Splash! 2012
Course Catalog


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Arts Computer Science
Engineering Humanities
Lunch Mathematics
Science [Deprecated] Walk-in Activity
Miscellaneous


This is a previous year’s Splash catalog. The course catalog for last year’s Splash is available here.


Below is the Splash 2012 catalog. Feel free to look at it for examples of the types of classes ESP offers at a typical Splash, but keep in mind that the exact offerings vary based on what our teachers choose to teach.


Arts

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A6401: Conducting Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Zhang

A6503: Ballroom Dance - Swing Basic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lisa Merschen

A6653: Music Theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Yalu Wu

A6504: Ballroom Dance - Waltz Basic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lisa Merschen

A6326: $treet Lyfe Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jacqueline Durazo, Ramya Swamy

A6399: Jammin' With the Chorallaries Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Royal Morris

A6491: Fun and Easy Origami with Jazz! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Yoonjeong Cha, Harry Richman

A6506: Ballroom Dance - Rhumba Basic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lisa Merschen

A6243: History of Rock Music Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jacob Isenhart

A6542: Math-ish Beading: Dodecahedrons and C60 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Harriet Li

A6625: Learn to Knit Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Patrick Rodriguez, Elizabeth Santorella

A6650: Opera for Beginners
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Yalu Wu

Do you like music? Do you like plays or musicals? Are you interested in learning about Opera? Well you are in luck, and no previous experience is required here!!

In this class, we will go over the basics of Western Opera. We will talk about and listen to some clips from famous operas starting from the 1600s until the 1950s. We will learn about Operatic style and talk about what the terms libretto, aria, and recitative mean. We will cover the Operas of the works of Gluck, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, and more!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 30)


A6502: Intro to Swing Dancing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kristen Cotner, Eric Gentry, Laura Hallock, Zoe Snape

Impress all your friends with some super classy swing dancing!
Learn the basics of swing, and a few fun moves to get you started. Beginners welcome; it’s a ton of fun.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 35)


A6334: Playwrights' Workshop
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Neerja Aggarwal, Daniel Epelbaum, Mark Velednitsky, Rin Yunis

Interested in writing plays? Come and get some hand-on experience in this class taught by the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble!

In the first hour, we will teach you the basics of writing scenes for the stage. We will address stage space, character voice, and conflict structure.

In the second hour, you will write scripts in groups of four. After dinner, we will PERFORM as many of these scenes as possible for you and your friends!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 45)


A6554: The Funkiest Geometric Origami You'll Ever See
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Yongquan Lu

Bored of folding cranes and planes? In this class, we’ll explore ways to use origami to create three-dimensional geometric patterns so funky you’ll think they couldn’t possibly be made out of a single sheet of paper. Fold corrugations that undulate like a snake skin, pleats that appear to weave through the sheet and curves that spiral in continuously upon themselves, all from single giant sheets of paper. By the end of the class you’ll be exposed to many techniques out there and be ready to create your own crazy paper sculptures!


Prerequisites
No experience required, just the patience to crease tiny intricate patterns and an excitement for pretty geometric shapes.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 15)
Section 2: 14 (max 15)


A6703: Intermediate Drawing: Portraiture and Figure Studies Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Annie Tang

A6527: Intro to Circular Gallifreyan
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ceri Riley

Perfect for any Whovian (or really anyone who thinks bow ties are cool or loves wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff), this course goes over the basics of writing in Circular Gallifreyan as per a standardized fan version.

Combining basic cryptography skills with an artistic eye, translate any word or phrase you desire into the language of the Time Lords. Allons-y!


Prerequisites
Be able to draw circles, lines, and dots!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 20)
Section 2: 19 (max 20)


A6239: Swing into the Cha Cha Cha!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kuang Xu

Awesome crash course on Ballroom dances (Standard and Latin Style) taught by members of the award-winning MIT Ballroom Dance Team. NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED!


Prerequisites
comfortable shoes and a joyful mind
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)


A6300: Typography and Typesetting
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Tana Wattanawaroon

Typography and Typesetting are about arranging text into a piece of publication, which is in no way simple. It is about choosing fonts, size, spacing, and everything. Modern word processors have made publication accessible to anyone with computers, while taking some beauty away from this extremely delicate craft.

Take this course to learn about the basics of typography and typesetting! We will look into publications at different levels: glyphs, lines, paragraphs, and pages. We will learn how to maximize beauty while preserving readability and legibility. We will explore how technology has transformed the era of good old press into the age of digital typography.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 84 (max 100)


A6160: Not Your Grandma's Crocheting Class Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Hope Harrison

A6395: Infographic Design: Turning Data Into Art
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Joanna Kao, Connor Kirschbaum

Representing data visually can be a challenge, but learning to do it well can make your research and presentations engaging and accessible.

This one hour seminar, taught by a team of designers from MIT’s student newspaper The Tech, will teach you to create effective and visually appealing infographics. You’ll even get a chance to draft a few yourself! Feel free to bring in your own set of data to work with (If you don’t have any, don’t worry — we’ll give you some!). Evolve beyond Excel pie charts!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)
Section 2: Full! (max 30)


A6418: Beading 3D Figures Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Wei-En Lee

A6586: Intro to Contra Dance
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Ruth Byers, Louis Wasserman

Come learn to contra dance! Contra is a type of traditional social dancing that's high energy and a lot of fun. It's done as couples in a long line, so you end up dancing with everyone else in your set. We'll be starting from the very beginning, so no experience is needed, but come ready to dance; wear comfortable shoes and clothing and bring a water bottle if you can. We'll teach how contra works and go over some basic moves, then spend the rest of the time dancing.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 30)


A6216: Guitar Building
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Nicholas Fine

Fender, Gibson, Taylor, (Your Name Here). You love to play them, now it's time to BUILD them. Come take this introductory class focusing on the tools, techniques, and design needed to start you on your way to constructing your very own electric guitar!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 41 (max 50)

Materials for this class include: Guitar Building 101 ppt

A6164: Cosplay, Propmaking, and Design Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Alyssa Waln

A6169: Country Music 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Emily Pries

A6331: Animation in Adobe Flash Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ramya Swamy

A6427: Intro to Techno Music Composition
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Grant Falkenburg

What is techno music? What makes it so catchy? How can I make my own, you ask? In this class, you'll learn all of the secrets of techno and how to make it! We'll analyze the different elements and styles of techno music and work our way up to song composition.
Topics include: sound synthesis, usage of different sounds and effects, types of progressions, and song making using software (FL Studio). The focus is on general techno, however, I can provide tips if you are interested in a certain style. Get ready to drop the bass!


Prerequisites
Any knowledge of music is useful, but not necessary.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 26 (max 30)

Materials for this class include: Lesson Plan

A6446: Lights! Camera! Improv! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Neerja Aggarwal, Nick Benson, Rin Yunis

A6383: War in Film Closed!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Nicholas Richardson

A6674: Hand Drawn Holograms Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Robin Deits

A6470: Juggling - Course 16 Aero-Disastro
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Ian Chesser

Balls, rings, clubs, diabolos, devil sticks, unicycles, we have it all. Want to learn the basics of juggling? Already know how to juggle? Come learn how to throw down some sick tricks!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--10:55am
Section 3: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 20)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)
Section 3: 19 (max 20)


A6495: Comedic Improvisation Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Solomon Spigel

A6645: Irish Dance
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kira Glynn

Ever seen the IRISH dancers of RIVERDANCE? Want to learn the basics of the COOLEST DANCE form out there? Enroll today!! ALL skill levels are welcome, with or without experience!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 3: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 20)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)
Section 3: 18 (max 20)

Materials for this class include: First Email

A6535: What is Creativity? Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: James A Beauton

A6315: An overview of Producing, Engineering and Mixing Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Matt Russell

MIT Senior Audio Engineer, Matt Russell, will take you through the production of a rock song he produced, engineered and mixed - from the demo to the finished product. Basic Pro Tools knowledge is helpful, but not needed.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 49 (max 50)


A6322: Crayon Melting Art Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Angel Carvajal, Harini Suresh

A6321: Art of Improv
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Rahat Bathija

This course will focus on beginner Improv techniques. We'll be doing some warm up exercise and move onto Who's Line is Anyway type Improv Games.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 10)


A6392: Shaolin Martial Arts aka Chinese Kung Fu!!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Wai Lok Lai

Kung Fu! Ever watched a Chinese martial arts film and wanted the mimic those super-cool maneuvers? Here's your chance to learn an actual Shaolin Martial Arts Routine!!

Intro to the different types of stances, fists, and kicks. You will learn a short (but complete) routine by the end of the class


Prerequisites
None. Please plan to wear loose-fitting clothing and trousers.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 10)
Section 2: 8 (max 10)


A6578: Rope Corsets Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alicia Singham Goodwin

A6695: Intro to Drawing: Still Life Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Annie Tang

A6400: Arabic Language/Calligraphy
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Mahmoud Ghulman

This course will introduce participants to the Arabic language and Arabic calligraphy. Students will be introduced to various Arabic letters/phrases, arabic music, and calligraphy scripts and will be provided with persistent hands-on practice including in-class practice and individual/group instruction. This course will combine lectures with visual materials, discussion of reading and/or visual evidence, and hands-on practice with special calligraphy pens. Each student will leave with a sketch paper with his name written in Arabic calligraphy on it.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am
Section 3: Sun 10:05am--11:55am
Section 4: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)
Section 3: Full! (max 20)
Section 4: 17 (max 20)


A6090: An Introduction To Claymations Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: William Little

A6278: Learn How to Chain Mail
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Pi Fisher

This course will teach the standard chain mail weave—European 4 in 1. If you already know how to do this but want to learn other weaves or work on a project, know that my priorities will be teaching beginners.


Prerequisites
Patience and a reasonable attention span: a lot of time and repetitive effort goes into making chain mail.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am
Section 3: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 4: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 5: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 6: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 14)
Section 2: Full! (max 10)
Section 3: 12 (max 14)
Section 4: Full! (max 14)
Section 5: Full! (max 10)
Section 6: Full! (max 14)


A6366: Comedic Improvisation
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Solomon Spigel

Similar to 'Who's Line Is It Anyway' we will be playing improve games and learning how to improvise.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)


A6610: The History and Theory of Musical Tuning
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Benjamin Boyajian

You are probably familiar with the practice of dividing the octave into twelve equal parts to create the chromatic scale - but it has not always been this way. Over the centuries, musicians have experimented with different tuning systems that make some intervals particularly consonant and others particularly dissonant. In this class, we will discuss how ratios of frequencies are the mathematical basis behind tuning, and we will look at famous tuning systems such as Pythagorean, meantone, and equal. We will also discuss how the increased prevalence of chromaticism in music led to the prominence of equal temperament, and vice versa. If we have time, we will look at the theory for nonstandard scales, such as the scales of 19 or 31 notes.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 3: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 4: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
(Closed) Section 2: Full! (max 30)
 Section 3: 28 (max 30)
Section 4: 25 (max 30)


A6223: Piano Improvisation!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Justin Yuan

HEY YOU! Do you play piano? Do you want to learn how to improvise? After this class, you won't have to memorize any more songs again, because you will be able to improvise on the spot anywhere there's a piano. AWESOME SKILL! Girls dig it. Guys dig it. So come and jam out
!
*No improvising experience necessary.


Prerequisites
Basic piano playing skills.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 2: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 3: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 4: Sun 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 10)
Section 2: Full! (max 10)
Section 3: 9 (max 10)
Section 4: Full! (max 10)


A6492: Lights! Camera! Improv!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Neerja Aggarwal, Rin Yunis

We love improv. Do you love improv?
If you like being spontaneous, crazy, acting, and thinking on the spot,
TAKE THIS CLASS!
Just do it.
Spontaneously.
We'll teach you a bunch of games from plain charades to elaborate storytelling.


Prerequisites
Your body and your voice. Brains are optional.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 10)
Section 2: Full! (max 10)


A6783: Trash Can Drumming! Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Kevin Rustagi

A6303: Bad Web Design Bashing Session Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Tana Wattanawaroon

A6521: Do Artists Dream of Electric Sheep?: Using Electronics in Art!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kaity Reilly, Valerie Young

Leave your left and right brained notions at the door!

In this class, you'll make your very own tech-based artwork, no previous experience required!!

These days, artists have another kind of paint to play with: Technology! We'll show you what today's artists are doing with it and why you should consider using it in your artwork, too!


Prerequisites
An interest in making art in 2012 and beyond!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 15)
Section 2: Full! (max 15)


A6329: Conquering Artist's Block
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Laura Standley

Ever get the urge to draw something but find yourself just staring at a blank piece of paper? Yup, we've all been there (or at least I know I have). Come learn some of my tips and tricks to help you overcome that pesky artist's block! No actual drawing experience required.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 4: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 15)
Section 2: Full! (max 15)
Section 3: 14 (max 15)
Section 4: Full! (max 15)


A6466: Gift Wrapping Extravaganza!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Cris Jeevas-Kiddo

With the holiday season right around the corner, most people are worrying about what gifts to get for their friends and families, but not you of course - you already have a perfect gift - the problem is, you have no idea how to wrap it! Maybe it's an unusual shape or extremely delicate; whatever the reason, you're stuck, and you need to know what to do to make sure this is the best present anyone's ever received.
This class will show you interesting new ways to wrap everything from spherical gifts to fancy hats to food items! Armed with this unusual knowledge, you'll blow everyone away at any gift-giving occasion with your mad gift-wrapping skills!


Prerequisites
-Be focused and patient - working with wrapping paper is one of the most aggravating experiences of special occasions, so be prepared to endure paper cuts, tape stuck to your fingers, and general frustration. -If you have a present that you want to wrap, bring it with you! We'll help yo make it extra-special :D
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 3: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 4: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 25)
Section 2: 24 (max 25)
Section 3: 15 (max 16)
Section 4: 23 (max 25)


A6459: Learn to Knit Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Patrick Rodriguez, Elizabeth Santorella

A6236: Phonetics for Singers
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Alioth Drinkwater

Whether you sing in choir or take solo voice lessons, you've probably encountered the difficulty of learning to pronounce foreign languages well enough to sing them -- and the difficulty of getting the whole choir to sing the same sound -- and the difficulty of trying to spell things phonetically in English.

In this class, we'll study how different sounds are produced in the mouth, and learn some of the International Phonetic Alphabet, which allows you to transcribe sounds unambiguously. We'll also learn some tricks you can use to teach other English speakers to pronounce tricky sounds, so you can help out your home choirs or your friends. Finally, we'll warm up and sing some examples -- from common languages like German to uncommon languages like Maori and Old Church Slavonic.


Prerequisites
Ability to sing. Ideally, have sung something in a foreign language. Ability to sight-read is nice but not required. Wear comfortable clothing that you can stretch in.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 15)
Section 2: 11 (max 15)


A6806: Infographic Design: Turning Data Into Art, Hands-on Workshop Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Joanna Kao, Connor Kirschbaum

A6782: Pop Music Improvisation
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jeffrey Sun, Kevin Tian

Following a short introduction to the essentials of music theory, this class will teach and provide hands-on experience in instrumental improvisation, focusing on popular music.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 3: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)
Section 2: Full! (max 30)
Section 3: 18 (max 30)


A6421: Improv Comedy: Embracing Faliure
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Zachary Barryte

Play improv games with us, learn how to embrace your failure and make it into something special
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 30)


A6338: What's Funny?
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jacob Bailey, Mark Wittels

In this class, we'll look at various examples of comedy - from the sketches of Monty Python, Mitchell and Webb, and SNL to great theatrical comedies like Airplane and Young Frankenstein - and analyze what it is that makes us laugh. We'll then open the class into a comedy writing workshop, wherein students will write their own sketches.


Prerequisites
Sense of humor, levity
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 35)


A6478: Swing Dancing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Amy Ishiguro, Ken Takusagawa

Come have fun, and leave with moves to impress your friends! No experience or partner necessary--just wear comfy shoes.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 4: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 25 (max 30)
Section 4: 27 (max 30)


Computer Science

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C6089: How To Host Servers! Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: William Little

C6370: TI-83 programming Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Wesley Rian

C6154: Promiscuous Mode-Network Protocol Analysis
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Harvey Yee

Do you want to be in Promiscuous mode(Monitor Mode)? You may if you are a network engineer. Join us in learning what is involved in Network Protocol analysis, and along the way learn about network architecture and protocols. Depending on what is available in the class room, a demonstration of a wired or wireless network session will be provided. A free copy of Linux LiveCD will be provided so that you can continue your learning of network protocol analysis after this class.


Prerequisites
A sense of curosity
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)


C6628: Introduction to Programing a la Fractal Forgeries
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Zandra Vinegar

Want to learn how to program a cloud? or a rough, and unpredictable mountain? or an infinitely precisely shaded fern? Then sign up for this class and I will BOTH introduce you to JavaScript, a powerful visual programming tool, and show you around the psychedelic world of Fractals!

Check out some of these images and see if you can tell which are real and which are mathematically-generated forgeries: http://tinyurl.com/8erkfxy

Those which are forgeries are made using Fractals: mathematical objects which are produced by repeating very simple instructions over and over again. You'd never want to draw these images by hand, but with the aid of computers, we can plot hundreds of thousands of points in seconds. This ability enables us to decode natural objects which the "smooth" curves and platonic solids you learn about in high school can never emulate.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 78 (max 80)


C6707: Put Together The Pile of Junk! Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Christopher Klingshirn, Wilson Louie, Allen Park

C6510: How Operating Systems Work Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Dan Noe
Materials for this class include: Presentation

C6555: The limits of computation
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Leonid Grinberg

Believe it or not, there are some problems computers simply can't solve, even if you give them unlimited memory and time. These aren't some wishy-washy philosophical meaning-of-life problems either but very well-defined, fairly simple mathematical statements. This class will focus on the absolute limit of what a computer can do and what implications this has both in theory and in practice. It turns out there are a fair number of philosophical implications here as well, so we'll talk about some of those too.


Prerequisites
It would be great if you've seen a mathematical proof before (two-column proofs like in geometry class are fine)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 55 (max 57)


C6087: What Makes Everything On The Internet Work?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: William Little

What happens when you log into Facebook? Or place a bid on eBay? Or check your email? Or send a tweet? Or anything else that you do on the internet? This talk will give you an explanation on how everything works, what makes it all tick, and why some very powerful hardware is needed for everything. Prepare to have your mind blown as I show you the inner workings of the technological world we live in!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 93 (max 180)


C6437: Intro Programming for Newbs
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Wilson Louie, Allen Park

Don't know programming? Excited to learn? We'll try to help out! Warning: expect no pity. No seriously, you won't remember anything =D!


Prerequisites
no programming experience
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 17)


C6159: Why LabVIEW Is Better Than Your Programming Language
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Hope Harrison

Heard about LabVIEW and think it sucks? Well, come learn some ways LabVIEW pwns your favorite text based language. Seriously, though, come learn fancy programming topics like parallel threads (multiple "lines" of code running at once), and nice user interface creation - you'll be surprised what cool stuff you can code in LabVIEW!


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of programming
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 34)


C6309: Computer Building 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Joseph Lodin

Ever thought about building your own computer? Maybe the possibility of potentially saving HUGE gobs of cash is enticing, perhaps the prospect of playing Skyrim on MAXIMUM settings may lure you in, or maybe you’re just a hobbyist who’s curious about how to build a desktop computer.

In this class, we’ll go over the process of picking out the right parts for your specific needs, what those parts actually do in your computer, how to survive the interminable wait for your parts to arrive (curse you, Newegg 3-day shipping!), how to actually put the parts together once they DO arrive, and we’ll also go over some questions like “which operating system do I use” and “why is this actually way easier than I thought it would be.”

If you’ve ever considered building a desktop computer so you don’t have to deal with the painful process of owning a Dell or HP, or maybe just want to learn a thing or two about computers, this is definitely the class for you!


Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of computing would be good, like knowing the difference between a desktop and a laptop, but anyone should be able to get some good stuff out of this class. -IMPORTANT NOTE- This is just a crash course in the fundamentals of computing hardware, we’re only going over the basics - if you’re looking for a hardcore discussion on the merits of Intel vs. AMD or some other in-depth lecture, you probably won’t find it here. Find me after class if you want to duke it out over which graphics card is superior.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)


C6119: Introduction to Graph Algorithms
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Favyen Bastani

Systems as diverse as road networks, images, the world wide web, and social networks can be modeled as graphs. Learn how to efficiently search a graph, compute minimum spanning trees and shortest distances, and more!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 35)


C6158: Introduction To Programming Using LabVIEW
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Hope Harrison

Do you want to make cool games for you and your friends? A program that does your math homework? A robot that does your chores? We will learn how to at least start off doing each these in LabVIEW! No programming experience is necessary - we will start from the very beginning.


Prerequisites
None
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 34)
Section 2: 29 (max 34)


C6511: Concurrency and multithreaded programming
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Dan Noe

I started teaching this course in 2006 when dual core processors were a newfangled thing. Now even cell phones have multicore processors! Programming to take advantage of today's multicore processors is tricky and filled with pitfalls. We'll talk about Amdahl's law and how it benefits the performance increases from adding processors. I'll discuss how programming language locks are actually implemented under the scenes. And I'll talk about different ways computer scientists like to abstract concurrency to make it easier to program.


Prerequisites
You should know the hardware parts of a computer (Processor, RAM, etc) and have some experience with any programming language.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 41 (max 64)


C6165: Make Your Own Website! (Introduction to web design using HTML)
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Abhishek Nagaraj

Have you always wanted your own webpage? Where you can put cool stuff about yourself? Where you can share pictures, paintings, stories? Then this is the place! We will make webpages with HTML and upload them so that the whole world can see them!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 11)


C6753: Z'OMG Fractals
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Katie Bartel

Familiarize yourself with fractal theory by first using pre-programmed fractal generators, and then delve into programming your own. Learn about the Mandelbrot set, create some funky trees and snowflakes, and learn about fractals in the process.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with recursive and object-oriented programming. Knowledge of algebra.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 17)


C6436: Intro to Python for Experienced Programmers
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Wilson Louie, Allen Park

Know Java from AP CS and want to learn Python too? Come learn in this uber-fast crash course! Note: Expect no pity!


Prerequisites
experience with programming, no/little experience in Python
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 20 (max 23)


C6569: How to make a computer smart (and why they are still dumb) Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Harrison Hunter

C6374: TI-89 programming
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Wesley Rian

Have a TI-89? Not sure what it can do? Learn to program the calculator that has such advanced features as functions and more than 27 variables.


Prerequisites
Bring a TI-89.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 27)


C6168: Basic Web Development
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Edward Tremel

Have you ever wanted to build your own website? It's easier than you might think. You don't have to be a programmer to create a functional, elegant website from scratch - you just need to know the markup languages HTML and CSS. This class will teach you the basics of using HTML and CSS to set up and format a website, with plenty of interactive examples. No prior experience is required.


Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with computers.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 30)
Section 2: 23 (max 30)


C6161: Video Game Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Matthew Milano

Learn the techniques behind the most moving and effective scores and sounds in the video game world, from both a computer science and music composition perspective.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 39)
Section 2: 34 (max 39)


C6553: Information Theory 101
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Betsy Riley

Ever wonder how we can send so much data around the world every day without clogging the networks? Or what's behind a .zip file? Learn how to turn lots of data into only a little data with information theory!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 32)
Section 2: 28 (max 35)


C6567: Learn You A Haskell: Functional Programming
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Gurtej Kanwar, Benjamin Kraft, Anthony Lu

FUNCTIONS ARE DATA
LISTS ARE INFINITE
HASKELL IS FUN

Haskell is a purely functional, strongly typed programming language with non-strict evaluation. If none of those words made sense to you, you should take this class to fix that! We'll talk about the basics of programming in Haskell, why it's the best programming language, and how you can fit an infinite list in your computer's memory.


Prerequisites
You should have experience programming in some language, but no knowledge of Haskell is necessary.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 44 (max 50)


C6632: Introduction to Algorithms
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Gurtej Kanwar, Timothy Yang

Algorithms describe a "recipe" for doing something. Having good algorithms that are fast and easy to use is important for every area of life.

In this class we'll talk about computer science algorithms in particular. We'll talk about how to use algorithms to sort a list of things, create tables that make looking up values really easy, and find shortest paths in graphs.


Prerequisites
Knowing a programming language is strongly recommended.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 90)


C6123: Optimization with Genetic and other Heuristic Algorithms
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Favyen Bastani

For many optimization problems, such as finding the best way to schedule Splash or minimizing delay in a traffic network by altering intersection light settings, is it too hard to find an exact solution. However, heuristic algorithms like the genetic algorithm can provide a near-optimal solution that is often good enough.

In this class, we explore several heuristic algorithms including simulated annealing, particle swarm optimization, and the genetic algorithm. Then, we consider multi-objective optimization problems, and look at modern genetic algorithm approaches to solve them.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 30)

Materials for this class include: oeu, uoke, kkk (view all 6)

C6266: How Websites Work, Home Networks, and Run Your Own Game Server: Networking 101 in Three Parts
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Joseph Lodin

You may not realize it, but 99% of things you do on your computer require an Internet connection. Computer networking is an extremely advanced field with countless different uses, protocols, and experimental research making things faster and more reliable. To save time, I'm gonna summarize basic networking with three short topics:

-How Websites Work: When you click a link, what happens in the seconds between that click and when the next page is displayed on your screen? It's not as simple as it sounds, and often it involves a hundred (or even thousand)-mile journey happening in the blink of an eye. Also, I promise I'll briefly address why Splash registration always seems to hang. ;)

-Home Networks: So you probably know about the big Internet, the World Wide Web, right? Did you know that in most of your homes/apartments/wherever, you have a mini "internet" that functions all on its own? Let's look into the setup of a normal home network, and I'll even explain how to host your very own LAN party!

-Run Your Own Game Server: Ever feel like hosting your own Minecraft server, just so you can be the evil game admin for once? Maybe host a TF2 server and go crazy with mods. The sky's the limit! We'll go over just what a game server is, how to run your own, and even how to set it up so people across the world can join!


Prerequisites
Anybody who uses a computer can come to this class and learn something! We really won't go into too much technical detail, so if you already run your own game server or make/host your own websites, you probably won't see much new information.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 45 (max 90)


C6350: Beginners Chess and ChessBots
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Michael Fu, David Perez

Want to learn how to play chess, or just how to play chess better? Come learn and play against some of our best, and build a chess AI from the ground up to beat all your friends.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 20)


C6518: Introduction to Python
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Xinkun Nie, Adityanarayanan Radhakrishnan

Come and discover why PROGRAMMING IS FUN! This is an introduction to Python and computer science class. No previous programming experience is required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 17)


C6588: Lessons of Library Design
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Louis Wasserman

In any programming language, libraries of common and useful utilities -- like the C++ STL, or java.util -- are a programmer's best friend. They make coding easier, less buggy, and faster.

We'll talk about what's involved in writing libraries, what's different about writing code that thousands of other programmers will use, and what goes into those utilities you use every time you program.


Prerequisites
Thorough knowledge of at least one programming language and its libraries.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 30)
Section 2: 17 (max 30)


C6699: What's Better than Free?
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Lars Johnson

Why pay hundreds of dollars for software when there are free, open-source alternatives that are just as good? After a brief discussion about what open source software is, we will take a whirlwind tour of available open-source software. We will quickly overview a variety of programs including free office suites, 3D modeling programs, audio editors, graphics programs, and assorted productivity tools. (Although all of the programs covered work on the Mac operating system, many are cross-platform and work on Windows and Linux as well.)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 15 (max 20)


C6125: Alice - 3D Computer Animation
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michelle Ng

Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. For this course, we will be using Alice as a learning tool for introductory computer programming. The 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to learn and facilitate a more engaging experience for students with no programming background. We will begin with the navigation of the Alice tool and the basic steps in creating an animation - storyboard, character (objects), actions (methods). We will also learn about fundamental programming concepts such as class, object, parameter, if/else, loop, etc. The final hour of the course will be devoted for an “animation-hour” to encourage students to apply their new skills to create their own animation programs using Alice. The Alice software is developed by Carnegie Mellon University and can be downloaded for free (http://www.alice.org).


Prerequisites
Strong interest to learn and explore animation - no prior programming experience is required.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--5:55pm, Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 25)


C6556: Boolean Logic and You
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Betsy Riley

Heard of phrases like "AND," "OR," and "NOT" and know they're important for most modern technology? Want to learn more about how all that works and what it looks like inside your computer? Then take this class!


Prerequisites
You'll understand more if you've thought about Boolean logic (AND, OR, NOT) and/or basic circuits before.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 35)
Section 2: 31 (max 35)


C6083: Modern Cryptography
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Sweet Tea Dorminy

Ever wanted to know how banks, the government, etc. can keep a drive’s contents from being read, even if someone steals the hard drive? Or how to generate numbers that appear random without actually creating random numbers? Enter cryptography, the study of keeping secrets.

We’ll be running over basic principles of modern (symmetric) cryptography, discussing:
What does it mean for an encryption algorithm to be secure? (common attack methods, random output)
What do we do with an encryption algorithm? (hash functions, pseudo-random number generators, block cipher modes)
What do modern symmetric encryption algorithms look like? (DES, AES)

Note that this course specifically does not cover RSA or any other asymmetric cryptography.


