Splash 2018
Course Catalog
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Visual and Performing Arts
A12731: Crocheting for Beginners
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Julia Jia,
Meghana Vemulapalli
Want to learn how to crochet mini things? Come join us to learn how to make mini hearts, octopi, and more!
A12413: Crafting the Design Process: The Role of ‘Play’ and Experimentation in Design Innovation
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Steven Faerm
Have you ever wondered how artists and designers develop their innovative work? Do you want to become a better artist or designer by strengthening your creative approach and development? What is the “design process” and how can it be used successfully to achieve authentic and exciting results?
This 45-minute presentation analyzes undergraduate-level design projects that are noteworthy for their inventive design processes — a critical stage that proceeds research exploration and precedes final design outcomes. This “middle-stage” is arguably the most important stage. It is when playful exploration and experimentation yield optimal creativity. This presentation will show you how to innovate your own creative processes through select examples. These methods may then be applied to your own art and design projects.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Associate Professor at Parsons School of Design.
This 45-minute presentation analyzes undergraduate-level design projects that are noteworthy for their inventive design processes — a critical stage that proceeds research exploration and precedes final design outcomes. This “middle-stage” is arguably the most important stage. It is when playful exploration and experimentation yield optimal creativity. This presentation will show you how to innovate your own creative processes through select examples. These methods may then be applied to your own art and design projects.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Associate Professor at Parsons School of Design.
A12454: How to play Ukulele Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Julian Hamelberg
Learn some chords and how to play some songs
Prerequisites
nothing
Prerequisites
nothing
A12447: Performers Practice Circle
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jason Gonsalves,
Abigail Walzer
Sing a song. Tell a story. Recite a poem. Do a dance. Come practice your performance piece in a room where there is no audience, just other performers. All types of performing art are welcome, and you will have the opportunity to receive critique from our other performers. (But it's not required! If you just want to try something out in a low-stakes environment, that's okay too!)
Prerequisites
Students are expected to bring a piece to perform.
Prerequisites
Students are expected to bring a piece to perform.
A12499: A Cappella Workshop with The Chorallaries!
Difficulty: **
Ever wanted to perform with MIT’s oldest competitive a cappella group? Come live out your “Pitch Perfect” fantasy with The Chorallaries of MIT! Come and sing our arrangements with us and get to know our members and the inner workings of a cappella music. Food will be provided, and all are welcome!
A12678: Introduction to Typography
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Chen,
Ting-Chun Lin
Typography is the art of type: making text readable and appealing. Come learn about how it works and how to make your own text prettier — be it web pages, résumés, or course descriptions.
A12428: Poetry class; An Open Mic Concept
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Natasha Gonzalez
Ever thought about being the next Rupi Kaur or Rudy Fransisco? Do you just like poetry in general? Come talk about poetry and even preform something if you're brave enough!
A12626: Learn Indian Classical Dance: Odissi Edition!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Simantini Mitra-Behura
Learn some steps and choreograph in an Indian Classical Dance style from Northeast India! We'll play around with combining ancient steps and modern music and students will be able to create some of their own pieces!
A12439: Piano Chords for Beginners: Play Any Song in 5 Minutes
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Evan Tey,
Sara Wilson
Are you a pianist? Are you tired of reading sheet music? Chords are an easier way to quickly learn songs! Chord progressions can be applied to any piece, from classical to pop, and mastering chords can facilitate learning new songs or composing you own. Any pianist skill level is welcomed!
Prerequisites
Recommended to be familiar with the piano keyboard and reading sheet music
Prerequisites
Recommended to be familiar with the piano keyboard and reading sheet music
A12551: Ukulele
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Emily Liu,
Anjali Nambrath
Always wanted to play a ukulele but never got to learn? Now's your chance!
A12640: Learn to Knit
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Adira Balzac,
jill Pelavin
Learn to knit! Ever wanted to knit yourself a hat, sweater, scarf, or toy for your cat?
We'll teach you!
We'll provide the yarn and needles, you just bring your hands and some patience.
No experience required, just willingness to play with sticks, yarn, and the realization that it will seem awkward at first (with practice, it becomes smooth and relaxing!)
Prerequisites
two working hands.
We'll teach you!
We'll provide the yarn and needles, you just bring your hands and some patience.
No experience required, just willingness to play with sticks, yarn, and the realization that it will seem awkward at first (with practice, it becomes smooth and relaxing!)
Prerequisites
two working hands.
A12730: MITch Perfect
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hannah Loizzo,
Alyssa Wells-Lewis
Do you like singing in the shower? Have you always wanted to star in an a cappella group like pitch perfect? Well, this is the perfect class for you! Come learn an arrangement with us and practice how to blend and perform with a group. We might even teach you how to beatbox!!
Prerequisites
Preferably some choir experience, but welcome to anyone who is willing to learn!
Prerequisites
Preferably some choir experience, but welcome to anyone who is willing to learn!
A12700: The Magic of Movie Music Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Mills,
Venkat Sivaraman
Do you love movies? Believe it or not, one of the most important aspects of how we react to a movie is in its soundtrack. And once you start listening, you'll start seeing movies in a whole new way.
In this class, we'll talk about how different styles of film music work in a variety of movies, ranging from silent films to Star Wars. Then you'll have a chance to be a film composer yourself and choose music to underscore a real movie clip!
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of music is helpful (reading sheet music not required).
In this class, we'll talk about how different styles of film music work in a variety of movies, ranging from silent films to Star Wars. Then you'll have a chance to be a film composer yourself and choose music to underscore a real movie clip!
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of music is helpful (reading sheet music not required).
A12502: Radio Production & Engineering
Difficulty: **
Radio is the original electronic "social medium;" connecting diverse groups of people through common language and shared cultural experiences. Join several DJ's and producers from WMBR Radio as we demonstrate the practical how-to's of communicating over the air. This course will introduce participants to the basic of WMBR's (MIT FM Radio station) B Control engineering training.
A12733: Jam Session! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Josh Talbot
Have you ever wanted to make music but couldn't find the time/instruments/people? Is there a melody or rhythm stuck in your head that you can't keep from sharing? Maybe you ask: "I've listened to music, but what is this 'jam' you speak of?" Well then sign up for Jam Session!
Prerequisites
No musical experience required!
Prerequisites
No musical experience required!
A12417: Don't Go To Film School
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ari Donnelly
Are you interested in becoming a Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Actor, Editor, Animator, Cinematographer, Production Designer, Gaffer, Sound Mixer, Steadicam Operator, Costume Designer, Casting Director, Talent Agent, or Boom Op?
Are you thinking of going to Film School to learn more? Don't. It's a trap. Come to my class instead. You'll get a crash course in: the many disciplines of film, the best film schools you shouldn't go to, how you can start making movies now, the truth about unpaid internships, and what a Best Boy is.
Filmmaking is a hard path, but despite what college tuition would suggest, it's never been cheaper. For the price of Splash, I'll give you the inside scoop on the most dubious college major of all time (besides political science).
Prerequisites
All are welcome, whether you've never touched a camera, or you're already making your own movies.
Are you thinking of going to Film School to learn more? Don't. It's a trap. Come to my class instead. You'll get a crash course in: the many disciplines of film, the best film schools you shouldn't go to, how you can start making movies now, the truth about unpaid internships, and what a Best Boy is.
Filmmaking is a hard path, but despite what college tuition would suggest, it's never been cheaper. For the price of Splash, I'll give you the inside scoop on the most dubious college major of all time (besides political science).
Prerequisites
All are welcome, whether you've never touched a camera, or you're already making your own movies.
Languages and Literatures
B12332: The Language of Nonsense
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Roksi Freeman,
Dakota Freeman
Nonsense isn't as crazy as it seems. Nonsense has linguistic, cognitive and logical bases. Nonsense follows rules! Sometimes. From syntax, literature and cognition, we explore the little known and largely ignored structure of nonsense literature and speech. Using examples from the poems of Lewis Carroll and Finnegan's Wake, come learn fun facts about strange stories.
B12588: Introduction in ci (詞), the poetry in Song dynasty
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Ting-Chun Lin,
Yuanchen Yeh
Want to learn about the poetry in Song? We will be reading different poetries in Song and talk about the stories of those poets.
Prerequisites
Able to read and speak Chinese.
Prerequisites
Able to read and speak Chinese.
B12493: 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!
Prerequisites
Fluency in English may be helpful as we will be reading a number of brief works of fiction.
Prerequisites
Fluency in English may be helpful as we will be reading a number of brief works of fiction.
B12683: Learn Japanese Instantly
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Joonho Ko,
Cory Lynch
We have two hours. By the time you leave, you'll know the entire Japanese language. (ok maybe not)
Prepare to speak a lot in the class! We'll be doing a lot of drills to make sure you speak like a true 日本人.
Prerequisites
No prior Japanese needed.
Prepare to speak a lot in the class! We'll be doing a lot of drills to make sure you speak like a true 日本人.
Prerequisites
No prior Japanese needed.
B12515: Reciting Ancient Greek
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katharine Gavitt,
El Hudson
Are you wondering what Homer sounded like? Want to impress your friends by reciting Sappho? It's time to let our your inner ῥήτωρ!
In this class, we will do a crash course in the Greek alphabet and pronunciation of words, then move into an introduction of Ancient Greek meters. From there, we will spend time practicing recitations of authors like Homer, Sappho, Euripides, Aristophanes, and more.
*nota bene: we will NOT be learning to translate Ancient Greek in this class, merely how to read it out loud.
In this class, we will do a crash course in the Greek alphabet and pronunciation of words, then move into an introduction of Ancient Greek meters. From there, we will spend time practicing recitations of authors like Homer, Sappho, Euripides, Aristophanes, and more.
*nota bene: we will NOT be learning to translate Ancient Greek in this class, merely how to read it out loud.
B12541: Dante in Context
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katharine Gavitt,
El Hudson
Have you ever wondered about Dante's Inferno? What is it? When and why was it written? Who are all the people mentioned in it, like Virgil, Guido Cavalcanti, Odysseus, and Nitokris? Who is this Dante guy, anyway? Come find out in this course! We will discuss who Dante was, the literary traditions his work built off of, and the historical, political, social, and philosophical contexts of Inferno and the larger Divine Comedy.
B12389: d(word)/dt: English Etymology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kathryn Jin,
Mindren Lu
Did you know that a sophomore literally means someone who is "wise and stupid"? Or that a peninsula is something that's "almost an island"? Or that "hamburger" isn't ham+burger, but actually Hamburg+er? Come explore the fascinating world of etymology as we dive into the quirky ways many words have come into the English language.
B12483: Magic Systems in Fantasy Stories
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sherene Raisbeck,
Josh Shaine
We'll spend a good chunk of this class exploring how magic is presented in a variety of books and movies, after which we will see about constructung our own, either individually or collectively, as the class prefers.
Prerequisites
Must love fantasy stories!
Prerequisites
Must love fantasy stories!
B12659: Fantasy World Building
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ben Johnson,
Tyler Millis
Have you ever wanted to create your own world just like Westeros? Or maybe that's a bit too dark for you and you prefer Azeroth. Or maybe that's just got too many things going on and you'd prefer Earth, but with Hogwarts. Or maybe we're still too close to home and we should head to Tattooine. In this class we will be exploring what all of these worlds have in common and how we can build one from scratch. We will also design the blueprint of one in class.
B12453: Thinking Like a Linguist Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jeremy Freudberg,
Peter Klapes
In this interactive course, students will try to make sense of language, by thinking like linguists. Students will receive a gentle introduction to linguistics and its subfields, and then begin to confront and quantify various subtle features of the English language.
B12573: How to make your own writing system!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Helen Read,
Erica Weng
Have you ever wanted to create a secret code that only you and your friends can read? Do you want to make a fancy script for your fantasy world? Do you just like writing systems?
In this one hour class, we'll discuss the different writing systems of the world before delving into making a unique way of writing English! (or another language or conlang if that applies)
In this one hour class, we'll discuss the different writing systems of the world before delving into making a unique way of writing English! (or another language or conlang if that applies)
B12548: How to Insult, Seduce, and Entertain in Classical Latin
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Syamantak Payra,
Madison Sneve
Ever wonder what kinds of shenanigans the Romans got up to? Wish you could roast your friends in Latin? Wanna know what Ovid really meant by the "Art of Love"? Then this is the class for you! We'll be exploring the most interesting, unusual, and hilarious facets of Latin literature on a quest to highlight just how entertaining and weird the Romans really were. No prior Latin experience needed!
B12433: Anatomy of a Metaphor
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
A L
Has someone given you a warm smile recently? Are concerns weighing on your mind? 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
None, fluency in English may be helpful
Prerequisites
None, fluency in English may be helpful
B12688: Intro to Ancient Greek
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Valerie Chen,
Xiang Wan
Brief overview of Ancient Greek including basic grammar and historical/cultural context!
B12427: Learn how to become a badass Albanian!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kristina Spiru
I always like to describe Albania to foreigners as the Narnia of the real world, because of how geographically small and culturally unknown it actually is. Albania, is a costal country found in the southern part of the Balkan peninsula. It is known for it's amazing food, crazy people and unique language which is spoken by around 7 million people in the whole world.
Albanian doesn't resemble any other language in the world, and in fact it occupies an independent branch in the language tree. So if you want to complain about your math teacher to your friend, without the teacher having a clue about what you're saying, please feel free to take this class.
P.S If you are a big fan of the movie Taken, we will also translate what the "bad guys" (aka Albanian mafia) say in the movie.
Albanian doesn't resemble any other language in the world, and in fact it occupies an independent branch in the language tree. So if you want to complain about your math teacher to your friend, without the teacher having a clue about what you're saying, please feel free to take this class.
P.S If you are a big fan of the movie Taken, we will also translate what the "bad guys" (aka Albanian mafia) say in the movie.
B12357: Weird Words and Other Etymological Oddities
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Olivia Waring
An exploration of the wacky and beautiful English language... Also, a brief overview of basic linguistic principles and a chance to "speed learn" a foreign language of the students' choice.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
B12435: Latin: A Dead Language?
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Amanda Satterfield,
Emily Satterfield
Salvete, discipuli! Do you often hear that "Latin is a dead language"? Well I disagree! Latin is still very much alive and a part of everyday life! Come explore how the Latin language, myths, and culture still influence us today. As my Latin teacher used to say, Latin is immortal!
[Deprecated] Computers and Programming
C12754: Computational Linguistics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sophie Mori,
John Mori
How can we use computation to study and learn more about language? What are practical problems we can solve with these approaches? We will learn about some basic probabilistic language models and briefly look at more complex problems being worked on today in the field of natural language processing.
Prerequisites
Basic probability
Prerequisites
Basic probability
C12564: Graph Search and 15-Puzzles
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hope Dargan,
Nathan Hunt
We'll learn what a graph is (hint: this kind is more like cities connected by roads than an x and y axis) and how we can find good paths in graphs. Then we'll see how we can represent a 15-puzzle as a graph and solve it by finding the right path. I'll provide the starter code, and you'll implement the graph search (in the Python programming language). This class should help you learn more about algorithms / computer science and how fun and useful they are. You'll see how graph general techniques can be applied to real world problems and have fun programming one yourself. See here (https://neighthan.github.io/graphs_and_games/eight_puzzle.html; just click play) for what this sort of puzzle looks like.
Prerequisites
Basic programming experience (e.g. lists, for loops, if statements), ideally in Python. You can gain this in not too much time by going through the basics at this website or a similar one: https://www.learnpython.org/
Prerequisites
Basic programming experience (e.g. lists, for loops, if statements), ideally in Python. You can gain this in not too much time by going through the basics at this website or a similar one: https://www.learnpython.org/
C12495: Wireshark Workshop
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Harvey Yee
Although this is a follow-up course to Promiscuous Mode-Network Protocol Analysis, it is not a prerequisite for this course. 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
None, other than a sense of curiosity.
