meet new people, and generally have a fun time in life. You don't have to live in a one gendered world. Every dude needs a friend-girl to talk to, and every girl needs a guy to watch action movies with.
Prerequisites
Plaid. The pattern that does not discriminate.
Or...not.
There is no rule book that states that different genders can't be friends. There are subtle similarities between the genders that can be exploited to make friends, meet new people, and generally have a fun time in life. You don't have to live in a one gendered world. Every dude needs a friend-girl to talk to, and every girl needs a guy to watch action movies with.
Prerequisites
Plaid. The pattern that does not discriminate.
Learn Beatboxing!
Teachers:
Wei-Yang Sun
Always wanted to become a human beatbox? Here's your chance!
In this incredibly fun class, you will be submersed in beatbox culture, listen to beatboxing, and, of course, learn how to beatbox yourself. A great opportunity to introduce yourself to a new hobby and impress your friends!
Prerequisites
Bring your mouth and a fun-loving attitude!
In this incredibly fun class, you will be submersed in beatbox culture, listen to beatboxing, and, of course, learn how to beatbox yourself. A great opportunity to introduce yourself to a new hobby and impress your friends!
Prerequisites
Bring your mouth and a fun-loving attitude!
Magic The Gathering: Drafting
Magic the Gathering: Drafting is a class focusing on a specific format, draft, in Magic the Gathering, one of the oldest trading-card games which are still active. See the course documents (once we upload them) for more information.
Battleship Twister
Teachers:
Stephanie Bachar
What is battleship twister? Exactly what it sounds like - a strategy game that requires some quite the balancing act to win.
Guess where on the twister board your opponents hands and feet are. If you guess right, they must balance on one fewer limbs. The team with the last person on the twister board wins!
Prerequisites
Ideally two arms and legs
Guess where on the twister board your opponents hands and feet are. If you guess right, they must balance on one fewer limbs. The team with the last person on the twister board wins!
Prerequisites
Ideally two arms and legs
A Brief Introduction to Tea Full!
Teachers:
Scott Johnston,
Nicholas Joliat
An introduction to the different teas of the world including a tasting of a selection of teas.
To Cube Part 2
Teachers:
Chinua Shaw
Have you ever wondered why it is that others can solve a Rubik's Cube as if it were nothing, but no matter how hard you try you can't get more than one face? Well this can be changed. Solving a Rubik's cube is not a simple measure of your IQ, anyone can do it. You just have to learn how, and I can teach you.
In this, the second of a two part series, I will teach how to solve the third and final layer of the Rubik's cube and will send you off ready to show off your new cubing awesomeness.
Prerequisites
To Cube Part 1, or a previous knowledge of how to solve the first 2 layers of the Rubik's Cube.
In this, the second of a two part series, I will teach how to solve the third and final layer of the Rubik's cube and will send you off ready to show off your new cubing awesomeness.
Prerequisites
To Cube Part 1, or a previous knowledge of how to solve the first 2 layers of the Rubik's Cube.
Wushu!
Teachers:
Jessica Liu
Like Mushu, the little red dragon from Mulan, except the M is upside down. And wushu is the martial arts stuff Mulan does, instead of a cute mini-dragon with an attitude. Strictly NON CONTACT.
Mmmmmm...Milk! Full!
Teachers:
Patrick McDaniel
What truly places mammals above lesser beasts? In fact, it's neither hair nor intelligence, but milk. Learn everything you wanted to know about this captivating colloid and drink as much as you could ever want. Try milks of many hair animals (but not coconuts), centrifuge it, or just dunk cookies in it. If you like milk, please sign up.
Prerequisites
None, but I'd recommend you not be lactose intolerant
Prerequisites
None, but I'd recommend you not be lactose intolerant
The Hobbies of a Western-World Otaku. Full!
Teachers:
Nathan Arce
The term otaku is Japanese for one who is obsessed with something, though its origin will be discussed in class. When used standalone in Japan, it generally refers to an obsession with anime and manga (Japanese cartoons and comics).
We effectively stole that definition, but for obvious reasons, an American otaku leads a somewhat different life compared to the originals of Japan.
How will we learn about the life of one who has adopted the term "otaku," which has become somewhat derogatory in Japan, as an affectionate term for oneself? Why, it must be by the most scientific method possible: observation! ^_^
This class will cover various facets of the otaku culture, including anime and video games of Japanese origin.
Prerequisites
Don't automatically hate things related to Japan.
We effectively stole that definition, but for obvious reasons, an American otaku leads a somewhat different life compared to the originals of Japan.
How will we learn about the life of one who has adopted the term "otaku," which has become somewhat derogatory in Japan, as an affectionate term for oneself? Why, it must be by the most scientific method possible: observation! ^_^
This class will cover various facets of the otaku culture, including anime and video games of Japanese origin.
Prerequisites
Don't automatically hate things related to Japan.
Concealing a Lack of In-Depth Understanding Through The Use of Verbose, Obfuscating, Vapid and/or Redundant Language
Teachers:
Amber Bennoui,
Julian Halbertsma-Black
Learn how to stretch out writing assignments...eloquently!
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the English language
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the English language
Diplomacy, War and Trade Simulation
Need to sharpen your warfighting or politicking skills? After taking Introduction to Diplomacy, War and Trade, 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.