Prerequisites
Some familiarity with basic group theory is helpful for understanding the math behind DES/AES. Some familiarity with the difference between pseudorandomness and true randomness would also be helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 35 (max 50)


C6587: Software Engineering: Building Big Programs Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Louis Wasserman

C6541: Hacking Minesweeper!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Damon Doucet

No, I don't mean http://www.ign.com/cheats/games/minesweeper-pc-8036 -- I mean legitimately hacking. Come learn how to be a 1337hax0r! Make sure to bring a Windows laptop (> XP, 64-bit recommended)


Prerequisites
Programming experience in high-level language (C, C++, Java, etc)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)


C6345: Machine Learning
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Kevin Ellis

Can computers learn? In this class, you will discover how computers can perform inferences upon data to discover solutions to problems! This class will teach you how to write a computer program that learns to recognize faces, or drive a car, or parse English sentences, using the technologies of the field known as "Machine Learning."


Prerequisites
High-school level algebra and calculus. Basic linear algebra (matrices, vectors). Basic probability and statistics (you should know what a conditional probability distribution is, etc).
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)


C6623: Writing an Android App 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ryan CHeu, Gurtej Kanwar

Ever thought "I wish there was an app for that?" Well we're here to teach you how to make that app! We know things about Android programming. Come learn from us!

In this class we'll go over the basics of setting up the basic view and activity structure of an Android application. We'll then talk about how to draw things on the screen with Canvas drawing.

We'll build up a very small game based on class input while everyone follows along on lab computers. You will get a copy of the game when we're done!


Prerequisites
Must know an object oriented programming language, ideally Java (which if what we will work with).
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--11:55am

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 27)


C6155: WireShark Workshop
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Harvey Yee

Here is follow-up course to Promiscuous Mode-Network Protocol Analysis. In this course, we will hone our knowledge and skills in understanding and decoding network traffic.
Come prepared to get a deep dive into network protocol analysis by bringing a laptop so you can participate in a course discussion of some of the problems that we will uncover and solve.


Prerequisites
A sense of curiosity and a laptop which can support a Linux Live CD (BackTrack).
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


C6423: Android Essentials: Create Your Own Android App
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Quanquan Liu

Want to learn how to create your own Android app for Android Play market? Come to this class where you will learn the essentials of creating your own app! We will go through the entire process from the basics of Android API to the final steps of uploading your app in the Android market.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 23 (max 30)

Materials for this class include: Handouts For Class

C6372: ++coding_skills
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Kevin Chen, Michael Xu

Solve problems, learn wicked cool coding tricks, and code!

"I took this class and learned how to invent computer science, and so I did." - Alan Turing
"This class was so challenging. Never have I seen so many brains spilled over the floor." - Donald Knuth
"After I took this course, I defeated Voldemort." - Harry Potter


Prerequisites
Prior experience in programming required. Competition experience recommended.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 20)
Section 2: 18 (max 20)


C6758: The art of computing and approximating
Difficulty: **
Teachers: MINH TUE VO THANH

This class teaches basic numerical algorithms (how to compute square root, how to solve simple equations numerically...)


Prerequisites
Basic algebra. Some familiarity with calculators will be a plus.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 3: Sun 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)
Section 2: 17 (max 30)
Section 3: Full! (max 30)


C6676: Journey Into the Interwebs: What the Heck is the Internet, After All?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Hussein Abdallah, Skyler Adams, Gabriel Reilly

Is the Internet real? Can you touch it? Where is it? In the clouds? Come learn more about the magic behind all those cute cat pictures, funny memes and viral YouTube videos. We'll talk about everything from the history of the Internet to its impact on society, and even show you how to code a basic web page using HTML (no experience necessary). You'll also go home with plenty of resources to learn more.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 27 (max 30)

Materials for this class include: Presentation Slides

C6325: Introduction to Modern 3D Graphics Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Harry Stern

C6479: The Big-O: Algorithms and Analysis (and Sorting!)
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zach Minster

So you've written some code before, getting the job done in Java, C++, C, or some other programming language. Have you ever wondered how to prove to someone that your code works efficiently? How to describe exactly how long your program will take on a variable number of inputs? In this course we'll explore one of the most fascinating aspects of computer science - efficiency - and learn to write code that not only works, but works beautifully and promptly. Along the way we'll explore different methods of sorting, one of the most important problems in computer science, and see how analysis comes into play when working with sorting different types of data. Leaving this course you will have a much deeper understanding of how algorithms are classified and what the main problems in the academic study of computer science are. If you're interested in studying CS later on, this is a wonderful introduction into a world most high school students don't get to see until college!


Prerequisites
Ideally you should understand a little bit about programming in some language to take this course. If you don't, that's okay! Maybe you've written something in Visual Basic for class, or you've just written games on your calculator before. Even if you haven't, you'll pick up a lot as the course goes along.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 90)
Section 2: 13 (max 90)


C6263: Computer Building 101 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Joseph Lodin

C6761: The Art of Security
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Patrick Lin

Hollywood has a flair for portraying hackers as people typing gibberish on 30 monitors simultaneously, breaking through technical sounding jargon and gaining access to important systems.

While real life may not work like that, the field of Cybersecurity is a fascinating one that involves a lot more than typing gibberish at a hurried pace.

Learn what real life hackers do to gain access to places and systems, and what the professionals who defend those do to keep the hackers out!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 25)
Section 2: Full! (max 25)


C6528: How to Make an Operating System
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Gurtej Kanwar, Gary Wang

What do operating systems do? How do they work? And how do you make one?

We'll start from the (incredibly hacky) way modern computers boot up, and work our way up to a complete* operating system with the ability to access memory, handle system calls, and maybe even run a few programs (simultaneously!!). In the process, we'll also talk about how processors work and how to write assembly code.

*For liberal definitions of "complete"

OPERATING SYSTEMS
HOW DO THEY WORK


Prerequisites
You should know how to program. If you don't know C, you might be a bit confused.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 37 (max 40)


C6267: Not Everyone's a Programmer! Computer Majors/Careers in an Hour
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Joseph Lodin

So, you're a high school student who's interested in computers, right? You know you want to study them, but every counselor you talk to just tells you the same thing, "go into computer science!" 5 minutes of research online and you realize that no, computer science isn't right for you, you want to build and run servers, or sanitize databases, or work as a security analyst, or whatever!

In an hour, we're gonna go over a bunch of different majors and possible careers for computer hobbyists like you, so maybe now you can do your own research instead of letting your counselor or someone else tell you that CS is the only way to go.


Prerequisites
Having an interest in computers. :)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 72 (max 90)


C6252: "Big Data": Programming Collective Intelligence
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Blake Elias

How does Google decide which web links are relevant to your search? How do sites like Netflix or Amazon recommend which movies you should watch or which products you should buy? How does Gmail decide which emails are spam, and (more recently) which emails are more important than the rest?

People solve problems like this with so-called "collective intelligence" algorithms. These algorithms are combinations of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistics. We'll look at some pretty simple ones that do cool things but aren't hard to code! The goal is to uncover some of the magic that seems to make these things work.


Prerequisites
- Programming experience in any language - Knowledge of algebra and trigonometry No knowledge of AI, machine learning or statistics is necessary; it will be explained as needed.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 10:05am--10:55am
Section 3: Sun 9:05am--9:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 63)
Section 2: 49 (max 63)
Section 3: 59 (max 63)


C6597: Cryptography
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Daniel Epelbaum

This class will go over methods of cryptography since its invention. You will learn ways to hide secret messages and ways that people have uncovered those secrets.


Prerequisites
Geometry or any class involving mathematical proofs.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 25)


C6214: Robotic Maze Solving
Difficulty: **
Teachers: James McCabe

"What is robotic maze solving?" I am glad you asked! It is exactly what it sounds like - creating a robot that can find the end of a maze and remember the shortest path.

There will be algorithms, mazes, code, and of course a robot. What else could you want, cookies? There will be cookies too. It will be a-maze-ing!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 3: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 4: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 36)
Section 2: 26 (max 30)
Section 3: 33 (max 35)
Section 4: 29 (max 30)


C6250: Introduction to Programming with C++ for COMPLETE Beginners
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Yousif Rouben

An introduction to the fundamentals of coding:
syntax, defining functions, loops, data structures, pointers, recursion.

This class will introduce you to coding with very gentle examples and very clear explanations of the fundamental ideas mentioned above. The goal of this class is to allow you to learn what a book would teach you in days, within these few hours; minus the boredom and failing attempt to be interactive.

Although a lot of content is planned to be covered, most examples will be covered on the blackboards to give you enough time to absorb the content.

If you have questions, ASK!


Prerequisites
Laptops will be useful, but are not required. If laptops are brought, please install: Xcode (mac) or Visual Studio C++ (Windows).
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 30 (max 35)


C6763: Network Security
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Patrick Lin

"Know thy enemy": In a world full of criminals trying to break into networked systems and try to steal information and gain power, learn what you can do to protect yourself from them. Delve into the world of Network Security, in which constant war erupts between those who try to break into network systems, and those who would defend them.

This class will run through descriptions of various network configurations that are vulnerable to attack, followed by techniques with which criminals attempt to attack them. The class will conclude with discussion into how to defend against these attacks.

Note that this class is not meant to teach you how to break into systems so you can then break into them! It is meant to teach you what potential attackers may do so you can protect yourselves from them.


Prerequisites
Some knowledge of Computer Networks (and Internet Architecture) helpful
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 34)


C6225: Introduction to Character Recognition
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Tommy Chen

This is a class about teaching computers how to read. How does a camera record the license plate of a car moving 100 miles an hour? How does Google scan millions of pages into computer-readable text? How is it that you can find the translation of a Chinese character just by drawing it out on your iPad? We will discuss the processes and challenges in teaching a computer how to read, along with a wider look at how it affects the world.


Prerequisites
A bit of knowledge in computer science may help, but not at all required :)
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 3: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 47 (max 55)
Section 2: 50 (max 55)
Section 3: 36 (max 63)


C6389: Modern Programming Language Theory
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Pavel Panchekha

Describes the various facets of modern programming language theory. Type theory, macro systems, safe computing, machine proofs, concurrency and parallelism, dynamism and extensibility, and similar are covered.


Prerequisites
Programming experience. Preferably in multiple languages.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 25)


C6702: Demystifying the Command Line
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lars Johnson

Unleash your computer's hidden power by using the UNIX command line that underlies the Mac and Linux operating systems. Learn command-line syntax to speed up common tasks such as file management, data entry, and text manipulation. We will explore Unix from the ground up, starting with the basics of the command line and ending with to powerful, advanced tools.

You will be able to search your computer using regular expressions, quickly compare what has changed between two files, create simple secret codes, quickly convert units, and even write your own simple program, all using only a few commands on the terminal.


Prerequisites
Basic surface understanding of the computer filesystem (folders, etc.)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)


C6480: Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit [Buffer Overflow Attacks Explained]
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Russell Cohen

Ever wonder about what a buffer overflow attack actually is? How can we hack into a website with nothing more than a really long url?

In this class, we'll explore /exactly/ how buffer overflow attacks work and what we can do to prevent them. We'll do lots of demos, and if we have time, delve into other exploits, such as SQL and XSS injection.


Prerequisites
Some computer science experience -- knowledge of arrays, variables, basic programming
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 22)
Section 2: 19 (max 40)


C6429: Collecting Computational Garbage
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Adam Seering

Whenever you write a program, it needs this magical stuff called "memory" to do its work. When you create variables and objects, they use up memory. And when you're done with them, you just drop the objects on the floor and let the computer clean the memory up for you.

But how does the computer know that you're done? Where does the memory come from, and where does it go? It's not really magic. Back in the good ol' days, programs just got a big slab of memory and had to divvy it up themselves. Nowadays, your language probably handles all that for you. In this course, we'll see how.

This course will be lecture-based, though if you happen to have a laptop, there will be some C++ code examples for you to play with (obviously Splash can't be responsible for your laptop if you bring it to Splash, so keep that in mind if you decide to do so).


Prerequisites
Programming experience in Java or any higher-level programming language. This course will use (and teach) a little bit of C++.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)


C6696: Make A Computer! (On Paper)
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Ben Horkley, David Xiao

1) Here's a transistor. 2) Take this class. 3) ??? 4) Computer! This class will take you through the basics of what makes a computer work, from the transistor level all the way up to putting it together into a basic processor. Learn what it takes an MIT class 2 months to cover in 3 hours!


Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic Boolean algebra (and, or, xor, etc.)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 36)


C6237: Build a billion dollar app for Windows 8 Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Tray Lewin

C6352: Programming with Alice. Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Meghana Vuyyuru

C6683: Introduction to Python Programming
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sabrina Shemet

Always wanted to learn how to program but never knew how to start? Want to learn the programming language behind parts of YouTube, BitTorrent, and Civilization IV? Come learn Python, no prior experience necessary!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 15)


C6794: Introduction to C++
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Divakar Saxena

This course will teach you the basics of programming using C++. You don't need to have any experience with computers for this course, we will start in the simplest way possible. By the end of this class you will have a good understanding about programming.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 27)
Section 2: 26 (max 27)


Engineering

[ Return to Category List ]

E6358: Design and Build a Rocket Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Leonard Tampkins

E6451: How to Use a Slide Rule Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Shaymus Hudson

E6220: Environmentally Benign Design and Manufacturing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Vrajesh Modi

After this class, you will be able to: (1) justify why environmentally benign design and manufacturing matters; (2) evaluate and compare the environmental impact of various products and technologies; and (3) recognize and challenge questionable environmental analysis. Format will consist of a 50-minute lecture on theory followed by a 60-minute discussion/exercise. Students will be divided into groups for the exercise.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 35)


E6359: SPACE!!! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Leonard Tampkins

E6371: Basics of 3D Printing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zachary Sherin

Ever wanted to have a model of your home in plastic? Can't find that last lego piece? Maybe you want to make a robot, but can't source the right parts?
Say hello to 3D printing!
Recently, the explosion of 3D printing as a cheap manufacturing method means amazing possibilities are at hand. I'll show you what 3D printing is, what it can make, and show you some examples of 3D printed objects!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 35)
Section 2: Full! (max 35)


E6499: How It's Made: Splash Edition
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ian Martin, Emily TenCate

Have you ever wondered how the things you use every day were manufactured? Well, if you have (and even if you haven't), this is the class for you! We'll go over most of the major manufacturing processes that drive our world today, in addition to going through a couple of examples of how specific products are made.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 80)


E6255: Store 20,000 Volts in a water bottle Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ranbel Sun

E6752: Spectacular Engineering Failures
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ian Martin, Emily TenCate

Come watch Youtube videos of structures that have failed spectacularly! After we watch bridges twisting and tearing and buildings toppling, we'll talk a little bit about why they failed so terribly and what the engineers could have done differently.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 109 (max 119)


E6188: Heat and Mass Transfer
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Stephanie Birkhimer

Would you like to solve the energy crisis, save the world, and be awesome? Interested in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, thermodynamics, or improving efficiency? Who isn't? In this class, we'll go over what heat really is, where it goes, and how we can make it be less annoying.
Note: You don't actually have to save the world to come, but it never hurts.
Feel free to bring paper, pens, calculator, etc, but it won't be necessary.


Prerequisites
Some basic calculus
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 34)


E6360: Satellites and Spacecraft
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Leonard Tampkins

Learn about satellites and spacecraft. Interact with demos in the Space Systems Laboratory.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 30 (max 35)


E6626: Structural Engineering Disasters
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michele Pratusevich, Zandra Vinegar

In this class, we'll explore (and test!) how and who and what led to the destruction of several well known structures such as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The focus will be on structural engineering, and on the 'de-engineering' nature did to destroy these man-made projects. Come prepared to break things.

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHgQALH9-7M&
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 138 (max 154)
Section 2: 95 (max 154)


E6686: Reverse Engineering
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zach ., Vincent Lee

Reverse engineer something awesome!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 15)


E6787: Programmimg with Microcontrollers: The Basics of Arduino
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Michele Pratusevich

Microcontrollers are small computers that can be used to control hardware like LEDs, motors, latches, and much more. They are smaller than a "computer" like the one you use for writing papers and making presentations, but they are still capable of making exciting machines. In this class, we'll talk about the basics of microcontroller programming using the Arduino microcontroller as a mechanism for learning these concepts. Come ready to play with motors, LEDs, wires, and some programming!


Prerequisites
Basic programming knowledge helpful
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 25)
Section 2: Full! (max 25)


E6490: How to build a go kart
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ashley Brown

Ever wanted to build your own go kart? This course will teach you everything you need to get started!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 16)
Section 2: 18 (max 20)


E6355: Building Biology
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Atray Dixit

How to think like an engineer, but on one of the most sophisticated machines we know, the human body


Prerequisites
basic understanding of cell biology
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 20)

Materials for this class include: Modules in Biology

E6725: Tsiolkovsky rocket equation
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kevin Burdge, Average Phan

In this class, we will show you how to calculate the speed of the rocket by introduce the Tsiolkovsky equation, and then we will generalize it. Later, we will do some related problems in non-relativistic frame and relativistic frame, if we have enough time. A list of possible problems will be uploaded.


Prerequisites
Calculus
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)


E6799: Filters and AM Radio
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Aaron Epstein

Back in the day, radios were a primary means of entertainment and communication. Impress your elders by learning how they work. On the way, we'll talk about what frequency means mathematically and learn enough electrical engineering to build an equalizer.


Prerequisites
Understanding of Sin and Cos
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 3: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 8 (max 20)
Section 2: 10 (max 20)
Section 3: 16 (max 20)


E6323: Heat Transfer
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Stephanie Birkhimer

An intro to thermodynamics and heat transfer. If you are interested in chemical engineering or anything similar, this is the class for you!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)


E6245: Intro To Nuclear Warfare: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Matthew Vernacchia

Learn how nuclear explosives function, and how to design a nuclear strike on various targets. Watch cool videos of stuff blowing up! Also, we'll talk about some proposed-but-never-built "off-label" uses of nuclear explosives, such as canal digging and nuclear-bomb launched spacecraft.


Prerequisites
Some high school physics.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 3: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 25)
Section 2: Full! (max 25)
Section 3: 24 (max 25)


E6790: Computer Vision in an Hour
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Michele Pratusevich

Computer vision is a field that tries to build systems that can "see" much like our brains can. In this class we'll talk about some interesting results from the field and relate them to the vision systems in our brain. We'll talk about what the "important" information is in an image, what some big questions are in the field, and why some seemingly simple questions are hard to answer. We'll talk about why color is cool and why image blending is making the field of computer vision challenging.


Prerequisites
Know what a "Fourier transform" is (the mathematics aren't important - if you can understand that "a Fourier transform takes something from the time domain to the frequency domain", then you should be all set)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 36 (max 40)

Materials for this class include: slides.pdf

E6679: Physics of Flight
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Grant Iwamoto

Learn about what makes golf balls, baseballs, and paper airplanes travel through the air.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 3: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 36 (max 40)
Section 2: Full! (max 40)
Section 3: 39 (max 40)


E6397: Introduction to Plane Crashes
Difficulty: *
Teachers: M H

How in the world can a pilot not notice that their plane is headed steadily towards the ground? What sorts of mechanical failures can cause a plane to crash? How can a pilot prevent a crash from getting deadly? Come hear stories of plane crashes and pilot error, and learn a little about flying along the way!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)


E6669: Basics of 3D Printing - Middle School Edition Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zachary Sherin

E6424: Physical Security
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eric Van Albert

Learn the basics of how buildings are secured, and how security measures are easily defeated. Hands-on class covers flaws in building construction, locks + keys, alarm systems, and electronic authentication. Also includes a short lockpicking seminar.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 3: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 12 (max 15)
Section 2: Full! (max 15)
Section 3: 11 (max 15)


E6272: Fun with Electronics Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Prashant Patil

E6276: Quantum mechanics to web applications in two hours
Difficulty: **
Teachers: David Lawrence, Pavel Panchekha

We'll start at the bottom and work our way up at ludicrous speed.


Prerequisites
General scientific or computer knowledge will be useful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 25)


E6797: The International Education Lab!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jessica Huang

Interested in helping to make education more exciting and relevant for youth around the world? Tired of how so much of our education is centered around test-taking, rather than what is relevant to daily life? Let's work together to make learning about creativity, empowerment, community, and inspiration! Come help D-Lab (http://d-lab.mit.edu) test and improve hands-on educational modules, which we will be teaching in India, Ghana, Brazil and elsewhere next January! In this interactive session, we'll work with you to design and build a few technologies that can be useful in rural communities with limited resources, and then we'll listen to you for suggestions on how we can improve the educational activities we're offering. We hope this will be a meaningful way for you to explore the field of international development, while contributing your own ideas to make a difference in international education!


Prerequisites
An open mind - we appreciate your patience since our activities are still in the trial phase, and value your feedback!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 30)


E6498: How It's Made: Splash Edition
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ian Martin, Emily TenCate

Have you ever wondered how the things you use every day were manufactured? Well, if you have (and even if you haven't), this is the class for you! We'll go over most of the major manufacturing processes that drive our world today, in addition to going through a couple of examples of how specific products are made.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 89 (max 90)


E6530: RC Planes
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ben Sena

Come learn about factors in human controllability, field repair, and the details about how these birds fly.


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of physical forces and circuits.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 10)
Section 2: 8 (max 10)


E6661: Peanut Butter & Jelly Robotics Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kate Rudolph, Duncan Townsend

E6532: Homemade Wind Tunnel
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Ben Sena

Come build a makeshift wind tunnel and perform basic tests with it.


Prerequisites
Understand basic physics and do some cursory reading on lift and drag if you need it.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 6 (max 7)
Section 2: 6 (max 7)


E6672: Sensational Failures in Engineering
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Liza Plotnikov

Exploding space shuttles, collapsing bridges, exploding naval guns… sometimes designs fail, and sometimes they fail catastrophically. These failures can be dramatic, deadly, or sometimes just plain silly, but they have one thing in common: they are all preventable. In this class we’ll cover the technical missteps behind some famous engineering disasters (and some you may never have heard of). We’ll talk about how smart people can make bad designs, the importance of communication, and especially the value of common sense.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 25)


E6144: DIY Lightning: Build Your Own Singing Tesla Coil Closed!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Heidi Baumgartner, Daniel Kramnik, Bayley Wang

E6190: So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?: Introduction to Starting Your Own Business
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Netia McCray

Have you ever wondered how Apple was started? Pondered how someone can launch something as powerful as Facebook? Looking to become the World's Youngest Billionaire?

Then look no further than this Splash Workshop!

This Splash workshop will introduce participants to the process of developing an innovative idea and launching a business venture in order to commercialize that idea in the global marketplace.

Participants will begin to develop skills essential to developing innovative ideas into real-life devices and profitable start-ups through brainstorming and developing a business venture in during the course of the 3hr. workshop.

Even though we cannot promise that you will be the next Bill Gates, we can promise that no prior experience or knowledge is necessary for participating in this class. :)
Meeting Times
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm
Section 3: Sat 3:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 2: 19 (max 27)
Section 3: 24 (max 27)


Humanities

[ Return to Category List ]

H6570: Introductory Russian Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Pamela Alvarez

H6260: Thinking Fast&Slow: Introduction to Cognitive Thought Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Bryan Klickstein

H6580: Paradoxes of Democracy: Fair Elections and Voting
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Stephen M. Hou

What if, in hypothetical two-way races during the 2012 primaries, Romney beats Santorum, Santorum beats Gingrich, and Gingrich beats Romney? Is this even possible? (Yes.) What would then be a fair way to decide the "best" preferences of Republicans? Whether it's a T-shirt design contest or a presidential election, voting converts preferences of individuals into a single preference for the community. We'll discuss Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, which states that there is no "perfect" way of doing so. We'll demonstrate a few of the mind-boggling flaws that every voting method must have.


Prerequisites
Comfort with arithmetic; interest in voting, political science, decision-making, and/or economics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 65 (max 119)


H6718: Conversational Arabic 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Annalise Pforr

H6476: Performance Poetry@Splash: Writing Poetry Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Mohammad Hossain

H6453: NewsJack: Media Remixing for Great Justice
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Dan Schultz

NewsJack lets you rewrite the Internet. This course will teach about several easy-to-use remixing tools. By the end of it you'll create things as hilarious as the Onion, and more importantly you'll probably be more careful about what you read online.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 20 (max 27)


H6184: Constitutional Intrigue Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sachi Hashimoto

H6232: Glorious Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lance Ozier

Sure, you've heard of Beethoven and Bach. We'll start there, but move quickly to some of the most glorious classical music of the 20th century, including pieces by Orff, Stravinsky, Ravel, Respighi, Gershwin, Puccini and more!


Prerequisites
Interest in orchestral music.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 56)


H6801: Game Design Jam Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alex Chisholm

H6152: Dreams, Dreaming and the Subconscious Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Carol Hardick

H6581: Paradoxes of Democracy: Fair Apportionment
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Stephen M. Hou

Come learn ideas with applications in mathematics, economics,
engineering, and political science! What happens when perfectly fair division isn't possible? Say you and your two siblings inherit your parents' cattle ranch, but the number of cattle isn't a multiple of three. How do you split the cattle? At the national level, how do we apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives? If a state's population indicates that it deserves 7.23 seats, is it awarded 7 seats or 8 seats? Or maybe even 6 or 9? Interesting paradoxes in fair division will be shown. For example, can a state lose a seat if the size of the House is increased by a seat (and the populations of all states remain unchanged)? You'll see...


Prerequisites
Comfort with arithmetic; interest in voting, political science, decision-making, and/or economics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 40)


H6780: Autism
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Joshua Frisch

Autism and other related diagnoses have dramatically increased in recent years. In this class we will discuss what Autism and the spectrum are, how autistic people think and how we vary from and are similar to non-autistic persons. The class will include a large Question/Answer session.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 32)


H6501: NaNoWriMo (aka Write a Novel* in 30 Days)
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Cathleen Nalezyty

Want to say you've written a novel? Want to say you've written a novel in a ridiculously short time-span of say, 30 days?

Come join us as we talk about what qualifies as a novel, the magic daily number, basic novelling tips, word padding, staying motivated throughout the month, and more!

Open to everyone, even if you've never even heard of NaNoWriMo before.

*Disclaimer: Not necessarily a class on how to write a "good" novel in 30 days.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)


H6552: Ethics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Nathaniel Lathrop

Do you know right from wrong? Either way, do you enjoy arguing about it? Philosophers have been formulating ethical theories for millennia about the best way to live a good life, and what to do in tough situations. We'll look at the three biggest ethical schools in Western philosophy, (virtue ethics, deontology, and utilitarianism) and examine what they say about politics and personal morality.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 20)


H6285: Economics: Supply and Demand
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zoe Thorkildsen

Come to this course for an introduction to basic economic principles like supply, demand, elasticity, and market structure.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 60)


H6376: Untie Those Knots in Your Stomach
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Peter Stidwill

Ever faced a really, REALLY tough choice in your life where there's no easy answer and wondered how to tackle it? Come play QUANDARY, a new web-based game that will take you on a journey through ethical thinking.

We'll investigate different moral dilemmas and ways of dealing with them, within both the game and our lives. As well as playfully introducing you to ethics, decision-making, and perspective-taking, we'll also work in teams to create new stories for the game, and test these out.

Maybe the next time you have a knot in your gut, you'll have some strategies to untie it.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 27)
Section 2: 21 (max 27)


H6356: A Practical Guide to Creative Writing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Susan Shepherd

Learn about ways of approaching fiction writing from a practical perspective. Topics will include where to start and ways to start, genre conventions, the various ways to plot or structure a story/novel, the various approaches to revision (some people don't need it, some people do), and the twin myths that "Writing is Hard" and "There are Only 500 Professional Writers in America."

Special emphasis will be placed on ways of getting past a block, ways of making a character's voice distinctive, ways of writing your characters so that their reactions feel human and natural, and ways to set busy scenes so that readers don't lose track of important characters.


Prerequisites
Some basic understanding of terms like characters, setting, point of view, and conflict are useful. More complicated terms (genre, denouement, stage setting, etc.) will be explained in class. You do not need to take "Worldbuilding" or "The Changing World of Publishing" in order to take this class, but they may be useful depending on where you'd like to go with your writing.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)


H6230: How to Read a Poem
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Lance Ozier

Have you ever read a poem and wondered what the heck is going on? Or, as the poet T. S. Eliot once wrote, have you “had the experience but missed the meaning”? In this class you will learn eight simple techniques to help you make more sense of the poems you read.


Prerequisites
Interest in poetry and language
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 35)


H6500: NaNoWriMo (aka Write a Novel* in 30 Days)
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Cathleen Nalezyty

Want to say you've written a novel? Want to say you've written a novel in a ridiculously short time-span of say, 30 days?

Come join us as we talk about what qualifies as a novel, the magic daily number, basic novelling tips, word padding, staying motivated throughout the month, and more!

Open to everyone, even if you've never even heard of NaNoWriMo before.