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
None, other than a sense of curiosity.
C12586: Basic Complexity Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Avik Laha,
Justin Wong
We will define formal languages, (deterministic, one-tape) Turing machines, and give the verifier-based definition of NP. We will then discuss the ideas of undecidability (briefly), reduction, and completeness, giving several examples. A potential auxiliary topic, depending on interest, is the equivalence of the verifier-based and machine definitions of NP.
Prerequisites
Minimal - just be comfortable with abstraction.
Prerequisites
Minimal - just be comfortable with abstraction.
C12442: Introduction to Python
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Nathan Weckwerth
Ever wanted to try programming, but didn't know where to start? Come learn some basic skills in Python! We'll go over the basics and have a fun time!
C12378: What Is A Computer?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
John Gregg
You may know how to program, but what is a computer such that it needs programming? Everyone knows that computers "think" in 1's and 0's, but why, and what does this even mean? Poets welcome!
C12328: Intro to Game Development with Love <3
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Mimi Suarez
Learn basic game development concepts and techniques using the Love2D game framework. Don't have much programming experience? Lua is EXTREMELY easy to learn! There will be a crash course in Lua before any game dev starts. Happy coding :^)
C12494: Promiscuous Mode-Network Protocol Analysis
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Harvey Yee
Do you want to be in Promiscuous (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 classroom, 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
Just come with a sense of curiosity!
Prerequisites
Just come with a sense of curiosity!
C12486: Intro to Circuits and Coding with Arduino
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sarah Flanagan,
Zoe Klawans
Learn the basics of building a circuit on a breadboard. Program an LED light to blink in time with music using an Arduino. An Arduino is a small device that allows your code to come alive on your circuit. No prior knowledge of circuits, programming, or Arduino is required for this class.
C12628: Cracking Codes and Cryptography
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sharon Lin
Ever wonder how your information is secured when you enter it into a website, or how hackers really crack into accounts? You'll learn about vulnerabilities in websites, methods for storing secret information in innocuous files, basics of cryptography, and how you can best those hackers!
C12461: Introduction to the Internet of Things
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Mihir Trivedi
This class will teach students the basics of a full-stack software and hardware system, building a simple "Internet of Things" device. Will write server/endpoint code in Python, and Arduino firmware code in Arduino C++. Students should know programming basics.
Prerequisites
Students should know how to program, but proficiency in Python or C++ is not required.
Prerequisites
Students should know how to program, but proficiency in Python or C++ is not required.
C12697: Computational Music Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ian Clester,
Luke Shimanuki
How does hitting a key on a piano produce air pressure waves? How are these waves interpreted by the ear as music? How can computers generate and understand these musical signals?
Come learn the foundations of music from a computational perspective, and experiment to produce your own computer-assisted music compositions!
Prerequisites
Should have some familiarity with sin and cos functions. Basic understanding of music and scales is helpful but not required.
Come learn the foundations of music from a computational perspective, and experiment to produce your own computer-assisted music compositions!
Prerequisites
Should have some familiarity with sin and cos functions. Basic understanding of music and scales is helpful but not required.
C12710: Sculpting with Code: Using Signed Distance Functions to Create Procedurally-Generated Art
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Srinivas Kaza
Are you an artist?
Enjoy math?
Like writing code?
This course is an introduction into a somewhat unusual rendering technique that is well suited to simple interactive 3D demos. We are going to be writing shaders in the OpenGL shading language (GLSL). Don't worry, it's not a hard language to learn, and we'll spend the first half hour of the course covering its use.
http://www.iquilezles.org/www/articles/raymarchingdf/raymarchingdf.htm
DISCLAIMER: I am not an artist! That's why you're here!
Prerequisites
Understanding of any programming language Precalculus (basic vector math) Creativity! Optional: 3D modeling experience
Enjoy math?
Like writing code?
This course is an introduction into a somewhat unusual rendering technique that is well suited to simple interactive 3D demos. We are going to be writing shaders in the OpenGL shading language (GLSL). Don't worry, it's not a hard language to learn, and we'll spend the first half hour of the course covering its use.
http://www.iquilezles.org/www/articles/raymarchingdf/raymarchingdf.htm
DISCLAIMER: I am not an artist! That's why you're here!
Prerequisites
Understanding of any programming language Precalculus (basic vector math) Creativity! Optional: 3D modeling experience
C12407: Compression: A Deep Dive Into gzip
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Sai Sameer Pusapaty,
Rahul Yesantharao
This course will be broken into three parts.
First, we will cover the basics of information encoding and representation on computers.
Second, we will learn about the basics of Huffman and LZW compression - two state of the art compression algorithms that allow us to compress any type of data.
Finally, we will walk through the implementation of gzip, a standard file compression utility on GNU, and how your data is compressed on modern computers (think zip, winzip, 7zip, etc.).
Prerequisites
Familiarity with C will be useful
First, we will cover the basics of information encoding and representation on computers.
Second, we will learn about the basics of Huffman and LZW compression - two state of the art compression algorithms that allow us to compress any type of data.
Finally, we will walk through the implementation of gzip, a standard file compression utility on GNU, and how your data is compressed on modern computers (think zip, winzip, 7zip, etc.).
Prerequisites
Familiarity with C will be useful
C12437: Data and Visualization
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Miaomiao Jin,
Jilang Miao
This course will focus on the following topics: concept and examples of big data; roles of visualization; visualization tools; effectiveness and expressiveness of visualization design; design principle and critiques; open discussion on exploratory data analysis.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
C12679: How to Not Get Pwned
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Chen,
Ashley Kim
The internet is a wonderful place, but also a place full of dangers. Learn how to use a computer and browse the internet without getting hax0red (or at least, make it much less likely). We'll talk about basic internet security, phishing, social engineering, password security, and anything else we have time for.
Warning: may induce paranoia around computers.
Warning: may induce paranoia around computers.
C12492: Finite Automata and Regular Expressions
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Clayton Dembski
In this class, we'll start by teaching the basics of Regular Expressions: sequences of characters that search for patterns of letters and numbers. After that, we'll look at deterministic and non deterministic finite automata -- state machines -- to understand how computers identify and interpret these expressions and represent them as languages.
Prerequisites
Basic set theory may be nice, however it is not a requirement.
Prerequisites
Basic set theory may be nice, however it is not a requirement.
C12356: Anyone Can Quantum!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Olivia Waring
A broad overview of quantum computing: heavy on concepts and applications, light on scary math, and hopefully funny and fun! My goal is to demystify the discipline, hopefully sparking curiosity and dispelling the myth that quantum computing is scary and inaccessible (particularly for young women).
Prerequisites
None in particular, although it would help to have some basic knowledge of how computers encode data (e.g. bits) and 9th grade math skills.
Prerequisites
None in particular, although it would help to have some basic knowledge of how computers encode data (e.g. bits) and 9th grade math skills.
C12415: Autonomous Vehicles: Perception and Path Planning Challenges
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Bhavik Nagda,
Ishani Thakur
Have you ever wondered how autonomous vehicles operate? How they sense their environment and plan to move? This course will begin with a broad overview of AV technology and the industry, and then introduce some of the hottest challenges in computer science today: perception and path planning. We will also cover a number of relevant algorithms currently in use.
Prerequisites
We encourage, but do not require, some introductory knowledge of computer science.
Prerequisites
We encourage, but do not require, some introductory knowledge of computer science.
C12728: Intermediate Java Programming
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Prem Chintalapudi
We will be going over concepts more advanced than AP Computer Science. These will include generics, wildcard bounding, autoboxing, and if time allows, anonymous classes and lambda expressions.
Prerequisites
Students should understand the concepts of classes, objects, primitives, and be able to import classes from the Java Standard Library. A computer with JDK 8 or higher is required, along with an IDE of choice (i.e. Eclipse, Netbeans, or Intellij).
Prerequisites
Students should understand the concepts of classes, objects, primitives, and be able to import classes from the Java Standard Library. A computer with JDK 8 or higher is required, along with an IDE of choice (i.e. Eclipse, Netbeans, or Intellij).
C12339: Intro To Modern UI/UX Development
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Henry Keena
This class is an introduction to modern User Interface(UI) and User Experience(UX) design and development. It will cover key general concepts in UI and UX development. It will also cover what languages, tools, and specifications to use when building the front-end of web, mobile, and desktop applications. This is a good starting place for anyone interested in getting a first look into how front-end development and design works.
Prerequisites
No real prerequisites are required, however a general understanding of computer programming and design would be helpful.
Prerequisites
No real prerequisites are required, however a general understanding of computer programming and design would be helpful.
C12434: How to computer (more) safely
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Samantha York
Computers are being involved more and more in our lives every day, but that means that all of our data and history is also easier to get ahold of if we're not careful.
The class will teach you some basic to-dos and do-nots in order to make your computer use safe(r). We will cover topics such as basic browsing habits, what "encryption" means and how to use it, TAILS, and more!
If you have a computer available to you, feel free to bring it to try these things yourself!
The class will teach you some basic to-dos and do-nots in order to make your computer use safe(r). We will cover topics such as basic browsing habits, what "encryption" means and how to use it, TAILS, and more!
If you have a computer available to you, feel free to bring it to try these things yourself!
C12509: Intro to Game Design and Development
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Julian Hernandez,
Sam Pauley
What makes games fun, and how do you make them in the first place? What's involved in designing and developing one of them? How can you get started on the path to make the games you've envisioned a reality?
Join us for a fun, hands-on experience in discussing the designing of games and making one ourselves using GameMaker:Studio 2 (the same development environment used to make hit games like Hotline Miami and Undertale!). No previous programming or game dev experience required.
Join us for a fun, hands-on experience in discussing the designing of games and making one ourselves using GameMaker:Studio 2 (the same development environment used to make hit games like Hotline Miami and Undertale!). No previous programming or game dev experience required.
C12423: How to Hack Minesweeper
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
John Piotti
Ever wanted to see your name at the top of the leader-boards of minesweeperonline.com? This class will teach you how a few lines of code can have astonishing results.
In class, we will create a javascript bot from scratch which solves an online minesweeper game in under a second. In the process of making our bot, we'll learn how javascript and HTML make websites work, and of the inherent vulnerabilities that come with web development.
Some say hacking is cheating, but true hackers know it's a beautiful demonstration of skill and cleverness. And always remember: with great power comes great responsibility.
Prerequisites
Basic programming knowledge (functions, loops, conditional statements, arrays, etc.) Javascript experience not required.
In class, we will create a javascript bot from scratch which solves an online minesweeper game in under a second. In the process of making our bot, we'll learn how javascript and HTML make websites work, and of the inherent vulnerabilities that come with web development.
Some say hacking is cheating, but true hackers know it's a beautiful demonstration of skill and cleverness. And always remember: with great power comes great responsibility.
Prerequisites
Basic programming knowledge (functions, loops, conditional statements, arrays, etc.) Javascript experience not required.
[Deprecated] Engineering
E12629: Build Your Own Radio!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sharon Lin
Ever wanted to hear what was going on in the radio waves? Using basic household materials, wires, capacitors, op amps, and resistors, you can create your own AM radio!
E12366: The Design and Structure of Airports
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sophie Mori,
Brandon Wang
Have you ever wondered how airports are laid out and how all those complex systems that move around passengers, luggage, and aircraft work? Come learn about runway configurations, terminal design, and recent trends of airports and the flight industry around the world!
E12544: Make Long Bows and Learn the Physics of Archery Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Margaret Shutts
Come learn how to make your own long bow! No prior machining experience is required, we will teach you everything you need to know. Afterwards, we will learn the physics of longbows including topics such air trajectory and spring force.
E12670: How things move!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Shannon Cassady
Sea, land, air, space....how do things move around? I'll talk about all sorts of propulsion and water/land/air/spacecraft and where technology is going these days, from sailboats to electrospray thrusters on satellites!
E12750: Crazy about Lasers
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katia Shtyrkova
Intro into the physics and design of lasers and laser systems; overview of various types of lasers, and discuss common and novel laser applications, such as Airborn Laser and Free Electron Laser.
The first half of the class will be spent on basic laser physics and understanding of what makes lasers different from LEDs and other light sources. The second half of the class will be spent on learning about cool laser applications.
The first half of the class will be spent on basic laser physics and understanding of what makes lasers different from LEDs and other light sources. The second half of the class will be spent on learning about cool laser applications.
E12580: Casual Conversation on Concurrency
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Henry Williams,
Justin Wong
You and your homies are given a group project so you split up the work into tasks and let each person pick what they want. The due date arrives and your group unveils their masterpiece. But pride turns to horror when you realize that everybody chose the same task! Sound familiar? Well ... no ... not to me either. Come for a casual introduction to how computers know how "not to be that guy" by managing parallel operations and concurrent execution.
Prerequisites
Ears to hear and eyes to see
Prerequisites
Ears to hear and eyes to see
E12699: Kerbal Space Program -- Relax, It's Just Rocket Science Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Srinivas Kaza
Have you ever wanted to design and test rockets, but didn't want to deal with multi-million dollar budgets and years of preparation? Well, this is the game/class for you! We'll be playing Kerbal Space Program, a perfect middle-ground between brutally realistic rocket sim and space-themed fantasy. We'll be covering some basic rocket-related math and physics, and then play the game. DISCLAIMER: I do not study anything related to rocket engineering/science.
Prerequisites
None! Some understanding of physics might be useful though.
Prerequisites
None! Some understanding of physics might be useful though.
E12503: Improving Computing: Nanoelectronics & Beyond
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
John Niroula
Did you know that the fundamental backbone of computers, the stuff that actually represents the bits, are nanoscale electronic devices? We're talking about electronics with features the size ~ 10 atoms!
For the past 50+ years, computers have gotten faster because we've been able to make these devices faster and smaller, but it's hard to imagine making them even smaller than a couple atoms, so how do we continue improving computing?
In this course, I'll give a brief intro on how computers work at the fundamental device level and a historic overview of how computers have gotten faster over time. Then I'll discuss what next generation computer devices might look like with perspectives on 3D nanoelectronics, new materials, quantum computing, and brain-inspired neuromorphic computing.
For the past 50+ years, computers have gotten faster because we've been able to make these devices faster and smaller, but it's hard to imagine making them even smaller than a couple atoms, so how do we continue improving computing?
In this course, I'll give a brief intro on how computers work at the fundamental device level and a historic overview of how computers have gotten faster over time. Then I'll discuss what next generation computer devices might look like with perspectives on 3D nanoelectronics, new materials, quantum computing, and brain-inspired neuromorphic computing.
E12684: How to Rocket
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Maddie Garcia,
Ethan Sit
Become rocket scientist in a matter of minutes
E12510: Everything you want to know about nuclear weapons
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Thomas MacDonald,
Patrick White
Do you want to know how to build a nuclear bomb? Are you curious why centrifuges are so important in international diplomacy? Did you know that a single nuclear weapon can explode with the same energy as all explosives used in World War 2 combined? Why should we care about countries getting nuclear weapons, anyways?
In this course, we'll review the history of nuclear weapons, talk about the art and science of designing them, and see what the effects these weapons have had on the world. We'll also cover the current state of nuclear weapons and what you should know about modern scientific and political discussions about them. By the end of this class you'll know how to design a nuclear weapon but also understand the human risks and costs.
Prerequisites
Basic conceptual understanding of chemistry and physics.
In this course, we'll review the history of nuclear weapons, talk about the art and science of designing them, and see what the effects these weapons have had on the world. We'll also cover the current state of nuclear weapons and what you should know about modern scientific and political discussions about them. By the end of this class you'll know how to design a nuclear weapon but also understand the human risks and costs.