Most importantly, be ready to put the principles learned in the Introduction lecture on Saturday to work! See joint operations, logistics, espionage, diplomacy, and back-stabbing in action in our fast-paced, high-action war and diplomacy game, now in its fourth running!
Note to people who did this last year: we have changed secret capabilities and objectives, and expanded the economic aspect of the game.
Prerequisites
Introduction to War, Diplomacy and Trade OR Modern War and Geopolitics OR Political Strategy for War Games OR The Fundamentals of Modern Warfare
Most importantly, be ready to put the principles learned in the Introduction lecture on Saturday to work! See joint operations, logistics, espionage, diplomacy, and back-stabbing in action in our fast-paced, high-action war and diplomacy game, now in its fourth running!
Note to people who did this last year: we have changed secret capabilities and objectives, and expanded the economic aspect of the game.
Prerequisites
Introduction to War, Diplomacy and Trade OR Modern War and Geopolitics OR Political Strategy for War Games OR The Fundamentals of Modern Warfare
International Development and Appropriate Technologies
Teachers:
Mary Masterman,
Steven White
Have you ever wondered why some areas of the world seem so much poorer than others? Did you know that every 3.6 seconds, someone dies of starvation? Did you know that 1.4 billion people currently live on less than $1.25 a day and are defined as living in extreme poverty?
International development is the concept that the standard of life for the human population can be improved on a global scale. This class will teach what the concept of international development is and how ordinary people can make a big difference, not just through traditional charity like donations but through innovative engineering, education, policy changing, and other exciting projects.
Prerequisites
None
International development is the concept that the standard of life for the human population can be improved on a global scale. This class will teach what the concept of international development is and how ordinary people can make a big difference, not just through traditional charity like donations but through innovative engineering, education, policy changing, and other exciting projects.
Prerequisites
None
How to be Successful at Everything
Teachers:
Chris Thorsvik
You can be successful. Come have fun, laugh at my mistakes, and learn how to be successful. One hour is always worth wasting, and could change your life.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
How Not To Be Awkward Full!
Teachers:
Amber Bennoui,
Julian Halbertsma-Black
In this class, we'll play out awkward scenarios and come up with solutions to get out of them. Things that will be discussed: what to do with your hands while talking, how to take a compliment, conversation topics to avoid...and so on.
Life: College, Career, and Money and a few other thoughts Full!
Teachers:
Meri Jade Piltser
Choosing a career or college, managing finances, and building a relationship are among the most challenging parts of life. Inaccurate assumptions, insufficient information and inability to envision the future clearly can lead people to making less than optimal choices about life.
The goal of this class is to give you as many questions as possible. What to consider? Who to ask? How to interpret the answers to make them useful?
If you have a perfect life that does exactly what you want, you probably do not need this class, although you may find it interesting anyway.
Some of the topics will be:
- A few thoughts on how not to pick a career or a college, and what may work better.
- What are musts in choosing your employment and what may help you get hired.
- Basics of budgeting and finance. Why it is not (very) complicated or scary. Why it is important.
- What can you be when you grow up? Some interesting and overlooked choices.
- Bits about Student Loans, Credit Cards, Annual Fees, Credit Rating
- Scholarships and why a cheaper college may be a better option for a first degree.
- Why should you have a bank account, credit cards, library card and a passport.
- Sharing finances and personal loans, and why not to.
- Relationships and the sanity meter.
Bring questions and stories if you like; there is a lot we can learn from each other.
This class is part of a three class series entitled:
“Things I wish I knew without experimenting on myself.”
Each of these classes stands alone, but also complements the others.
- Body: An eclectic guide to Metabolism, Nutrition and Fitness
- Mind: Evolve! Patterns, Decisions, and Sustainable Change
- Life: College, Career, and Money and a few other thoughts
The goal of this class is to give you as many questions as possible. What to consider? Who to ask? How to interpret the answers to make them useful?
If you have a perfect life that does exactly what you want, you probably do not need this class, although you may find it interesting anyway.
Some of the topics will be:
- A few thoughts on how not to pick a career or a college, and what may work better.
- What are musts in choosing your employment and what may help you get hired.
- Basics of budgeting and finance. Why it is not (very) complicated or scary. Why it is important.
- What can you be when you grow up? Some interesting and overlooked choices.
- Bits about Student Loans, Credit Cards, Annual Fees, Credit Rating
- Scholarships and why a cheaper college may be a better option for a first degree.
- Why should you have a bank account, credit cards, library card and a passport.
- Sharing finances and personal loans, and why not to.
- Relationships and the sanity meter.
Bring questions and stories if you like; there is a lot we can learn from each other.
This class is part of a three class series entitled:
“Things I wish I knew without experimenting on myself.”
Each of these classes stands alone, but also complements the others.
- Body: An eclectic guide to Metabolism, Nutrition and Fitness
- Mind: Evolve! Patterns, Decisions, and Sustainable Change
- Life: College, Career, and Money and a few other thoughts
From Cinderella to Mulan: The Sociology of Disney Princesses
Teachers:
Rhochelle Krawetz
Behind the entertaining stories and catchy songs that characterize Disney movies, a whole new world of sociological study can be opened up by studying the evolution of Disney Princess. From the passive Snow White to the headstrong Ariel, Disney princesses hold a mirror to the transformation of women in Western society. This class will be a quick jaunt through Disney while taking a look at the implications the portrayal of princesses has for modern society. Of course, discussion will be supplemented with primary research (i.e. watching clips of Disney movies).