*Disclaimer: Not necessarily a class on how to write a "good" novel in 30 days.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


H6543: Rethinking Gender
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Emily Matteson

Are "man" and "woman" the only two categories of gender? Can we, as a class, develop a better model of gender that describes a wider range of human experiences? If we stop thinking of gender as a binary, how does that change the way we talk about sexual orientation?

We'll work to answer these questions and more in this exciting and fast-paced class.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)


H6525: When noodles meet spaghetti
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Shiny Wang

Introducing the traditional chinese food (especially RAMEN and NOODLES) and comparing it with the westernised taste chinese food.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 7
Enrollment
Section 1: 35 (max 40)

Materials for this class include: H6525 — When noodles meet spaghetti

H6792: Speedy Delivery: An Introduction to Ethics, the Trolley Car Problem, and Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Natalie Khalatov-Krimnus

This class is an introduction to moral reasoning. It's the kind of class you might take as a first year law student. It's the kind of class that makes you question how rational people really are - if murder is ever justified - what 'justice' actually means and if and how it's different from "an eye for an eye."

In this class you will be called to analyze your own beliefs about responsibility, duty, justice, and the good life. Come prepared to be affected by what we discuss and uncover.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 94 (max 154)
Section 2: 106 (max 154)


H6568: Screenwriting for the Scientist
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Brendan Reardon

Are you tired from staying up all night completing your problem sets and lab reports? Have you ever wanted to learn how to write a screenplay? In this three hour workshop, you will learn how to and write two short screen plays. All the while, we will discuss how science and storytelling benefit one another. (And I do not mean how awesome science fiction is)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 35)


H6544: Advocacy and Lobbying to Change the World
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Brock Adler

Is there a cause you are passionate about? Would changing laws or regulations, or having new government funding for your area of interest be useful? By joining together and advocating and/or lobbying with others, you can work towards accomplishing your personal, community, and societal goals. This session will give you (and your collaborators) a great start at being able to plan and carry out campaigns to create or change laws that you feel will improve things. You will learn about strategies and tactics applicable to a variety of different kinds of causes. I will use as an example an effort I have been working on for a few years to pass the Federal “No Child Left Inside Act” H.R. 2547 (see www.NCLIcoalition.org), but the lessons presented will be applicable to a wide variety of other issues and levels of government. We will spend much of the time helping you think about how to advance your causes or projects.


Prerequisites
Have a basic understanding about how laws are passed http://kids.clerk.house.gov/high-school/lesson.html?intID=17; do some thinking about what cause you are passionate about; and find out who your Congressional Representatives are at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, and look up on their websites which committees they sit on.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 30)
Section 2: 16 (max 25)


H6396: Seasons of Arab: A Year in the Life of the Middle Eastern Revolutions Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Charles Xu

H6398: Game Design Jam
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alex Chisholm

Do you want to design video games? Are you worried you don't have the technical skills to realize your vision? Not to worry! Game design and production teams are made up of talented individuals that include researchers, writers, artists, musicians, sound designers, and programmers, among others, each bringing a unique perspective and set of skills to the creative process. This hands-on non-technical concept design workshop will take you through a rapid-fire design process. We'll match you up with other students and help your team create a new game concept by the time you move on to your next Slpash session.


Prerequisites
Non-technical workshop. The only thing you need is an interest in video games and a desire to collaborate with others.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 35)


H6379: Designing Storyworlds Across Media
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michael Suen, Stephen Suen

This class will explore the possibilities of "transmedia storytelling," a new term that describes how we are increasingly telling stories and building worlds across media.

The first half of the course will look at several case studies to understand recent cultural and creative practices across film, television, videogames, comics, and the web.

The second half will be dedicated to a "story jam," where you will form into smaller groups to develop your own transmedia extension for an existing franchise. Want to film a fake documentary on Bruce Wayne's Wayne Industries? Or create a graphic novel about a previous year of the Hunger Games? This is your chance to brainstorm and get started!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 20)

Materials for this class include: Class Agenda, Story Jam Assignment, "Searching for the Origami Unicorn: The Matrix and Transmedia Storytelling," Henry Jenkins

H6172: Introduction to Irish Gaelic
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Jennifer Hogan

Dia duit! Conas tá tú? Tar isteach agus suí síos. Come learn the basics of the Irish language. We'll go over some basic grammar and handy phrases. You'll also learn how to pronounce seemingly impossible words, like neamhghníomhach. We'll have some craic (fun) while we're at it too!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 12)
Section 2: 11 (max 12)


H6461: Afghanistan: culture and cuisine
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Katy Peters

Culinary diplomacy: bringing you tasty treats, and a better understanding of the world, since the beginning of the spice trade. Get to know Afghanistan as more than just a national security question, and enjoy qabuli pulao, pomegranate, and boulani. There will definitely be tea.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 15)


H6121: The Commerce Clause
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sachi Hashimoto

The Supreme Court made headlines this year for its decision in upholding the Affordable Care Act. It upheld the act's individual mandate, a mandate that requires almost all Americans to buy health insurance, on the basis that the government has the power to tax. The government's primary argument in support of the individual mandate was based on the commerce clause: a clause in the US constitution that says Congress has the power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes."

Why and how was the government arguing that health care is a form of commerce? What precedent did it have, and how strong was its argument? Why did the Court reject this argument? What could consequences of the Court's decision be in future cases?


In the first hour, we will examine the history of the commerce clause and how it came to be used to justify much of the last 70 years of legislation. In the second hour, we will talk about how it relates to the Affordable Care Act, and why the Court's decision was a brilliant political maneuver.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 22)


H6344: Poetry 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Valentina Chamorro

Get ready to snap your fingers to some great poetry! This class will introduce you to the basics of poetry as well as the edgier side of spoken word.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 3: Sat 11:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 20)
Section 2: 19 (max 20)
Section 3: Full! (max 20)


H6583: Introduction to Chinese Writing
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Stephen M. Hou

Chinese writing is unique among the world's major languages in that it uses thousands of characters as opposed to an alphabet with a few dozen letters. We will learn some basic characters, their organization and structure, the distinction between traditional and simplified scripts, calligraphic styles and typographical fonts, how new characters are created, how Chinese characters are used in the modern Japanese and Korean languages, and how Chinese is typed electronically. I will also discuss Chinese dialects and why the Chinese language did not (and will likely never) switch to an alphabetical writing system. About one-third of class time will be devoted to practicing writing characters by hand.


Prerequisites
This class is intended for students with very little or no previous experience with written Chinese, but previous study of any other foreign language is strongly recommended.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 20 (max 25)


H6671: Catholic FAQ
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

Did the media attention about the health care mandate spark you curiosity? Ever wondered what the Catholic Church actually teaches about contraception? Sex? Priestly celibacy? Transubstantiation? The Saints? Anything else? And does anyone even follow these teachings anymore?

In this class we will explore common questions about Catholic doctrine. Students will be able to choose from selected topics, or pose their own questions.


Prerequisites
Readiness for open discussion is a must. Students with any and all religious views and affiliations are welcome and encouraged to attend -- we'll have a better discussion if different views are represented!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


H6254: From Hastati to Legions: Why the Romans Took Europe
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Mohammad Hossain

We will explore Roman military history with a technical analysis and breakdown of Roman units, technology, and strategy during the late Republic and early empire years. We will also take a look at their enemies and rivals namely the Gauls and the Carthaginians.

Part of the class will involve demonstration of these tactics and the effectiveness of certain units against others using the Rome: Total War engine.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 24)


H6445: The Politics of Rock & Roll
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Rebecca George, Lizi George

Analyze classic Rock n' Roll bands of the 20th century and learn how they were influenced by U.S. policy.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 25)


H6307: Once Upon a Time, The End: The art of incredibly short fiction.
Difficulty: *
Teachers: A L

A tear formed in my eye as I watched him pick out the peas from his carrots. He learned it from her.

That's it. A complete work of fiction in two sentences. Inventive writers are now crafting really short stories that can be surprising, intriguing and delightful. The fascinating genre of flash/sudden/micro fiction is all around us. In the form of cell phone stories, TV/radio commercials, web videos and other manifestations, highly compact stories can be humorous, thought-provoking, informative and much more. Come sample some microfiction and write your own in this workshop! Bring writing materials!


Prerequisites
Fluency in English preferred but not required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)

Materials for this class include: Once Upon a Time, The End slides

H6664: How to plan and execute covert operations in deep cover
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zach ., Duncan Townsend, Eric Van Albert

Learn the essentials of covert operations work. We will analyze the success and failure of many important covert operations in an attempt to discover the elements of a successful covert op. We will study important government-sponsored covert operations as well as terrorist plots and guerilla warfare. By the end of this class, students will be familiar with these operations and the reasons for their success or failure. We cannot legally claim that you will be sufficiently knowledgeable to plan and carry out your own covert operations after this class.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 36 (max 40)


H6747: Mormon FAQ
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Hope Harrison

Mitt Romney, David Archuleta, and Thomas S. Monson: what do these people have in common? They are all Mormon. (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) But what exactly do Mormons believe? In this class, we'll learn about the culture of Mormons, their history, and what their differences and similarities are to other Christian religions, and answer any questions you might have, especially in light of the Church's scene in current politics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 12 (max 20)


H6658: Robots! Space! Time! Stories!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Bianca Homberg, Chelsea Voss

Interested in science fiction, futuristic engineering, artificial intelligence or interplanetary empires? Ever wondered what would happen if people lived forever? What would happen if the world split in two every time you had to make a choice, and both options happened? What would happen if there was a center of time where time stood still?

Come read a few of the short stories of Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific science fiction writers of all time and excerpts from the book Einstein's Dreams, which describes numerous different ways in which time could work. Come spend an hour devouring tales of robots, space, and time!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 30)


H6428: Ewww! Are You Really Going to Eat That? Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Elizabeth Berg

H6507: Philosophy: An Introduction to the Problem of Free Will
Difficulty: **
Teachers: A B

The problem of free will touches on some of the most fundamental topics of philosophy: morality, science, the mind and the self, and how we believe the universe ultimately works. In a nutshell, the problem is this: can we be truly responsible for who we are? Or do the laws of physics, nature, and psychology "force" us into certain ways of behaving? How should this affect how we look at and deal with other people? How we think about ourselves? This course will offer an introduction to the three most popular general responses to these questions.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 15)
Section 2: 13 (max 15)


H6289: Introductory Romanian: The Forgotten Romance Language
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zach Bunting

Come and learn the basics of the language spoken by Dracula, the tallest player in NBA history, the first Olympic gymnast to earn a perfect 10, the inventor of insulin injections, and the inventor of the jet plane! And if you are thinking of a future in IT, you should know that Romanian is considered the second most spoken language at Microsoft's Redmond, WA campus. Also learn some of the history of Romania and Moldova.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 35)


H6384: Gender, Orientation, and Sex-Positivity!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Emily Matteson

Are "man" and "woman" the only two categories of gender? Can we, as a class, develop a better model of gender that describes a wider range of human experiences? If we stop thinking of gender as a binary, how does that change the way we talk about sexual orientation?

What does it mean to be sex-positive? How can talking about consent make people happier?

We'll work to answer these questions and more in this exciting and fast-paced class.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 30)
Section 2: 22 (max 30)


H6678: Dirty Greek and Roman Mythology
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Taylor Ayral

The time has come to remove Greek and Roman mythology from its lofty academic pedestal and bring it to the masses in the vernacular of modern times. Come enjoy this survey class on those SOB’s from the ancient pantheon. We will try to bring humor to those stuck up old stories you heard in middle school through the best use of foul language and dirty humor we can come up with. But don't worry, we won't be skimping on anything. This class will cover all the bad a$$ info that we talk about in the more tame class, we'll just be doing it a bit differently. And we would be infinitely pleased if you would join us.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 36)


H6365: Ender's Game and Good and Evil
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kaylee Brent, Evie Kyritsis

Do you want to figure out what makes a person good? Do you like science fiction? Do you like philosophical discussions? Come discuss good and evil in intent and deed, through the lens of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.


Prerequisites
Have read Ender's Game (and preferably others of the series)
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 12)
Section 2: 11 (max 12)


H6663: Impromptu Speaking
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Kate Rudolph

Quick! You have two minutes to think about the topic I choose--and then you have to give a six-minute speech!

We'll talk about why this is a useful skill to have, and then learn how to work within this framework to write and present an interesting, organized speech under incredible time pressure. Finally, you'll try it out yourself!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 15)


H6759: Disney Movies: you be the psychiatrist
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Emily TenCate

Cruella de Vil is mean and has an inflated sense of self-importance: she's displaying symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder! Come diagnose your favorite Disney characters with personality disorders according to the DSM-IV!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 11
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 24)


H6547: Let's Talk about Sex Closed!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Emily Matteson

H6273: China and United States -- An Introductory of Comparative Literature Studies
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jingshu Zhang

As the world becomes more and more international, an amalgamation of various cultural, historical, and political elements between the Eastern and Western worlds is unavoidable. Having taken, and excelled in comparative literature, Jingshu Zhang would like to offer a lecture on comparing the great books (novels as well as poetry) from China and the United States. Similarities as well as distinctive differences will be discussed. Deep cultural variances will be delineated, and strikingly intriguing comparisons will be made.

The teacher has taught this course across the United States (Michigan, Illinois, and New York), and has been widely acclaimed. Through the process of teaching, the teacher also learned a tremendous amount from the students, and has been constantly trying to improve his own teaching style and making the course more entertaining and also thought-provoking.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 30 (max 119)
Section 2: 24 (max 30)


H6550: Life, Death, and Calvinball Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michael Pappas

H6275: Icelandic 101 - A crash course in Icelandic
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Sigtryggur Kjartansson

Is it your life-long dream to be a viking and SPEAK like a true Norseman?

Do you want to learn how to actually pronounce "Eyjafjallajökull" (the volcano whose name struck fear in the hearts of reporters across the world)?

Do you think you have what it takes to learn one of the world's hardest languages?

If you answered "já" (e. yes) to any of those question or if you just really want to learn Icelandic, then take this crash course in Icelandic.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am, Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 15)


H6368: Worldbuilding 101 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Susan Shepherd

H6571: Introductory Latin
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Pamela Alvarez

A basic introduction to the Latin language


Prerequisites
Prior study of another foreign language helpful, but not required
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 11
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 15)


H6330: Musket, Saber, Cannon: Napoleonic Era Warfare Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lawrence Lin, Mark Markov

H6349: The French electoral system
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Delphine Kaiser

In the light of tomorrow's elections, do you
want to understand how presidential elections work in other countries?
This class will go over the differences between the American and French electoral systems and the history of how and why the French system works as well as where it come from.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 41 (max 60)


H6157: Writing/Wandering
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Alexander Cronis

We're going to be working with a style of writing which doesn't use an outline. We'll talk about great artists who use/used this process (Faulkner, Ken Burns, the creative team behind the Katamari games and others) listen to music, read some poems, do some free writing and discuss how this process works with regard to most forms of fiction (graphic novels, short stories, novels, etc.).
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 14)
Section 2: 12 (max 14)


H6585: Introduction to Japanese
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Yuta Makita

Want to understand what you hear at sushi/japanese restaurants? Would like to learn some bits of another language? Listen in on this class for a crash course on some basic Japanese!


Prerequisites
None
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sun 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 30 (max 35)
Section 2: Full! (max 30)


H6310: Writing Better, Faster, Stronger
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jess Lin

Have a hard time starting, editing, or giving feedback on essays? We'll do some exercises and play games to sharpen your writing chops.

Learn to:
- generate essay ideas
- tighten a sentence
- choose the right details to include
- and more...

We'll be focusing on personal essays -- essays about your experiences -- i.e. the type you might use for college admissions.


Prerequisites
English
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)
Section 2: Full! (max 30)


H6153: Dreams, Dreaming, and the Subconscious in our culture
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Carol Hardick

The class introduces you to psychology, cognition and memory from the perspective of a sleeping brain, using an interdisciplinary approach of neuroscience, psychology and humanities. We also discuss how dreams and sleep are portrayed in film and literature, and the accuracy of it. The Harry Potter series and the movie, Inception, has lots of twists and turns and both raise questions about the brain, knowledge and artificial intelligence. What’s possible and what isn’t? Can an idea be planted in a person’s mind? Can two people share a dream? With lots of discussion, we’ll explore those questions, and more.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--11:55am

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 39 (max 40)


H6261: How to Teach Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ravi Charan, Emily Pries

H6201: The Secret Life of Isaac Asimov
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Phillip Seo, Zoe Snape

Did you know that in addition to his classic science fiction stories, Isaac Asimov also wrote joke books? And guides to Shakespeare and the Bible? And mystery novels? And three autobiographies? Come learn about this science fiction icon and some of this various works, from I, Robot to the popular science column he wrote monthly for over thirty years. There will also be time for discussing ideas in science fiction and literature.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 16)
Section 2: 13 (max 16)


H6126: Social Innovation and Volunteerism - How to Make a Difference? Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Michelle Ng

H6641: Ewww! Are You Really Going to Eat That? Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Elizabeth Berg

H6284: Economics: Market Failures Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zoe Thorkildsen

H6430: Linguistics sampler
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Leon Lin

Read carefully: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. Huh? How did the past tense of sing get to be sang? How do languages across the world differ, and what aspects are universal? Here's an experiment: I've got a cookie. It's chocolate, scrumptious, Canadian, and large. It's a large scrumptious Canadian chocolate cookie. Now imagine I'd said chocolate scrumptious Canadian large cookie. That sounds odd for some reason. Now ask your friends what they would call a cookie that's chocolate, scrumptious, Canadian, and large. Chances are they'll come up with the same order of adjectives. How do we all arrive at the same order?
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 38 (max 40)
Section 2: Full! (max 40)


H6474: The French electoral system
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Delphine Kaiser

In the light of tomorrow's elections, do you want to understand how presidential elections work in other countries?
This class will go over the differences between the American and French electoral systems and the history of how and why the French system works as well as where it come from.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 25)


H6312: How to Bullshit
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Pavel Panchekha, Benjamin Yang, Ben Zinberg

There are 47% of Splash students who won't take this class no matter what. All right, there are 47% who are dependent on being taught, who believe that they are victims, who believe that Splash has a responsibility to teach them everything, that they are entitled to instruction on every individual thing. That that's an entitlement. And that Splash should give it to them. And they won't take this class no matter what. These are students who pay no information tax. 47% of Splash students deal pay no information tax. And so our job is not to worry about those students- we'll never convince them to take personal responsibility and care about their lives.

Our job is to teach you, the rugged individualists, all about creating information. In this class, you'll pull yourself up by your mental bootstraps and become experts at info-genesis. And once you finish this class, you will make all other Splash students intellectually wealthier as your knowledge and competency trickle down. Sign up for this class, because you are information creators, and are more valuable than the fact-poor who rely on Splash handouts to get by.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 20)
Section 2: 17 (max 20)


H6756: Casual German
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Emily TenCate

Ever wanted to learn how to ask for a pretzel or a bratwurst auf Deutsch? Curious about what a Biergarten *actually* is? This is a crash course in German - you'll learn the very basics of grammar, some vocabulary, plus a handful of useful/entertaining phrases that may or may not help you get communicate in German!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 11:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 24)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)


H6305: Political Metaphor in Action: The Nation as Family
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Bryan Klickstein

This course will introduce the Nation as Family Metaphor and the 2 distinct parent models (Strict Father and Nurturant Parent) that come with it. Why do Conservatives and Progressives believe what they believe and do what they do? Much of it is derived from this metaphor!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 22)


H6477: Performance Poetry@Splash: Performances
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Mohammad Hossain

Wrote up some original work of your own? Well, now you have to share it! This class is mostly intended for the students of Performance Poetry@Splash: Writing Poetry class, but any student is welcome to join.

Students will present their original work to other students and practice their performance skills in front of their peers.

If you are not enrolled in the Performance Poetry@Splash:Writing Poetry class, please come to this class with a poem of your own ready to read or recite if asked to. It must be your own work.

Note that this class will be mostly comprised of students that are relatively new to writing poetry, and that we are to create an inviting and welcoming environment for them to present their work. Also graphic language and mature themes may be written about, and if you are easily offended by such things, please avoid taking the class.


Prerequisites
Performance Poetry@Splash: Writing Poetry is highly recommended but not required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 20 (max 42)


H6367: Urban Space
Difficulty: **
Teachers: William Carbery

The first rule of Urban Space: things change, and then change again. Skyscrapers are built, neighborhoods disappear and people move in and out at random. But is it random? Urban Space attempts to answer the WHY of WHERE using geography. Topics may include transportation, land values, urban models, barbershops and baseball stadiums. At least one trip on the MBTA is recommended.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 3: Sat 11:05am--11:55am
Section 4: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
8 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 35)
Section 2: 14 (max 24)
Section 3: Full! (max 35)
Section 4: 26 (max 30)


H6226: Thinking about Religion
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Amy Estersohn

OFFERED AT SPLASH 2011

Where does religion come from, and what is religion’s use, anyway? Is religion more than a set of commonly shared beliefs and understood practices?

This discussion-based class will introduce some theories of religion as we consider just what religion is, through the lens of scholars and through your own reflections.

This class is appropriate for anybody who is curious about religion- whether or not you consider yourself to be “religious.” We will NOT be questioning/defending the validity of religious beliefs or the existence of "god,"; we are instead examining why and how religious beliefs have prevailed among human societies.


Prerequisites
This course is going to be a neat blend of anthropology, philosophy, religion, and sociology, so certainly bring your willingness to have your head spinning.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 3: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 35)
Section 2: 28 (max 32)
Section 3: 33 (max 35)


H6407: Our Terrifying Legal System!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Veronica Gross

Did you know that police can get innocent people to confess to crimes 90% of the time? How about that something as simple as wearing glasses can increase the chances that you’ll be found innocent of a crime?

This course will look at all the peculiar, scientific, and downright terrifying ways in which our judicial system (doesn’t) work. From bogus police practices to missing evidence to (supposedly) mind-controlling the jury, this will be a journey through the terrifying mess that is our judicial system.


Prerequisites
A basic understanding of how the legal system works will be very helpful. Also, the student should recognize that this course won’t teach them how to go out and commit crimes; merely the inadequacies in the current structure.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 38 (max 40)
Section 2: 37 (max 40)


H6607: Tanks for the Memories: Armored Warfare in World War 2 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alexandre Todorov

H6231: The Sonnet
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lance Ozier

The sonnet is one of the oldest and most durable forms of poetry. It’s been used by great poets from Shakespeare to e. e. cummings. Because it has certain rules, it poses creative challenges for any poet, but as a result can yield poems that astonish and delight. Come see how poets have met the challenges and reaped the rewards over the past 400 years.


Prerequisites
Interest in poetry, language, words
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 24)


H6127: Information Security - What's the big deal?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michelle Ng

Internet usage is essential to education, entertainment and many aspects of our daily life for all ages. This is a course intended for students who would like to learn more about the various ways information is shared / used in popular Internet applications including but not limited to Facebook, MySpace, iTunes, Twitter, IM, Google Chat, Wikipedia. The course is designed to increase awareness of best practices and precautions in using the Internet at a time where social networking and media play an important role for virtually everyone. Users of all experience levels and opinions are welcome for a respectful and lively discussion.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 11
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 30)


H6538: Introduction to Socionics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Roan LaPlante

Socionics is a field of nonscientific analytical psychology developed by Ausra Augustinavicitue who was working with ideas of Jungian psychology. Socionics is moderately well popularized in Eastern Europe and almost unheard of in Western Europe or America. It is best described as a language for understanding and interpreting processes of personality. It is by far most often used as a typology, assigning personality types to individuals and using these types to systematically predict relational compatibility. However, some would argue that it is more a philosophical language for modeling people, social interaction, and different cultures than strictly a model of personality. Perhaps most importantly, thinking about socionics provides a substantial conceptual framework for thinking about questions of personality, social behavior, cognition, and philosophy. In this class, we will first try to investigate the alphabet of this language, and also discuss the myriad issues in practice of actually applying it.


Prerequisites
none; familiarity with MBTI is potentially helpful but also potentially detrimental. familiarity with contemporary research on personality, social, developmental and cognitive psychology and Russian language are potentially invaluable for further study of socionics, but no background in psychology, socionics or Russian language is expected of any students in this class.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)


H6471: Ender's Game and Good and Evil Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kaylee Brent

H6151: Philosophy of Mind: Making of the Modern Mind
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Carol Hardick

This course acts as a bridge between philosophy of mind, cognitive sciences and humanities. The Splash course is an introduction to a longer course, and includes Theory of Mind, memory and cognition. Discussions will focus on social psychology, mind control and subliminal messages and morality, all under the umbrella of critical thinking.


Prerequisites
This is college level, but open to any student
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 25)
Section 2: 26 (max 30)


H6143: English that looks like nonsense (or vice versa) Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Megan Belzner

H6667: iz-lom
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Hiba Chaabi, Noor Doukmak

Sound familiar? Sure it does, but how much can you really say you know about the faith a billion people call their own? Weighed down by countless stereotypes, claims by the media, and Hollywood portrayals, Islam is hardly known today for what it truly is. Join us as we delve into Islam's core beliefs and discover what drives so many to accept it as their faith... even today.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 3: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)
Section 2: 23 (max 30)
Section 3: 28 (max 30)


H6677: Greek and Roman Mythology
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Taylor Ayral

Join us as we go over a general survey of classic Greek and Roman Mythology. We'll spend time on the major Gods and Goddesses, and go over some of the more famous stories.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)
Section 2: 24 (max 30)


H6604: Defining Rationality: End, Means and the Logic that Connects Theme
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alexandre Todorov

In our modern age of no concrete truths, defining rationality has become one of the key challenges for modern philosophers and thinkers. In this class we will explore how to define rationality and whether we can define an action as logical or illogical.


Prerequisites
An open mind
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 3: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 45 (max 55)
Section 2: 27 (max 35)
Section 3: 33 (max 45)


H6522: Cults in America
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sara Lone

In this course we will learn what a "cult" is and the cultural connotations we associate with them. We will check out this history of several "cults" in America, understanding how they began and how they met their demise. We will also see how some groups, once perceived as "cults", have survived through to today and are now known as religious traditions. We will sink our teeth into religion and psychology, understanding how the two collide and play on each other. Brainwashing will be covered in this course! Some movements we will be looking at: Peoples Temple, Heaven's Gate, Scientology, Mormons, and the Branch Davidians. There will also be ample time to ask questions about movements you are interested in learning about! You can come to this course having studied "cults" for years, or having never heard of one.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sun 10:05am--11:55am
Section 3: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 40)
Section 2: Full! (max 25)
Section 3: 36 (max 40)


H6227: Why your brain isn't a calculator- even if you know how to add
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Amy Estersohn

OFFERED AT SPLASH 2011

This class will cover some of the shortcuts our brains use to help us make everyday decisions, from what we buy at the store to which treatments doctors choose to how we decide to take risks. We’ll learn through games and simulations, so bring your strategy face to the table.


Prerequisites
1. A brain. 2. 10+ years of life experience. 3. Enjoy playing games. 4. Basic arithmetic skills may not be particularly helpful.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 3: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 4: Sat 11:05am--11:55am
Section 5: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 96)
Section 2: 35 (max 90)
Section 3: 32 (max 35)
Section 4: Full! (max 90)
Section 5: 43 (max 90)


H6373: Worldbuilding 299
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Susan Shepherd

Are you interested in designing environments and societies for written fiction, films, or computer and tabletop games? If so, this is the class for you.

We'll start with examples of worldbuilding in fiction, briefly discuss what worked particularly well (or badly) in those examples, and then we'll explore ways to create worlds of your own.

Broad topics will include how to design solar systems and individual planets, the differences in creating small-scale societies (Harry Potter, for example, deals almost exclusively with a tiny subsection of U.K. society) versus large-scale societies (LotR, Dune, Game of Thrones), and how to deal with culture clash in realistic ways.

Additionally, we'll look into how language, customs / belief systems, tech level, and the presence or absence of magic will affect your world.

Special attention will be paid to designing aliens, exploring alternate technology and ways of creating restrictions to keep invented magic systems interesting instead of world-breaking.

Note: Worldbuilding 299 runs for the same length of time as Worldbuilding 101, but goes at a faster pace and covers slightly more material. It also spends more time on how to create aliens and alien societies.


Prerequisites
1. An interest in history, mythology, and/or anthropology. 2. A willingness to ask crazy what-if questions – and figure out the equally crazy answers. 3. Some familiarity with biology, cognitive science, ecology, and/or geography will be extremely useful but is not required.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 12)
Section 2: Full! (max 12)


H6757: Intro to Writing Short Stories!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Priya Garg

Are you an avid reader? Ever wished you had a way to channel your creativity and imagination into words? In this class, we'll learn about the anatomy of a short story and do some activities to get you well on your way to writing your first short story.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


H6710: Introductory Odawa
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Dmetri Hayes

Odawa or Nishnaabemwin is a dialect of one of the most widely spoken Native American languages today. Come learn about this fascinating language!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 35)
Section 2: 25 (max 30)


H6175: Writing Systems of the World’s Languages
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Morris Alper

This class will explore the variety of writing systems that have been used to record human language. We'll discuss the structural differences between such scripts as Mayan hieroglyphs, the Japanese script, Devanagari, and Thaana. We'll also touch on the evolution of writing over time, including the development of the Latin alphabet.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 40)
Section 2: 27 (max 35)


H6486: History of Language
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Staly Chin

Why are all the languages in the world so different? Why do languages change? Why does this matter?