Prerequisites
Basic conceptual understanding of chemistry and physics.
E12343: My Journey Into High-Power Rocketry
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Victor Lupi
Growing up, I played around with all sorts of Estes rockets, never knowing there was another level to the hobby. This course chronicles my journey through Level 1, Level 2 and (hopefully) Level 3 certification. Along the way, you will get a chance to see some cool videos and get your hands on a bunch of high-power rocketry components. Theoretical and practical aspects of the hobby will be discussed.
E12647: Product Design 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew DeShields,
Tiffany Tao
For the first half of class, students will learn basic strategies on how to come up with good product design ideas. In the second half of class, students will get to design and build a simple product out of given materials to accomplish a given task. Students will learn strategies on how to come up with product ideas, design, and build those ideas.
E12597: Photovoltaics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Keith Phuthi,
Mayukha Vadari
Solar power holds lots of potential as a source of energy for the present and future. This class will help you understand the basics of how photovoltaic cells and other technologies work.
Prerequisites
Basic physics/chemistry
Prerequisites
Basic physics/chemistry
E12482: Intro to Orbital Mechanics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexander Lam,
Peter Zollinger
When things are in orbit they "fall so fast they miss the earth", but what does that really mean? Sure, Kerbal Space Program spits a bunch of numbers and circles at you, but how did it figure those out? Come learn how engineers determine orbits and calculate orbital maneuvers.
Prerequisites
Background in mechanics, specifically energy and momentum concepts. Pre-calculus is also helpful.
Prerequisites
Background in mechanics, specifically energy and momentum concepts. Pre-calculus is also helpful.
E12506: Space Exploration
Difficulty: **
Are you curious about what is out there? About how other planets are? If there is life outside the Earth? About how the human body reacts to the space environment? Well... scientists and aerospace engineers certainly are!
In this class we are going to talk about how exoplanets are identified and characterized, how scientists search for life in other planets, and what are the effects of space environment on your body.
Prerequisites
Basic physics and mathematics.
In this class we are going to talk about how exoplanets are identified and characterized, how scientists search for life in other planets, and what are the effects of space environment on your body.
Prerequisites
Basic physics and mathematics.
E12347: Practical in Humanoid Robotics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
marcelo anjos
Mounting.
Programming.
And execute a created choreography dance with humanoid robots
Prerequisites
Nothing
Programming.
And execute a created choreography dance with humanoid robots
Prerequisites
Nothing
E12693: Handheld Motor Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Bradley Albright
Our world is run by electrical motors from transportation like Tesla cars, to climate control like air conditioned fans, to conveniences like elevators. Learn to motorize our world, or at least a small coil. Students will leave with the world's simplest motors in their hand and a wealth of knowledge in their head!
E12341: Design / Build / Fly Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Amira Malik,
Virginia Rosenberger
PLANES! What are they? How do they work? Can a schmuck like me make one? Of course! Join us as we make and race multiple styles of balsa gliders to learn about plane design!
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with physics and ability to be safe in a lab setting.
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with physics and ability to be safe in a lab setting.
E12393: C.A.R.S. - Combining Automobiles and Real Science
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Colin Greybosh,
Drew Hutchison
How do topics like work, gears, and thermodynamics relate to cars? Engines and motors are powerful tools which can be taken for granted along with the scientific fields that helped invent them. A perfect pairing of science, engineering and math would be the car: Model T to Formula One.
E12460: How Drones Work
Difficulty: **
Come flex your quads with us! No, not those quads, I mean quadcopters! In this class we'll explore how drones fly, and the electronics and algorithms that power them. If you've ever wanted to know what's inside a drone, or even if you haven't, come listen to us drone on about drones!
Humanities
H12479: Nationalism in Modern Turkey
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matt Yarnall
The Republic of Turkey is the most diverse country in the modern Middle East. Its over 80 million citizens hail from across eastern Europe, the Balkans, Asia Minor, and the Arabian world. Turkey’s diversity is attributable to its unique geopolitical position: it sits at the crossroads of Europe and west Asia, and has historically been an intersection of innumerable peoples, cultures, religions and ideas. Due to this incredible diversity, Turkey has been continually faced with the deceptively simple question “Who is a Turk?” over its 80 year history. This question is highly political, as it relates to how Turks understand themselves in the broader context of the world. Are all Turks Muslim? Are they European? Are they Western or eastern? Can they be all these identities or do they have to choose one?
In this class, we will be looking at how Turkish politicians have defined what it means to be a “Turk” and how this has related to their broader political agendas. We will be focusing on two Turkish politicians specifically: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (the founder of Turkey and its first president) and Racep Erdogan (Turkey’s current president). Understanding the struggle for national identity in Turkey has never been more urgent than today, as Turkey is undergoing rapid political change and shifts in collective consciousness.
In this class, we will be looking at how Turkish politicians have defined what it means to be a “Turk” and how this has related to their broader political agendas. We will be focusing on two Turkish politicians specifically: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (the founder of Turkey and its first president) and Racep Erdogan (Turkey’s current president). Understanding the struggle for national identity in Turkey has never been more urgent than today, as Turkey is undergoing rapid political change and shifts in collective consciousness.
H12379: Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
John Gregg
What is a mind, and why is it so special? Is it special? How could it possibly work? Won't brain science, psychology and/or cognitive science answer any questions anyway? What do we need philosophy for? Do I have to wear a toga? No to that last one, but for the rest, sign up for this class. A brief history, and a primer on the current debates in this contentious field.
H12746: Languages of Middle Earth
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Katie Omberg,
Ryker Reed
Love Lord of the Rings? 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.
Prerequisites
None, if you've taken this class before, it will be the same material.
Prerequisites
None, if you've taken this class before, it will be the same material.
H12724: How to Study Abroad without Dying
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kelsey Becker
Ever wonder what it's like to live abroad? Learn the do's and don'ts of studying abroad including what to pack, what to expect, and how not to die.
H12441: Philosophical Puzzles and Paradoxes
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ado Jean-Noel,
Noah Valdez
This course is a brief introduction to the exciting world of philosophical puzzles and paradoxes throughout the history of western philosophy. Each seminar will cover four unique problems from different philosophical eras (e.g. ancient, medieval, modern) and end with a reflection on popular puzzles and paradoxes in our world today. No philosophical experience is required in advance and all are welcomed to attend!
H12478: Writing the Past: The Theory and Practice of History
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matt Yarnall
History is a fascinating discipline that allows us to study the rise and fall of empires, the accomplishments of great individuals, and change of societies over time. We study history to gain insights into the present political/societal moment–and so we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. But what exactly is history? Carl Becker answers this question: “History is what the present chooses to remember about the past.” Becker’s point is very problematic if we want to discover what actually happened in the past; if history is an incomplete recollection of the past, then how do we discover what actually happened so we can learn from it? How do we get to the truth?
In this class, we will be trying to answer the above questions. To do so, we will be introduced to the field of “Historiography,” the study of historical theory and methods. We will look at a couple historical case studies, and have time for discussion at the end. I would highly recommend anyone interested in history to take this introduction to historiography; an understanding how to study human experiences in the past–and the historical events which connect them– is indispensable to the modern historian.
In this class, we will be trying to answer the above questions. To do so, we will be introduced to the field of “Historiography,” the study of historical theory and methods. We will look at a couple historical case studies, and have time for discussion at the end. I would highly recommend anyone interested in history to take this introduction to historiography; an understanding how to study human experiences in the past–and the historical events which connect them– is indispensable to the modern historian.
H12534: Weird Laws and Cases
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Elizabeth Parizh,
Nina Plotnikov
In Newark, it's illegal to sell ice cream after 6pm without a doctor's note.
Silly string is illegal in Marlborough.
Arkansas man head-butted his mother. Twice.
In this class, you can learn all about weird laws like this, which exist in cities everywhere in the country. And then we might talk about some criminals that have gotten into some... unlucky situations. People are fascinating creatures, after all.
Silly string is illegal in Marlborough.
Arkansas man head-butted his mother. Twice.
In this class, you can learn all about weird laws like this, which exist in cities everywhere in the country. And then we might talk about some criminals that have gotten into some... unlucky situations. People are fascinating creatures, after all.
H12558: Oriental Oracle and Probability
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miaomiao Jin,
Jilang Miao
1. a brief introduction and history of the oriental oracle system, I Ching.
2. the process to generate the hexgram by manipulating 49 sticks
3. mathematical representation of the above steps and probability analysis
4. write computer program to generate hexagram
5. hexgram interpretation and discussion
2. the process to generate the hexgram by manipulating 49 sticks
3. mathematical representation of the above steps and probability analysis
4. write computer program to generate hexagram
5. hexgram interpretation and discussion
H12538: All About Bail
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Elizabeth Parizh,
Elijah Rivera
The criminal justice system is wrought with issues, but one that many don't think about is the people stuck in jail awaiting trial. Bail is the price judges set for defendants to pay to get out. There is a debate in several states about replacing monetary bail with other alternatives, but that can also come with problems. In this seminar, we will discuss some background and potential ideas related to bail.
H12539: The Amazing History of Rome
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Katharine Gavitt,
El Hudson
What do you picture when you think of Roman history? Grand battles, stunning betrayals, dashing generals, and brave gladiators, perhaps? Come and hear stories about all these things and more! This course is a short introduction to the history of Rome, spanning from its foundation by Romulus to the deposition of the last emperor. In addition to history, we will also touch on ancient Roman life, literature, philosophy, religion, and the sources we have that tell us what the world was like back then.
H12635: Writing for Social Change
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Priten Shah,
Chandani Shah
In this class, we will cover the use of writing for social change. Students will learn how to write powerful pieces of writing that go from informational to persuasive. We will cover argumentative structures, common mistakes, writing with purpose, and influencing the reader.
H12333: The Master and Margarita
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Roksi Freeman,
Dakota Freeman
For those interested in Russian literary history, come explore perhaps the greatest story to come out of Stalinist Russia.
"Suppressed in the Soviet Union for twenty-six years, Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece is an ironic parable on power and its corruption, on good and evil, and on human frailty and the strength of love. This book combines fable, fantasy, political satire and slapstick comedy."
The Master and Margarita was Mikhail Bulgakov's deathbed masterpiece. We will discuss the story and everything that made it so controversial at the time, pointing out the sarcasm, satire, subtle nods, and quirky translations. An excellent primer for anyone interested in Russian literature, and a fun exploration for those who already know the book.
Prerequisites
Either having read or started The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, or at least its Wikipedia page.
"Suppressed in the Soviet Union for twenty-six years, Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece is an ironic parable on power and its corruption, on good and evil, and on human frailty and the strength of love. This book combines fable, fantasy, political satire and slapstick comedy."
The Master and Margarita was Mikhail Bulgakov's deathbed masterpiece. We will discuss the story and everything that made it so controversial at the time, pointing out the sarcasm, satire, subtle nods, and quirky translations. An excellent primer for anyone interested in Russian literature, and a fun exploration for those who already know the book.
Prerequisites
Either having read or started The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, or at least its Wikipedia page.
H12685: Neurodivergence
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
James Koppel,
Saranesh Prembabu
Neurological spectrum conditions, such as autism, Aspergers, etc. are growing more prevalent and well-represented in our society today. Come learn what these conditions are and what it is like to live with them, strengths and challenges facing the community, and how people on and off the spectrum can contribute to a neurodiverse world.
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
H12713: Let Me Queer Things Up For You...
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alyssa Britton,
Ming Li Wu
An overview of selected topics from queer theory, including breaking down the traditional binaries of gender and sexuality, exploring the contributions of related fields such as radical feminism and gender studies, critically analyzing drag performance, and applying principles of queer theory to everyday communication.
H12715: Redesigning Education!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Paolo Adajar,
Evan Tey
Have you ever found yourself bored in school? Do you feel like you're wasting your time learning irrelevant information? Schools, as institutions, have kept the same structure for a long time, but society continues to evolve. Come discuss how we might redesign education for the future!
H12352: President Madison on the Founding of the United States
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Bil Lewis,
Mary Mangan
With the assistance of audience members reading appropriate dramatic quotations from Patrick Henry, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Dolly Madison, etc., we will lead investigations into events from the House of Burgesses, the Constitutional Convention, the “Dinner Party,” etc., that marked the coming of age of the United States.
More than a mere recitation of dates and facts, this will be an exploration into the underlying reasons that prompted them to act as they did. Many of the issues they confronted then continue to be relevant today.
Should we be one Country?
What debts should be paid?
Who gets the power of Taxation?
Should a Private Bank issue money?
Should we be agrarian? Or a center of manufacturing?
How do we limit the influence of Great Corporations on our public life?
How can we protect the Common Man from the rapaciousness of the Rich and Powerful?
How do we eliminate Slavery?
How do we make real the “Spirit of ’76?” So we can truly say that “All Men are Created Equal.”
More than a mere recitation of dates and facts, this will be an exploration into the underlying reasons that prompted them to act as they did. Many of the issues they confronted then continue to be relevant today.
Should we be one Country?
What debts should be paid?
Who gets the power of Taxation?
Should a Private Bank issue money?
Should we be agrarian? Or a center of manufacturing?
How do we limit the influence of Great Corporations on our public life?
How can we protect the Common Man from the rapaciousness of the Rich and Powerful?
How do we eliminate Slavery?
How do we make real the “Spirit of ’76?” So we can truly say that “All Men are Created Equal.”
H12424: Does God exist?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jeremy Freudberg,
Peter Klapes
In this discussion-based course, we will explore the different arguments regarding the existence of God.
H12641: Introduction to Socionics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Joseph Cox,
Roan LaPlante
In this class we will review Socionics, a personality typology and branch of Jungian analytical psychology developed by a Lithuanian woman named Ausra Augustinavicitue in the 1970s. Socionics is moderately well popularized in Eastern Europe and almost unheard of in Western Europe or America.
Socionics is an abstract philosophical model and language for describing people and their social interactions, which attempts to answer the question, "How are different people different?" More concisely, it is a system of personality types. In this class, we will simultaneously review the conceptual foundations of this typology, and in doing so, we will address the problem of knowledge and numerous issues in practice. Specifically we will point out the problems and vagueness of the topic of personality types in itself, how it relates to science (socionics is *not* science) and ask what understanding personality types is actually useful for.
Prerequisites
A desire for self-knowledge and a willingness to think critically. Familiarity with MBTI is potentially helpful but also potentially detrimental. Some background in psychology is helpful but not needed.
Socionics is an abstract philosophical model and language for describing people and their social interactions, which attempts to answer the question, "How are different people different?" More concisely, it is a system of personality types. In this class, we will simultaneously review the conceptual foundations of this typology, and in doing so, we will address the problem of knowledge and numerous issues in practice. Specifically we will point out the problems and vagueness of the topic of personality types in itself, how it relates to science (socionics is *not* science) and ask what understanding personality types is actually useful for.
Prerequisites
A desire for self-knowledge and a willingness to think critically. Familiarity with MBTI is potentially helpful but also potentially detrimental. Some background in psychology is helpful but not needed.
H12465: How to (Kind of) Write Your Own Novel
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Vivian Vu
Nanowrimo is for plebs. Learn how to write a novel as done so by a self-published author who procrastinated for essentially 5 months until two weeks before the print deadline. Class will be about how to write a novel, from getting an idea to actual writing structure (outlining, editing, etc.) to publishing the work (if one so chooses), according to someone who only kind of written a novel but can still say they did it.
H12425: Poetry and Philosophy
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jeremy Freudberg,
Peter Klapes
In this course, we'll use poetry as a means of discussing a variety of philosophical topics.
H12643: The Art of Riddling
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shardul Chiplunkar
You're in the palace of an Ancient and Powerful King, and the Master of Knowledge has just asked you an artful riddle to test your worth. You're smart: you deliver an impeccable answer in seconds. Of course, it is but courteous to return the exchange by posing a riddle of your own... oh. You don't know any. Now what?