This class features a macroscopic look at the development and deviation of language and the forces that mold the tongues of today's world.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)
Section 2: 18 (max 20)
Section 3: 27 (max 30)


H6118: Alfred Hitchock: The Man and the Suspense Closed!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Isaac Wright-Lichter

H6228: This is your brain on shopping
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Amy Estersohn

Why do we buy, and what are some of the psychological and neurological reasons for our behaviors?

This class will be an introductory, non-technical approach to these questions.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm
Section 3: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 90)
Section 2: 38 (max 90)
Section 3: 51 (max 55)


H6361: Languages of Middle Earth
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Ryker Reed

Ever wanted to speak Elvish? To write Dwarven runes? Ever wondered where all the names in Middle Earth come from? Come find out more about the complex linguistic systems underlying Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. For instance, did you know that Tolkien was a linguist and actually invented an entire Elvish language before even writing the Lord of the Rings books? Learn about some of the real world languages that inspired and influenced Tolkien’s invented languages. And find out more about the history of Middle Earth and how its languages came to be what they are now.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm
Section 3: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 35)
Section 2: 48 (max 50)
Section 3: Full! (max 35)


H6452: NewsJack: Media Remixing for Great Justice
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Dan Schultz

NewsJack lets you rewrite the Internet. This course will teach about several easy-to-use remixing tools. By the end of it you'll create things as hilarious as the Onion, and more importantly you'll probably be more careful about what you read online.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 17)


Lunch

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L6815: Lunch Period
Difficulty: None
Teachers:

Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 252 (max 5000)
Section 2: 309 (max 5000)


L6816: Lunch Period
Difficulty: None
Teachers:

Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 302 (max 5000)
Section 2: 230 (max 5000)


Mathematics

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M6701: Silly Math Games Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Allen Park

M6551: Introduction to Fourier Series
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Wilson Louie, William Tsui

Interested in waves? Oscillations? Approximating period functions with arbitrary precision with JUST sine and cosine? If yes, come and learn about Fourier series, a useful tool with notable applications in waves, electromagnetism, and much more!


Prerequisites
Single variable calculus (know how to evaluate an integral), Infinite Series, Taylor Series (recommended), HUNGER TO LEARN.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 27)


M6420: What Can You Construct With Only a Straightedge?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Gergely Odor

Probably you know a lot about what can be constructed with compass and straightedge. But what happens if we take the compass away and we only use the straightedge (and a pencil of course)? You'd guess there are only a few things that can be constructed? I tell you there are a lot. And also there are more questions: What if we have a compass with a fixed radius? Or would it matter if someone drew a circle on the paper?

This course involves creative problem solving.


Prerequisites
High school geometry class suggested.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 30)


M6302: Paradoxes in Probability Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Carl Lian

M6342: Exotic Topics in Geometry: where Euclid is not always Right
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Wai Lok Lai

Euler is not always right!! Ever thought of a place where the angles of a triangle don't add up to 180 degrees? Ever looked at a map and wondered what the shortest path from point A to B is? Ever wonder what geometry has to do with complex numbers? THEN THIS IS THE CLASS FOR YOU!!!

We will talk about a wide range of geometry topics that are not covered in the typical high school curriculum, from spherical to hyperbolic geometry, from taxi-cab to complex geometry, and much more.


Prerequisites
Some exposure to geometry and algebra. If you know how to prove triangles to be congruent, you are good. A basic knowledge of imaginary / complex numbers will be helpful but is not required, because quick intro to complex numbers will be included.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)


M6177: Insane 2hr Cram Session of Undergraduate Mathematics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Felix Wong

My goal is to make your brain hurt but dazzled at how awesome mathematics is. You should come to this class ready to learn years of higher-level mathematics-- condensed into 2 hours. You will leave the lecture hall feeling more mathy and intelligent.

For the record, I will cover topics in linear algebra (vector spaces and their algebraic operations), group theory (group structure and operations), real analysis (analytic functions, Hilbert spaces,...), probability theory (distributions, expectations, martingales), complex analysis (holomorphic functions, contour integration...), algebraic and differential topology (fundamental group, manifolds, differential forms, cohomology...), and differential geometry (vector bundles, Lie groups,...). If I can cram everything in as fast as I think I can, we will also explore applications to physics, chemistry, biology, biochemistry....

You won't understand most of what I say. You will be intimidated. But I promise you'll also be inspired-- very inspired.

Are you up to the challenge?


Prerequisites
Calculus at the minimum; exposure to linear algebra, group theory, real and complex analysis, and topology will be useful. All students, regardless of background, are welcome.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 39 (max 40)


M6213: Elliptic Curves
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Dylan Yott

In this course, we will examine elliptic curves, which are usually first introduced as equations of the form: y2=ax3+bx+c
.

Elliptic curves are interesting because they naturally have a group structure. That is, it makes sense to "add" points on the curve. We will talk about why the points on an elliptic curve form a group, which will bring us into the realm of complex analysis! This will naturally lead us to the theory of elliptic functions and the above equation will jump right out at us!

This course will cover a lot in a small amount of time. We will do some explicit calculations, but mostly focus on the abstract concepts.


Prerequisites
Calculus is a must. Multivariable calculus would be helpful but not necessary. Knowing what a group is would also be a good thing.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 30)


M6293: Discriminant Inequalities
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Adam Hesterberg

A quadratic has real roots if and only if its discriminant is nonnegative. We'll show how to use this to prove a famous mathematical inequality or two and solve some math olympiad-style inequality problems.


Prerequisites
Comfort with mathematical proofs
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 20)

Materials for this class include: Discriminant Inequalities

M6755: Scatterplots, Graphs, and Charts, oh my!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Cecilia Cisar

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Learn to find if someone else is tweaking their graphs and how not get your hand caught in the cookie jar.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 3: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)
Section 2: Full! (max 27)
Section 3: 12 (max 30)


M6187: Hands-on game theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Holden Lee
Materials for this class include: Game theory curriculum (unfinished)

M6611: Pascal, Sierpinski, and Dinner Parties
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Yasha Berchenko-Kogan

In a group of nine people, in how many ways can you pick three of them? In a group of four people, in how many ways can you distribute six $1 bills between them? (Giving nothing to someone is allowed.) Why are the answers to these two questions the same?

In this class, we’ll explore a triangle of numbers called Pascal’s triangle, and we’ll see how it can answer the questions above. After that, we’ll see that Pascal’s triangle has many cool things hidden inside it, including the Fibonacci numbers, a pretty fractal called the Sierpinski triangle, and much more.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)


M6354: Intro to Bayesian Stastics
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Will Conway

Learn how to calculate your odds of having a rare genetic disease, predict the weather and track down Nazi submarines!


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of probability
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)


M6520: Doing Math with Physics Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Jonathan Schneider

M6410: Introduction to Information
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Max Dunitz, Joel Schneider

We live in the information age -- but what is information, exactly? There's a precise mathematical notion of information, and it enables all the digital communication you young people are so good with. Come get a glimpse of what it is.


Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with logarithms is helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 35)


M6320: Accounting 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Rahat Bathija

Learn about basic accounting including debts/credits and journal entries. Introduce various financial statements including balance sheets and income statements. Time permitting explore application of skills to analyze a publicly traded Company's financials.


Prerequisites
Pre-calculus
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
12 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 2 (max 20)


M6620: Non-rigorous proofs that work
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Semon Rezchikov

Sick of epsilon-delta proofs in your calculus class? Come see the world with Euler's eyes and learn how the mathematicians of the 1700s proved powerful theorems using methods that would horrify your teachers! Sum series buy expanding complicated functions as just infinite products of linear functions, and expanding non-converging operators as Taylor series in derivatives! It'll be fun; tea and cookies will be made and laughs will be had.


Prerequisites
BC calculus -- you should be quite comfortable with Taylor series.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 20)


M6711: Introduction to cryptographic techniques
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jason Tong

Ever wondered about how the Enigma machine was cracked? Or how you can crack practically any substitution cipher? How about the way that information is transmitted securely over the internet today? Learn how to encrypt your own messages and crack others' encrypted messages with various fundamental techniques!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 20)


M6647: INTEGARLS
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Jacob Hurwitz, Benjamin Kraft

Come learn about INTEGARLS from two finalists in the MIT Integration Bee! We'll be teaching a number of cool integration tricks, like crazy tangents and swingy-swingy.


Prerequisites
You should know calculus, enough to know what a u-substitution in an integral is.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 32)


M6274: The Mathematics of Dating
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Pavel Panchekha, Lucy Zhang

They say mathematicians don't study anything useful. And that that's why mathematicians are single while the jocks, poets, starving artists, and Richard Feynmans have dates to the party. But mathematicians have an ace in the hole: MATH. We'll cover how to supercharge your dating life with results from calculus, combinatorics, graph theory, and computer science. Class will be ENTIRELY THEORETICAL; results may only be applicable to spherical dates in a frictionless vacuum.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)


M6684: Organized Chaos!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sachi Hashimoto

From just a few simple rules comes an entire universe of possibilities in which we can create a fully functioning computer, self reproducing objects, infinitely expanding patterns, space ships, gliders, and more. This class is about the magic and the math that is Conway's Game of Life. Come learn what it's all about, and be a part of the largest human simulation of the Game of Life!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 174 (max 200)


M6561: Important Directions
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ben Zinberg

There are lots of directions out there -- up, northeast, 11 o'clock.... In this class we will study these directions and ask, which ones are the most important? For example, by computing the direction in which the Fibonacci numbers travel, we will be able to come up with an explicit non-recursive formula for the nth Fibonacci number. Time permitting, we will look at applications to physics, differential equations, and numerical computation. (Mathematical buzz word: Eigenvector.)


Prerequisites
Nothing is absolutely required. However, I highly recommend learning how to multiply matrices if you haven't seen it before. All this means is, spend a few minutes looking at http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrix-multiplying.html under "Multiplying a Matrix by Another Matrix." Also some familiarity with polynomials (e.g., quadratic formula) would be a plus. At the end, if we have time for applications to physics and differential equations, you might want to know what physics is and what differential equations are.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 20)


M6595: Lagrange's Four Squares Theorem Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Zachary Abel

M6534: The Happy Ending Problem
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Beth Cholst

Can you create a set of points without a convex polygon? How many points do you need to find a convex polygon? Test this out with MMs and proofs!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 30)


M6648: Infinitely Many Proofs of Infinitely Many Primes!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Jacob Hurwitz, Benjamin Kraft, Jordan Moldow

How many primes are there? INFINITELY MANY! How many different ways can you prove that? INFINITELY MANY! Unfortunately, Splash isn’t infinitely long, so we’ll only have time to cover ∞−1
ways.


Prerequisites
Previous exposure to basic proof methods will prove helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 32)


M6332: Geometrilicious (A whirlwind session on Euclidean Geometry)
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kerry Singh

This class is for anyone who is fascinated by lines and circles and wants to see the amazing properties that simple shapes like these can have when put together. This is especially beneficial for those interested in mathematical competitions such as the USAMO or the IMO.


Prerequisites
Must have a desire for learning!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 40)


M6248: Caffeinated Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Yousif Rouben

A fast paced, thorough, interactive introduction to Differential Equations.

Topics: phase planes, direction fields, Euler's method of approximation, separation of variables, integrating factors, exact differential equations, systems of linear differential equations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, Laplace transform [If we have time: systems of non-linear differential equations]

BRING SNACKS AND WATER!!

Expect to understand a lot if you pay attention. Explanations will be made VERY clear.


Prerequisites
Calculus - Differentiation, Integration. Exponentials Linear Algebra - Basic Matrix functions. OR none of the above, but the willingness to learn and listen!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 8 (max 25)


M6786: Superhuman Integration Techniques
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Andre Kessler

How can you determine the exact value of ∫π/20√sinθdθ
or ∫10ln2xln2(1−x)dx
by hand? What about ∫∞0e−x2lnxdx
or other similar integrals? The answer lies in series expansions and some really wacky special functions. We will go from infinite product expansions of entire functions to the Gamma function, and learn how this can be applied to things you didn't know you could integrate. Learn to evaluate stuff that doesn't even appear to converge -- and learn to beat your computer to it! Along the way, you'll find out what sorts of implications the Riemann hypothesis has for the prime numbers, why 1+2+3+4+5+⋯=−1/12
, what the volume of an n-dimensional hypersphere is, and how to get rid of infinity when you need him out of your calculations.


Prerequisites
Knowledge of calculus, experience with series, and love of math!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--12:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 50)
Section 2: 6 (max 34)


M6408: Trig Identities
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Holden Lee

Trig identities don't come out of nowhere. In this class you will derive trig identities with nice geometry pictures. Hopefully, you will not forget them again.


Prerequisites
Basic trig
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 20)


M6115: The Limits of Computation
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Gaurav Singh

Can a computer tell if a program will stop? It turns out that there are some programs for which a computer cannot say if it will stop or run forever. We will show this, and then we will investigate other limits on the powers of a computer.


Prerequisites
A solid background in proof based mathematics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 40)


M6140: Expanding the Binomial Theorem
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ryan Normandin

Pascal's Triangle is one of the most beautiful mathematical constructs in existence. It holds the key to expanding binomials, but what about polynomials with 3, 4, or 5 terms? Is there a pattern there? Come with your very best pattern-seeking skills as we attempt to develop a generalized theory for expanding polynomials!


Prerequisites
Familiarity with the binomial theorem is very helpful, but not required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 40)


M6093: Generating Functions!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Melody Guan

Ready to take your counting skills to the next level? Join us for a class on Generating Functions, a cool technique that allows you to transform counting problems into algebra problems!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 8 (max 12)
Section 2: 7 (max 12)


M6286: Hypothesis Testing and Statistics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zoe Thorkildsen

In this course we will discuss basic statistics and hypothesis testing, including the concepts of the mean and standard deviation, and the Student's t-test. While formulas will be presented, the focus will be on gaining a conceptual understanding of the material
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 15 (max 60)


M6249: Putting the "Mock" in "Democracy": A Taste of Voting Theory and Arrow's Impossibility Theorem
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Ziv Scully

Having a fair election with two candidates is pretty simple: everyone votes for their favorite candidate and whoever gets the most votes wins. However, as anyone who was around for the presidential elections in 2000 (or 1912... or 1860) will tell you, things get complicated with three or more candidates. It's sometimes the case that you should vote for a candidate you think is likely to win instead of a fringe candidate you agree with more. We can think of different voting systems that try to get around this and other problems, but as we'll explore in class, no voting system avoids all potential flaws. You might ask: is there a "perfect" voting system out there?

Actually, it turns out there is one. It's called a dictatorship. And unless you have an infinite number of voters, no other system is "perfect". Come find out why!


Prerequisites
General familiarity and comfort with proofs will help, especially with the second half of the class.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 36)
Section 2: 35 (max 36)

Materials for this class include: Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, Voting Systems and Properties

M6778: Infinity+1
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Joshua Frisch

Since you were young you probably heard that you couldn't add infinity to regular numbers. That expressions like ∞+1
make no sense. They told you that you couldn't do arithmetic with infinity, that it "made no sense". Well, they were wrong, in this class we will discuss the various ways to add using infinity including adding infinite amounts of things, adding infinities, and, as time permits, sizes of infinities.
Expect your intuition to be broken a+b≠b+a
will occur


Prerequisites
A good understanding of algebra is an absolute must, a willingness to think hard and abstractly are also very necessary.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 51 (max 119)


M6468: The Happy Ending Problem
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Beth Cholst

Can you create a set of points without a convex polygon? How many points do you need to find a convex polygon? Test this out with MMs and proofs!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 30)


M6304: Matrix Multiplication Demystified
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Carl Lian

You may have learned to multiply matrices at some point. Adding matrices of the same size is pretty straightforward (as is subtracting), but let's face it: multiplication is pretty weird. Where does it come from? Why does it make sense?

Take this class to find out what matrix multiplication is all about and why it really does make sense. And what it has to do with the formula sin(a+b)=sin(a)cos(b)+cos(a)sin(b)
.


Prerequisites
Roughly Algebra 2 and high-school geometry; we will also use a bit of trigonometry. Prior familiarity with vectors will help a little bit, but is not necessary. Having seen matrices and matrix multiplication before will help put this class in perspective (in particular, it will answer a question you probably wondered about before), but is also not necessary.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 2 (max 27)


M6606: Space Algebra
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Gaurav Singh

Do you like algebra? Do you want to do it in space? Well now you can! We will be using algebra in a variety of spaces, to look at their structure, and to tell if two spaces are different.


Prerequisites
Group theory or a strong background in math and proofs
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 6 (max 32)


M6211: Weirdo Functions from Crazyville
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Dylan Yott

In analysis, we like to prove certain facts about continuous or differentiable functions, and it often becomes tempting to assume certain things that simply aren't true. In this class we will talk about functions with the following properties:

1. Functions that are continuous everywhere but differentiable nowhere.

2. Functions that are continuous at irrationals, and discontinuous at irrationals.

3. A function that rises from 0 to 1 over the unit interval that is continuous everywhere, but has derivative zero almost everywhere.

Along the way, we'll encounter interesting concepts such as uniform continuity and measure. It'll be a blast!


Prerequisites
Calculus. Be comfortable with continuity, differentiability and limits.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 30)


M6132: Exploring Linear Algebra Through Love
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kristen Cotner, David Xiao

d/dt(<3) = ? eigen(<3) = ? My usual approach is useless here...

Sheldon likes Amy, but Amy doesn't like Sheldon. Both Amy and Sheldon are romantics, but they don't know how to express their feelings to each other, and their efforts to help or hurt usually end up doing the opposite. What happens?

In this class, we'll show you one way mathematics could predict Amy and Sheldon's future love (or loveless) life. Starting with basic calculus and ending with one of the most significant results of Linear Algebra, we'll give you a crash course in college math, and probably make some more couples predictions along the way.


Prerequisites
Be comfortable with the concept of a derivative.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 35)


M6772: What are the real numbers, really?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eric Mannes

Your math teacher has talked about "real numbers." You can add, subtract, multiply, and divide them, or you can put them in order. But you can do those with other sets of numbers, like the rationals, too! Is there an additional property the reals have that makes them really different from any other set? In fact, how do we know the reals exist at all--are they for real?

Thankfully, the answer to both of these questions is "yes." We're going to show why by building the reals with our bare hands.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 35)


M6438: Cryptanalysis
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sam Fishman

You may have heard of cryptography, but what about cryptanalysis? Cryptanalysis is the study of BREAKING codes, possibly the most important task of any government's intelligence department.

In this class you will learn how to crack some codes that were once thought to be entirely unbreakable, including the Vigenere and Playfair ciphers.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 36 (max 40)
Section 2: 46 (max 57)


M6170: Fair Division: How to cut a cake and make everyone happy
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Taylor Sutton

The most important thing in life is clearly cake. But sometimes, you have more people than you have cakes, and so you need to cut the cake. But wait! What if part of the cake has some fruit on it, part of it has more ice cream than the rest, and part of it just looks awesome?

What you really need to make sure your life is never ruined by not getting enough cake: a way to cut the cake such that everyone is happy. In this class we'll examine the question of dividing up a cake (or anything that can be cut) into pieces to distribute to a group of people, such that each person is happy with what they get. We'll of course have to make precise what we mean by happy.

If we have time, we'll talk about dividing things that make everyone miserable (chores, of course), and try to make everyone equally miserable.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 7 (max 30)
Section 2: 8 (max 30)


M6378: Algebra is logic
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Raeez Lorgat

Want to build machines that understand the world? Algebra at your service...
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 35)


M6565: Topologies on the Real Line
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Felipe Hernandez

The limit of a a function exists if for every epsilon greater than zero there exists a delta such that ...

Bored yet? Good, because we're throwing the old definition of limits and continuity away.

In this class, we'll learn about the topological definitions of these concepts, and learn about weird topological spaces where f(x)=−x2
can have a discontinuity.


Prerequisites
A familiarity with functions and real numbers. (Calculus not required)
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm
Section 3: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 4: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 34)
Section 2: 9 (max 25)
Section 3: 7 (max 25)
Section 4: 11 (max 34)


M6760: Crash Course in Linear ODEs
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Yasha Berchenko-Kogan

You're driving around in the xy-plane, and, being mathematically inclined, you decide to drive so that your velocity is a linear function of your position. More specifically, you decide that, as you drive over the point (x,y)
, your velocity in the x direction should be x+3y
, and your velocity in the y direction should be −4x−2y
.

In this class, we'll find out whether you get back home to the origin or instead get a speeding ticket.


Prerequisites
You should be friendly with differentiation, matrix multiplication, and determinants.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 36)


M6294: Zero-knowledge proofs
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Adam Hesterberg

I can convince you I know how to solve any given position of a Rubik's cube without showing you at all how to solve that position, convince websites that I know my password without doing anything as risky as sending the password, and similar stuff. We'll see how.


Prerequisites
Comfort with mathematical proofs
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 35)


M6444: Base-ically: An introduction to Numeral Base Systems
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Megan Belzner

The number "10" looks pretty familiar, right? Well what if I told you it meant "3", or even "16"? If it was in trinary or hexadecimal, I wouldn't even be lying to you! This class is a brief introduction to bases besides the decimal system that you all know and love. We'll discuss how to convert between bases, the applications of different bases, and the history of numeral systems.

This section will go at a slightly faster pace, with a more detailed look into the mathematics of and behind base systems.

Lastly, my sincerest apologies for that horrible pun in the title.


Prerequisites
Basic arithmetic and a love of numbers. Familiarity with arithmetic series and basic trigonometry might also be helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 40)


M6598: Lies and Statistics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Daniel Epelbaum

This class will go over statistics and use it in one of its most useful and creative applications: lying to people. This class will go over techniques to use numbers and facts to convince people of things that aren't true while stopping yourself from being fooled by these same techniques.


Prerequisites
Precalculus.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 96)


M6207: x^n+y^n=(x+y)^n...sometimes
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Dylan Yott

Surely the above statement is only true when n=1
, however for n=3
we have:

(x+y)3=x3+3x2y+3y2x+y3
.

n=5
gives:

(x+y)5=x5+5x4y+10x3y2+10x2y3+5xy4+y5
.

If we ignore multiples of 3 or 5, we obtain precisely the correct result! Try n=4
yourself! Does it work? What's happening? What can we do with this? The answer is: A lot!

In this course we'll discuss in what sense the identity is true, and what the consequences are.


Prerequisites
Algebra.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--9:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 15 (max 20)
Section 2: 17 (max 20)


M6405: Modular arithmetic Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Holden Lee

M6473: Is the remainder a square? Elementary Number Theory and Quadratic Reciprocity Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michael Belland
Materials for this class include: Quadratic Reciprocity Proof, Quadratic Reciprocity Class Review

M6774: Unique Factorization!
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Joshua Frisch

Over 400 years ago Fermat claimed that a prime number can be written as the sum of two squares if and only if it is of the form 4n+1
where n is a whole number. over 2000 years ago Euclid described an algorithm for finding the greatest common factor of two numbers. 164 years ago Gabriel Lame thought he had found a proof of Fermat’s last theorem which was later shown to be fatally flawed. All three of these concepts (as well as many, many, many more) and intimately related with the concept of unique factorization. Contrary to what you might think not every type of number has unique factorization, when unique factorization does occur however, we can use it as a very powerful tool to prove very cool results. In this class we will cover Various “Euclidean algorithms” (including ones discovered thousands of years after Euclid himself was dead, as well as the original) how these algorithms allow you to prove unique factorization. Examples of when unique factorization fails. And how this all relates, and allows you to prove Fermat’s 400 year old claim. If time permits we will also discuss primes of the form x2+2y2
, and unique factorization for polynomials.


Prerequisites
A background with proofs and some knowledge of modular arithmetic are essential.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 5 (max 30)


M6708: Introduction to Group Representations
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Timothy Chu, Mitchell Lee

Group theory is an area of math where people study symmetries of all sorts of things. Linear algebra is an area of math where people study linear maps between different spaces. Representation theory is what happens when you smash the two together.


Prerequisites
Linear algebra at the minimum. Knowledge of basic group theory would also be helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 15 (max 25)


M6690: The Banach-Tarski Paradox
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Chris Kennedy

The Banach-Tarski Paradox is the consummate example of mathematics behaving badly. It states that, given a perfect sphere, it’s possible to cut it up into 5 pieces, rearrange those pieces rigidly (no stretching, twisting, rescaling, etc.), and end up with 2 copies of the sphere you started with.

We will prove the Banach-Tarski Paradox. The proof is long, intricate, and often fascinating, so we’ll skip some boring parts to save room for digesting the main ideas. Along the way we’ll see rudiments of abstract algebra, talk about some very deep set theory, and come out with an understanding of why cutting up mathematical spheres is not the same as cutting up apples.

This class is the first of two parts; make sure to catch the second as well if you want the whole proof!


Prerequisites
Algebra II is enough in terms of material, but you should also come with an appetite for abstract math.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm, Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 50)


M6198: Knot Theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Anderson Wang, Patrick Yang

M6281: The Nature of Numbers
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Elijah Allen

Most people know that there are infinitely many numbers and also prime numbers. It is common to think that this implies that sub-types of number will also always be infinite as well but this is actually not the case. We will explore the difference in which sorts of patterns we should expect to be infinite and which we should not.


Prerequisites
Show up and be excited about math. I am conducting in a discussion style and not just lecturing the whole time after all and the discussion won't work out if the students are not also excited!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 22 (max 30)


M6247: The Banach-Tarski Paradox
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Ziv Scully

Have you ever found yourself with a sphere, a very sharp knife and an Axiom of Choice when all you wanted was a second sphere? Have you ever wondered why everyone's favorite anagram of "Banach-Tarski" is "Banach-Tarski Banach-Tarski"? Come learn about and prove this surprising theorem: a ball can be split into a finite number of pieces that can be rearranged to make two copies of the original ball!

We're covering a few hours' worth of material in 50 minutes, so if that's your idea of fun then this class is for you!


Prerequisites
A certain degree of mathematical maturity. For example, you should understand the difference between countable and uncountable sets. If you've seen a bit of group theory it will come in handy.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 35)
Section 2: 24 (max 50)


M6638: Problem-Solving, Solving Problems! Using Linear Algebra in Other Fields
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Christopher Natoli, William Tsui

Math in high school may seem very hierarchical, with one field building off the last. But really, fields of math are arranged more like a network, and solving problems in one may require material from another. We'll get to see and solve some cool examples of this as connections between linear algebra and other fields.

After going over the theoretical foundation of linear algebra, we'll use the theorems we've developed to solve puzzle problems in seemingly unrelated topics. Flex your brain and have some fun in this half-lecture, half-problem solving class!


Prerequisites
Familiarity with vectors would be very helpful, but it is (theoretically) not necessary.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 12 (max 24)
Section 2: 8 (max 20)


M6415: Fun Math Puzzles
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Kevin Phillips

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you and all of your friends were captured by a tribe of hungry cannibals or if you were stuck in hotel with infinitely fast, infinitely small, and infinitely smart man-eating bugs? If so, come and see how to solve fun puzzles like these using math and logic!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


M6770: Graph Theory: Modeling the Internet, Facebook, and our Social Lives Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Daniel Zaharopol

M6788: From zero to infinity .... and beyond! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Michele Pratusevich

M6622: How to Cut a CAKE Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Zandra Vinegar

M6210: The Fundamental Group
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Dylan Yott

Let's suppose you live on some very large planet and you aren't sure if it is shaped like a donut, or like a sphere. How could you tell?

It is important to know that this is somehow a "global" problem, since a donut and a sphere both look the same very close up. This is where the largeness of the planet becomes important. Somehow you would need to explore the planet in such a way that would detect the hole. How might you do this?

We will explain how to do this, and on the way discover the fundamental group, an incredibly important tool in algebraic topology.

The fundamental group is an algebraic object which you associate to a space which keeps track of holes and other obstructions in your space. In this course, we will define the fundamental group and calculate it in lots of interesting cases.


Prerequisites
If you have taken Telling Shapes Apart, my other topology class, you will probably be able to follow this easier. However, there will be lots of overlap, so beware.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 30)


M6776: Math, Games, and the Irrationality of rational deductions
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Joshua Frisch

In this class we will discuss, from a mathematical perspective various ways in which acting in your own self interest can hurt or help yourself. Particular topics of discussion will include whether you can make valid threats, whether it is worthwhile to renege on alliances, and why bidding what you think something is worth at auctions can hurt you. Rather than being just theoretical the topics covered are regularly used when considering war, elections, and in explaining incentives in psychology


Prerequisites
A very good understanding of algebra is mandatory at least equivalent to algebra 2. Beyond that a willingness to think abstractly is very helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 20 (max 63)


M6644: The Art of Proof
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jonathan Warneke

Do you get jitters when the phrase "prove that" pops up in your math homework? Or do you get excited because you love proofs? If the answer is yes (and how could it not be?) then this is the class for you! We'll talk about what numbers really are (fields) and how we classify them, along with many other math topics, as we make our way through different methods and styles of proof.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 25)
Section 2: 30 (max 60)


M6409: Diophantine Approximation
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Holden Lee

Rational numbers, numbers such as −12
and 14489
, are nice. Sprinkled in between them are algebraic numbers---roots of polynomial equations, such as 1+√52
and 3√2
---and transcendental numbers such as e
.

In this class we'll explore the relationships between these types of numbers, and answer questions such as:

* How closely can you approximate an algebraic number such as 1+√52
with fractions, if you try to use denominators as small as possible?
* How "close" do two algebraic numbers have to be before you know they're equal?
* Why is e
irrational? Why is e
transcendental?

I'll cover Dirichlet's Theorem, and briefly talk about the Thue-Siegel-Roth Theorem---which tells us that numbers that are "too close" to rational numbers are actually transcendental! Finally, I'll describe some applications to deep questions in number theory such as Falting's Theorem---certain equations in the integers have only finitely many solutions.


Prerequisites
Number theory, algebra 2.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 24)

Materials for this class include: Notes (extended), Notes (board)

M6727: All About Primes
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jordan Moldow

At some point in your schooling, you've probably been asked to factor a number, determine if a number is prime or composite, and find the unique prime factorization of a number. This might have seemed pointless to you, and your teachers probably never explained why one might want to do this. However, believe it or not, prime numbers and prime factorization are of fundamental importance in the real world today.

We'll start from the basics, by talking about primes, prime factorizations, and the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. We will prove the infinitude of primes, and briefly explore the distribution of primes numbers in the natural numbers. Finally, we will talk about the applications of what we've learned: searching for prime numbers, determining prime factorizations, and how both of these things play out in modern data encryption algorithms. If time allows, I'll quickly tell you how you can become rich by studying prime numbers!


Prerequisites
No prerequisites, as the class will start out by introducing all of the necessary concepts. Also, if you are looking for a very advanced class on primes or cryptography, this class is not for you. This class is only a very brief introduction to these fields.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 35 (max 42)


M6347: Data Analysis and Visualization in R
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Benjamin Jones

Have you taken a statistics course and thought, there must be an easier way to do this? Or are you lost when it comes time to quantitatively analyze science fair data? In either case, this may be the class for you. R is a free software package and programming language for statistics. This class will be an introduction to R for analyzing data and creating engaging, effective visualizations of the results. The second half of the session is an opportunity for students to practice using R and get help analyzing their own data (or sample data if you don't have any of your own).


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of probability and statistics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 6 (max 8)


M6529: Math and Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ben Sena

See how rational relationships explain harmony and consonance and experience hands-on demonstrations and visualizations; how popular tuning systems are imperfect; but how dissonance gives our minds a break.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 20)
Section 2: 18 (max 20)


M6494: Kicking Serious Butt with the TI-83+: A Guide to Lists
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Danny Ben-David

Come on, I know you have one. Maybe it's the TI-84+ instead, maybe it's the Silver Edition™—I don't care. Their plastic casings and ridiculous prices oh-so-carefully conceal a more powerful number cruncher than you ever originally thought.

In this class you will learn how to:
- churn through repetitive equations with blistering speed
- save buttloads of time (an accepted SI unit of time) on the Math SATs
- store useful data sets on your calculator long-term
- intro TI-BASIC programming to automate your calculations further


Prerequisites
You should bring your own TI-83+/TI-84+ if you want to follow along. (TI-89/TI-NSPIRE won't probably work for this class, sorry; they run with different processors and are thus incompatible.) If you don't bring your calculator to MIT, don't worry: you can make a quick new friend and share with them.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 90)
Section 2: 38 (max 64)


M6242: How to Become a Mathemagician: Mental Calculations and Math Magic
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Adam Gleitman

How do you multiply two numbers in your head? How do you add a sequence of numbers faster than someone can punch them into a calculator? How can you use minimal information to identify a special number?

In this course, entertainment meets education as I show you some incredible mathematical tricks, how to do them, and why they work. Take this class and learn how to amaze your friends!


Prerequisites
You should feel comfortable with basic algebraic manipulation such as basic factoring, expanding ("FOILing"), and solving simple equations.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 90)
Section 2: 75 (max 96)

Materials for this class include: Notes, Five-Card Monte Card Order

M6258: Young Tableaux and their Applications
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Mitchell Lee

In this course, we will discuss Young tableaux, combinatorial objects with a wide variety of beautiful theory surrounding them. We will also discuss my favorite theorem and one of its truly brilliant proofs.


Prerequisites
Experience with mathematical proofs. Exposure to combinatorics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 6 (max 25)


M6719: A Tour of Mathematical Logic and Set Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Fremont

What is a proof? What is the nature of infinity? Are there boundaries to what can be achieved by mathematical reasoning? In this class we will survey the fields of mathematical logic and set theory, discussing their history, classical and modern results, and practical applications in computer science and elsewhere. Particular topics will include Gödel's completeness and incompleteness theorems, ordinal and cardinal numbers, and ZFC, the set theory on which all of mathematics is built. Students are encouraged to propose additional topics they are interested in learning about.


Prerequisites
Some experience with proofs and functions
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 20)


M6697: Curved Spaces - An Introduction to Surface Topology
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lars Johnson

Come play tic-tac-toe on a bagel (edible torus) and learn about the fascinating topic of surface topology - the study of two dimensional surfaces. We will learn about how we create, transform, and classify surfaces as well as several applications. Although we will briefly mention some technical aspects, the focus of this class will be in developing an intuition for the fundamentals topology through interactive activities and computer simulations.


Prerequisites
Geometry, Ability to visualize in 3D - for instance bending a strip of paper to form a mobius strip.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 15)


M6287: Introduction to Symbolic Logic and Proofs
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Zoe Thorkildsen

This class is all about the foundations of proving statements. We’ll start with the underlying theory behind proofs (symbolic logic) and then take some time to prove a few simple theorems from number theory.

Any time leftover will be open to work on additional proofs and ask questions of the teacher.


Prerequisites
Basic algebra.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 55)


M6192: Financial/Capital Markets Structure & Regulations - Global Financial Crisis
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Saurov Das

This course will be an introduction to the structure of the Financial Markets. We will start off on the basics and talk briefly about the financial markets for Stocks, Bonds, Commodities, and Derivatives. We will also talk about the major players in the industry such as Investment Banks, Hedge Funds, and Investment Managers.

We will then focus on the regulatory and compliance environments which governs the financial markets. There have been many changes in the regulatory environment, as President Obama implemented the Dodd-Frank Law. This has been a hot topic in the news over the last few years, and this will also be discussed. We will also talk about how/what happened during the financial crisis over the last 4 years. This course will be beneficial for students who want to understand financial regulations and what the future holds, as they may get into the financial services industry field at some point in their career. This course will be fun and interesting as we students will get involved in the discussion and we will have a simulation at the end of the class.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 63 (max 100)
Section 2: 52 (max 80)


M6433: The Calculus: Derivatives, Limits, and Newton vs. Leibniz
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Lawrence Whisenant

One of the biggest advancements in mathematics was the development of "The Calculus." In this course, we will look at the foundations of the subject (mathematically and historically) as well as the debate that emerged involving the two independent creators, Newton and Leibniz.


Prerequisites
Knowledge of slope and functions. Familiarity with limits preferred, but not required.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 25)
Section 2: 4 (max 40)


M6364: The World, plus/minus two sigma
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Norman Cao

The Gaussian. 1σ√2πe−12(x−μσ)2
. The normal distribution. Shows up in statistics, probability, physics, chemistry, biology, everywhere. Ever wonder why?
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 22)


M6652: Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Bianca Homberg

Computers are powerful, sure. But can they compute anything you want them to? Is there anything computers absolutely can’t figure out, no matter what? The answer here is yes—computers are not omnipotent.

In this class, we’ll prove mathematically that despite whatever clever algorithms people can come up with, there will always be problems that are impossible for a computer to solve. We’ll look at few examples, including the Halting Problem. Along the way, we’ll encounter and investigate a variety of theoretical constructs which compute: deterministic finite automata (DFA’s), pushdown automata, context free grammars, and Turing Machines. We'll also explore what kinds of problems these can solve--and prove which ones are more powerful.


Prerequisites
Some amount of mathematical maturity--e.g., have seen proofs by contradiction before.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)


M6339: Crash Course in Vector Calculus
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Wai Lok Lai

Ever looked some physics/math stuff up on Wikipedia and get a page full of fearful-looking math symbols, like ∇2f
, (∂y∂x)θ
, or ∮CBds
? Here's your chance to know what they actually mean! (not everything on Wikipedia, obviously, but it'll let you decipher a lot of stuff).

Vector calculus is also known as multivariable calculus. What we are doing is basically extending the concepts of single-variable calculus to 3 dimensions and beyond.


Prerequisites
Some exposure to single variable calculus. No need to know sequences or series.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 27)
Section 2: 21 (max 30)


M6559: Introduction to Axiomatic Set Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Hayden Jansen

Set Theory serves as one of the primary foundations of mathematics, with nearly every advanced mathematics discipline requiring at least an adequate knowledge of the subject as a prerequisite. Set Theory serves to provide explanation to some of the most widely assumed things in mathematics: numbers, functions, relations, etc.


Prerequisites
An interest in mathematics, and the ability to think abstractly.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 12 (max 24)
Section 2: 13 (max 25)

Materials for this class include: Intro to Set Theory, Intro to Logic, Class Notes

M6765: Polytopes!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Benjamin Boyajian

You may be familiar with polyhedra such as the cube, the tetrahedron, and the octahedron. But can we generalize the concept of polyhedra to higher dimensions? What would an 8-dimensional cube look like? Is there a 4-dimensional analogue of the octahedron? How many higher-dimensional polytopes are Platonic (have rotational symmetry)? Sign up for this class if you want to answer these questions!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 4: Sun 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 7 (max 30)
Section 2: 27 (max 30)
Section 3: 28 (max 30)
Section 4: 29 (max 30)


M6443: Base-ically: An introduction to Numeral Base Systems
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Megan Belzner

The number "10" looks pretty familiar, right? Well what if I told you it meant "3", or even "16"? If it was in trinary or hexadecimal, I wouldn't even be lying to you! This class is a brief introduction to bases besides the decimal system that you all know and love. We'll discuss how to convert between bases, the applications of different bases, and the history of numeral systems.

This section will go at a slightly slower pace, with less focus on non-whole numbers in other bases and other such concepts.

Lastly, my sincerest apologies for that horrible pun in the title.


Prerequisites
Basic arithmetic and a love of numbers.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 38 (max 40)


M6769: Puzzles on a Checkerboard
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Zaharopol

Suppose I give you dominoes that cover two squares on a checkerboard. Then it's not hard to cover the whole checkerboard with dominoes. Now remove two opposite corners. I bet that you can't do it anymore!

Come try your hand at different tiling challenges and see if you can discover the secret to which ones work and which ones don't!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 58 (max 80)
Section 2: 44 (max 80)


M6612: The Return of the Geometry
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alex Cole, Stephen Face, Michael Flynn

Do you like icosahedra? What about hypercubes? If so then this class is for you.

We will be discussing the math behind the platonic solids (the 5 fundamental shapes in 3-D geometry) as well as discussing 4-D shapes. Then we will build as many of them as we can.


Prerequisites
Thinking things in 3-D are cool
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)
Section 2: 53 (max 180)


M6579: The Exact Science of Estimation
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Felipe Hernandez

How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?

We'll learn to estimate the answers to interesting questions like these by using some basic math.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 15)
Section 2: 8 (max 15)


M6209: Telling Shapes Apart with Algebraic Topology
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Dylan Yott

You may have heard the famous saying a topologist can't tell his donut from his coffee cup, because they both have one hole, and if they were made of a very flexible material, you could turn one into the other.

In this class, we will discuss things of this sort for example:

1. Why can't I turn a plane into a sphere?

2. Why can't I turn one sphere into two spheres?

3. Why can't I turn a baseball into a donut?

In the process, we will talk about notions of homotopy equivalence, homeomorphism, and my favorite, the fundamental group!


Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with abstraction, and in particular you should be comfortable with what a continuous function is.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 12 (max 30)


M6375: Extreme Math
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Damien Jiang, Jonathan Schneider

We did this last year and people seemed to like it for some reason, so we're doing this again: This class is mostly an excuse for us (the teachers) to watch you (the students) flail while you try to solve tricky math problems on the spot. This is how it will work. We will give you a math problem, and you’ll have to immediately present a solution on the black-board. You’ll have up to eight minutes to present your proof, but you need to continuously be presenting. Then our panel of judges will award you a score based on how correct, confusing, and amusing your solution was. There may or may not be teams, depending on how many students we get.


Prerequisites
The problems we'll give you will probably be at an easy Olympiad level. At a bare minimum, you should be comfortable writing/coming up with proofs; preferably, you're a USAMO qualifier or at least feel comfortable solving Olympiad-level problems. Also, if you're extremely shy, you probably won't enjoy this that much.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 20)


M6630: Mad Hatter Mathematics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zandra Vinegar

There is math. Like no math in school. And proofs full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive them, you need to be as mad as a hatter!


Prerequisites
Come to this class if and only if 1) you are willing to wear a hat 2) you don't mind if the brain within that hat gets severely warped by insane mathematics
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 25)


M6775: Math, Games, and Puzzles
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Joshua Frisch

Games are fun. Puzzles are tricky. Math is mysterious. This class will discuss the interrelationship between all three. In this game and puzzle centered course various games and puzzles with deep and non-obvious mathematical structure will be played. We will play with, discuss, and discover a variety of games and puzzles including impossible puzzles, seemingly impossible puzzles, games where we know who should win but not how they should win, games which are used to model nuclearwarfare, and games which can be used to represent every other game, if time permits we will also discuss computers, games, and a million dollar math problem.


Prerequisites
understanding basic algebra will be helpful. Expect to have to think hard.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 60)


M6767: Computing the 32nd fibonacci number in 5 easy steps
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Dmitry Vaintrob

The Fibonacci numbers are a sequence where each consecutive term is the sum of the previous two, and the first two members are 1,1. It goes 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55. What would the tenth member of the sequence be if instead of 1,1 we started with any two numbers a,b and used the same rule to generate each term from the previous two?

We'll learn how to use this and similar tricks (which may or may not involve matrices) to get lots of Fibonacci numbers very quickly and impress your friends.


Prerequisites
high school algebra. No linear algebra required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 30)


M6723: Interesting Math Puzzles and Problems
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Anthony Erb Lugo, Gabriel Reilly, Erjona Topalli

This class, taught by 3 math olympians, will present many interesting math puzzles and problems with ingenious and clever solutions. Pretty much all the fun parts of math that they leave out of the common high school curriculum.

There will be cake.


Prerequisites
Come equipped with a notebook.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)
Section 2: 27 (max 30)


M6768: Bayes' Theorem, or How to Change Your Mind
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eric Mannes

Here's a math problem that 85% of doctors get wrong:

1% of women at age forty who participate in routine screening have breast cancer. 80% of women with breast cancer will get positive mammographies. 9.6% of women without breast cancer will also get positive mammographies. A woman in this age group had a positive mammography in a routine screening. What is the probability that she actually has breast cancer?

Bayes' theorem is an incredibly important result that tells us how to change what we believe based on data. We will learn how to use it to solve this problem and others. We'll also talk about why much of the statistics used in science today is wrong!


Prerequisites
Be able to define "expected value."
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 36 (max 40)


M6262: No Way, Condorcet!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ravi Charan, Emily Pries

Math is supposed to make sense...right? No way, Condorcet!

A paradox is a statement that defies logic or reason. Come learn about the little snags in math and logic, then let's untangle them together. Because this is Splash, you'll have a chance to weigh in on what we cover based on what YOU are interested in. No matter what, these timeless puzzles will stretch your mind until you're left believing the impossible.

Possible topics include Condorcet's paradox, the Monty Hall paradox, the prisoner's dilemma, the multitude of problems with time travel, Giffen goods, Zeno's paradox, and so much more!


Prerequisites
A willingness to allow others to discover solutions at their own pace - no spoilers!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 38 (max 45)


M6183: Why your math textbook SUCKS
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Holden Lee

Each year, many shiny new math textbooks with colored pictures and hundred-dollar price tags hit the market. Textbooks specially chosen by committees of educators (see all those smiling faces at the beginning?) after much deliberation. Textbooks revised to meet the new "standards" popping up like mushrooms. Imagine: your math textbook is the result of a century's worth of teachers' efforts to improve education.

So why does your math textbook SUCK?

Why do you want to repeatedly bash your math textbook against the table, or drop it off a tall building? Or repeatedly bash your head because your textbook isn't making sense? Or just fall asleep and drool on your textbook because it's SO BORING?

In this class we will explore why so many textbooks are poorly written---an complex issue which involves factors ranging from educational practices in the classroom to the politics of the textbook companies. I will list the flaws of traditional textbooks, and show through example how to write better curriculum. Finally, I will give some strategies for learning despite that poorly written text.

Bring your math textbooks and your opinions!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 158 (max 200)

Materials for this class include: Why your math textbook SUCKS Powerpoint

Science

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S6643: Buoyant force
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kevin Burdge, Average Phan

Buoyant force is a very fundamental force in the nature, however, what creates that force? In this class, we will derive the equation for buoyant force and do some challenging problem related to the buoyant force.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 35)


S6215: Physics of Unicycling Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jonathan Abbott

S6218: Bose-Einstein Condensates: The Coldest Stuff in the Universe
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Hiro Miyake

It turns out that behind the scenes nature works in bizarre and wonderful ways. One place where this weirdness occurs is at very cold temperatures, billionths of degrees above absolute zero. At these temperatures, millions of atoms can act as one huge atom called a Bose-Einstein condensate and have bizarre properties. I'll show how you can calculate how 'fuzzy' you are and how cold you have to be to pass through walls! We’ll discuss these cryptic sentences and explain how weird our universe really is.


Prerequisites
Some basic algebra, but not much else. An excitement to learn some interesting facts about nature is a must!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 89 (max 90)

Materials for this class include: BEC Presentation

S6341: Computational Cognitive Science
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kevin Ellis

Ever wanted to describe the mind using MATH? In this class, we'll learn about computational approaches to making sense of vision, language, concept learning, and other interesting topics in cognitive science. The class will discuss the history of computational cognitive science and delve in to some recent theories based on Bayesian statistics.


Prerequisites
Algebra is a must, a basic knowledge of probability and statistics will help a lot
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 40)


S6404: Medicinal chemistry and rational drug design Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Daniel Zhang

S6257: The Holographic Principle
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Eric Newman

You're so shallow that you're just a hologram.

Everyone can agree that the above statement is a lame put-down, but is it also a true statement about the universe?

In this class, we will learn the about the physics underlying the holographic principle and about the various extensions to it.


Prerequisites
A familiarity with basic physics and math concepts will be helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 48 (max 60)


S6256: Neglected Diseases of the Bottom Billion Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Seyedeh Zekavat

S6173: Time Loop Genetics Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jennifer Hogan, Justin Lan

S6637: Vector Dynamics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Kevin Burdge, Average Phan

We will show you how to use basic vector calculus to solve some dynamics problems. We will do some point-particle dynamics problems in the first part of the class (for example, the Kepler problem, which is simple) and then rigid body dynamics problems in the second part of the class (for example, a problem about a sphere on a rotating plane, which is complicated). A list of possible problems will be uploaded.


Prerequisites
Calculus
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 2 (max 15)


S6394: Hydro Carnival
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jane Chui, Ben Scandella, Ruoqian (Roger) Wang

Step right up! Come get your hands wet tackling the most challenging challenges, solving the most mysterious mysteries in the known hydrosphere! This year's Hydro Carnival features three midway games that test your brain and your brawn:

1) Lungs of Steel
2) A Sinking Feeling
3) Cloud in a Bottle Rocket

Come for the prizes or come for the thrill, but beware...you might learn something! Each activity has various difficulty levels to complete, so come ye come all, there is truly something for everyone.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 35)
Section 2: 29 (max 30)


S6241: Quantum Computing: When 0 and 1 Just Aren't Enough
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Charles Epstein, Max Zimet

The universe is weird. But this weirdness is useful. Come have your mind blown and learn about how we can harness this weirdness to solve problems in ways that seem inexplicably fast. Gain intuition for why quantum mechanics is weird! Learn about computing with bits that aren't just 0 or 1, but somehow both at the same time, and how early versions of these computers have already been built. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics will be assumed.


Prerequisites
Knowledge of vectors and matrices will be important. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics will be assumed.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 64)


S6280: Heuristics and Biases - Common Mistakes of Reasoning and Thought
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Luis Voloch

What are some of the most common mistakes that people make in reasoning? The field of study "Heuristics and Biases" explores some of these questions. In this class we will explore some of the most common mistakes (which are shortcuts that lead to bad conclusions) that people make, and we will try to fix some of them.

Here is a list of some of the topics that we may cover, with more introduced in class:
Availability Heuristic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic

Curse of knowledge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_knowledge

Selection bias:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selection_bias

Overconfidence effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overconfidence_effect


Prerequisites
Interest in learning about the subject and thinking more effectively (and some basic knowledge of probability won't hurt either!)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 100)


S6081: Crazy Sex: The Genetics of Sex Determination
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sweet Tea Dorminy

Come learn a little bit about genetics --- and the more crazy living things of the world, complete with strange !

Chromosomes are structures that store and organize DNA, and some of these chromosomes control sex. Now, most of the time, we understand this pretty well: female humans have two complete sex chromosomes, while male humans have one complete chromosome and one of a slightly-broken chromosome. We designate these XX and XY, respectively. But not everything has sexes that are determined like this... platypus sex is determined by 10
different chromosomes instead of 2, for instance. In this class, we'll learn how chromosomes work and explore how this plays out in exotic sex chromosomes :-)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 40 (max 50)


S6362: Cool Topics in Modern Physics - Session 1
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Brent Belland, Steven Drapcho, Anna Ho, Pratheek Nagaraj, Ashley Villar

This class will be a series of very short (7-8 min.) lightning lectures on various topics in modern physics, designed to give a conceptual overview of each topic and what is interesting and exciting about it. Session 1 will include topics like Special Relativity, General Relativity/Cosmology, The Early Universe/Inflation, Unsolved Problems in Physics (quantum theory of gravity, what's going on with dark energy/dark matter), and the LHC/the Higgs particle.


Prerequisites
1.) Be in high school (9-12th grade) 2.) Get psyched about physics!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 48 (max 57)


S6733: On Black Holes, Singularities, and the Event Horizon: A Journey into the Abyss
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michael Shaw

Back by popular demand! We’re going to dive right into the most massive objects in our universe—billions of times the mass of the sun. (Note: we won’t actually dive into a black hole—it’s hard to get out).

When small stars die, they peter out. When massive stars die, they explode in supernovas, outshining an entire galaxy, and what’s left is a black hole, a singularity of mass so dense that even light is trapped behind. We’ll tour around a few black holes, study their effect on our daily lives, and of course, the seven ways a black hole can kill you. I’ll venture into wormholes, white holes, and other exotics. We’ll even bring in a sporting interest and talk about how Stephen Hawking once lost a bet on black holes, and how it was related to the ultimate demise and even death of these most mysterious of objects. (Food for thought: how does a black hole die, anyway?)

Be ready to open your minds, to be bent by the curvature of spacetime, and generally to lose yourself in the fun and beauty of the most amazing objects out there in the sky.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 79 (max 151)


S6591: Hot Cities: problems and solutions
Difficulty: **
Teachers: William Carbery, Evan Kuras

Cities are hotter than their surrounding areas. In this course we will figure out why, uncover consequences, and try to solve the problem.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 12 (max 15)


S6431: The Heart and Mind Connection
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lisa Rogers

THE HEART AND MIND CONNECTION

Which comes first: your emotion or your thought? Are you in charge of either? Investigate emotional intelligence, the basic neurobiology behind it, and how it can help you think more clearly, alleviate stress, and set productive intentions for life. Consider how the heart, emotions, and mind work together and learn how to apply their collective power to all aspects of your existence.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 16)


S6573: Selected Topics in Modern Physics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Lawrence Chiou

You've used F = ma before but felt like all you did were some cut-and-dried problems. In this course, we will go beyond plugging and chugging by examining some interesting and challenging examples in modern physics and by exploring some topics not frequently seen in high school physics courses. Topics include quantum mechanics, special relativity, atomic theory, and electromagnetism.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 64)
Section 2: 18 (max 60)


S6382: Neutrinos
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lucy Zhang

In the time it takes you to read this description, hundreds of trillions of neutrinos will have passed through your body. Come learn what neutrinos are, how they're produced, how we detect them, and why neutrino physics represents such an exciting frontier in physics.


Prerequisites
Some physics background would be helpful, but prior experience with particle physics is not necessary.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 24)


S6235: Introduction to organic chemistry
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Charles Du

Drawing organic molecules, arrow pushing, frontier molecular orbital theory, basic reaction mechanisms.


Prerequisites
general chemistry (honors, AP, IB, etc. all fine). Will assume prior knowledge of molecular orbitals and hybridization.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 30)


S6149: The Magical Beauty of Parasitic Wasps
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Peter LoVerso

Parasites have gotten a bad rap over the past couple centuries. They’ve been looked down upon as inferior, broken organisms that deserve to be objects of disgust, rather than study. But because of attitudes such as this, some of the most wondrous and complex biological pathways we know of have been left by the wayside. Here, we will look at the intricacies of mind control, neurosurgery, and symbiotic viruses through the study of Ampulex compressa and Cotesia congragata.

Warning: this class will be looking at pictures and videos of parasitization. This includes videos and pictures of wasp larvae eating caterpillars, spiders, and other organisms alive. If pictures like this make you feel squeamish: http://i.imgur.com/RWBI8.jpg (Warning, it’s a picture of some larva emerging from a caterpillar)
then this may not be the class for you.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 3: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 4: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 35)
Section 2: Full! (max 30)
Section 3: 30 (max 35)
Section 4: 6 (max 35)


S6577: History of surgery
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

Surgery is a high-tech endeavor today, but it was not so even a hundred years ago! Come learn how current neurosurgery evolved from people sticking stakes into each others' heads in prehistoric times, why you're unlikely to get a life-threatening infection when you go to the dentist, and how STDs helped develop plastic surgery as we know it today.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 54 (max 60)


S6251: Cancer: What is it and how do we stop it?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: David Benjamin

We will cover the basic biology behind cancer, a brief history of how we came to our current understanding, and new strategies that are being used to fight it.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 3: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 45 (max 55)
Section 2: 54 (max 80)
Section 3: 149 (max 151)


S6576: Origami Mathematics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Brian Lee

Let's talk about the rules that govern origami folding. No special math background required!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 20)
Section 2: 17 (max 20)


S6432: The Heart and Mind Connection
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lisa Rogers

THE HEART AND MIND CONNECTION

Which comes first: your emotion or your thought? Are you in charge of either? Investigate emotional intelligence, the basic neurobiology behind it, and how it can help you think more clearly, alleviate stress, and set productive intentions for life. Consider how the heart, emotions, and mind work together and learn how to apply their collective power to all aspects of your existence.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 16)


S6240: Hands-on human anatomy Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Maple Ye

S6592: The Nature of Nature
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Evan Kuras

Take a walk on the wild side and learn about the ecology of MIT's campus. Subjects will range from plant identification to urban environmental management to eco-philosophy.


Prerequisites
Must be comfortable outside.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 11
Enrollment
Section 1: 10 (max 11)


S6688: Tornadoes!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Natalie Meusling

Come and learn all about tornadoes because they're really cool and interesting! =)
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 3: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)
Section 2: 15 (max 20)
Section 3: 12 (max 20)


S6730: Extraordinary physics...ordinary things! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alexandra Churikova, Andrei Klishin

S6182: Your Brain on Drugs
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Dustin Hayden

What does your brain look like on drugs? Come understand the underlying biology of how and why drugs impact our brains. Includes a brief Intro to Neuroscience.


Prerequisites
Basic biology and chemistry helps, but is by no means necessary.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 30)
Section 2: 27 (max 30)


S6523: Crash Course in Immunology
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Cali Warner

Enter the fascinating battle of body versus invader. Come get excited about blood, proteins, killer cells, and your spleen.


Prerequisites
basic biology
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 22 (max 30)


S6333: The Tree of Life: Ancestry and Evolution
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Crowell

Are dinosaurs really extinct? Should humans be considered a type of fish? Modern systematics provides strong but counterintuitive answers to these questions. This course explores why evolutionary history shapes the scientific understanding of life and how our view of the biological world has changed since Linnaeus.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 3: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 54 (max 90)
Section 2: 40 (max 80)
Section 3: 41 (max 180)


S6233: Origins of Modern Science from Copernicus to Newton
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lance Ozier

Only 500 years ago, most people thought the Earth was the center of the universe and that there were only four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. Come learn how five men, two supernovas, and the Black Plague changed all that.


Prerequisites
Interest in science and history.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 50 (max 60)


S6234: Ocean and Climate
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Chen Li

Do you ever wonder how the clouds form? Or why California is sunny nearly all the time? Or how the earth's climate changed around the last ice age?