It has to be challenging, but solvable. It has to be majestically poetic, but not cringy. Its lines should resound in the halls and minds of the palace and thrust an irresistibly fascinating mystery upon them.
Come learn the Art of Riddling.
It has to be challenging, but solvable. It has to be majestically poetic, but not cringy. Its lines should resound in the halls and minds of the palace and thrust an irresistibly fascinating mystery upon them.
Come learn the Art of Riddling.
H12477: Controversial Archeology: How Greece Lost its Marbles
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Matt Yarnall
The Parthenon in Athens is perhaps the most iconic structure in the western world. It is seen by many westerners as a monument to democracy, education, and civilization. The Parthenon was once adorned with the finest marble statues of the classical world, depicting the adventures of the mighty Greek gods and goddesses: Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes, and of course–Athena. Yet today, the Parthenon has been stripped of its marbles, it stands on the acropolis, bare and unornamented. How could this have happened to the greatest architectural masterpiece of the western world?
In this class we will learn about the incredible life story of the Parthenon marbles. We will meet a fascinating early archeologist named Lord Elgen, who won an entire war in Egypt so he could controversially strip the marbles in the early 1800s. We will uncover how Greece responded to Elgen, how the debate over the true ownership of the marbles is still raging, and where the marbles are today. This class will illustrate how controversial archeology can be–once the hatchet has been unearthed, it is not easily buried.
In this class we will learn about the incredible life story of the Parthenon marbles. We will meet a fascinating early archeologist named Lord Elgen, who won an entire war in Egypt so he could controversially strip the marbles in the early 1800s. We will uncover how Greece responded to Elgen, how the debate over the true ownership of the marbles is still raging, and where the marbles are today. This class will illustrate how controversial archeology can be–once the hatchet has been unearthed, it is not easily buried.
H12449: A Guide to Thinking like the Lorax
Difficulty: *
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not!" -Dr. Suess
How does your lifestyle affect the world around you? Ever thought about where that straw you sipped from in your bubble tea went? Ever thought about your carbon footprint? What even is a carbon footprint? Join us in this journey to answer these questions like the ultimate environmentalist, The Lorax, and help make a positive impact on the environment.
Prerequisites
None but English speaking preffered.
How does your lifestyle affect the world around you? Ever thought about where that straw you sipped from in your bubble tea went? Ever thought about your carbon footprint? What even is a carbon footprint? Join us in this journey to answer these questions like the ultimate environmentalist, The Lorax, and help make a positive impact on the environment.
Prerequisites
None but English speaking preffered.
H12698: Why Read Fiction?--Overview of Novel Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Valerie Chen,
Xiang Wan
Explore why we enjoy reading fiction, especially novels: is it to escape real life? To fulfill our imagination? To learn about human nature? We'll examine and compare different types of theories in social, historical, cultural contexts then come up with our own interpretations.
H12672: Random Facts about Communist Countries
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Saranesh Prembabu
Did you know Marie Curie's son-in-law won the Stalin Peace Prize? Chile ran its planned economy with a prototype neural network software in the 70's? The Việt Minh guerrilla movement published a high school geometry textbook during the First Indochina War? Come learn about intriguing things that happened in the communist world that you'd never find in a history book!
This class does not endorse any political ideology, and won't be a comprehensive history lesson but just a bunch of miscellaneous facts. Since we're at MIT, we'll be particularly interested scientific/technical topics among others.
Prerequisites
None, but a standard knowledge of 20th century history/geography may make it more entertaining
This class does not endorse any political ideology, and won't be a comprehensive history lesson but just a bunch of miscellaneous facts. Since we're at MIT, we'll be particularly interested scientific/technical topics among others.
Prerequisites
None, but a standard knowledge of 20th century history/geography may make it more entertaining
H12484: Building Histories for Your Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Dystopia Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sherene Raisbeck,
Josh Shaine
In the year 2150, we've colonized Mars. How did we get from here to there?
On the planet Trzymy, there is a plot to overthrow the Usurper! How did he come to power and what is the heritage of his country?
We're doomed. We know we're doomed. The leaders say so. Has it always been this way? If not, when did things change and how?
Creating a solid history to lean on in your story telling can make the tale a lot easier to craft for an author, or at least a lot easier to follow for a reader!
We will work to understand how histories work and what we need to do to build them!
Prerequisites
Must love one or more of the genres in the title and have a desire to create your own!
On the planet Trzymy, there is a plot to overthrow the Usurper! How did he come to power and what is the heritage of his country?
We're doomed. We know we're doomed. The leaders say so. Has it always been this way? If not, when did things change and how?
Creating a solid history to lean on in your story telling can make the tale a lot easier to craft for an author, or at least a lot easier to follow for a reader!
We will work to understand how histories work and what we need to do to build them!
Prerequisites
Must love one or more of the genres in the title and have a desire to create your own!
H12571: MIT Model United Nations - Intro
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Nadezhda Dimitrova,
Sarah Quraishi
The course will provide an introduction to international relations, a branch of political science focused on foreign policy. Students will gain an understanding of parliamentary procedure, committee debate, and how MIT Model United Nations Conference works.
H12344: Liberty or Justice For All: How Far Should the State Go?
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Priten Shah,
Chandani Shah
In this class, we will focus on the dilemmas between liberty and justice that modern democratic states face in making state policy. We will have discussions about how states should make policies in cases where pursuing justice would infringe on individual liberties. This will include a discussion about what are liberties and what is justice. We will then talk about cases like naming children, restricting sugar content in fast food, smoking regulations, circumcision and the banning of religious headwear.
H12399: Healthcare: At Home and Abroad
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Madeleine Kline,
Vaibhavi Shah
Your throat is sore, your nose is stuffy and you have a headache. What do you do? Go to the doctor? How do you pay to go to the doctor and what do you expect from them? Do you ask for antibiotics? The healthcare system is riddled with challenges spanning inequities in patient-doctor interactions to funding treatment of large scale epidemics in Africa. If you are interested in healthcare in this state, in this country, or in the world as a whole come to our class!
Lunch
L12770: 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.
L12771: Lunch Period
Difficulty: None
Teachers:
Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.
Mathematics
M12362: Ordinals and Hydras
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Della Hendrickson,
Jordan Hines
What happens when you start counting and don't stop? Can a hydra be beaten? What do hydras even have to do with math? Come to this class to find out!
Prerequisites
You should be able to write numbers in different bases. Prior experience with proofs and set theory would be helpful.
Prerequisites
You should be able to write numbers in different bases. Prior experience with proofs and set theory would be helpful.
M12595: Introduction to Proofs
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sinho Chewi,
Rachel Lum
We will introduce you to what a mathematical proof is, and how to write one. We will cover basic proof strategies and go over famous examples of proofs.
M12727: Brouwer's Fixed Point Theorem
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Mark Kong
We will prove Brouwer's Fixed Point Theorem; everything else is (as of writing this) subject to change.
The current plan is to prove it for a (2 dimensional) disk using the fundamental group, then to prove it for higher dimensions using homology groups, and to finish with some applications (namely the Jordan Curve Theorem and the Hex Theorem)
Prerequisites
Familiarity with proving things. Know what $$\mathbb{R}^n, D^n, S^n$$ (i.e. $$n$$-dimensional Euclidean space, the $$n$$-disk, and the $$n$$-sphere) are. You do not need to know what a group is to get something out of the class, but if you do then you might get more out of the class.
The current plan is to prove it for a (2 dimensional) disk using the fundamental group, then to prove it for higher dimensions using homology groups, and to finish with some applications (namely the Jordan Curve Theorem and the Hex Theorem)
Prerequisites
Familiarity with proving things. Know what $$\mathbb{R}^n, D^n, S^n$$ (i.e. $$n$$-dimensional Euclidean space, the $$n$$-disk, and the $$n$$-sphere) are. You do not need to know what a group is to get something out of the class, but if you do then you might get more out of the class.
M12419: The Baire Category Theorem
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Benjamin Church,
Kohtaro Yamakawa
Does there exist a function which is continuous exactly on the irrational numbers? It turns out the answer is yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomae%27s_function. The natural next question is: "What about he complement? Is there a function exactly continuous on the rationals?" The answer to this is, somewhat surprisingly, no! To answer this question we will need to develop some powerful tools in analysis such as the Baire Category Theorem and Borel Hierarchy which tell us about what happens when we take repeated intersections, unions, and complements of infinitely many open sets.
Prerequisites
Know the epsilon-delta definition of limits and continuity well. There will not be too much epsilon-delta manipulation in this class but it is important to understand this background. One should also understand the difference between a countable versus an uncountable set. Knowing what open and closed sets are and the operations of closure and interior would be helpful but is not assumed and will be explained.
Prerequisites
Know the epsilon-delta definition of limits and continuity well. There will not be too much epsilon-delta manipulation in this class but it is important to understand this background. One should also understand the difference between a countable versus an uncountable set. Knowing what open and closed sets are and the operations of closure and interior would be helpful but is not assumed and will be explained.
M12743: What The Heck Is A Manifold?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zachary Steinberg
How do you do geometry in four dimensions? Manifolds! Manifolds are one of those concepts that sounds scary but is actually surprisingly simple. By the power of 𝟛 𝔻 𝕥 𝕖 𝕔 𝕙 𝕟 𝕠 𝕝 𝕠 𝕘 𝕪, come learn what a manifold is and why mathematicians love them, visually!
Prerequisites
If you know what a plane is, you're good. Bring with you a love of cool visuals. Calculus might let you get more out of the class, but you don't need it!
Prerequisites
If you know what a plane is, you're good. Bring with you a love of cool visuals. Calculus might let you get more out of the class, but you don't need it!
M12654: Intro to Cryptology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matthew Benet
This course is designed to give a brief introduction to the the study of codes, and the art of writing and solving them. This class will move chronologically through the history of cryptology: we will start around 500 BCE with the simple Atbash cipher and other monolphabetic substitution, touch upon the beginnings of steganography, and work our way through the Renaissance and the Vignere Cipher. If time permits we will
end with 20th century ciphers as used in war time (ADFGVX and, if time permits, Enigma).
The focus will be on learning the functionality of each cipher, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. There will be code-breaking in this class.
end with 20th century ciphers as used in war time (ADFGVX and, if time permits, Enigma).
The focus will be on learning the functionality of each cipher, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. There will be code-breaking in this class.
M12664: Infinities
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zoe Anderson,
Kelly Chen
Imagine something that's infinitely large. Now imagine something that's even larger. Sounds impossible? Come learn about different infinities!
M12587: Why P vs. NP isn't trivial
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Avik Laha,
Justin Wong
We will begin with the basics, defining I/O Turing machines and discussing what it means for a problem to require some amount of time or space, and giving central foundational results/techniques like the hierarchy theorems and diagonalization, and some applications. Afterwards, we will define oracle Turing machines and discuss the concept of completeness. We will conclude the main part of the course by showing that techniques like diagonalization cannot separate P and NP - in particular, any proof of their inequivalence cannot relativize. As time permits, we will look at other notable complexity classes lying between P and PSPACE, e.g. PH, BQP, and IP.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with basic computational complexity on the level of our other course on the topic
Prerequisites
Familiarity with basic computational complexity on the level of our other course on the topic
M12742: Enumerative Combinatorics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kaarel Haenni
This class will be a quick tour of some counting arguments, with an introduction to a few general methods. Here are some examples of what might be counted: lattice paths, triangulations, trees, tilings, functions, and partitions.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with proofs and bijections is recommended.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with proofs and bijections is recommended.
M12462: SAT Math
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Julia Wang
Get ready for the big test by attending this 50-minute crash course review! Practice problems, review resources, and testing tips will be provided!
Prerequisites
Algebra I
Prerequisites
Algebra I
M12753: Fun with the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Ria Das,
Vanshika Jain
Have you ever wondered how many roots a polynomial has? If you know the answer, want to learn how to prove it? If you know how to prove it one way, do you know two other proofs? This class will cover what the fundamental theorem of algebra is and how to prove it in three different ways. We will prove it using number theory, complex analysis, and topology. Join us if you want an accessible introduction to three really cool areas of math!
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with proofs.
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with proofs.
M12391: Ramsey Theory
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Della Hendrickson,
Katie Sedlar
How many people do you need to put in a room to make sure four of them are either all friends or all not friends?
Why does anyone care about numbers like Graham's Number, which way are too big to have any physical relevance?
Ramsey theory is the study of how particular structures always emerge in sufficiently large clusters of randomness. Learn the answers to these questions and more!
Why does anyone care about numbers like Graham's Number, which way are too big to have any physical relevance?
Ramsey theory is the study of how particular structures always emerge in sufficiently large clusters of randomness. Learn the answers to these questions and more!
M12634: The Mathematics of Doodling
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Sualeh Asif,
Andrew Lin
This is a class based off a paper of the same name. Draw a shape on your piece of paper, and then draw a curve tightly around it, as close as you can. After you’ve completed the loop, do it again. And again. And again. Does the shape get more circular, and how? We'll answer this and then extend to more topics in geometry, topology, and much, much more!
M12421: BIG Numbers
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Della Hendrickson,
Katie Sedlar
What's the biggest number you know? 6? A million? A googolplex? In this class, we'll talk about ways to describe way bigger numbers.
M12575: Infinite dimensional topology
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Henri Champigneulle,
Mendel Keller
Topology is the abstract study of shape. We will be covering some point-set topology. In particular, we will start by looking at the real line, generalize to higher dimensional real space, and then consider the infinite case.
In doing so, we introduce topologies, as simple structures that can be given to sets. We study some basic operations that can be done on topologies, and focus on metric topologies, or rather metric spaces. Wherin we use a notion of distance to give a type of shape.
We will then consider how to close a set. Which essentially looks like adding the things on its boundary. And using closures we will consider which topology on infinite dimensional space is most satisfying.
Prerequisites
There are few specific prerequisites for the course, but mathematical maturity is going to be extremely helpful. I will be introducing all the basic notions used in topology, and so exposure to college-level theoretical mathematics is key. Exposure to topology is not necessary, but will definitely be helpful.
In doing so, we introduce topologies, as simple structures that can be given to sets. We study some basic operations that can be done on topologies, and focus on metric topologies, or rather metric spaces. Wherin we use a notion of distance to give a type of shape.
We will then consider how to close a set. Which essentially looks like adding the things on its boundary. And using closures we will consider which topology on infinite dimensional space is most satisfying.
Prerequisites
There are few specific prerequisites for the course, but mathematical maturity is going to be extremely helpful. I will be introducing all the basic notions used in topology, and so exposure to college-level theoretical mathematics is key. Exposure to topology is not necessary, but will definitely be helpful.
M12620: Intro to Trading
Difficulty: *
What is a market? If you're interested in math, probability, or finance, learn about trading by playing a fun estimation game!
M12377: Complex Numbers: Math That Will Freak You Out (at least a little bit)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
John Gregg
I promise this math will freak you out at least a bit. We will explore the existence or non-existence of nonsensical things called complex numbers, or less scarily, imaginary numbers (aren't they all?). We will end up deep, deep inside a certain blob called the Mandelbrot set, which is made of these "imaginary" numbers.
M12568: Calculus of Variations Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yogeshwar Velingker
Many problems in physics and elsewhere demand finding the path that minimize a certain quantity. For example, given two end points, we might want a bead to slide along a path between the two points in the shortest amount of time. The problem of finding this path is called the brachistochrone problem. In this class we'll discuss the calculus of variations, which allows us to solve such problems. We'll discuss Lagrangian mechanics (a reformulation of classical mechanics), and solve the brachistochrone problem.