Come to learn about what factors drive the amazing dynamics of our planet!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 75 (max 90)


S6136: The Physics of Waves
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ryan Normandin

You've heard plenty about particles, but what about waves? Come and learn about the other half of physics as we derive the speed of light and explore how waves work!


Prerequisites
Calculus
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 94 (max 180)


S6546: Mind Games
Difficulty: *
Teachers: June Geng

Quick! Think about a color!

Now think about a tool!

Did you think of a red hammer?

No? Well, did you think of a BLUE hammer? (And did you notice the color scheme of this page?)

If you've ever wanted to get people to do what you want, this is the class for you. Come learn how to hack others' brains to your advantage and how to spot it when other people are trying to hack yours, all with the power of psychology.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 34)


S6706: Protein Folding - With models!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jiyeon Baek

Ever heard about foldit? Or Green Fluorescent Proteins? Or just plain love puzzles and putting things together? Come learn about how proteins that make up so much of our lives fold into a shape necessary for biology! You'll also get to build models of proteins to take home!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)


S6709: Holography: It's not all smoke and mirrors
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Emily TenCate

Did you know that we've been making holograms since the 1960's? You might be wondering why we still don't have technology like the Holodeck from Star Trek. Come learn about the basics of holography, how scientists and artists make and use holograms, and why holography is really the imaging technology of the future. We'll discuss light, optics, and perception, and we'll end with an overview of some of the awesome applications of hologram technology!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 40)


S6171: You Are Not Human
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jennifer Hogan

How much of your body is actually human? You know, really living, breathing YOU. Not as much as you might think. There are 10 times more bacteria on you than human cells, 48% of your DNA comes from viruses, and your red blood cells are not alive. Come learn not about what you are, but about what you aren’t.


Prerequisites
Highschool Biology
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 30 (max 40)
Section 2: 24 (max 25)


S6668: How to read science papers
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

When scientists discover something cool, they write a "paper" about it. Papers are different from any form of writing you're likely to have seen before, and knowing how to read them, and read them well, is crucial for understanding current science research. Through examples from biology, we'll see how a paper is structured, and how you can decode it.

Examples include, but not limited to, Mendel's paper reporting inheritance patterns, Watson and Crick's paper on DNA structure, and a recent paper on chimeric rhesus monkeys.


Prerequisites
A general background in biology is necessary to understand the content -- a completed high school biology course or equivalent will be sufficient.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 38 (max 50)


S6487: The Physics of Rock Climbing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: TJ Wilkason

Rock climbing is often considered one of the most dangerous sports. However, physics plays a key role in keeping the climber safe. Come learn about all of the different ways we experience physics in climbing, from gravity to forces of falling to friction. With all of the different parts of physics working together, climbing becomes an incredibly safe and awesome sport.


Prerequisites
Basic trigonometry and pre-calculus, as well as a basic understanding of Newtonian mechanics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 30)


S6328: Belief and Truth
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Matthew Davis

Why do we automatically reject certain ideas, while fervently believing in others? Together, we will challenge the core of our reasoning and take a journey to discover the roots (or lack thereof) of proof and logic, learning to always question everything.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 39 (max 56)
Section 2: 16 (max 40)


S6537: Spacetime and Black Holes and More!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Nathan Benjamin, Ky-Anh Tran

Have you ever wondered what a black hole is? What does it mean for spacetime to be curved? Is time travel possible in our current universe? If yes, this course is for you! We start with basic Newtonian Gravity, and move on to build intuition behind Einstein's General Relativity.


Prerequisites
Some physics and calculus is nice, but whatever.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 35)


S6526: Psychology: A Brief But Memorable Intro
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Shauna Gordon-McKeon

Learn about some of the coolest and weirdest topics in psychology during this short survey course. We'll dissect sheep brains, attempt to eat our own spit, face off against each other in economic games, and test our own physiological stress reactions. We'll discuss the psychology of morality, learn the history of interventions like lobotomies and pharmaceuticals, and discuss the neuroscience behind phenomena like blindsight and synesthesia.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 3: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 36)
Section 2: Full! (max 35)
Section 3: 22 (max 25)


S6475: Theoretical Physics: from Mechanics to Quantum Field Theory
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Alexey Boyko

Do you want to know something about the most advanced physics ever created?
Do you want to be able to write an equation of every tiny bit of the world? (except quantum gravity)
And at least do you want to understand what was written on a white-board of Sheldon Cooper in TBBT? =)

Be prepared to taste almost the whole set of university mathematics and quantum physics by 3 hours of mind-blowing hardcoreness ]:->

This lecture will be a compilation of 10 brief introductions in university subjects of modern Math, and the culmination will be some topics in quantum field theory.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with derivatives and trigonometric functions
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 45)


S6128: Illuminating Dark Matter
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eric Gentry

You might think we know about a lot of stuff in the universe. Proton, neutrons, electron ... even the newly observed Higgs boson. But really, that's just the tip of the iceberg -- a meager 4%

Come learn about 21% of the rest: Dark Matter. I'll take you on a whirlwind tour of how we discovered it, ideas of what it might be, what "dark" means, and how we are trying to study it.


Prerequisites
Basic physics + chemistry. Understand the basic math of (newtonian) gravity + (coulombic) electric forces. Know basics of protons, electrons, neutrons.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)
Section 2: 17 (max 20)


S6422: Climate change
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Andrea Dubin

Have you heard about global warming? Ever wonder what the climate has done in the past? Come learn about what our climate has done, and what we might expect it to do in the future.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 20)


S6629: Maxwell's Equations
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Zandra Vinegar

These four equations describe one of the most universal and elegant relations in physics. They are Maxwell’s equations, unifying all observations of relativity, electricity, and magnetism. Don’t let the notation scare you off – this class has no prerequisites (as in, just be able to graph a function), but we will rigorously derive Maxwell’s explanation of electromagnetic phenomena (including light, electricity, magnets, …). “Derive” with the catch that, as I don’t believe in writing long equations on the board, everything in this class will be presented as a series of intuitive /and/ rigorous deductions, preserving concepts rather than constants.

We will begin with only two observations. First, the relativistic nature of light: you can’t catch up to a light beam – it will always move away from you at speed c. Second, our observations of the force between two charges described by q_1*q_2/r^2: q_1 and q_2 being the magnitude of the two charges, and r being the distance between them. From these two observations, we will DERIVE the explanation of everything else. Aka, the world will unfold before you and it will be beautiful.


Prerequisites
All this said, and there being no “hidden prerequisites,” the world will need to unfold before you /very/ quickly. I basically just claimed that I would introduce all of single-variable calculus and about half of multivariable calculus in the first hour of class – which I believe is an attainable goal – but this class will be rigorous, will be extremely intense, and will require the full two hours.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 24)


S6662: Chemistry of Explosions
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zach ., Duncan Townsend, Eric Van Albert

Learn what makes things go bang. Covers low-order explosives such as black powder, as well as primary, secondary, and tertiary high-order explosives such as RDX and TNT. Learn what chemicals go into making explosives and how they are safely manufactured.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 37 (max 40)


S6179: Controlling DNA: Epigenetics, Operons, and Beyond
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Shulin Ye

What prevents your liver cell from becoming a bone cell?
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 40)


S6467: Inside the Brain: Connecting Physiology to Experience
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Abby Noyce

A whirlwind tour of cellular-level neuroscience. We'll talk about synapses, action potentials, glutamate, GABA, dopamine, and serotonin. We'll talk about poisons, medications, and recreational drugs, and link their neuronal effects to the experiences people report. We'll also talk a bit about learning, memory, reward, and emotions, and what's going on in the brain when these things happen.


Prerequisites
Some biology will be necessary (you should be generally familiar with cells). We'll be talking about ions and ion flow; a bit of chemistry background is recommended.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 71 (max 151)


S6545: Mind Games Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: June Geng

S6754: Particle Accelerators
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Elizabeth Berg

Subatomic particles are too small to be seen by even the most powerful microscopes. Instead, researchers use particle accelerators, machines that rapidly accelerate and collide streams of particles. In this class, you will learn about the different components of the detectors and get the opportunity to identify and analyze real data!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 35)


S6764: Synthetic Biology Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kristjan Eerik Kaseniit, Felix Sun, Chelsea Voss

S6713: Physics, part 1: Newtonian Mechanics Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Stephen Face, Michael Flynn

S6621: Illusion of Space, Time and Particle
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Kevin Burdge, Average Phan

Do you really understand what Space, Time and Particles actually are? Welcome to Theoretical Physics, you’ll see how your common sense means nothing – you don’t even actually know how to count! In the first half of the class, we will teach you about special relativity and general relativity, then show you how complicated Space and Time really are – everything you see is just an illusion. In the second part of the class, we will teach you quantum mechanics and relativistic quantum field theory with a curved spacetime background, and tell you how a Particle can pop out of nowhere, and then disappear without trace and do some other interesting things. And as common sense is meaningless, we will show you how even every particle is just an illusion. We promise that we will teach you how to count again – very carefully, and then show you that it’s totally meaningless. Finally, in the end of the class (this is an optional part, since it will depend on how much time we have left), we will tell you about how Theoretical Physicists think about Particles – the building blocks of everything – from Classical Mechanics to Supersymmetric String Theory and maybe Non-pertubative String Theory. We hope that after being a student in our class, you will feel that everything around you is meaningless and nothing that you have learnt until now makes sense, and that Physics is just a big troll.


Prerequisites
Calculus
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm, Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 60)

Materials for this class include: Troll Physics series

S6549: AnimalBots Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Michael Pappas

S6813: Exoplanets Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ashley Villar

S6348: Viruses, bacteria, colds, flu, and what is happening when you get sick
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Charles Hsu, Rebecca Shi

Ever get sick and wonder what is going on inside your body and why you feel like canine feces? Well come take our class and you will find out all about the different pathogens that make you sick!

You will walk away looking at this world and the coughing people around you differently.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 38 (max 40)


S6509: Stick Throwing! (Traditional Archery)
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Rhys Bendell

Using bendy sticks to throw pointy sticks at the bad guys is a genius idea that has been around for centuries. Now that technology has left pointed sticks in the dust, too few are familiar with the history, mechanics, and sheer awesomeness of traditional archery. Come join the ranks!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 40)
Section 2: 32 (max 40)


S6714: Physics, part 2: Electricity and Magnetism Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Stephen Face, Michael Flynn

S6601: Deep Sea Biology!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

Ever wondered how deep in the oceans you can find life? What kind of creatures live in crevices as deep as the height of Mount Everest? And how do they get food down there? We'll answer all these questions and more!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sun 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 108 (max 154)
Section 2: Full! (max 80)


S6238: A Theory of Everything (or just Something?) Full!
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Eric Newman

S6689: When Cells Die.
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Andrew Thompson

A mini-introduction to pathology, the study of disease. We will explore the body’s various tissues through examples of micro-anatomy and describe the changes they undergo as they encounter insult, injury and death. Hopefully your basic biology knowledge will be sharpened to explain many sophisticated phenomena of disease and death.

.


Prerequisites
1 year Introductory Biology. If you can draw and label a cartoon cell, you should be fine
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 108 (max 200)


S6077: Introduction to Pulsars
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Anna Ho

When a star explodes into a supernova at the end of its life, it leaves behind a "pulsar". A pulsar is an ultra-dense neutron star, that emits a beam of light as it spins around (at hundreds of times PER SECOND!) just like a light-house. Pulsars are extremely dense, and have extremely powerful magnetic fields - the details of their properties and behavior are still mysteries to astrophysicists. In this class, you will learn about what pulsars are, how astronomers find them, and how they can be used as tools to understand more about the universe.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 25)
Section 2: 34 (max 40)


S6393: Build Your Own Cosmic Ray Detector!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alexander McCarthy, Rishi Patel

In 1956, C.L. Stong wrote in a Scientific American column:

"If you fasten a disk of alcohol-soaked blotting paper in the bottom of a jar, screw on the lid and up-end the jar on a cake of dry ice, you will occasionally see the concluding phase of an event which may have had its origin millions of years ago in an exploding star."

In this class, students will learn how to build their own cloud chambers to detect cosmic radiation, while learning a bit about the physics behind them.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 3: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 35)
Section 2: Full! (max 35)
Section 3: 29 (max 30)


S6363: Cool Topics in Modern Physics - Session 2 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Christie Chiu, Steven Drapcho, Andrei Klishin, Charles Xu, Andrew Xu

S6720: Physics, part 6: Space
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Stephen Face, Michael Flynn

The greatest physicist of all time is Alan Guth. His discovery of cosmic inflation confirmed our understanding of the essential process of the Big Bang. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!


Prerequisites
Trignometry, and Algebra. Familiarity with Special Relativity will be helpful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 56 (max 57)


S6456: Biology of the Brain
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Abby Noyce

How do brain cells work? What is up with drugs that affect the nervous system? When people say things like, "Love is just a chemical reaction in your brain," what do they mean? Are they right?
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 133 (max 151)
Section 2: 144 (max 151)


S6313: The fishing game
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

Come learn about fishing techniques and the environmental effects of overfishing, then try your hand at managing a sustainable fishery with your classmates.


Prerequisites
Just enthusiasm and willingness to handle dry beans.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 12)
Section 2: 5 (max 10)


S6563: Calculating on the Back of an Envelope: An Intro to Order of Magnitude Calculations
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ilana Porter, Nicholas Rivera

Scientists and engineers (and a whole host of other people) rely on estimation to guide their work. We rely on them to determine if experiments are safe to conduct, or if they're worthwhile to conduct. More importantly, we use them to ground ourselves in reality. We use them to get a feel for what numbers actually mean.

What does it mean for 1 kg of TNT to release 10^6 J? How can we imagine things huge numbers like 10^23 in the context of atoms? Or even 10^20 gallons of water. How do you visualize that? It turns out that doing order of magnitude estimates helps you do precisely that.

In this class, we're going to answer some (hopefully all) of the following questions (just using basic facts about the world and common sense!):

- How many jelly beans are in a jar full of jelly beans? (Of arbitrary size, but we'll check it for some specific sizes just in case someone ever asks you to guess how many jelly beans are in their jar)
- How long would it take someone to walk across the Earth along any given circle of latitude?
- How many atoms fit on the head of a pin?
- How long would it take you to count to a million? How many students would it require to reshelve 2,000,000 library books in three weeks? How are these problems related?
- How many cells are in your body? How much water do they hold in total?
- How long is your DNA?
- How much hydrogen gets converted to helium in the Sun each year?
- How many air molecules from my breath are you inhaling every second?
- What is the energy output of a nuclear bomb? (This is a fairly historic problem solved by Fermi)
- How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? (another classic). And we will experimentally verify this... free candy!!!!

We will also answer some of your curiosities. If you have a question, we can estimate the answers together.

In the process of answering these questions, we will also call on our scientific instinct to the best of our ability to determine if these answers are reasonable. In other words, we're going to do science the way scientists do it.


Prerequisites
This class will cover ideas from biology, physics, and chemistry. You won't need a deep understanding of them to follow, but it may help put some of the results that we will arrive at in context. You should be comfortable with scientific notation converting between different units.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm
Section 2: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 40)
Section 2: 15 (max 40)


S6196: Crayfish: Take It Apart! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Chelsea Voss, Shulin Ye

S6784: Earthquakes!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ben Thompson

A repeat of the Cape Ann Earthquake could liquefy large parts of Boston and Cambridge, killing hundreds or thousands and causing massive property damage.

Earthquakes are insanely massive releases of the energy stored in the Earth. They're a terrifying example of the active Earth.

We'll start by talking about some specific earthquakes and their effects on humans and the Earth. Possible eathquakes: Kobe Earthquake, Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami, Cape Ann Earthquake, 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

Then we'll shift to a discussion of the theory behind how earthquakes function. We'll use some of this theory to explain the differences between the earthquakes we looked at earlier in the class.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 3: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm
Section 4: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 30)
Section 2: 24 (max 30)
Section 3: 19 (max 30)
Section 4: 17 (max 30)


S6489: Do We Really Need the Higgs?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: TJ Wilkason

This past summer, scientists discovered a Higgs-like particle, making what has been called "the greatest scientific discovery in the last 40 years". Where does this leave us now? What else is there to learn about particle physics? Are our theories really successful, or is there something else we're still missing? Learn about the Standard Model and how the Higgs Boson fits in, and how this is supposed to describe what we see in the universe.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 33 (max 35)


S6593: Biogeochemical Cycles: how the world recycles itself
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Rachel Keeler

Earth science: where chemistry, physics, and biology meet to teach us awesome things about the world around us. Come learn about nitrogen, carbon, ozone, and sulfates, where they are in the earth system and how they get from one place to another. In the process, we'll talk about how human activity changes the earth, atmosphere, and oceans around us.


Prerequisites
It will probably help to have a grasp of basic chemistry, but it isn't required; this is intended to be an intro class.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 36)


S6660: The Coriolis Force
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kathryn Materna

What is the Coriolis Force, and why is it called a fictitious force? See what it really is, and how it applies to bathtubs, toilet bowls, weather patterns, pendulums, and more.


Prerequisites
Be comfortable with algebra and trigonometry. Other math will be explained during the course.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 30)


S6191: Crayfish: Take It Apart! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Chelsea Voss, Shulin Ye

S6773: Mysteries of Hexaflexagons Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Victor Hung, Kevin Li, Thomas Lu

S6715: Physics, part 3: Special Relativity
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Stephen Face, Michael Flynn

The greatest physicist of all time is Albert Einstein. His discovery of the theory of relativity confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of space and time. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!


Prerequisites
Should have some geometry/algebra background.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 57)


S6078: Explosive Chemistry!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Sweet Tea Dorminy

Everyone knows that one of the best parts of chemistry is blowing things up. Come learn about the chemical structure and synthesis of explosive materials! Sadly, we can’t blow anything up ourselves, but we can watch videos of it. Along the way, we’ll learn about organic synthesis, how explosives are made; thermodynamics and characteristics of explosives, why things explode; and plenty of other awesome and explosive chemistry.


Prerequisites
What's an atom? What's an electron? If you know that, you should be able to follow this class.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 3: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 146 (max 151)
Section 2: 72 (max 200)
Section 3: 171 (max 200)


S6343: Cook like a Chemist Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kristen Cotner

S6314: A day in the life of a coral
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

Have you ever seen pictures of beautiful coral reefs? Ever wondered how they are made? In this class you will learn about the biology of coral polyps, the tiny animals that make the coral. You will also learn to use a special technique that scientists use to go back in time and learn about a coral's past.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


S6673: What's a Quasicrystal?
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Liza Plotnikov

Last year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Dan Shechtman "for the discovery of quasicrystals". In this class, we'll talk about what a crystal is in the context of materials science, how a quasicrystal is different from a regular crystal, what quasicrystals are used for, and why their discovery is deserving of a Nobel prize.


Prerequisites
high school chemistry
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 20 (max 30)


S6646: A quick guide for Theoretical Physics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Kevin Burdge, Average Phan

(2nd of a 3 classes series). This class continues what we teach in “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle”. Consider that we finished with Special Relativity, General Relativity and basic Quantum Mechanics in “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle”; we will go through the mathematical ideas (and introduce some background) in Quantum Theory, Relativistic Quantum Field Theory, Grand Unified Theory, Standard Model, String Theory and beyond (depend on how much time we have left, we will go through M-theory, F-theory and Non-pertubative theory). We will proceed very rapidly, and we don’t expect you to understand all the mathematics, but we really hope you can understand the basic ideas underlying in each theory.


Prerequisites
Class "Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” (recommend but not required)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 25)

Materials for this class include: Troll Physics series

S6716: Physics, part 4: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Stephen Face, Michael Flynn

The greatest physicists of all time are Joseph Lagrange and William Hamilton. Their discovery of new formulations of mechanics confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of energy. Come learn about their vital contributions to the world of physics!


Prerequisites
Calculus.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 57)


S6133: Murder for the Beginner
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Riley Drake

Arsenic and old lace? Beginner luck! Everything you never wanted to know about neurotoxins (and other nasty stuff). Loosely based off the book 'The Poisoner's Handbook' by Deborah Blum and the work of Vil Mirzayanov, inventor of the world's most potent neurotoxin, Novichok-5.


Prerequisites
Some background in Biology is helpful, but not required.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 20)
Section 2: 33 (max 34)


S6694: Stupid human tricks and why the zombie apocalypse won't happen
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Andrew Thompson

We'll cover some of the more unusual examples of how the human body can be an example of exquisite functional design or completely stupid fail. From here I hope to encourage discussion and question and answer of any bodily myth, mystery, or ailment. Stomach growling. Entoptic images. Knuckle cracking. The valgus knee and how Bigfoot has to be a guy in a furry suit. AND the biology behind why the zombie apocalypse can't happen


Prerequisites
leave your zombie apocalypse fantasies at home
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 39 (max 45)
Section 2: 17 (max 40)


S6131: Neurons: Lights, Camera, Action!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Rebecca Shi

Learn about the basic unit of your nervous system: the neuron! How do these cells send signals over long distances? What is the chemical basis behind these signals? This class is designed to introduce students to the basic structure of a neuron and mechanism behind the action potential.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 47 (max 50)
Section 2: 53 (max 57)


S6138: The Physics of Climate Change
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ryan Normandin

You've probably heard that the world is getting warmer. Whether you follow all the latest news or don't even think its happening, this class will create from basic physics a model of the atmosphere that will produce the data used by the International Panel on Climate Change, come and learn the dynamics behind global warming!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 42 (max 180)
Section 2: 64 (max 180)


S6712: Guesstimation: How to think like a Scientist!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Michael Shaw

Have you ever seen someone guess the attendance at a concert, the number of cells in the human body, or the amount of ice cream consumed daily in Boston? Do you worry that you’re not “mathy” enough to do the same? This ability is not inherent talent, or dumb luck: it’s a skill that we’ll learn!

Science asks us to look analytically at the world around us—to study complexity in all its wondrous forms. We break down these mysterious problems into simple pieces that we can wrap our heads around; then, put together the jigsaw, and voila: You have done something extra-ordinary.

Come ready to think outside the box and to exercise your mind in new ways. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or a nationally-ranked mathematician to have fun and flex some new mental muscles!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 112 (max 151)
Section 2: 89 (max 151)


S6631: Live-Action Vector Fields!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Zandra Vinegar

Want to see yourself 30ft up on a giant screen?
Want to be part of an MIT youtube broadcast?

Come be part of the world's largest ever human vector field! (Actually, as far as I know, it will be the world's ONLY ever purposefully staged human vector field.)

Vector fields are ubiquitous in physics, and we want to make an amazing video: 100 students together forming a massive human vector field!

In the process, you'll also learn about and experience the science that governs electricity, magnetism, fluid, and heat. There will even be some calculus (slope-fields are vector fields!)


Prerequisites
Don't know what a vector is, no problem! We'll introduce you to all of the math and science you need in the first 10 minutes of class. But most of class will be filming the vector fields for the video!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 130 (max 250)


S6146: My Little Pony: Chemistry is Magic
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Christopher Leon

Principles of chemistry will be taught with examples from the popular cartoon show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)
Section 2: 29 (max 30)


S6681: Drilling for Chocolate Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Elizabeth Krueger, Jayson Lynch

S6687: Science of Everything
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Zach ., Vincent Lee

Derive the universe from a piece of fairy cake.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)


S6391: Autism 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alyssa Zisk

There's a decent chance you've seen some sort of statistic about autism, perhaps the infamous "more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, AIDS, and muscular dystrophy combined." Come find out what Autistic Spectrum Disorders actually are, anyways, with a breaking down of some popular stereotypes about autistic people.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 35)
Section 2: Full! (max 25)


S6656: Human Reproductive Physiology Closed!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

S6564: Introduction to Physical Chemistry
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Nicholas Rivera

Physical chemistry, to put it short, is the branch of chemistry that answers the question "why?". It gives us insight into the structure and behavior of atoms and molecules and what this means about the behavior of 10^23 atoms - it let's us predict and understand the properties of materials and it also helps us understand why compounds react in the ways that they do.

We're going to discuss schrodinger's equation, and what it means about the way that molecules can move and the energies that they have.

And once we understand that, we'll talk about the Boltzmann distribution and the partition function and use it to predict and understand properties of materials. For instance, we will PROVE that PV = nRT.

Lastly, we'll discuss some experimental methods (i.e; some of the stuff that physical chemists do in a lab) in order to predict the properties of materials and understand why chemistry works the way it does.

And then I'm going to discuss assorted topics such as bond stability, compound stability, and intermolecular forces.


Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry will help you appreciate the full magnitude and importance of this subject matter. A year of physics would also be extremely helpful. You should have some knowledge of energy, momentum, and forces. Calculus will be used. It will help a lot if you know how to differentiate functions.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 35)


S6084: Uranium from Start to Finish Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Sweet Tea Dorminy

S6134: The Army Inside You
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Riley Drake

Risk or Diplomacy? What about life or death? A whirlwind introduction to insane, yet strategic battles that go on in your body every day (and how they can go terribly awry). This course will focus primarily on the t-cell response and how diseases are an evolving, as opposed to a static, threat.


Prerequisites
Students should know what t-cell is, and be prepared to ask questions.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 40 (max 50)
Section 2: 44 (max 50)


S6512: How to land an airplane!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Dan Noe

The captain and the copilot both had the fish. The announcement comes over the PA, "Is anyone on board a pilot?" You jump forward, "I'm not, but I did take a Splash Class once!" Well maybe that is a slight stretch! We'll talk about the theory aerodynamics, stalls, flight instruments and controls, and do some simple demonstrations with a big fan and models. At the end of the class I'll go through the basic steps of landing any aircraft from small to airliner.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 35 (max 36)
Section 2: 47 (max 55)


S6721: Physics, part 5: Quantum Mechanics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Stephen Face, Michael Flynn

The greatest physicist of all time is Erwin Schrodinger. His discovery of unitary time evolution confirmed our understanding of the essential physics of quantum processes. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!


Prerequisites
Definitely want some calculus. Linear algebra helpful, but not required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 49 (max 57)


S6137: Introduction to Special Relativity
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ryan Normandin

This is the class that will throw everything you know out the window. Time travel is not only possible, scientists actually know how to do it! The Law of Conservation of Mass is a lie. Energy Conservation is another lie. From a four-dimensional point of view, you are a strand of spaghetti. Come and learn how to not only time travel, but turn into a black hole while you’re at it!
Note: One derivation at the very end will use a small amount of basic calculus.


Prerequisites
Algebra, Pythagorean Theorem
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 3: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 4: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 5: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 47 (max 90)
Section 2: 54 (max 96)
Section 3: 33 (max 96)
Section 4: 70 (max 96)
Section 5: 86 (max 151)


S6642: Cognitive Neuroscience
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Julie Moyer

Interested in how your brain works? Want to learn cool psychology tips and tricks you can try out on your friends? In this class, we will get some hands-on experience learning how to really work -- and trick -- your brain!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 104 (max 294)
Section 2: 69 (max 294)


S6092: The Physics of Skydiving
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Andrew Horning

Sometimes physics really is life or death. Gravity, fluid flow, drag, resistance, and angular momentum aren't really that exciting sounding, but for those of us who jump out of perfectly good airplanes, they matter a lot!

Come learn about freefall, BASE jumping, wingsuits, parachutes, and everything in between with an MIT PhD student and licensed skydiver. There will be awesome videos, skydiving equipment, and sweet jumpsuits (and a few equations).
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--9:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 141 (max 151)
Section 2: Full! (max 151)


S6457: Finding a Cure for Cancer
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Melissa Ko

It has been more than forty years since President Nixon declared “war” on cancer, starting a nationwide effort to research and develop more effective treatments for cancer. So now, in 2012, many people are wondering: where is the cure?

Learn about the complexities of cancer and tumor biology, the kinds of questions we are answering with research now, and why “finding a cure for cancer” is not as simple as it sounds.


Prerequisites
basic understanding of cell biology and cancer biology
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 20 (max 25)


S6589: Snails and Such: a case for ecological complexity
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Evan Kuras

This course will examine a case study concerning snails and decomposition dynamics within an intertidal salt marsh. We will use this case to better understand ecologically complex systems.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


S6731: Extreme Physics: from Quarks to Supermassive Black Holes
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Jon Beaulieu

So what exactly is going on at the center of a black hole? And what on earth is a pion? If you were able to travel faster than light, what would happen? This course will cover some of the most extreme cases of physics in the universe, from the unimaginably small world of quantum mechanics to the infinite edges of the universe.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 3: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)
Section 2: Full! (max 30)
Section 3: 26 (max 30)


S6306: Anatomy of a Metaphor
Difficulty: **
Teachers: A L

Has someone given you a warm smile recently? Are concerns weighing on your mind? Do you have deadlines coming up? How close are you to meeting your personal goals? These questions may not seem metaphorical, but they are. Metaphors aren't just found in the arts---they are fundamental to the structure of our thoughts. Find out how during this short, fun introduction to Conceptual Metaphor Theory. We'll get acquainted with basic concepts and consider some interesting examples from ads, anime and news stories.