Prerequisites
Calculus
Prerequisites
Calculus
M12376: The Foundation Crisis in Mathematics
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Benjamin Church,
Henry Williams
For centuries, mathematics was considered to be the most stable and deductive reasoning, which gives results with absolute certainty, it was
long believed that mathematical knowledge was beyond doubt. But at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, several developments shook our faith in the unshakable nature of mathematical reasoning. The emergence
of non-Euclidean geometry undermined absolute acceptance of the theory
of space and shape that had reigned since classical Greece. Gregor Cantor’s work on the nature of infinity forced us to rethink our sense of numbers. And Kurt Gödel’s incompleteness theorem cast doubt on the possibility of a completely well-grounded notion of mathematical truth. In this class, we will explore the fundamental philosophical uncertainty in mathematics, and hopefully I will convince you that the math you have known and loved your whole life is built on shaky ground. This class will include discussions on the philosophy of math and whether it is grounded in the real world, or own minds, or somewhere far stranger.
Prerequisites
A heavy skepticism of mathematicians.
long believed that mathematical knowledge was beyond doubt. But at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, several developments shook our faith in the unshakable nature of mathematical reasoning. The emergence
of non-Euclidean geometry undermined absolute acceptance of the theory
of space and shape that had reigned since classical Greece. Gregor Cantor’s work on the nature of infinity forced us to rethink our sense of numbers. And Kurt Gödel’s incompleteness theorem cast doubt on the possibility of a completely well-grounded notion of mathematical truth. In this class, we will explore the fundamental philosophical uncertainty in mathematics, and hopefully I will convince you that the math you have known and loved your whole life is built on shaky ground. This class will include discussions on the philosophy of math and whether it is grounded in the real world, or own minds, or somewhere far stranger.
Prerequisites
A heavy skepticism of mathematicians.
M12385: Intro to Quantum Computation
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Jackie Bredenberg,
Jordan Hines
Curious what the hype around quantum computing is all about? Want to know what quantum computing actually is? In this class, we'll discuss the key quantum mechanics that quantum computing is based on and how it differs from classical computing. Then, we'll see a few examples of simple quantum algorithms.
Note that this isn't a class on how a quantum computer can physically be built. Instead, we'll be discussing the theory of quantum computing.
Prerequisites
high school algebra
Note that this isn't a class on how a quantum computer can physically be built. Instead, we'll be discussing the theory of quantum computing.
Prerequisites
high school algebra
M12531: Probability, Statistics, and Understanding the World
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Farita Tasnim,
Evan Tey
Probability is the language we use to understand the world around us. It helps us conclude that gravitational waves exist or that certain drug treatments actually help cure a disease. Come learn the fundamentals fundamentals of probability and statistics from random variables to estimation. In particular, we'll talk about where these come up in the world and why it's important to understand them.
Prerequisites
No explicit prereqs, but the more comfortable you are with high level math the better.
Prerequisites
No explicit prereqs, but the more comfortable you are with high level math the better.
M12536: Machine Learning Without the Buzzwords
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Amelia Cavallaro
Are you curious about what machine learning is? Or what you can do with it? Are you suspicious of how people treat it like magic?
So am I! It's not magical, it's not anything super new, and using it without care can do a lot of harm. In this class, we'll talk about some common machine learning algorithms, the statistical assumptions behind them, common applications, and best practices.
So am I! It's not magical, it's not anything super new, and using it without care can do a lot of harm. In this class, we'll talk about some common machine learning algorithms, the statistical assumptions behind them, common applications, and best practices.
M12547: Quick Mafs
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Paolo Adajar,
Brandon Wang
We may not be Big Shaq (though Shaq was a favorite basketball player for a long while), we'll be teaching you about how to do mental math quickly!
Imagine wowing your friends with how quickly you can square 175 in your head (30625), or figure out what day of the week January 12, 1999 (my birthday!) was (Tuesday). This class is focused on showing you all sorts of really cool math tricks!
Prerequisites
Introductory knowledge of algebra important! This doesn't mean that you know how to solve a cubic equation, but you should generally know what a variable is, what the distributive property is, and knowing what FOIL is will be helpful
Imagine wowing your friends with how quickly you can square 175 in your head (30625), or figure out what day of the week January 12, 1999 (my birthday!) was (Tuesday). This class is focused on showing you all sorts of really cool math tricks!
Prerequisites
Introductory knowledge of algebra important! This doesn't mean that you know how to solve a cubic equation, but you should generally know what a variable is, what the distributive property is, and knowing what FOIL is will be helpful
M12450: Robust Statistics and Machine Learning
"Robust statistics seek to provide methods that emulate popular statistical methods, but which are not unduly affected by outliers or other small departures from model assumptions" - Wikipedia
We'll also see some applications of robust statistics ideas in machine learning, where state-of-the-art deep neural networks are prone to classifying two very similar images differently, and how we can avoid these problems.
Prerequisites
Some math and probability background
We'll also see some applications of robust statistics ideas in machine learning, where state-of-the-art deep neural networks are prone to classifying two very similar images differently, and how we can avoid these problems.
Prerequisites
Some math and probability background
M12360: Introduction to Applied Mathematics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lester Kim
This course will explore different topics in applied mathematics with examples from physics, economics, computer science, finance, and more. If you ever wondered how the math you learn in high school applies to the real world, this is the class for you.
Prerequisites
High school algebra
Prerequisites
High school algebra
M12559: Introduction to mathematical proofs
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dalila Valdes
The course will introduce students how to approach concepts in order to be able to generalize them and prove them. It will mainly focus on the way of reasoning and it will also cover basic concepts and vocabulary such as proofs by induction, construction and contradiction.
Prerequisites
Love math
Prerequisites
Love math
M12359: Bridges, Maps, and Networks: An Introduction to Graph Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jessica Oehrlein
Graph theory is a relatively young area of mathematics, focused on studying structures that show the relationships among people, places, or objects. We'll talk about two of the first key questions in graph theory, the Königsberg bridge problem and the Four Color Theorem. We'll also explore some applications of graph theory, such as modeling social networks or the spread of information or disease.
Prerequisites
Comfort with using variables, reading algebraic expressions, and probability. It's helpful but not necessary to have seen proofs by induction and/or contradiction.
Prerequisites
Comfort with using variables, reading algebraic expressions, and probability. It's helpful but not necessary to have seen proofs by induction and/or contradiction.
M12744: Combing cats with the hairy ball theorem
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kaarel Haenni
Is it possible to comb a cat? Will there always be a tuft or swirl of hair left uncombed? Come get your existential questions answered in this class about the hairy ball theorem.
It turns out that you can't comb a hairy ball. A bit more rigorously, the hairy ball theorem is the following statement in topology: every smooth vector field on a sphere has a singular point. In this class, I will give an outline of a proof of this statement. If there is any time left, I might also talk about some fixed point theorems.
Warning: there probably won't be any actual cats, I'm sorry. But there might be some inanimate substitutes to play around with.
Prerequisites
Being comfortable with math and hairy animals is a plus.
It turns out that you can't comb a hairy ball. A bit more rigorously, the hairy ball theorem is the following statement in topology: every smooth vector field on a sphere has a singular point. In this class, I will give an outline of a proof of this statement. If there is any time left, I might also talk about some fixed point theorems.
Warning: there probably won't be any actual cats, I'm sorry. But there might be some inanimate substitutes to play around with.
Prerequisites
Being comfortable with math and hairy animals is a plus.
M12656: Gödel on Fast Forward
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shardul Chiplunkar
URL: buzzfeed.com/science
Year: 1931
Title: "Mathematicians Hate Him! How One Man Broke Math Last Winter"
A fast run-through of Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems, including some history, just enough basic math and logic to understand them, an outline of their proofs (they aren't so hard!), and what they *really* mean. Come have your mathematical intuitions knocked askew!
Prerequisites
Comfortable with basic algebra and arithmetic. Helpful if you know basic logical notation, but not required.
Year: 1931
Title: "Mathematicians Hate Him! How One Man Broke Math Last Winter"
A fast run-through of Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems, including some history, just enough basic math and logic to understand them, an outline of their proofs (they aren't so hard!), and what they *really* mean. Come have your mathematical intuitions knocked askew!
Prerequisites
Comfortable with basic algebra and arithmetic. Helpful if you know basic logical notation, but not required.
M12711: Beyond P vs NP: Hardness of Approximation
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
David Yang
This summer, I want to go to each of the million biggest cities in the world. I want to save money though, so I need to know in what order I should go to these cities to minimize my total airplane ticket cost. Please help!
Unfortunately, if you believe that the computational complexity classes P and NP are different, I am out of luck. There is no way I could possibly compute the best path in time. But luckily, I have some room in my budget - I'm willing to settle for any route whose cost is within 50% of the price of the best route. Can I quickly find a decent plan then? What if I need within 25%?
Such is the domain of the PCP theorem, the most important theorem in computational complexity proved in the last 30 years. We will talk about approximate solutions to hard (NP-complete) problems, and our best ways of showing that they don't exist.
Prerequisites
Ideally you would have heard a quick explanation of the P=NP question before - we'll review it a bit, but this will be a relatively small part of the class.
Unfortunately, if you believe that the computational complexity classes P and NP are different, I am out of luck. There is no way I could possibly compute the best path in time. But luckily, I have some room in my budget - I'm willing to settle for any route whose cost is within 50% of the price of the best route. Can I quickly find a decent plan then? What if I need within 25%?
Such is the domain of the PCP theorem, the most important theorem in computational complexity proved in the last 30 years. We will talk about approximate solutions to hard (NP-complete) problems, and our best ways of showing that they don't exist.
Prerequisites
Ideally you would have heard a quick explanation of the P=NP question before - we'll review it a bit, but this will be a relatively small part of the class.
M12605: Crash Course in Game Theory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Avichal Goel,
Mihir Singhal
In the prisoner's dilemma, two prisoners face a critical decision: to defect or to cooperate. While it would be best if both prisoners cooperated, each one has something to gain by defecting, and both end up getting a worse overall outcome than if they had both cooperated.
Come learn about interesting problems like this in our crash course in game theory, which explores the science of optimal decision-making.
Prerequisites
None
Come learn about interesting problems like this in our crash course in game theory, which explores the science of optimal decision-making.
Prerequisites
None
M12340: The Physics of Martial Arts
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Christopher Panebianco
This course aims to understand the principles of martial arts through the lens of physics and mathematics. The first half of the course will review basic concepts of physics and translate them into principles of martial arts. The second portion will be a hands-on martial arts class, where students can apply the principles they've learned in real self-defense techniques!
M12579: Ordinal Numbers
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Mendel Keller,
Tuan Nguyen
Come learn about the all the infinite infinities that come after the counting numbers!
We will be discussing well-ordered sets, which are a particularly well behaved class of objects.
Starting with the definition of a well ordered set, and continuing on to examples. We will then demonstrate the general process for constructing more and more well ordered sets, and write down a bunch of different sets.
It's going to be a lot of fun, you should totally come!
Prerequisites
There aren't many prerequisites for this course, but familiarity with abstract mathematics will be helpful.
We will be discussing well-ordered sets, which are a particularly well behaved class of objects.
Starting with the definition of a well ordered set, and continuing on to examples. We will then demonstrate the general process for constructing more and more well ordered sets, and write down a bunch of different sets.
It's going to be a lot of fun, you should totally come!
Prerequisites
There aren't many prerequisites for this course, but familiarity with abstract mathematics will be helpful.
M12397: Is Euclidean Geometry Dead?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Aruzhan Amanbayeva,
Daniyar Aubekerov
Have you ever experienced difficulties with any type of Euclidean Geometry problem (high school or olympiad-style)? Well, this course is for those, who want to use their basic algebra knowledge to kill almost any Euclidean geometry problem using Cartesian plane.
No creativity needed on the lesson, only good pen and fast hands. Prepare... We will prove that it is actually dead (or at least injured)!
Prerequisites
High School Algebra will be very helpful
No creativity needed on the lesson, only good pen and fast hands. Prepare... We will prove that it is actually dead (or at least injured)!
Prerequisites
High School Algebra will be very helpful
M12696: Hands-On Statistics and Data Analysis
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ricardo Baptista
In this course, we will learn how to use modern tools for analyzing and extracting information from real-world datasets to answer statistical inference questions. Potential datasets may include medical, social network, and weather forecasting data. For each dataset, we will explore tailored methods for processing, analyzing and visualizing the results such as regression, principal component analysis and clustering. With the increasing trend of big data, we will also focus on the computational aspects of working with large-scale datasets and present scalable approaches for addressing these challenges. We ask students to bring a laptop if possible to implement the methods during the course.
M12581: Elliptic Curves, Complex Torii, and maybe a few l-adic Galois Representations
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Benjamin Church,
Kohtaro Yamakawa
Elliptic curves are a class of cubic curves (defined by a cubic polynomial in two variables) with deeply surprising and beautiful properties. The most surprising fact about elliptic curves is that their points naturally form a group structure under some geometric operation. Elliptic curves show up everywhere in mathematics from torii defined over the complex numbers to generating abelian extensions of number fields. Elliptic curves also feature prominently in the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, one of the millenium prize problems, and Andrew Wiles' proof of Fermat's last theorem. In this class we will develop the fundamental results about elliptic curves such as the Mordell-Weil theorem and Weierstrass function theory before diving head-first into some more advanced territory mentioned above. This class will be a meandering relentless rollercoaster through some of the most beautiful connections in modern mathematics rather than a reasonably-paced, well-structured, and rigorous development of a topic. Expect proofs to be "sketched", definitions to be hand waved, and lots of inane terminology to be used. That said, expect to come away with an broader awareness of open problems in mathematics, a much richer appreciation of the interplay between geometry and algebra, and a healthy respect for cubic polynomials in two variables.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with groups is a must. Know what fields, extensions, and Galois groups are. You should also know what it means for a function to have a complex derivative. Basically know what it means if I say a function is "holomorphic" or "meromorphic". Mostly, be prepared to be drenched with crazy math.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with groups is a must. Know what fields, extensions, and Galois groups are. You should also know what it means for a function to have a complex derivative. Basically know what it means if I say a function is "holomorphic" or "meromorphic". Mostly, be prepared to be drenched with crazy math.
M12739: Mathematicians Are Really Bad At Naming Things
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zachary Steinberg
Mathematicians study a lot of different types of things with absolutely horrible names. Sometimes they’re metaphors that break down when translated. Sometimes they just don’t make any sense. And sometimes, they’re even the same name as something that does make sense. Come learn about them!
Prerequisites
This class is going to cover a wide range of topics, and you don't need to know any of them!
Prerequisites
This class is going to cover a wide range of topics, and you don't need to know any of them!
M12540: Sharing Information Without Knowing It and Other Wonders of Cryptography
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jackie Bredenberg,
Jayson Lynch
In this course we'll discuss how to prove you know something without telling anyone the answer and how to split up information so a group can know a secret without any individual knowing any part. These fascinating results called Zero Knowledge Proofs and Secret Sharing use relatively simple math to achieve seemingly impossible results. We'll even cover methods you can implement at home!
Prerequisites
High-school algebra will be needed for part of the course; the rest can be appreciated with elementary arithmetic and logical thinking.
Prerequisites
High-school algebra will be needed for part of the course; the rest can be appreciated with elementary arithmetic and logical thinking.
M12363: Computability Theory
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Della Hendrickson,
Jordan Hines
Computers can do a lot of things. If you've ever programmed, you might think you can theoretically write a program that does anything. But it turns out there are things you can't program, no matter how clever you are! In this class, we'll see examples of such things and proofs of why they can't be computed.
M12342: Fractals and Dimension
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Victor Lupi
A line is one-dimensional, and a plane is two-dimensional. Makes sense, right? What if I told you there are objects that are 1.5-dimensional? Would you believe me? How about if I generated them on a computer screen? In this course, we will study the tricky concept of dimension and its various definitions. Along the way, we will encounter fractals, curious objects that are both exceedingly simple and breathtakingly complex. Expect lots of pretty pictures. If time permits, we’ll take a look at the surprisingly simple software needed to generate these beautiful geometric objects.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of logarithms, while not essential, will enhance understanding of the material.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of logarithms, while not essential, will enhance understanding of the material.
M12591: Quirky Quarternions: An intro to non-commutative algebra
Difficulty: ***
$$ab = ba$$: You may have learned about this seemingly universal truth in grade school. However, in this class, we'll throw the commutative law of multiplication out of the window, and go back to the drawing boards to define an algebra of numbers with three imaginary units.
We will begin the class with a short introduction of complex numbers, their geometric representation as points on the complex plane, and the geometric meaning of their multiplication. We will then introduce the fundamental multiplication law for quaternions, $$i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1$$, and show how everything about quaternions falls into place following this formula. You will also learn a few party-twister tricks that work thanks to quaternion algebra.
Prerequisites
Geometry, Algebra 2 and trigonometry. Preliminary knowledge of complex numbers and vector dot and cross products is a plus.
We will begin the class with a short introduction of complex numbers, their geometric representation as points on the complex plane, and the geometric meaning of their multiplication. We will then introduce the fundamental multiplication law for quaternions, $$i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1$$, and show how everything about quaternions falls into place following this formula. You will also learn a few party-twister tricks that work thanks to quaternion algebra.
Prerequisites
Geometry, Algebra 2 and trigonometry. Preliminary knowledge of complex numbers and vector dot and cross products is a plus.
M12560: The Computational Complexity of Games and Puzzles
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Della Hendrickson,
Jayson Lynch
Every hear about P vs. NP? Did you know that this fundamental mathematics question also relates to games and puzzles? This class will explore how the mathematics of computational complexity relates to games and puzzles.
Prerequisites
High-school algebra and basic discrete mathematics helpful but not necessary.
Prerequisites
High-school algebra and basic discrete mathematics helpful but not necessary.
M12709: How to Properly, and Physically, Throw away Infinities
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Patrick Ledwith
While in simple mechanics all answers are finite, even in classical electrodynamics one encounters perilous infinities that seem to plague the mathematical consistency of our physical world. In this class we will explore these, mostly focusing on the infinity that appears in the Casimir effect.
We'll show you how to get rid of them when they're bugging you, but we'll also develop an intuition for why they occur and give a precise meaning to why some people claim the seemingly false identity $$1+2+3+4+... = \frac{-1}{12}$$. If we have time we'll also talk about why physicists like to work in dimensions really close to 4, but not 4.
Prerequisites
Some calculus, and you probably should have studied waves at least a little bit.
We'll show you how to get rid of them when they're bugging you, but we'll also develop an intuition for why they occur and give a precise meaning to why some people claim the seemingly false identity $$1+2+3+4+... = \frac{-1}{12}$$. If we have time we'll also talk about why physicists like to work in dimensions really close to 4, but not 4.
Prerequisites
Some calculus, and you probably should have studied waves at least a little bit.
M12622: Mental Math Tricks Full!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
William Cuozzo,
Alexander Smith
Come learn some cool mental math tricks to impress your friends and teachers!
M12334: What is a vector?
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Christopher Miller,
Gustavo Velez
No magnitude. No direction. No arrows. No lies. The general truth about day 1 of every STEM class.
M12584: Knot Theory: An Introduction
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kevin Gong,
Yi Wang
Knot theory is a burgeoning branch of mathematics which has numerous applications to modern topological and geometric problems. In this class, I will define a mathematical knot, draw numerous examples of knots, define what makes a knot the "same" as another knot, and introduce some ways of distinguishing knots from others. This is intended to be a rudimentary introduction to an incredibly rich branch of modern mathematics.
M12445: Solving the Cubic Equation
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kevin Ren
In elementary school, you learned to solve linear equations $$ax + b = 0$$. In middle or high school, you learned to solve quadratic equations $$ax^2 + bx + c = 0$$. But nowhere in the curriculum is there any method on solving cubic equations $$ax^3 + bx^2 + cx + d = 0$$. If you feel you have been cheated out of your math education or simply want to learn about the intriguing history of this innocuous-looking equation, this class is for you! Bring scratch paper and a creative mind.
Prerequisites
Mathematical background required: at least Integrated Math 2 (or equivalent), as well as an ability to understand equations scrawled (sometimes illegibly) on the chalkboard. Math contest experience recommended but not required.
Prerequisites
Mathematical background required: at least Integrated Math 2 (or equivalent), as well as an ability to understand equations scrawled (sometimes illegibly) on the chalkboard. Math contest experience recommended but not required.
M12578: A bit of Galois
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Mendel Keller,
Tuan Nguyen
Hold on to your hats, because this is a roller coaster of algebra. I will be rapidly presenting a bunch of complex algebraic concepts, for any students who want a taste of the tougher stuff.
We're going to put the idea of the complex numbers in its appropriate wider context, that of field extensions. I will explain the fundamental algebraic reason why complex solutions to polynomials always come in conjugate pairs, and show you how to permute superfields which fix underlying subfields, using the polynomial ring over a field.
I will introduce groups, fields, rings and vector spaces, and then put them all together using Galois theory. This class will move pretty fast, and it will be a whole lot of information to take in.
Prerequisites
There isn't all that much I can teach you in the time we have. So if you haven't seen groups before, I might be able to explain what those are, but I probably can't explain what's so special about a Galois group. If you've seen any higher algebra and loved it, then you're bound to enjoy this class, which will make use of all the basic constructions in college algebra. If you aren't yet familiar with any group theory, you may find this class to be quite nonsensical. I suggest at a minimum googling "group" and "vector space" so that when I present these you'll have seen them before.
We're going to put the idea of the complex numbers in its appropriate wider context, that of field extensions. I will explain the fundamental algebraic reason why complex solutions to polynomials always come in conjugate pairs, and show you how to permute superfields which fix underlying subfields, using the polynomial ring over a field.
I will introduce groups, fields, rings and vector spaces, and then put them all together using Galois theory. This class will move pretty fast, and it will be a whole lot of information to take in.
Prerequisites
There isn't all that much I can teach you in the time we have. So if you haven't seen groups before, I might be able to explain what those are, but I probably can't explain what's so special about a Galois group. If you've seen any higher algebra and loved it, then you're bound to enjoy this class, which will make use of all the basic constructions in college algebra. If you aren't yet familiar with any group theory, you may find this class to be quite nonsensical. I suggest at a minimum googling "group" and "vector space" so that when I present these you'll have seen them before.
M12594: Numerical Methods for Ordinary Differential Equations
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Samuel Majors
Learn how to find approximate solutions to differential equations that are impossible to solve (or that you're just to lazy to solve). We'll cover (ideally), forward Euler, Runge-Kutta, backward Euler, and some programming examples (Python).
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with integral and differential calculus and matrix algebra. Exposure to any of the following is a plus, but not required: vector calculus, differential equations, programming (esp. Python, but anything helps).
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with integral and differential calculus and matrix algebra. Exposure to any of the following is a plus, but not required: vector calculus, differential equations, programming (esp. Python, but anything helps).
M12373: Fun with Algebra
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Vyshnavi Vennelakanti
I will go through the very basics of algebra with everyday examples. I will talk about terms, expressions and converting word problems to mathematical equations and solving for the unknowns. The main goal of this course is to ensure that students are not scared of algebra and instead, they treat the algebraic problems as puzzles which they love solving!
Prerequisites
Mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
Prerequisites
Mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
M12418: A Headfirst Dive Into "Mathematical Logic"
Difficulty: ****
The meaning of term "Mathematical Logic" is fairly non-trivial. Mathematical logic is, on the one hand, the study of the logic of mathematics rigorizing the notions of "proof" and "example" in the framework of formal logic. But Mathematical logic is also the application of mathematical methods to logic using tools such as induction and set theory to proof meta-theorems about logic. It is even the application of logic to solving (somewhat) concrete math problems. In this course we will discuss all these flavors of mathematical logic as we introduce the basic concepts of completeness, consistency, satisfiability, and categoricity, discuss foundational results linking model theory (the study of examples) to proof theory (the study of formal proofs), then investigate the limitations of first-order logic, and finally prove Godel's momentous incompleteness theorem of first-order arithmetic. On the way, we will naturally develop foundational ideas about the theory of computation and how decidability and incompleteness are intricately linked. Time permitting, we will discuss applications of mathematical logic to problems in algebraic geometry such as the Ax-Grothendieck theorem and Lefschetz principle.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites. However, this course will move very quickly and present a lot of highly abstract ideas so be prepared.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites. However, this course will move very quickly and present a lot of highly abstract ideas so be prepared.
M12358: Population Modeling
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jessica Oehrlein
Can trapping invasive crawfish save a newt population? How do regional or minority languages like Galician survive? When can two species with the same food sources coexist? In this class, we'll build mathematical models of populations to answer questions like these. In groups, you will mathematically describe different ways in which populations grow, decline, and interact. Each group's model will answer key questions about population behavior or control. We'll also discuss challenges and alternate methods for modeling.
Prerequisites
Comfort with thinking of derivatives as rates of change.
Prerequisites
Comfort with thinking of derivatives as rates of change.
M12701: Neuron Models
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
David Yang
BRAINS
(now with math!)
Prerequisites
Ideally you should know what a derivative is.
(now with math!)
Prerequisites
Ideally you should know what a derivative is.
M12350: Splitting Cake with Sperner's Lemma
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nelson Niu
You and your friends have attained a large, multi-flavored cake. You would all like to eat some of that cake, but you each have slightly different preferences about what part of the cake you want. Some of you love the coconut shavings; some will avoid the chocolate icing at all costs. The large scoop of ice cream in the corner is particularly popular. Is there a way to split up the cake fairly amongst yourselves—without losing any friends in the process?
It turns out there is, and we can prove it! All it takes is a cute little theorem about coloring points in triangles called Sperner's Lemma. In fact, not only does our theorem tells us that a fair division exists, it can even tell us exactly how—plus or minus a sprinkle. Come see how it all works here!
Prerequisites
Some experience with proofs is recommended; you should, at the very least, know how to prove a statement by induction. It would also help to know what the graph of $$ x + y + z = 1 $$ looks like.
It turns out there is, and we can prove it! All it takes is a cute little theorem about coloring points in triangles called Sperner's Lemma. In fact, not only does our theorem tells us that a fair division exists, it can even tell us exactly how—plus or minus a sprinkle. Come see how it all works here!
Prerequisites
Some experience with proofs is recommended; you should, at the very least, know how to prove a statement by induction. It would also help to know what the graph of $$ x + y + z = 1 $$ looks like.
M12632: The Mathematics of Music
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Lin,
Justin Park
Some fun facts: (1) Pianos used to be tuned in a way that made them sound good in certain keys and very odd in others. (2) When you play two notes on a violin, you can sometimes hear a third, fainter note in the background. (3) Out of all the possible ways to split an octave into parts, Western music has settled on twelve.
What's the reason for all of this? Come to this class to learn about sound waves, Tartini tones, beats, and much more!
Prerequisites
High-school math and some familiarity with trigonometric functions is recommended.
What's the reason for all of this? Come to this class to learn about sound waves, Tartini tones, beats, and much more!
Prerequisites
High-school math and some familiarity with trigonometric functions is recommended.
M12721: Bayes Theorem and How It Changed Statistics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Evan Tey
Thomas Bayes, a British minister and statistician, presented a theorem in the 18th century that came to be named after him. This theorem paved the way for a completely new understanding of statistics. Now, "Bayesian thought" appears nearly everywhere from social science, to physics, to machine learning!
Prerequisites
Some exposure to probability would be nice.
Prerequisites
Some exposure to probability would be nice.
Pop (and not-so-pop) Culture
P12535: Theme Parks: Creating an Immersive World
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Anthony Roman
The greatest theme parks are pinnacles of technology and theatrics, using cutting-edge innovations and clever designing to immerse people into a fantastical world. This class will unveil what exactly goes into the creation of an incredible theme park, including the astounding feats of imaginative engineering from the past, present, and future that bring stories and worlds to life.
P12532: Write Your Own Parody
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Elizabeth Parizh,
Nina Plotnikov
Have you ever wanted to take a song you know and make it your own? In this class, you can rewrite any song about something you actually know and care about. Or something you don't know or care about, it's all up to you!
P12627: The Science of Star Wars
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emma Liu,
Varnika Sinha
Have you ever wondered about the science behind Star Wars? If so, this is the class for you! We will explore topics ranging from lightsabers to hyperspace travel to droids. Learn about the scientific inaccuracies in the movies and the analogies to modern technology. All are welcome regardless of Star Wars knowledge.
P12631: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Elizabeth Parizh,
Nina Plotnikov
“Did you hear that?”
“No, what?”
“That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.”
“Are you okay?”
“How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?”
Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a colloseum and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes -- you really can’t be sure.
“No, what?”
“That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.”
“Are you okay?”
“How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?”
Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a colloseum and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes -- you really can’t be sure.
P12722: Introduction to Competitive Pokémon Battling
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Desmond Edwards
You ever heard about Pokémon? Of course you have! Ever heard about competitive Pokémon battling though? Maybe you have, maybe you haven't. Either way, I think it's pretty cool.
This course gives a quick-ish rundown of the elements that go into competitive Pokémon battling in the main series video games.
This course gives a quick-ish rundown of the elements that go into competitive Pokémon battling in the main series video games.
P12387: Anime Through the Ages
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Brianna Igbinosun,
Jessica Liu
This is a two part class: for the first hour we teach about the conception/history of anime, and for the second hour we talk about different genres and production studios in modern-day anime.
P12496: From the Depths of Wikipedia
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mathew Suazo
Wikipedia has nearly 5.5 million articles in the English language. This class will explore some of the most interesting hidden gems, from "Lawsuits against God" to the "World's littlest skyscraper."
P12513: The History of Memes: Impact Text to Deep Fried
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Vivian Vu
The term 'meme' was first coined in 1976 by a guy named Richard. Learn about the proposed "ages" of internet memes, how memes have evolved from the days of the early meme to now, and what it takes to make a relatable meme.
P12497: Depths of Wikipedia 2: Electric Boogaloo
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mathew Suazo
Wikipedia has nearly 5.5 million articles in the English language, and as such, just one class isn't enough to cover all the cool stuff it has to offer. This class will explore even more interesting hidden gems, from the "Indiana Pi Bill" to the "Oak Island mystery."
P12545: Introduction to Tengwar
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Rachael Skye,
Carissa Skye
If you're J.R.R. Tolkien, writing a book starts with creating a a whole system of languages for your world. His constructed languages - such as Quenya, Sindar, and Khuzdul - are remarkably complete and use their invented own writing system. This class will teach you the basics of writing Tengwar, the system used by the elves of Middle Earth. We'll be learning how to write and read English transliterations of the standard English form of Tengwar.
P12498: Depths of Wikipedia 3: Return of the Wiki
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mathew Suazo
Wikipedia has nearly 5.5 million articles in the English language, and as such, even two classes aren't enough to cover all the cool stuff it has to offer. This class will explore yet more interesting hidden gems, from the "Corrupted Blood incident" to the "Boston Molasses Disaster."
P12351: Revelio: What Harry Potter Teaches Us About Writing Shocking Plot Twists
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Nelson Niu
Think of that one book or movie with a killer twist ending, a shocking reveal that blew you away and left you stunned in your seat, marveling at the storyteller's cunning and cheek. (Don't tell me what it is, though: I don't want to be spoiled.) Ever wondered how the writer or director managed to pull it off?