Prerequisites
Fluency in English preferred but not required
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 30 (max 35)


S6682: How Music Works
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Thomas Murphy

How can a trumpet sound so different from a piano, even when they play the same note? How can a computer speaker mimic the sounds of both these instruments at the same time? How do you write beautiful music? I can't answer that last question, but if you're curious about the first two, this is the class for you! We'll go on a crash course through as many of the secret inner workings of music as we can cram in, and by the end you'll know enough to be able to synthesize your own basic musical sounds.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 3: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 45 (max 56)
Section 2: 28 (max 60)
Section 3: 34 (max 35)


S6574: The Chemistry Behind Everyday Stuff
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Anubhav Sinha

Ever wondered how the computer screen displaying this Splash catalog worked? Or how everyday materials like vinegar or nail-polish remover are produced? Or how coffee beans are decaffeinated?

If you're interested in how ordinary stuff is made on the chemical level, then this class is for you!


Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry should be sufficient.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 51 (max 60)


S6692: Mind Uploading: Theory and Practice
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: David "davidad" Dalrymple

Many works of science fiction imagine a process for transferring a human mind to a computer: copying personality, memories, and identity to an artificial system. While current technology is a long way from this goal, it is catching up faster than one might think. Recent advances in genetic engineering, digital holography, machine vision, and statistical modeling have made it plausible to perform a complete upload of a nematode worm, the organism with the simplest known nervous system. I am currently leading a project in San Francisco to make this happen, and I'm flying in just for Splash to tell you all about how it works and answer your questions about neuroscience!


Prerequisites
I will assume basic concepts in cell biology (DNA, genes, proteins), optics (lasers, photons, wavelength), and computer science (algorithms, memory, bandwidth). Familiarity with calculus and probability theory will be helpful but not required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 83 (max 119)


S6139: Why We Need Quantum Mechanics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ryan Normandin

Quantum mechanics is hailed as the revolutionary beginning of modern science, and is indeed the foundation behind lots of today's technology, from computers to glow sticks. Come and learn why, if it wasn't for quantum mechanics, we would all be dead.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 136 (max 151)
Section 2: 89 (max 151)


S6162: The Mathematics of Special Relativity
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Lucy Zhang

Physics is about symmetry, and special relativity is a theory that describes the underlying symmetries of spacetime.

In this class, we'll discuss the role of symmetry in physics, and how group theory provides a natural and powerful description of symmetry. We'll build up the formalism of special relativity from a few mathematical postulates. We'll look at some particularly illuminating ways of describing spacetime symmetries. And then we'll use tools from various areas of math, such as projective geometry and complex analysis, to prove some fascinating physical results.


Prerequisites
You should have prior exposure to special relativity (if you know what a Lorentz transformation is, you'll be fine), and you should know basic linear algebra, including matrix computations and the concept of matrices as linear transformations. These topics will be covered in class, but we will move through them quickly. Some familiarity with group theory would also be useful.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 7 (max 10)


S6732: SETI: Filling out the blanks
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Linda Xu

You've been obsessed with aliens and outer space since you were 7. You've combed through the jungle of scifi. You get excited every time you hear about the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. And you've looked at Drake's equation and have no idea how to fill it in. Come learn about the chemistry, physics and astronomy that tell us what we know and can hope about extraterrestrial life. What has been done? Why do we bother looking? What have we found?
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 15)
Section 2: Full! (max 15)
Section 3: 10 (max 15)


S6651: Example of Theoretical Physics problem: Illusion of mass
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: Kevin Burdge, Average Phan

(3rd of a 3 classes series) This class is the last in our series of 3 classes in Theoretical Physics; the 2 previous classes are “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” and “A quick guide for Theoretical Physics”. In this class, we will do a real problem (the self energy and decay rate of scalar particles) in Theoretical Physics together, and we will show you how mass is also just an illusion. And indeed from this problem we will show you that even Math itself is just an illusion in some senses!!! Since we will do the calculation in detail, it will be extremely hard to follow, so one of the teachers will give the ideas underlying all the mathematics, and the other will just write down the math. We will show you how hard it is to become a Theoretical Physicist (although the problem we are going to do is so easy for a real Physicist – nowhere near what they have to solve), and also see how cool being a Theoretical Physicist is.


Prerequisites
Class “Illusion of Space, Time and Particle” and “A short guide for Theoretical Physics” (recommend but not required)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 25)

Materials for this class include: Troll Physics series

S6181: The Story of HIV
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Shulin Ye

How did HIV get for Africa to here and why does it involve the British?
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 30)


S6269: Statistics and the Rubber Band
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Irineo Cabreros

When you heat up a rubber band, an interesting thing happens! Find out what happens while getting an introduction to the exciting field of statistical mechanics. Learn some interesting physics and statistics through a careful examination of this beautiful everyday phenomenon.


Prerequisites
Strong high-school math (though calculus may not be necessary)
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 7 (max 90)
Section 2: 1 (max 24)


S6253: Growing Crystals from Molten Bismuth Metal Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Ike Feitler

S6150: A closer look at the magic of parasitic wasps
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Peter LoVerso

Building off of my previous class, this lecture will look much more closely at the genetics and molecular biology surrounding the parasitization of Manducta sexta
by Cotesia congregata
, focusing especially on the Cotesia congregata bracovirus.

This will be an advanced class, and will touch several times upon cutting-edge molecular biology. You should have a good understanding of genetics and of a viral life cycle before signing up. That said, it will be fun! There will be time for discussion as well as lecture, too.


Prerequisites
S6149: The Magical Beauty of Parasitic Wasps
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--9:55am

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 12)
Section 2: 10 (max 12)


S6129: Dark Energy -- The Universe's Biggest Unanswered Question
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eric Gentry

We have no idea what makes up 71% of the mass of the universe. No idea. Sounds to me, like our understanding of the universe has a pretty big gap.

Come explore what we do know, how we discovered it, why it's such a big question, and what are some of our "best guesses" at the moment.

It's quite possibly the biggest open question in the universe. Simply DISCOVERING it, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics. Exciting stuff!


Prerequisites
Basic physics -- understand forces + potential energy.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 12 (max 15)
Section 2: 13 (max 15)


S6640: Pursuit Problem
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kevin Burdge, Average Phan

The pursuit problem is a very famous type of Physics problem in high school level. The statement of the problem is simple: object A is chasing object B, find the final distance between them, the total time they need to reach each other and the place they meet, or the trajectory of each object. We will go through some problems, from very simple to extremely complicate. We will show you some helpful trick to play with these problems. A list of possible problems will be uploaded.


Prerequisites
Calculus
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 30)


S6337: Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jeremiah Collins, Vipul Vachharajani

Do you like being tangled up? Do you do it in chains? Do you think bigger is better?

So do polymers. Polymers are all around us, and they behave quite differently from small-molecule substances. We'll explore how basic principles from high school chemistry can allow us to make some sense of how polymers work, and we'll introduce some other concepts in polymer science like tacticity and glass transition. We'll also make a superabsorbent polymer using stuff you can get at CVS.

If you come, we promise we won't make any more inappropriate jokes. Maybe.


Prerequisites
Some knowledge of high school chemistry, but you should probably be able to pick it up.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 20)


S6460: The Science of Illusions
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Megan Belzner

Why do things sometimes look like they're moving when they're really not? How do you trick your brain into seeing colors on a white page? What cues do you use to understand speech? This class will explore the explanations behind a range of different perceptory illusions, discovering the limits of the mind and looking at the subconscious tricks we use every day.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)


S6130: Introduction to Radio Astronomy
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Anna Ho

(PSST: If you like awesome pictures of space, you should take this class.)

Have you ever heard of radio astronomy? Most people haven't.

Radio astronomy is a special kind of astronomy; it uses big dishes (like your satellite dish!) instead of telescopes to look at space. Radio astronomy has revolutionized the study of black holes, galaxies, and the Big Bang - and has discovered objects like pulsars that we would never have known about otherwise!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 99 (max 150)
Section 2: 33 (max 80)


S6224: A Deeper Look into Chemical Reactivity
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alexander Siegenfeld

Have you ever wondered why elements react in the way that they do? If your answer is that atoms "want" to achieve full or empty energy levels, then you have been misled by your chemistry teacher, for the true answer is a lot more subtle. In this class, we will examine the fundamental parameters that determine whether or not compounds are stable in order to get a better picture of the delicate interplay between the many factors that contribute to chemical reactivity.


Prerequisites
A year of high school chemistry.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 96)


S6539: Methods in cognitive neuroscience
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Roan LaPlante

How does the brain work? How does the large assortment of cells in your head generate coherent thoughts? Well, we don't know, but we do have some educated guesses about the structure-function relationship of the brain. This course is about how we come to those guesses.

This course will explain a tiny bit of the physics behind neuroimaging methods such as fMRI, EEG/MEG, and TMS, and will review a tiny bit of the math in computational neural modeling approaches. Most importantly, it will address the question of what existing methods actually tell us about the high-level structure-function relationships of the brain, and also what they don't tell us.


Prerequisites
ideal for students with little or no background in neuroscience. high school biology is a plus but definitely not necessary.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 32 (max 34)
Section 2: 20 (max 25)


S6180: Parasites
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Shulin Ye

They control rats, ants, and snails. They might control you too.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 37 (max 40)


S6402: Abnormal Psychology
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Veronica Gross

Does ADHD even exist? What is the insanity defense? All of these, and more, are topics we'll tackle during this session. We'll look at trends, movies, statistics, facts, and fabrications in the world of abnormal psych.


Prerequisites
An open mind to psychology.,
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 35 (max 40)
Section 2: 51 (max 55)


S6685: How Color Actually Works
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alex Arkhipov

Why isn't pink in the rainbow? Why are computer pixels red, green, and blue, even though red, yellow, and blue are the primary colors?

Come do hands-on experiments to figure out the different ways that colors combine. We'll learn how our eyes and brain process light to make us see color, and why there are colors you've never seen. You've probably been taught many wrong things about color. Learn how color actually works!


Prerequisites
None
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 78 (max 80)
Section 2: 60 (max 100)


S6575: How to Destroy the World: and other experiments by Nikola Tesla
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Colin McDonnell

Electricity! Energy beams! Radio-controlled boats! Devices that shoot lightning! And a way to destroy the earth! We owe it all to NIKOLA TESLA! He started avalanches, built hydroelectric dams on Niagara Falls, tried to offer unlimited free energy to everyone on earth, and designed a Death Ray that could shoot down planes 200 miles away. He could control his dreams, memorize books after one reading, and visualize ridiculously complex machinery in his mind! Come learn about his life, inventions, and Jedi mind tricks!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--11:55am
Section 3: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 86 (max 90)
Section 2: 88 (max 90)
Section 3: Full! (max 100)


S6675: Science of Food Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kevin Hu

[Deprecated] Walk-in Activity

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W6762: Tableaux Vivants
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Emily TenCate

Come build a silent living portrait of a word or phrase! Be prepared to be quiet.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6531: Fun With Polyrhythms
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ben Sena

What does 5/8 sound like on top of 7/4? Feel free to bring your own small instruments but I'll provide some common ones if you promise to treat them well!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6809: SET
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alex Cole

Come play the greatest game ever invented!!!! Set is a game of visual perception and pattern finding. Everyone from absolute beginners to experts are welcome.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6811: Telephone Pictionary
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eric Mannes

Watch as absurd sentences become absurd pictures, and vice versa!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6147: Thread Jewelry
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Miranda Gavrin

Make friendship bracelets, necklaces, earrings, bookmarks, and more out of thread! It's fun and easy to learn.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6197: Linguistics Problem Solving
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Adam Hesterberg, Chelsea Voss

اللسانيات! Мовазнаўства! भाषाविज्ञान! 언어학! Γλωσσολογία! Ngôn ngữ học! Linguistics!

Do you enjoy unraveling logic puzzles, want to learn about other languages, or crave the feeling of thinking about a good riddle? Come solve fun problems from the Linguistics Olympiads, NACLO and IOL! A variety of languages, problem styles, and difficulty levels will be provided for you to solve. Logic and reasoning are your main weapon here – no prior linguistics knowledge required!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)

Materials for this class include: Linguisticsless, Slightly Linguisticsful

W6206: Drumming
Difficulty: **
Teachers: John Read

Learn to drum. Drum to learn. Come by to be taught percussion techniques ranging from how to properly hold drumsticks to playing alternating cheeses.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6386: How to Yo-yo
Difficulty: **
Teachers: John Chow

Learn how to yo-yo from a professional! The yo-yo has changed. Drop by to see (and learn) for yourself!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6796: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Gurtej Kanwar, Gaurav Singh, Shulin Ye

Come learn about some cool properties of liquid nitrogen, and get to try some ice cream made with liquid nitrogen.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6540: Mocktails on the House
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kimberly Toy, Timothy Yang

Come get your fancy shpants on with our mocktail lounge.

Shake up your own mocktail, refresh with a variety of juices, and chill like a G6.

(All drinks are non-alcoholic. Please don't sue us.)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6085: Sort Yourself!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Sweet Tea Dorminy

Sorting is one of the most important problems in computer science. You've all dropped your notes and had them explode and need to be sorted by page number, and it took a long time. In this walk-in, you'll learn several different ways of sorting, by sorting yourself and the other class attendees! You'll be faster afterward, we promise =)
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 3: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)
Section 2: 0 (max 100)
Section 3: 0 (max 100)


W6454: Chocolate Cake in a Cup
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Abby Noyce

Make a mini chocolate cake in the microwave!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6472: Fingerpercing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Katy Kem, Patience Stevens

Everybody likes to fingerpaint. Everyone wants to be awesome and beatbox. Why not combine the two? **Bonus points if you can do them simultaneously!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)
Section 2: 0 (max 100)
Section 3: 0 (max 100)


W6798: The International Education Lab!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jessica Huang

Interested in helping to make education more exciting and relevant for youth around the world? Tired of how so much of our education is centered around test-taking, rather than what is relevant to daily life? Let's work together to make learning about creativity, empowerment, community, and inspiration! Come help D-Lab (http://d-lab.mit.edu) test and improve hands-on educational modules, which we will be teaching in India, Ghana, Brazil and elsewhere next January! In this interactive session, we'll work with you to design and build a few technologies that can be useful in rural communities with limited resources, and then we'll listen to you for suggestions on how we can improve the educational activities we're offering. We hope this will be a meaningful way for you to explore the field of international development, while contributing your own ideas to make a difference in international education!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6335: Playwrights' Workshop Performance!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Mark Velednitsky

Come and watch the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble perform some wacky scenes written by the Splash students in our "Playwrights' Workshop" class. Everyone is invited!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 154)


W6812: Solving Crosswords
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Taylor Sutton

There will lots and lots of crosswords to solve, ranging from easy to impossible, both themed and themeless. Come work on one by yourself, or even better, pick a hard puzzle and attack it as a group.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6291: Premodern cryptography
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Adam Hesterberg

UI UOHH JFHQI SGXEKFNGMT ELZZHIJ HOWI KRI FDIJ KRMK XFL TONRK AODP OD M DIUJEMEIG, AOGJK CX KGOMH MDP IGGFG, KRID CX KISRDOBLIJ KRMK YLJK IVKIGTODMKI KRIT.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sun 11:05am--11:55am
Section 3: Sat 11:05am--11:55am
Section 4: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)
Section 2: 0 (max 100)
Section 3: 1 (max 100)
Section 4: 0 (max 100)

Materials for this class include: Cryptograms

W6505: Magic: The Walk-In Seminar
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eugenio Fortanely, Fangfei Shen

Come play Magic! BYOD: bring your own deck (or a friend's).
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6434: Juggle For A Cookie
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Leon Zhou

Come juggle with the MIT Student Juggling Club! We've got loads of props, from rings and clubs to devil's sticks and diabolos. You don't have to know anything about juggling; we'll teach you!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6596: Chess Simul
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Grazian

I will play chess simultaneously against all comers. See if you can beat me! All levels are welcome!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)
Section 2: 0 (max 100)


W6803: Origami
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Rui Wang

Come fold things with OrigaMIT, MIT's origami club! We’ll provide paper, diagrams and help.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 10:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6336: Friendship Bracelets
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Shante Stowell

Come make a friendship bracelet! Done it before? Great! Come use our materials and maybe discover a new design. Never tried? We'll be happy to teach you some simpler patterns.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)
Section 2: 0 (max 100)


W6387: Awesome Physics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Brent Belland, Steven Drapcho, Andrei Klishin, Olivia Mello, Pratheek Nagaraj, Ashley Villar, Charles Xu, Andrew Xu

Want to see what happens when you cool something over 300 degrees below the freezing point of water? Interested in seeing how you can use everyday household ingredients to create fluids that get thicker when you push on them? Stop by this walk-in activity for some fun with liquid nitrogen, non-Newtonian fluids, and more.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)
Section 2: 0 (max 20)


W6691: Set-tlers of Awesome
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Maggie Reagan, Alyssa Waln

Learn how to play Set, an addicting, fast paced mind and strategy game that's both easy to learn and fun to play alone or in a group. If you already know how to play Set, come by for a game or two! We'll also be playing Settlers of Catan, a different game of strategy and conquer; beginners and experts welcome!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)
Section 2: 0 (max 100)


W6076: Ninjas
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Benjamin Kraft

Play ninjas, a game of "one smooth motion".
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6465: Tallest Structure Contest!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Felix Sun

How tall of a structure can you build with only:
1) One 8.5x11 sheet of paper and
2) 12 inches of Scotch tape?

Come find out in Lobby 13! We'll have an all-day leaderboard, with (possible) prizes for the top scorers.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6186: Rube Against The Machine
Difficulty: **
Teachers: James Buckland

Get your duct tapes and strap on your hard hats! (TF2 doesn't count.) We're gonna build us a gosh-darn Rube Goldberg machine. (Dunno what that is? Go look it up, dang it!) We're gonna have a bunch of crates full of raw supplies, some marbles, and entirely too much imagination. Come help us break an intergalactic record for highest (number of steps)/(value of task accomplished) ratio!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: to haphazardly put stuff on walls and tables and duct tape it in place. To wait with baited breath as tiny marbles carry kinetic energy askew and astray asunder our structure. To boldly split infinitives.

Only a few will survive the whole process.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)


W6435: Mafia
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Saheela Ibraheem

Are you an avid fighter of crime? Is Logic your middle name? Do you imagine yourself as a doctor? Love storytelling? Have you ever wondered what chaos looks like in its purest form? All of the above and more will be offered in the classic game of Mafia, pitting good wits against good liars in the name of madness and epic fun!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6590: Puzzles Games and Brain Teasers
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jonathan Surick

Come see the variety of different sort of puzzles one can try to solve, from Rubiks Cubes to Logic Puzzles and many more. Give you try at solving them and hear about different ideas in how to solve them.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)
Section 2: 0 (max 100)


W6082: Tea Tasting
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Sweet Tea Dorminy

Come taste some classy tea. Not just one classy tea --- from green to white to black to pu'erh, we'll have all sorts of beautiful teas to taste!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)
Section 2: 0 (max 20)


W6145: Play Bughouse: Team Chess!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Grazian, Gurtej Kanwar

Ever wanted to play chess on teams? It turns out there's already a chess format with a funky name for that -- Bughouse!

Come join us for a couple of games of Bughouse chess, all levels welcome.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6205: Play Go!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alexander Siegenfeld

This walk-in seminar is run by the MIT Go Club. Go is a truly great game with simple rules but endless complexity, so whether you are a complete beginner or an expert or anywhere in between, you should stop by and learn/play some go!

Some info about Go:
Go, also known as Weiqi in Chinese and Baduk in Korean, is a game that originated in China about five thousand years ago. Two players, black and white, take turns placing a stone on a 19 by 19 board. The objective is to control a larger territory than the opponent. The rules are so simple; yet from simplicity comes endless complexity and strategic depth. Whereas the strongest chess programs can routinely defeat grandmasters, the strongest Go program can be defeated by a strong club player.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


W6635: Object Manipulation and Acrobatics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Steven Keyes, Jonathan Surick

Because you’ve always wanted to run away and join the circus. We will be going over poi, staff, rope dart, contact juggling, and whatever else we can find.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 3: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 4: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 20)
Section 2: 0 (max 20)
Section 3: 0 (max 20)
Section 4: 0 (max 20)


W6700: Paint! Popsicle sticks! Recyclables!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Delphine Kaiser, Emily TenCate

Come use ESP's wide variety of craft supplies to create a marvelous, fantastic something of your very own!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 0 (max 100)


Miscellaneous

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X6324: Microphone Mathematics Closed!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: nathaniel garcia

X6199: Okonomiyaki madness! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Phillip Seo, Zoe Snape

X6426: What time is it? Time to learn how to create Adventure Time characters in Illustrator! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: paula te
Materials for this class include: Zip file with all class material

X6091: Introduction to the Stock Market
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jon Toner

Heard of the Stock Market, but unsure what it's all about? Curious how the stock market's performance impacts you every day? Find out why companies issue stock, what drives prices and some basic investing strategies.

Following the lecture portion of this class, we'll run an in-class computer simulation to see who can generate the highest return on an initial $1,000,000 bankroll.

Note: This course is designed for students with little to no background in the stock market, so if you're looking sexy new ways to calculate exposure to time-value decay with delta, theta, vega and gamma, this course is not for you!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 25)

Materials for this class include: Stock Listing - please print, review and bring on Saturday

X6639: Introduction to Quizbowl Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Lily Chen, Adam Kalinich

X6297: History of Star Wars Part 1
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Evan Ehrenberg, Katherine Karwoski, Christine Labaza

This is class 1 of a 2-part course on the history of the Star Wars galaxy. Class 1 of this series will cover history from 100,000 BBY to 5,000 BBY. This includes events prior to the creation of the Star Forge, discussing the Celestials and their technology, and will continue all the way up to the end of the Great Hyperspace war. Class 1 also introduces some key information about the galaxy, the force, and technology that will be relevant for other classes. Class will consist mostly of lecture with short breaks for discussion of the material. This two-part course is part of a larger Star Wars series which includes 2 sections of Lightsaber Dueling and Stage Combat. These classes are adapted from a lecture series at UC Berkeley, and we have been teaching them for 2 years. They're really awesome!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 117 (max 180)


X6698: Spit shining boots & pocket mischief
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Andrew Thompson

The suede combat boot has led to the demise of shiny shoe knowledge. Come learn to spit shine leather. While coaching students along with creating the perfect mirror shine I will introduce a few amusing science toys/demonstrations that can be made with stuff you'd find in your pockets or desk.

Be prepared to spend most of the class rubbing in circles.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 11:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 20)
Section 2: 19 (max 20)


X6282: Advanced Donut Theory Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Stephen Face, Pavel Panchekha

X6318: Introduction to Logic Puzzles
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Ilana Porter, Nicholas Rivera

Have you ever heard of sudoku? Well, there are TONS of different types of logic puzzles out there that can be really fun. This course will teach you about sudoku, kakuro, and griddlers, and will also show you some basic tricks for solving these puzzles. At the end, there will be a competition (for a prize!) to see who can solve the fastest!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 35)


X6195: How to NOT Be a Froshy Frosh
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Stephanie Birkhimer

No one wants to be "that guy". You know the one: sits in the front row of EVERY class, way too excited about everything, brags about SAT scores, does every extra credit assignment, etc, etc. Every year, colleges seem to have hundreds of freshmen that fit this description all too well. Stop that. You will learn the guidelines to making your first year of college relaxed and educational, setting yourself up for success later on, and not pissing off the rest of the student body/world. When in doubt, always refer back to Rule #1.

You have to show up to learn Rule #1.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 40 (max 119)


X6724: POKEMON!!!!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Michaela Ennis

Learn about Pokemon history and strategy. Quiz game at the end, winner will receive choice of Pokemon Black 2 or White 2.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 47 (max 154)


X6380: Tips to Help You Build Your Inner Strength so You Can Get What You Want in Life
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Patricia Craig

Having a rough time in school, at home, or with your fiends? Learn how to get through the "hard times" in an easier way. Learn some tricks that great athletes, writers, entertainers, and others have used to succeed, to get what they want, in spite of some tough times.

My aim is to teach you some "mind tricks," a different way of looking at the world, that can help you feel better. This class will present "The Cliff Notes" version of the book, "The Adversity Quotient." But we will talk about other books and other techniques I've picked up along the way.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 48 (max 55)


X6599: Improve your Chess
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Grazian

I will be reviewing students' recorded chess games. Students should bring the scoresheet of a game that they would like me to review and critique. Bring an interesting game that other players will benefit from analyzing.

Note that I will not be able to go over everybody's game, but you should bring one anyway, just in case.


Prerequisites
USCF rating between 1300 and 1900. Lower rated students will have trouble following, and higher rated students will probably not get very much out of the class.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 7 (max 8)


X6244: The Amazing Race: Pokemon Regions Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lawrence Lin, Tiffany Tang, William Tsui

X6516: Beginning Morris Dancing - an ancient English tradition
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lee Breslow

Morris dancing is an ancient form of folk dance from the small villages of England. No one knows where Morris dancing comes from, but we do know that people have been whacking sticks at least since Shakespeare’s time.

We’ll start off with a short history of Morris dancing and then members of the Red Herring Morris Team will teach several easy dances from the border region of England and Wales.

Come prepared to move, clash sticks, and have fun.

Sneakers or sturdy shoes are required. Live music will be provided by members of the team.

Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXE2htL-6NA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tVAS_WSkWA


Prerequisites
A love of clashing sticks, all things British, and the knowledge of which foot is your left one. No previous experience is required.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 25)


X6582: Awesome Paradoxical Ideas You May Have Never Heard Of
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Stephen M. Hou

Some of the coolest ideas of all time contain nuanced paradoxes that make them seem hard to believe at first. In this class, we will explore fundamental ideas from a wide range of disciplines, including mathematics, physics, computer science, political science, and economics. Can math be both complete and consistent? Does a perfect election system exist? If a nation can produce everything more cheaply than another nation, does it make any sense for them to trade? Is it possible to determine, given a computer program and input set, whether it would run forever? If Einstein's relativity states that time slows down for moving objects, but motion is relative, whose time is slower? If everyone makes a decision that is best for himself no matter what others do, can there be another set of group decisions that makes everyone even better off? Can I construct a "demon" that violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics? Can every single department within a university admit men at a higher rate than women, yet for the university as a whole, women are admitted at a higher rate?


Prerequisites
Interest in inter-disciplinary ideas
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 25)


X6317: Treasure Hunt! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Georgina Dorminy

X6726: Chess Club!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jacquelyn De Sa

Want to learn how to play the ancient and honored game of chess? Learn how to refine your already-awesome skills? Pick up a new opening -- or maybe some endgame technique? Then Chess Club is the place for you! All skill levels welcome.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)
Section 2: 28 (max 30)


X6449: Supervillain Training Academy
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Roxanne Bochar, Christina Dedrick

Every supervillain needs some proper training before planning world domination. How else will you know how many batteries your Freeze Ray needs to operate? Or how many minions you need to construct the perfect lair? In this class, we will learn and put to practice estimation skills for planning nefarious schemes and analyzing the work and practicality of the ideas of great minds like Gru, Dr. Horrible, and Mojo Jojo.

Warning: actual math will be used in this class.


Prerequisites
Must be taking or have taken High School Chemistry
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 90)


X6178: Everything you need to know about Classic Doctor Who
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Francois Cevallos

Ever wanted to know more about Doctor Who than the current series? Tried but couldn't get past the first minute? Then this class may be for you! A brief tour of the entirety of the 26-year-run of the original series that will help you more fully appreciate the new show, as well as be able to fake your way through conversations with people who think not watching the classic show makes you somehow less of a fan!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 37 (max 40)


X6298: History of Star Wars Part 2
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Evan Ehrenberg, Katherine Karwoski, Christine Labaza

This is class 2 of a 2-part course on the history of the Star Wars Galaxy. Class 2 of this series will cover history from 5,000 BBY to 3,958 BBY. This includes Freedon Nadd’s rise to power, The Great Sith War, the Mandalorian Wars, and The Second Great Sith War. Class will consist mostly of lecture with short breaks for discussion of the material. This two-part course is part of a larger Star Wars series which includes 2 sections of Lightsaber Dueling and Stage Combat. These classes are adapted from a lecture series at UC Berkeley, and we have been teaching them for 2 years. They're really awesome!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 46 (max 180)


X6219: Negotiation Lab
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Vrajesh Modi

This class will introduce students to the theory and practice of negotiation. Topics covered will include basic terminology and strategies. Format will consist of: (1) a brief lecture on theory; (2) a negotiation exercise/simulation; and (3) debrief. Students will be divided into teams for the simulation.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 43 (max 55)


X6425: What's the point of education?
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Daniel Schwartz

Mark Twain once said, “Never let your schooling interfere with your education.” But what does he mean? What’s schooling, and what’s education? Is there a difference?

But most importantly, how do they affect you and how much you enjoy your life? And why should we even care?

(This “class” won’t really be like what you have at school — instead, it’ll be a relaxed and free-form discussion.)