Now think of that other twist ending that was absolutely atrocious, that left you feeling confused, cheated, or rolling your eyes because you'd seen it coming from a mile away. (Again, don't tell me what it is: spoilers for bad stories are spoilers, too.) What makes some twists work and others flop?
This is an intriguing topic that is very difficult to discuss, because, as you've probably already noticed, talking about plot twist is difficult without, well, actually talking about those twists, thereby spoiling them. Fortunately, there's one series chock-full of excellent surprise endings that nearly everyone of our generation has already been exposed to: Harry Potter.
We'll examine and discuss the techniques J. K. Rowling employs to create some of her most shocking revelations, as well as the broader thematic ideas that a clever twist can convey. And perhaps you'll come out of this class ready to craft your very own mind-blowing plot twist.
Prerequisites
You should be familiar with all seven books in the Harry Potter series.
Now think of that other twist ending that was absolutely atrocious, that left you feeling confused, cheated, or rolling your eyes because you'd seen it coming from a mile away. (Again, don't tell me what it is: spoilers for bad stories are spoilers, too.) What makes some twists work and others flop?
This is an intriguing topic that is very difficult to discuss, because, as you've probably already noticed, talking about plot twist is difficult without, well, actually talking about those twists, thereby spoiling them. Fortunately, there's one series chock-full of excellent surprise endings that nearly everyone of our generation has already been exposed to: Harry Potter.
We'll examine and discuss the techniques J. K. Rowling employs to create some of her most shocking revelations, as well as the broader thematic ideas that a clever twist can convey. And perhaps you'll come out of this class ready to craft your very own mind-blowing plot twist.
Prerequisites
You should be familiar with all seven books in the Harry Potter series.
P12364: Memeology
Difficulty: ****
Learn about memes and the surrounding social factors and implications on the on world wide web.
Prerequisites
40000 IQ
Prerequisites
40000 IQ
P12501: FANtastic!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sam Pauley,
Rona Wang
Are you a SuperWhoLockian weeaboo who just doesn't have time for all these Muggles? Do one or more of the following things spark joy in your soul: BTS, B99, OHSHC, LiS, HTGAWM, LOTR, or GoT? Come learn about the history of fandom, and contribute with some fanworks of your own!
P12508: Press Start to Die: An Analysis of Indie Horror Games
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Matthew Farejowicz,
Julian Hernandez
Indie horror games showed up on the scene as a big craze, and have refused to die out ever since. It seems like every couple of months, a new one blows up.
What's the magic behind them? Are they good games? Are they good horror? Do they have deeper meanings, and can they be considered art?
We'll be examining the rise of indie horror games from Yume Nikki to Doki Doki Literature Club, and analyzing just what makes them tick.
Prerequisites
The games studied contain disturbing themes and imagery. If you're susceptible to that kind of thing, we recommend not taking this course.
What's the magic behind them? Are they good games? Are they good horror? Do they have deeper meanings, and can they be considered art?
We'll be examining the rise of indie horror games from Yume Nikki to Doki Doki Literature Club, and analyzing just what makes them tick.
Prerequisites
The games studied contain disturbing themes and imagery. If you're susceptible to that kind of thing, we recommend not taking this course.
P12386: Introduction to MOBA's
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Matthew Farejowicz,
Julian Hernandez
A Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), also known as action real-time strategy (ARTS), is a subgenre of strategy video game. Maybe you haven't heard this specific term, but you've heard of games like DotA 2 or League of Legends. Come learn about the genre and how it has grown so much in popularity recently.
P12383: American History Through Comics
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rebecca Kurfess,
Clio Macrakis
Superheroes were popularized during and after World War II when Americans needed hope against crime in cities and international violence. Comic strips in general represent much of the culture of their time, from politics to technology to social life. We'll go through American history (~1920-present) through the lens of comics to see how we can learn from the past through publications made for children and young adults.
P12416: Neon Genesis Evangelion: A Dialectic
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Benjamin Church,
Henry Williams
What is Evangelion? A cult phenomenon 90s anime which ran out of money and ideas? An overhyped robot show that was just a vehicle for a lonely man's insecurities? Or a misunderstood masterpiece of modern culture? In this talk, we will discuss how a strange Japanese cartoon two decades old might have startling implications for your life and the nature of the human spirit. Evangelion is a show about middle-school kids getting in big "robots" and saving the world. It is also a deconstructive subversion of anime itself, a terrifying exploration of the mentality of such child soldiers and the fundamental brokenness of human relationships. Expect to leave singing the words "come, sweet death."
Prerequisites
If you haven't seen the show, expect to be basically as confused as if you have seen it (but seriously watch the show). It is also helpful to have a knowledge of anime as a medium and its history.
Prerequisites
If you haven't seen the show, expect to be basically as confused as if you have seen it (but seriously watch the show). It is also helpful to have a knowledge of anime as a medium and its history.
P12463: Hip-Hop Dance
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Caleb Richardson,
Olivia Saouaf
Learn a dance. It's gon' be lit.
Prerequisites
Arms and/or legs
Prerequisites
Arms and/or legs
P12365: Analyzing Beyoncé's Impact
Difficulty: **
Do you love Beyonce? Of course you do! This class will analyze some of Beyonce's most memorable videos, performances, and moments. We will discuss the social and historical impact she has made in her career, and how it has shaped society.
Prerequisites
General appreciation and/or adoration of Beyoncé
Prerequisites
General appreciation and/or adoration of Beyoncé
P12703: D&D Session Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Srinivas Kaza,
Tyler Pleasant
Whether you are a veteran RPG player or completely new to the genre, join us for an invigorating session of Dungeons and Dragons (5th edition)! D&D is a rule-based roleplaying game in which players assume identities and embark on quests in fantasy environments. Everything from discovering long lost underwater cities to hijacking pirate ships to uncovering ancient tombs to negotiating peace treatises between sovereign nations. It's basically make-believe for adults. We'll be running two sessions during this class -- one tailored towards new players and another for more experienced players.
P12519: Intro to Pop Culture
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tova Brown
What is aesthetically pleasing? What is popular right now and why? What makes something a trend and how do we follow one? What do the youth WANT to see, hear, and be apart of? Pop Culture recognizes ideas that are transmitted through any type of social interaction and how they become powerful - how we remember them! For this course, we’ll talk about mainstream social media, top charting albums, both male & female fashion icons, and much more that easily grasps our attention and WHY.
P12694: Paul is Dead
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ken Stier,
Olivia Vladyka
“I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together.” I’m not saying we buy it, but we’ll tell you we do: Paul McCartney is long dead. Think about it. Egypt Station sounds nothing like the old Beatle we all know and love. What more do you need to know? Oh, so much more. Come learn about the overwhelming, uh, evidence that fuels our conviction that, as the title says, Paul is dead.
Prerequisites
An open mind and familiarity with the Beatles’ greater and lesser known works.
Prerequisites
An open mind and familiarity with the Beatles’ greater and lesser known works.
P12438: Star Wars: Reading & Writing Aurebesh
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Isabella Torres
Ever wondered what those weird symbols in Star Wars mean? Learn to read and write in Aurebesh, the most common alphabet in the galaxy!
P12702: The Greatest Game You Will Ever Play
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Srinivas Kaza,
Matthew Pfeiffer
Nethack is the greatest game you will ever play: http://www.thegreatestgameyouwilleverplay.com/ . Come to pay homage to the greatest contribution to the roguelike genre (and gaming in general), and enjoy the world's oldest videogame still in active development. This class will be part tutorial for Nethack, and part playtime.
[Deprecated] Science
S12335: Atomic Theory I: The Basics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Christopher Miller,
Hantoa Tenwhij
From "opposites attract and likes repel" to why we say an atom has protons, neutrons, and electrons - an experimental journey into the basics of chemistry.
S12520: [Science Olympiad - Div C] Designer Genes, Day 1
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miles Dai,
Annika Gomez
This course will provide an overview of molecular biology fundamentals and data analysis techniques needed to solve genetics problems. With a focus on subjects relevant to the Science Olympiad Division C event Designer Genes, we will review classical genetics techniques such as crosses, molecular concepts such as DNA structure and replication, transcription, and translation, and modern techniques such as DNA sequencing, CRISPR, microarrays, and cloning.
The goal of this course is to prepare students to compete in the Science Olympiad event Designer Genes, but all students are welcome!
The goal of this course is to prepare students to compete in the Science Olympiad event Designer Genes, but all students are welcome!
S12740: How to win a tank battle
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Hoh
Learn about the evolution of the tank from a sluggish and unreliable hunk of metal to an efficient, deadly weapon of the battle field and how people outside the armor found increasingly devious methods to turn people inside the armor into mutilated bio-hazards throughout the ages.
S12511: Protein Folding - it's like origami but not!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zion Perry
Learn the basics of protein structure and folding, and if there's time, even protein UNfolding. We will use origami paper to model proteins.
Prerequisites
Some basic biology knowledge helps
Prerequisites
Some basic biology knowledge helps
S12561: Formaldehyde- further stories of pathology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
An introduction to pathology's favorite tissue fixative. We will explore the chemistry of formaldehyde molecule and it's role in tissue preservation and embalming, billiard balls, mirror manufacture, moonshine, and a variety of other areas of life.. Then we will circle back to pathology with the discovery of antigen retrieval, and how this opened a new era of immunohistochemistry
S12592: Exoplanet Excavation
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Marta Manzin,
Lizhou Sha
How can we discover exoplanets when they're so insanely hard to detect? We'll look at the current methods of discovering planets beyond our solar system and see exactly why these objects are hard to confirm. The class will also discuss what we can deduce about these planets, why this science matters, and what the future looks like for this field.
S12528: History of Modern Physics!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Evan Tey,
Sara Wilson
Physics is about ingenuity and creativity. It's about some of the greatest minds on our planet coming up with explanations for the universe around us. In the 20th century, this meant a space-time continuum and randomness/uncertainty unlike we're used to... Come learn about electromagnetics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and more as we walk through the last century of physics!
Prerequisites
The more physics you already know the better, but we won't be doing too much math, so don't be afraid to register.
Prerequisites
The more physics you already know the better, but we won't be doing too much math, so don't be afraid to register.
S12599: Thermodynamics, Entropy and Heat Engines
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Keith Phuthi
Introduction to the basic concepts involved in understanding thermodynamics and entropy leading up to an explanation of what a heat engine and the Carnot efficiency are.
Prerequisites
Some basic physics like vectors. Most of the background will be explained.
Prerequisites
Some basic physics like vectors. Most of the background will be explained.
S12600: Intro to What Quantum Mechanics is and What it Means to you
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Keith Phuthi
An explanation of why quantum mechanics came to be and a few of the important results that come from it. There will be an emphasis on how this actually affects the physical world you are used to.
Prerequisites
None. Although some basic physics concepts will be used, there will be something for everyone in this class
Prerequisites
None. Although some basic physics concepts will be used, there will be something for everyone in this class
S12422: A Rigorous Development of Classical Mechanics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Benjamin Church,
Henry Williams
This class will discuss classical mechanics from a fairly abstract perspective. We will first introduce the Lagrangian formalism and discuss the principle of least action, its motivation, and its consequences. Next, using the Lagrangian perspective, we will develop the Hamiltonian framework which elegantly formalizes and extends the notions of momentum and energy. From there, we will discuss the theory of canonical transformations leading to Hamilton-Jacobi theory. If time permits, we will investigate advanced topics such as adiabatic invariants and show how Hamilton-Jacobi theory is the "ray-optics approximation" to the Schrodinger equation and how this insight lead Schrodinger to develop quantum theory. Along the way, we will discuss Noether's theorem on the connection between symmetries and conservation laws from each of these perspectives since each one gives their own flavor to this wonderful theorem.
Prerequisites
Multivariable calculus is ABSOLUTELY required. You MUST know what a partial derivative is. Basic knowledge of mechanics such as Newton's laws and angular momentum will be assumed but very little background physics knowledge will be needed. More importantly is a strong physical intuition and a healthy dose of skepticism for what you know about concepts such as "momentum" or "energy."
Prerequisites
Multivariable calculus is ABSOLUTELY required. You MUST know what a partial derivative is. Basic knowledge of mechanics such as Newton's laws and angular momentum will be assumed but very little background physics knowledge will be needed. More importantly is a strong physical intuition and a healthy dose of skepticism for what you know about concepts such as "momentum" or "energy."
S12470: Chromatography
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Iman Akram,
Maria Chiang
Ever wanted to try Chromatography? Don't know what that is? Now's your chance to learn! Join us as we embark on an adventure using local flora and fauna. This will be a simple take home DIY! No experience necessary but an interest in plant biology would be helpful.
S12723: How to answer biological questions
Difficulty: ***
Have you ever wondered how all of the cool facts in your biology class were deduced? In this class, we'll focus on the central dogma and introduce you to some basic assays in molecular biology and some not-so-basic ones as well. Through discussion, we'll try to design and come up with ways to try and answer questions like "How does the 3D shape of the nucleus affect gene expression?" and "How do we know where a specific protein binds in the genome?"
Prerequisites
AP Biology, or an equivalent level of molecular biology; a decent background in chemistry or statistics would also be helpful.
Prerequisites
AP Biology, or an equivalent level of molecular biology; a decent background in chemistry or statistics would also be helpful.
S12522: [Science Olympiad - Div C] Circuit Lab, Day 1 Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miles Dai,
Annika Gomez
An introduction to the fundamental concepts of circuits and electronics. This course is geared towards students interested in competing in the Division C Science Olympiad Circuit Lab event, and we will be covering many of the concepts on the rubric such as Ohm’s Law, KVL, KCL, circuit construction, and measurement techniques. We will be giving you a solid foundation as well as further resources for you to continue your studying as you prepare for the season.
While this course is designed around the Science Olympiad rubric, all students are welcome to come and learn!
While this course is designed around the Science Olympiad rubric, all students are welcome to come and learn!
S12680: Quantum Fun-om-nom-ology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Adam Bene Watts,
Gurtej Kanwar
This class is gonna be bananas. The title says it all: FUN + NOMS. Get ready to digest some awful puns. As a warning, we may go nuts with the extended food metaphors. Forget the vanilla physics you know, we will talk about surreal effects only possible through the strange laws of quantum mechanics. No matter what, you will have fun and nom some noms :)
Prerequisites
A healthy appetite for learning
Prerequisites
A healthy appetite for learning
S12582: Superconductors are COOL and here's why
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Kohtaro Yamakawa
This course will be given as an introduction to superconductors, via the marvelous effects its unique properties induce AND the beautiful mathematics that underlies it. Why in the heck do they have zero resistance? By introducing certain tools from quantum mechanics, I will attempt to describe to you why the field of superconductivity is awesome.
Prerequisites
Rudimentary understanding of quantum mechanics and classical mechanics.
Prerequisites
Rudimentary understanding of quantum mechanics and classical mechanics.
S12550: The Nitrogen Cycle
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jarek Kwiecinski
All life on Earth requires nitrogen to survive. An important component of proteins and DNA, nitrogen is abundant in the atmosphere but difficult for organisms to use directly. This course is about the network of specialized microbes that make nitrogen available to other organisms before returning this vital element to the air. Focusing primarily on soil and ocean environments, we will discuss how these microbes transport billions of tons of nitrogen each year to complete a cycle that sustains both human and natural systems.
Prerequisites
High school chemistry or biology.
Prerequisites
High school chemistry or biology.
S12457: Microbiome 101: What's in your poop?
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Michaela Gold,
Prachi Sinha
Come learn about the microbiome and where you can find it! We will discuss current methods to study the microbiome, correlations with diseases and the environment, and how you (and your poop!) can help somebody through microbiome science. Who doesn't love talking about poop!