Prerequisites
An open mind. (Or the desire to un-brainwash yourself).
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 10)
Section 2: Full! (max 10)


X6450: Braids Galore! :D
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Mary Delaney, Abbey Diener

Learn to twist your tresses into a multitude of traditional and exciting forms. Beginners will learn to braid, while those who are ready can master more advanced techniques including french braids, fishtails, and waterfall braids.


Prerequisites
Have hair or know someone with hair
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 11 (max 12)
Section 2: Full! (max 12)


X6204: Quidditch! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Delphine Kaiser, Antonio Moreno, Jessica Noss, Chinua "Chewy" Shaw

X6270: You and the Law
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Leonid Grinberg

Whether or not you know it, you're at the center of a huge number of challenging ethical, legal, and practical issues. Every day, thousands of people grapple with questions that have a profound impact on your daily life. What rights do you have as a minor? As a student? (Public, private, or home school---pick your poison, each is a rabbit hole of complex questions!) How about as a child, as a patient, as a sibling, as a business owner? (Lemonade stands and iPhone apps anyone?)

This class will focus on US law, particularly as it applies to minors and students. We'll start with a brief crash course on how the US government works and how laws pertaining to children end up getting applied and enforced. We'll then move on to a bunch of history and prior cases that have shaped the answers to these questions over time.

Come prepared with an open mind to discuss some very complex and fascinating issues. No prior knowledge of law or politics will be expected.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 22)


X6381: Using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for Better Relationships
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Patricia Craig

Using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for Better Relationships

This class will teach you about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This can be useful for understanding your own personality traits and those of others (friends, family, or others.)

We'll take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test in class and review the results. We'll also briefly discuss the Enneagram personality wheel.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 30)


X6517: Intermediate Morris Dancing - an ancient English tradition
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Lee Breslow

This class will be a continuation of the Beginning Morris Dancing class. Depending on multiple variables, such as skills, the weather, and interests we may perfect the earlier dances, learn some more challenging ones, or move outside to perform some of the dances.

Morris dancing is an ancient form of folk dance from the small villages of England. No one knows where Morris dancing comes from, but we do know that people have been whacking sticks at least since Shakespeare’s time.

Come prepared to move, clash sticks, and have fun.

Sneakers or sturdy shoes are required. Live music will be provided by members of the Red Herring Morris Team.

Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXE2htL-6NA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tVAS_WSkWA


Prerequisites
Beginning Morris Dancing Class or some experience with Morris Dancing.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 25)


X6148: A computational introduction to harmony
Difficulty: **
Teachers: David Lawrence

We'll start with the physiological and mathematical foundations of musical harmony: the reasons that only some pitches sound good together. Then we'll write a computer program that searches for sets of maximally harmonious pitches. We'll conclude by "discovering" the twelve-tone scale.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of music theory and Python programming.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 30)


X6558: Intermediate Chess Endings
Difficulty: **
Teachers: David Kaufman

Do you enjoy playing chess but get lost in endings? Come learn how to win winning endings and swindle your opponents out of extra points at the end of the game. This class will cover intermediate level endings.


Prerequisites
Know the rules of chess and how to play king and pawn endings.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 15 (max 16)
Section 2: 14 (max 16)


X6781: Start the Next Facebook. How to Start a Company: Workshop.
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Kevin Rustagi

How do you start a company? Learn how from someone (Kevin Rustagi - google me) with a little bit of experience breaking records on Kickstarter and the like. Topics include: persuasion, design, raising lots of money $$$, selling, partnerships, intellectual property, pitching, success, failure, love, loss, and becoming the next Zuckerburg. Well, maybe not that last part...


Prerequisites
An open mind. Try to read the book: The Art of the Start, by Guy Kawasaki. Also, try watching the movie: The Social Network. Please google me: Kevin Rustagi before coming.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--12:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 20)
Section 2: Full! (max 20)


X6203: Quidditch! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Delphine Kaiser, Antonio Moreno, Jessica Noss, Chinua "Chewy" Shaw

X6439: How This Website Works
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Jordan Moldow

Ever wonder what was actually going on when Splash registration opened? Find out how the ESP website (or any website) works behind the scenes.

We’ll cover, very briefly, the basics of all the major concepts of web design, including HTML, CSS, databases, client-side and server-side scripting, servers, version controlling, and caching. All examples will be taken from the ESP website.

If time allows, we’ll take a look at some of the administrative portions of the website - the pages that help the Splash directors administer the program.

This class will be an overview of many different concepts of web design, and how they interact. It will not be an in-depth look at any one concept, though links to resources for additional learning will be provided.


Prerequisites
No computer experience is required. In fact, if you have a lot of computer experience, you’ll probably be bored. But if you don’t already know most of the terms listed in the description, then you’re encouraged to register for this class!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 36 (max 40)


X6659: Splash!: The Game Show
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kate Rudolph, Duncan Townsend

This is Splash! MIT's favorite game show! Learn the mechanics behind popular TV game shows! Win fabulous prizes! Learn how to win at those other, lesser game shows!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 8
Enrollment
Section 1: 85 (max 96)


X6649: Iron Chef ESP Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Stephanie Bachar

X6311: Analyzing Card Game and Board Game Mechanics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Hoffman

What makes games fun? What are the components of a game that make it function? In this course we will dissect Magic: the Gathering, Dominion, and other classic games to understand what drives the game and how to recreate that magic in games of our own making.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 3: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 4: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm
Section 5: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 16)
Section 2: 15 (max 16)
Section 3: Full! (max 16)
Section 4: 14 (max 16)
Section 5: 12 (max 16)


X6419: How to throw a frisbee Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: chase lambert

X6666: How to Win at Scrabble
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ian Chesser, Richard Spence

Learn the game's strategies from two of MIT's best tournament Scrabble players, both of which have competed in the National Scrabble Championship.


Prerequisites
Know the rules of Scrabble
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 30)


X6189: Rootbeer Tycoon, or why your favorite [insert product] is always out of stock
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ranbel Sun

You and your teammates will run a supply chain to meet the booming demand for rootbeer by thirsty customers. Maybe you will become a rootbeer baron and sleep on piles of cash. Maybe you will experience the typical coordination problems of traditional supply chains and pull out your hair in frustration.

This classic simulation game was developed in the 1960s by the MIT Sloan School of Management and is played by students, businessmen, and company leaders. By the end, you will have learned about supply chain management, the hazards of delay, and the importance of communication. If you like playing Tycoon or Sim computer games, this may be the class for you.


Prerequisites
- Basic arithmetic to keep score - Be able to follow game rules
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 35)


X6654: Codes and Cryptography
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Bianca Homberg

For Mary Queen of Scots, a broken cipher meant her execution. For the Allies during WWII, a broken Enigma code meant lives saved and war significantly shorter. When you can read your enemies' private communication, you know what they're thinking and what they're planning--and such information is never a bad thing.

Come learn how to send messages that your friends won't be able to read--and even better, how to break the secret messages that other people have sent! We'll cover a few different kinds of ciphers, including Caesar shifts, substitution ciphers, and the Vignere cipher.

Most of this will take the form of you all working in groups trying to break code; there will be hints if you need them. If we have time, you'll make up your own ciphers and try to decipher each others messages.


Prerequisites
None!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)


X6167: Everything you need to know about Classic Doctor Who
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Francois Cevallos

Ever wanted to know more about Doctor Who than the current series? Tried but couldn't get past the first minute? Then this class may be for you! A brief tour of the entirety of the 26-year-run of the original series that will help you more fully appreciate the new show, as well as be able to fake your way through conversations with people who think not watching the classic show makes you somehow less of a fan!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 37 (max 40)


X6292: Introduction to Competitive Pokemon Battling
Difficulty: **
Teachers: James Yeung

Grew up on Pokemon and want to learn how it gets played at tournaments? We'll explore what's known as the Pokemon metagame, which analyzes just the battling aspect of the games. We'll go over how the pros train their Pokemon, what techniques they use in battle, and strategies to help you do the same thing. Or, if you just like Pokemon, we can just chat about that for a long time.


Prerequisites
Having played a Pokemon game before (Generation V recommended).
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 31 (max 40)


X6508: Science Discovers God
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Yale Zussman

A proper understanding of the scientific enterprise requires the existence of an entity with all the essential properties of God. Come find out why this is the case and what it means for the debate between science and religion. You will come away with a very different understanding of both science and religion.

Although this class is not highly technical, it would be useful for students to be generally familiar with the central ideas in physics, chemistry, and biology.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 84 (max 294)


X6176: How to Write an Email
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Anika Gupta

The email (and other electronic communication) can be a powerful tool or a showcase of incompetence. Learn how to do it right for everything from sharing information to making requests. Pick up other communication tips as well!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sat 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 25 (max 55)
Section 2: 40 (max 55)


X6655: I am Brony (and so can you)
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Ron

A "Brony" is a teenage or adult male (or female) who is a fan of the show "My Little Pony." Confused? We'll talk about the history of the show, and how the community came to be. We'll also look into the extensive library of fan works, and possibly some other times where shows have gathered an extensive fanbase outside of their target audience.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 17 (max 30)
Section 2: 27 (max 30)
Section 3: 23 (max 30)


X6771: How to Start a Splash
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Zaharopol

Splash is run by students — undergraduates and graduates at MIT. Beyond MIT, there are Splash programs running at over a dozen universities nationwide and when you go to college, wherever you go to college, you have the opportunity to start another Splash yourself. Come learn about all of the intricacies that go into running a massive program like Splash and find out how you can do it too.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
11 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 57)


X6779: Philosophy of Game Design
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Joshua Frisch

Balancing a game is far more complicated than it may at first seem. A game which consist of nothing more than flipping a coin is (almost) perfectly fair but incredibly boring. Chess on the other hand has a well known bias for white yet is incredibly fun to play. In this class we will discuss the various factors such as fairness, a variety of strategies, and psychology that go into designing "balanced" games.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 22 (max 55)


X6493: Examining cultural paradigms through audiovisual encoded information over a high-speed routed network configured for continuous data delivery
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Nathan Braginsky, Frank Chung

We'll be examining various cultural aspects such as comedy through the lens of audiovisual specimens. We can discuss these specimens in the context of peer-reviewed research papers and other published academic works.

We will watch YouTube videos and eat snacks.


Prerequisites
A sense of humor
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 19 (max 25)

Materials for this class include: X6493, Powerpoint

X6279: Let's Make Marshmallow Blowguns! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Katarina Dutton

X6299: Lightsaber Dueling and Stage Combat Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Evan Ehrenberg, Katherine Karwoski, Christine Labaza

X6566: Caffeinated Winter School
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kayla Meduna

Do you enjoy being outdoors but don't know what to do when the temperature drops? Come learn some survival skills to help get you prepared for winter hiking and other activities, as well as play with cool gear like snow shoes and crampons.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 25)


X6221: Interview Workshop
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Vrajesh Modi

Learn what to wear, say, and do before, during, and after an interview. Format will consist of a 20-minute lecture followed by a 30-minute workshop. Formal dress not required.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)
Section 2: 23 (max 30)


X6483: Social Analysis: Reading Others and Yourself
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alec Lai

A skill set useful for every person (and definitely a great supplement for persuasion!). Learn how to read what others are LIKE, what others are THINKING, and what others WILL DO. Gain new insights on yourself from what you learn.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 27 (max 30)


X6572: How to Commit the Perfect Murder
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Hannah Walker

Introduction to some of the most well known serial killers, their behavior, and their psychology. Answer some questions about serial killers such as how male and female serial killers differ. Then we will decide how one goes about committing the perfect murder.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sat 8:05pm--8:55pm
Section 3: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)
Section 2: 26 (max 30)
Section 3: 26 (max 30)


X6288: Phonetics
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Chelsea Voss

Ever wonder how humans create, hear, and understand the sounds of language? What the difference between a /s
/ and a /z
/ is in terms of actual measurable properties of sound? How we can decipher all of the information in sound, and give it linguistic meaning?

To figure all of this out, we'll look at phonetics, the study of the audible components of language. Come learn a whole bunch of things you never knew about sounds, and the computational tools that we can use to study them!

(High school edition.)
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 40 (max 56)


X6548: How to Run a Meeting
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Anika Gupta

There are some small, easy things you can do to make any meeting you run much more productive and effective. Try it!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 38 (max 55)


X6557: Basic Chess Endings Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: David Kaufman

X6259: Introductory Trolling
Difficulty: ****
Teachers: William Livernois

This class introduces students to the basic art of trolling. Topics range from social engineering to the origin of lulz. And now, some poetry:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus tristique turpis quis est porta vel rhoncus dui consectetur. Phasellus egestas euismod justo ac dignissim. Nunc a massa felis, vitae congue ligula. Quisque placerat, odio nec egestas eleifend, lectus est consectetur tortor, quis porttitor eros sem quis quam. Maecenas vehicula lacus vel elit placerat consectetur. Nam vehicula nunc quis metus ultrices eu placerat elit interdum. Mauris euismod blandit arcu quis iaculis. Suspendisse sit amet leo quis felis commodo tincidunt ullamcorper tristique ligula. Nulla laoreet accumsan blandit. In accumsan lobortis convallis. Nullam in ante lacus, vel tempus augue. Aliquam vitae diam non massa eleifend posuere non quis neque. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 2: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 30)
Section 2: 25 (max 30)


X6481: Persuasion 101: Getting ANYTHING You Want
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alec Lai

In less than 50 minutes, expand your toolbox with brand new techniques that will get YOU WHAT YOU WANT! Control what's around you, persuade others of your ideas, and create the outcomes you want.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--9:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 26 (max 30)
Section 2: Full! (max 35)


X6524: SET! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Cali Warner

X6560: Chess Puzzles Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: David Kaufman

X6185: How to Make Video Game Levels!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: David Bocek

Come learn about the basics of the Unreal Development Kit, a free software that is fantastic for making games, and hopefully learn some fundamental tools for game design in the process!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 7:05pm--8:55pm
Section 2: Sun 9:05am--10:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 23 (max 25)
Section 2: Full! (max 25)


X6536: Pencils and String: Doodling Through Math Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Nick Arango, Lauren Wright

X6357: Intro to Criminal Justice Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Shar Gunn

X6496: Introduction to Puzzle Hunts
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Eric Mannes

A puzzle is a problem that somehow has a word or short phrase as an answer. The puzzle can come in many forms, including a list of clues, a page of images, and a bag of broken pasta. There are usually no instructions: it's up to the cleverness of the solver to figure out how to get to an answer. In this class, you'll learn how puzzles work and get practice solving them!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--11:55am

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 41 (max 42)


X6785: The Future of Knowledge Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Daniel Schwartz, Shinya Watanabe

X6141: Learning the Ropes Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Catherine Yun

X6301: Game Show 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Tana Wattanawaroon

X6296: Rugby!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Kat Kononov

Ever heard of that crazy game they play in England that's kinda like Football? Come learn how to play from MIT's rugby team. We'll teach you the essentials and then play a game of touch rugby.


Prerequisites
Wear athletic clothing and sneakers.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)


X6462: Political strategy
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Katy Peters

The news networks watch the speeches and report on anecdotes and trivia, but what really goes on in a campaign organization? How do political parties identify their supporters, plan a message calendar and plot winning strategies? This course will focus especially on the ground game - what happens in field offices nationwide, far from the candidates and under the CNN radar. If you've been following the ins and outs of punditry, this is the perfect next step: become an armchair campaign manager!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--12:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 30 (max 40)


X6088: What is a Brony? An introduction to My Little Pony:Friendship Is Magic and why it's not just for children
Difficulty: *
Teachers: William Little

So, if you've spent any time on the internet, you've probably seen this "Brony" thing going around. What is it? Why are young men and women usually between the ages of 12 and 30 loving this "My Little Pony" show? What's so great about it?

Before you go flipping any tables about it, I'm here to help. During this talk, I'll be taking you through the ropes of why grown men like the show, what this show really is, and what this craziness is all about!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--9:55am
Section 2: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 79 (max 80)
Section 2: 67 (max 80)


X6388: The Changing World of Publishing
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Susan Shepherd

Come learn about the publishing industry. This class will cover small press and large press publishing, the variety of publishing houses, and how copyright law works in a nutshell. We'll also go over the publishing process, how ebooks and indie presses are radically changing the books available for readers to buy, and more!

If you're considering writing for a living or if you're a reader who wants to know what your favorite authors had to do in order to get their books into print, stop by.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 9 (max 15)
Section 2: 12 (max 15)


X6212: Learn to Debate (and Win!) Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Shireen Rudina

X6533: How to Be Confident!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Ryan Kabir

Why is it that we can be confident about one thing, but unsure of another? And it always seems like everyone else has more confidence than we do!

We'll talk about all kinds of confidence, whether it's navigating the mess of being popular, being sure of ourselves in our day to day, or even just making friends and getting along with everyone.


Prerequisites
Everyone is welcome!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 28 (max 30)
Section 2: 26 (max 30)


X6634: Wacky Cake! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Tasha Schoenstein, Sara Sinback
Materials for this class include: Wacky Cake Recipes (And some other recipes with chocolate deliciousness)

X6455: Splash! Focus Group
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Alex Cole, Kate Rudolph

Come to this Splash class to talk about Splash. As the number of students at Splash continues to grow, we (the Splash organizers) are facing more and more challenges. How do we get enough teachers? Enough classrooms? Enough volunteers? We've been thinking about these problems (and solving some of them!) but we want to know what you think! The class will be a small focus group. Current ESP admins (the people who run Splash) will talk briefly about our challenges, and then lead a discussion. Your feedback will directly affect the future of Splash.


Prerequisites
We're looking for people who are already pretty familiar with Splash, so if this is your first Splash this may not be the class for you.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--2:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 20)
Section 2: 11 (max 20)


X6194: Soccer and Psyche in American Sports
Difficulty: **
Teachers: William Sablove

Why do so many people in this country hate on soccer? What makes people think that the world's favorite sport is incompatible with American culture? This class will explore various components of how we follow sports and disprove misconceptions people hold about soccer. We will also go over some of the things you see in a game and where they come from. For example, do you know the origin of yellow and red cards? Current players and referees encouraged to come


Prerequisites
Must have an interest in soccer. Current players and referees are encouraged to sign up
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 34 (max 36)


X6442: Cryptic Crosswords Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jonathan Schneider, Anderson Wang

X6411: Sweets 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Allison Mann, Polina Shpilker

X6202: Competitive Pokemon Battling Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Phillip Ai, Patrick Yang

X6584: Real Sex Ed Closed!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Alicia Singham Goodwin
Materials for this class include: Permission Slip

X6519: Why People Are Weird: Paradoxes in Decision Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jonathan Schneider

Did you know that the only voting method that isn't flawed is a dictatorship? Or that sometimes, when you build a new road in a city, everyone's commute time might increase? We'll be presenting some counter-intuitive 'paradoxes' that show what happens when you assume everyone is completely rational.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--3:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 33 (max 34)


X6340: Cook Your Own Early Thanksgiving Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Frank Chung, Jessica Duff
Materials for this class include: X6340: Cook Your Own Early Thanksgiving- Recipes & Instructions, Recipes

X6290: LTI Splash
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Fei Ni

MIT's Leadership Training Institute is offering a course for students to learn more about what it takes to be a leader. Students from MIT will work with high school students to give them the necessary tools needed to be a better leader.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 40)


X6277: Cross-Step Waltz
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Katarina Dutton, Pi Fisher

Think innovation in waltzing ended in the 1800s? Think again! Come learn the basics of cross-step waltzing, a dance form that might even be younger than you are. Experience helpful but not required, please wear shoes and clothes you can dance in.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 12:05pm--12:55pm
Section 2: Sat 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 3: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 20)
Section 2: 17 (max 20)
Section 3: Full! (max 20)


X6562: You Are Not So Smart
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Shi Ke Xue

Do you think you procrastinate because you can't manage time well? Do you think you do nice things for people who you like? Do you think you know why you like what you like?

In actuality, all of the above are self-delusions. For various reasons, human psychology leads us to reach conclusions which are wrong and usually unnoticed. We will explore common biases which affect what we believe, how we make decisions, and how we behave. When it comes to thinking about ourselves, we are not so smart.

[Based on the titular blog]
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 30)
Section 2: 27 (max 30)


X6441: Firestorm: Ten Classes That Really Shouldn't be Done in an Hour
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jordan Moldow

Ever get bored with a long class on one topic? We do too. Come to Firestorm, where you can watch our teachers race against the clock to bring you a rapid sequence of five minute classes on a wide variety of topics.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--4:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 53 (max 57)


X6217: How to Solve a Rubik's Cube Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Eugenio Fortanely, Fangfei Shen

X6633: Creating Chainmail
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Antonia Warner

Interested in learning how to make chainmail, from winding the links to creating the finished pieces? This class will teach you how to make a variety of chainmail weaves - from traditional European weaves to Persian rope weaves- that ancient knights from across the world used to protect themselves in battle.


Prerequisites
Chainmail takes time and concentration, so the longer your attention span, the easier making it will be!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 2:05pm--3:55pm
Section 2: Sat 4:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 15)
Section 2: Full! (max 15)
Section 3: 13 (max 15)


X6163: Intro to Veganism Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Ragnar Kempf, Liam Midgley

X6283: Firefighting
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Rachel Davis

Ever wonder what it would be like to be a firefighter? Running into burning buildings carrying and wearing hundreds of pounds of equipment. Riding in a firetruck, brush truck, ambulance, etc. Learn all about firefighting from a nationally certified volunteer firefighter. Find out how to get involved and all about the awesome dangerous things firefighters get to see and do.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 3: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 4: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm

Grades
7 - 10
Enrollment
Section 1: 45 (max 56)
Section 2: 17 (max 60)
Section 3: 20 (max 57)
Section 4: 10 (max 20)


X6316: Learning how to fly
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Atray Dixit

Ever wanted to learn what it takes to fly? Here's your chance to let you dreams take flight.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 21 (max 25)


X6670: Dwarf Fortress: Learn About the Most Complex Video Game Ever Made
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Daniel Ron

"Losing is Fun." You will embrace this saying as you learn what it takes to survive in the world of Dwarf Fortress.

In Dwarf Fortress, you manage the construction of a mountain fortress by, you guessed it, dwarves. You will find many challenges preventing your success, ranging from invading dragons, to being overrun by house cats, to the terrifying menace known as the "ordinary river carp."

We'll talk about what the game is and what makes it interesting. Time permitting, we'll talk specifics of strategy and fort construction.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--1:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sat 9:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
10 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 29 (max 30)
Section 2: 27 (max 30)
Section 3: 28 (max 30)


X6135: The Game Mechanics of Pokémon
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Adam Gleitman

If you want to be the very best, then you need to know how the world around you works. In this class we will cover the basics of the game mechanics of Pokémon, including finding, catching, training, breeding, and battling.

How can you find rare or shiny Pokémon more easily? Is it worth it to teach a Linoone how to Surf? How can a level 1 Pokémon defeat a level 100 Pokemon in one hit? Take this class and find out!


Prerequisites
You should have played at least one of the Pokémon games. This class does not focus on any specific generation or any specific game.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--11:55am
Section 2: Sun 4:05pm--5:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 131 (max 294)
Section 2: 39 (max 40)

Materials for this class include: Notes

X6448: The Science of Talking
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Chelsea Voss

Ever wonder how humans create, hear, and understand the sounds of language? What the difference between a /s
/ and a /z
/ is in terms of actual measurable properties of sound? How we can decipher all of the information in sound, and give it linguistic meaning?

To figure all of this out, we'll look at phonetics, the study of the audible components of language. Come learn a whole bunch of things you never knew about sounds, and the computational tools that we can use to study them!
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 10:05am--10:55am

Grades
7 - 9
Enrollment
Section 1: 64 (max 96)
Section 2: 72 (max 80)


X6369: Fundamentals of Magic
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Marvin Romero

In any magic act - be it a show or a single trick - there are some key aspects you ought to know. What can be better than learning those aspects from a magician? Join us in learning the art of magic - from presentation to basic tricks, which are all a part of the fundamentals of magic.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sat 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 3: Sat 7:05pm--7:55pm
Section 4: Sat 2:05pm--2:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 154 (max 294)
Section 2: 105 (max 151)
Section 3: 42 (max 151)
Section 4: 103 (max 119)


X6295: Comics with Comics
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Victoria Lewandowski, Nick Lyons

A relaxed and non-judgmental class where we will come up with prompts and ideas that everyone will attempt to draw. Drawing skills are not required but enthusiasm and creativity are a must! We'll mostly focus on drawing things related to western comic books, cartoons, and video games that poke fun at all of them so also bring a sense of humor. Overall we're just going to be having fun and making friends.


Prerequisites
You should probably have some knowledge/interest in at least a few of the following: comic books, video games, tv shows, cartoons, pop culture and the like. Drawing materials are not required but if you want to bring your own supplies you're more than welcome to.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sat 10:05am--12:55pm
Section 2: Sun 1:05pm--3:55pm
Section 3: Sun 9:05am--11:55am
Section 4: Sun 4:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 14)
Section 2: 13 (max 14)
Section 3: Full! (max 14)
Section 4: Full! (max 10)


X6200: Make ALL the pies! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Phillip Seo, Zoe Snape

X6385: Introduction to Minesweeper Strategy
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ray Hua Wu

A deeper look at the game of minesweeper, with strategies for improving accuracy and speed.


Prerequisites
Knowledge of the rules of minesweeper
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 3:05pm--4:55pm
Section 2: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 13 (max 25)
Section 2: 12 (max 25)


X6353: "This is My Night" : A Practical Tutorial for Karaoke
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Sumit Gogia

Sometimes you just want to let loose the beautiful passions of your soul, and in a cathartic moment, let your voice fully realize your deepest feelings. But when? Where? Why? And how? Isn't it a little awkward and often rude to burst arbitrarily into song as you mull over your emotions?

Normally, this would be the case...BUT, luckily, karaoke was invented just to allow this form of expression. The only trick is to learn how to allow yourself to let loose in this environment, and that is what we'll teach in this class. With live demonstrations from instructors well-versed in the art of karaoke, and lots of opportunities to practice your karaoke skills, this class will give you a practical, live experience in which to develop your karaoke skills at an accelerated pace!


Prerequisites
Awesomeness
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 4:05pm--6:55pm
Section 2: Sat 7:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 14 (max 15)
Section 2: 7 (max 15)


X6246: The Language of Nonsense
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Caitlin Cooper

This course studies the syntax of nonsense poetry. The two poems covered are Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky and The Walrus and the Carpenter. Syntax is a subtle discipline of cognitive science, and speaking the language of nonsense, and being understood can be quickly learned and extremely entertaining.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm
Section 2: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 16 (max 22)
Section 2: 15 (max 22)


X6390: Make Chainmail!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alyssa Zisk

Plate armor: Heavy. It waaaayyyy reduced mobility. Chainmail is still heavy, but not as heavy, and unless arrows are the biggest worry, it wasn’t much worse. It was a lot cheaper too. So we’re going to learn how to make it (it being European 4-in-1, one of the more common weaves in Europe.)


Prerequisites
two hands, preferably attached to the same person, and an interest in making outdated armor
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 9:05am--10:55am
Section 2: Sat 8:05pm--9:55pm
Section 3: Sun 11:05am--12:55pm
Section 4: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 16)
Section 2: 15 (max 16)
Section 3: Full! (max 16)
Section 4: Full! (max 16)


X6156: How Combination Locks Work
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Harvey Yee

Come to this class to get a hands on introduction to the science and art of combination locks. Together, we will examine and explore their construction, their designs, and their weaknesses, from a physical and mathematical perspective.


Prerequisites
A sense of curiosity.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
8 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 18 (max 20)


X6406: Learn to Juggle
Difficulty: *
Teachers: Emily Thomson

Juggling is fun! Learn to juggle, or learn a trick if you know how to juggle. Absolutely no experience or natural coordination necessary.
Meeting Times
Section 1: Sun 5:05pm--5:55pm
Section 2: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
7 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: Full! (max 20)
Section 2: 19 (max 20)


X6497: Train Science
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Ian Martin

A whirlwind tour of railroading, ranging from the dawn of the industrial revolution through the present day. Locomotives, signalling, track structure, bridges and tunnels…plus the engineering behind it all. Whether you’re a hardcore train buff or just a curious observer, this is the class for you!
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 6:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 24 (max 30)


X6482: Persuasion 202: Getting ANYONE You Want Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Alec Lai

X6403: War, Diplomacy and Trade Simulation
Difficulty: ***
Teachers: Evan Hefner

Need to sharpen your warfighting or politicking skills? Come practice in the most underplayed hot-spot in the world: East Asia. Rich with natural resources, key strategic islands, and ambitious great-powers-to-be, peace in East Asia is getting hard to come by. Come and lead one of eight elements: Japan, China, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Vietnam, and the United States, controlling their diplomatic, military and economic actions in the great East Asian conflict of 2012. Accomplish your country’s goals by fighting on land, sea and air, or if you prefer, by using diplomacy, backstabbing, and market manipulation.

Note: returning students are welcome.
Meeting Time
Section 1: Sun 1:05pm--6:55pm

Grades
9 - 12
Enrollment
Section 1: 37 (max 40)


X6440: Firestorm: Ten Classes That Really Shouldn't be Done in an Hour Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers: Jordan Moldow