S12516: Special Relativity
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jackie Bredenberg,
Jordan Hines
Come explore space and time, and see how the main ideas of special relativity can be derived from simple principles and some basic algebra! If we have time, we'll also talk about relativity "paradoxes" and how to resolve them.
Prerequisites
Algebra (at the Algebra 1 level). Algebra 2 and basic physics are helpful, but not required.
Prerequisites
Algebra (at the Algebra 1 level). Algebra 2 and basic physics are helpful, but not required.
S12567: Cool Mathematical Curves and Their Properties
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sujay Kazi
An introduction to various interesting mathematical curves and their mathematical and physical properties! How can you find the area under certain curves without calculus? How can you adjust a pendulum so that its period is independent of its amplitude (and not just approximately)? Why does a hanging chain assume a certain shape? Learn all of this and more!
Prerequisites
very basic physics, a little bit of calculus knowledge will be helpful
Prerequisites
very basic physics, a little bit of calculus knowledge will be helpful
S12529: [Science Olympiad - Div C] Thermodynamics, Day 1
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miles Dai,
Robert Kao
An introduction to the theory of thermodynamics and heat transfer that aims to cover basic material that is tested on the Science Olympiad event. Topics will include temperature scales, ideal gases, entropy, specific heat, and heat engines. There will also be an introduction to the thermos activity and things to consider before and during the test.
S12748: Paleoclimate
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jade Fischer,
Sarah Weidman
Have you ever wondered about how we know what the Earth was like millions of years ago? What types of plants and animals used to exist? What was the climate like way back when? What natural systems do we study to learn about past climate?
S12348: Climate Change Science
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Rebecca Kurfess,
Clio Macrakis
Discover the science behind climate change and its impacts, including why carbon dioxide is produced, the impact of other greenhouse gases, and the chemical and ecological effects in the ocean, on land, and in the atmosphere.
Prerequisites
Some chemistry knowledge would be helpful, no climate background is needed
Prerequisites
Some chemistry knowledge would be helpful, no climate background is needed
S12361: Assassins of the Sea: The Life and Times of Jellyfish
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Maggie Libby,
Lily Zhang
You might touch one and die in ninety seconds...or you might feel a mildly underwhelming, slimy sensation. Learn about jellyfish, things that look like jellyfish (but aren't) and things that don't (but kind of are). Also, stickers.
S12593: Intro to Lagrangian Mechanics
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Samuel Majors
Come learn about the Lagrangian formalism for classical mechanics and how it applies to orbital mechanics, particle physics, and making your physics homework easier, but, more importantly, be able to impress your friends with terms like "calculus of variations."
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with integral and differential calculus and Newtonian mechanics (springs, masses, dampers, gravity, pulleys, etc.). Exposure to vector calculus or differential equations is a plus.
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with integral and differential calculus and Newtonian mechanics (springs, masses, dampers, gravity, pulleys, etc.). Exposure to vector calculus or differential equations is a plus.
S12577: Prove that magnets exist using math
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Saranesh Prembabu
The Ising model, a simplified description of a material with interacting spins, is a key area of modern theoretical physics research. We will explore the model using clever mathematical techniques like transfer matrices and mean field theory. We can apply this to uncover the fascinating behaviour of materials under magnetic field, including when a metal becomes a ferromagnet, and other intriguing statistical effects and extensions (like water boiling).
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with multiplying 2x2 matrices and taking logarithms. Basic differential calculus may be useful. No special physics knowledge is required, but familiarity with thermodynamics may enrich your understanding.
Prerequisites
Be comfortable with multiplying 2x2 matrices and taking logarithms. Basic differential calculus may be useful. No special physics knowledge is required, but familiarity with thermodynamics may enrich your understanding.
S12327: Organic Chemistry through the Lens of Aromaticity
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Justin Wong,
Kohtaro Yamakawa
This lecture intends to introduce students to the language of Organic Chemistry through an in depth discussion of ring structures. Specifically, we will explore pericyclic reactions (sigmatrophic rearrangement, electrocyclic., and cycloaddition) and aromatic compounds. Students should expect to gain a deeper understanding of molecular orbital theory, and the principles and methods used in organic synthesis.
Prerequisites
Assumes AP chemistry or equivalent chemistry exposure; all other content will be introduced in lecture. Contact the instructor if you have any questions.
Prerequisites
Assumes AP chemistry or equivalent chemistry exposure; all other content will be introduced in lecture. Contact the instructor if you have any questions.
S12337: Atomic Theory III: Mostly Particle Physics
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Christopher Miller,
Hantoa Tenwhij
Break protons and neutrons into quarks and gluons, think about waves, learn about energy and the rest of the Standard Model.
For pure enjoyment - topics you won't see for 4+ years. First half is an overview, the rest is pure math.
Prerequisites
Intro chemistry & physics
For pure enjoyment - topics you won't see for 4+ years. First half is an overview, the rest is pure math.
Prerequisites
Intro chemistry & physics
S12500: Talking Brains: Neuroscience of Language and Thought
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Idan Blank,
Anna Ivanova
What happens in your brain as you read this sentence? Does the language you speak affect the way you think? How are some people capable of learning dozens of languages while others can't go beyond one? Come ponder these questions with us as we discuss the neuroscience of language and human thought.
S12734: A Rigorous Introduction to Molecular Orbital Theory and its Applications in Chemistry
Difficulty: ***
The central focus of chemistry is to achieve an understanding of the structure and reactivity of the molecules that construct our surrounding world. Molecular orbital theory is crucial to developing an intuitive understanding of the chemical behavior that governs everything from biological systems to fuel cells. This class presents a rigorous introduction to molecular orbital theory and explores its applications in chemical bonding and reactivity.
This class will cover the following topics:
- Introductory quantum mechanics (e.g. wavefunctions, operators, Schrodinger equation, etc.)
- Atomic structure and mathematical description of atomic orbitals
- Valence-bond theory (including hybridization and VSEPR)
- Linear combinations of atomic orbitals (LCAO-MO) and molecular orbital theory (including orbital mixing and MO diagrams)
- Molecular symmetry and group theory
- Construction of symmetry-adapted linear combinations of atomic orbitals and metal-ligand bonding
- Applications of MO theory to inorganic chemistry (e.g. crystal and ligand field theory)
- Applications of MO theory to organic chemistry (e.g. explanation of reactivity with frontier orbital theory)
Prerequisites
Required: Solid understanding of high school chemistry and single-variable calculus Recommended: university-level general chemistry, organic chemistry, introductory quantum mechanics Useful: Linear algebra and group theory
This class will cover the following topics:
- Introductory quantum mechanics (e.g. wavefunctions, operators, Schrodinger equation, etc.)
- Atomic structure and mathematical description of atomic orbitals
- Valence-bond theory (including hybridization and VSEPR)
- Linear combinations of atomic orbitals (LCAO-MO) and molecular orbital theory (including orbital mixing and MO diagrams)
- Molecular symmetry and group theory
- Construction of symmetry-adapted linear combinations of atomic orbitals and metal-ligand bonding
- Applications of MO theory to inorganic chemistry (e.g. crystal and ligand field theory)
- Applications of MO theory to organic chemistry (e.g. explanation of reactivity with frontier orbital theory)
Prerequisites
Required: Solid understanding of high school chemistry and single-variable calculus Recommended: university-level general chemistry, organic chemistry, introductory quantum mechanics Useful: Linear algebra and group theory
S12436: From Neurons to Thoughts: An Introduction to the Human Mind and Brain
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dima Ayyash
The human brain processes complex stimuli from the world around us into meaningful information. It enables us to distinguish faces, colors, sounds, or objects; perceive depth, size, or motion; navigate the space around us; learn new information and remember it decades later; communicate our ideas to others, sometimes in multiple languages; understand what others are thinking or feeling; and much more! This course will introduce you to the human brain: how it is organized, what tools we use to study it, and how findings from brain research have influenced the way we think about education, medicine, morality, and even conflict resolution!
S12668: Death and Sex: What Made Living Things the Way They Are
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Margaret Downs,
Salvatore LaRussa
Isn't nature beautiful? Evolution, the brilliant guiding force of biology, has favored random mutations that have created such wonderful living things, from dolphins to daisies, and from bunnies to the bony-eared assfish (yup, you read that correctly).
This course will be a somewhat humorous approach to describing how living things got to be the way they are, guided by the always pleasant forces of death and sex. Not only good for making a crappy movie look more mature than it really is, death and sex are the reasons why we are bipeds with opposable thumbs and (usually) stunning intellects, and not muck-dwelling bacteria that make puddles smell like the dumpster behind your school cafeteria. It should also help explain why evolution has favored some organisms and traits that really don't make sense at first glance-- such as preying mantises sometimes eating their own mates, koala bears having teeny little brains, and male cardinals being bright red despite the fact that it makes them more likely to be seen by predators.
Prerequisites
A small amount of knowledge about evolution might be nice, but isn't strictly necessary.
This course will be a somewhat humorous approach to describing how living things got to be the way they are, guided by the always pleasant forces of death and sex. Not only good for making a crappy movie look more mature than it really is, death and sex are the reasons why we are bipeds with opposable thumbs and (usually) stunning intellects, and not muck-dwelling bacteria that make puddles smell like the dumpster behind your school cafeteria. It should also help explain why evolution has favored some organisms and traits that really don't make sense at first glance-- such as preying mantises sometimes eating their own mates, koala bears having teeny little brains, and male cardinals being bright red despite the fact that it makes them more likely to be seen by predators.
Prerequisites
A small amount of knowledge about evolution might be nice, but isn't strictly necessary.
S12608: Building Machines That Learn and Think Like People
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Taylor Baum,
Felix Sosa
We'll explore a possible roadmap to making actual artificial intelligence: reverse engineering human intelligence! Humans are remarkably capable at doing almost anything they want. How is this possible and why is it so difficult to replicate this behavior in a machine? What is the underlying structure of the mind that allows us to reason so effectively about the world? We'll dive into the fields of computational cognitive science and neuroscience to better understand these questions and what the future of artificial intelligence, psychology, and neuroscience might look like.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites needed! But, a general understanding of mathematical modeling will certainly help. All technical details will be explained.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites needed! But, a general understanding of mathematical modeling will certainly help. All technical details will be explained.
S12720: Gene Editing: from Past to Present
Difficulty: ***
CRISPR-Cas9 is one of the hottest things in biology right now - do you want to be able to understand current research in the field? We'll cover a lot in this class: from the basics of DNA repair to the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 to the latest in gene editing research. We'll try to make it understandable, but also at a fairly deep level. This will primarily be a lecture-based class, but we'll leave ample time for discussion or questions!
Prerequisites
AP Biology or an equivalent level of understanding of molecular biology. You should be able to describe the basics of DNA replication.
Prerequisites
AP Biology or an equivalent level of understanding of molecular biology. You should be able to describe the basics of DNA replication.
S12725: How Does Global Warming Work? An Introduction to The Greenhouse Effect and Other Mechanisms
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Maggie Libby,
Lily Zhang
The Sun is constantly emitting radiation... but what happens after it reaches the Earth? Learn about the radiative processes that occur within our atmosphere to understand the mechanisms behind global warming.
S12553: General Chemistry Cram
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yue Zhang
Any topic in general chemistry/AP chemistry/MIT 5.112 on demand.
Prerequisites
Algebra
Prerequisites
Algebra
S12518: How does the nervous system work? What we learned from poisons and psychoactive drugs.
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tetiana Husak
What processes in nervous system are targeted by sarin, curare, strychnine, botulinum toxin and other poisons? Why can some allergy medicines make us sleepy? How does caffeine work or why can the principle "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" can applied to molecular biology? What does drug addiction reveal about our brain reward system? How can shellfish poisoning cause irreversible loss of memory formation ability? What can hallucinations tell us about our visual cortex structure and connections in our brain?
S12405: Harmony, Photons, and the Shape of Molecules
Difficulty: **
When you shine light on molecules, they resonate at certain special frequencies, just as a tuning fork resonates with sound waves. Calculating these resonant frequencies seems like a daunting task, usually requiring the full machinery of quantum mechanics, but in this class we'll explore a simpler way. By thinking about the shape of a molecule, we can understand its resonances using pictures, visual intuition, and a minimum of math. Come see how chemists use symmetry to study the hidden music of molecular vibrations.
Prerequisites
You might get more out of the discussion if you know how to multiply matrices, but this is not required.
Prerequisites
You might get more out of the discussion if you know how to multiply matrices, but this is not required.
S12574: Evolution Revolution: Why Darwin Was Wrong
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brandon Epstein,
Mendel Keller
You might have heard in school about a fellow named Darwin, something about a boat and birds and then a book with words.
What they might have left out was all the ways in which Darwin was dead wrong. In fact, as written, Darwinism is total bogus!
I will be discussing how life really came to be. I will use proper evidence to draw the story of the tree of life, with an emphasis on how very wrong Darwin was.
What they might have left out was all the ways in which Darwin was dead wrong. In fact, as written, Darwinism is total bogus!
I will be discussing how life really came to be. I will use proper evidence to draw the story of the tree of life, with an emphasis on how very wrong Darwin was.
S12480: Medicine of the Future: Discovering the Cure to Cancer
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Benjamin Church,
Matt Yarnall
Cancer is an inevitable part of Human life. This phenomenon occurs because the human genome mutates innumerable times a day, and eventually these mutations will lead to uncontrolled cell growth (i.e. cancer). Despite significant pharmacological efforts over the past seventy years to treat various forms of cancer, most treatments are still insufficient, and many types of cancer are still considered “un-drugable”. But today, we are on the brink of a pharmaceutical revolution that will change how we think about treating cancer.
In this class, I will be talking about my own lab research on combating mutated genes that lead to cancer, and how this research is into the larger field of experimental pharmacology. For those interested, I work on identifying potential allosteric sites on oncogenic proteins that can be targeted by small organic molecules as a means to inhibit constitutive activation. (All big science words, I know. I don’t expect you to know any of them, just come ready to learn and ask questions!)
Prerequisites
A year of High School Biology is recommended. If you are interested in the organic chemistry side of experimental pharmacology (how we make small molecules for inhibition and how these molecules interact with proteins) I recommend you take my Organic Chemistry series, which starts with “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry.” It is totally not required to understand this class, just if you’re interested!
In this class, I will be talking about my own lab research on combating mutated genes that lead to cancer, and how this research is into the larger field of experimental pharmacology. For those interested, I work on identifying potential allosteric sites on oncogenic proteins that can be targeted by small organic molecules as a means to inhibit constitutive activation. (All big science words, I know. I don’t expect you to know any of them, just come ready to learn and ask questions!)
Prerequisites
A year of High School Biology is recommended. If you are interested in the organic chemistry side of experimental pharmacology (how we make small molecules for inhibition and how these molecules interact with proteins) I recommend you take my Organic Chemistry series, which starts with “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry.” It is totally not required to understand this class, just if you’re interested!
S12336: Atomic Theory II: Modern Concepts
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Christopher Miller,
Hantoa Tenwhij
Discover the reality of the quantum model. Figure out what stops protons from pushing each other out of the nucleus.
Impress your chemistry teacher with these and more!
Prerequisites
Intro high school chemistry
Impress your chemistry teacher with these and more!
Prerequisites
Intro high school chemistry
S12459: The Science of Happiness: Love Others, Love Yourself
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jordan Benjamin,
Crystal Chang
Can we use science to make us happy? Reduce stress? Make a good impression with interviewers for college apps? What is love? Why do we love? Why should we love? What's the scientific explanation for racism/stereotyping, and can we use that to change the world we live in? How does our brain tell us how to feel and what to choose, anyway? WHAT IS THE BRAIN????? Come to learn lots about neuroscience, psychology, a bit of sociology, but mostly about life. :)
Prerequisites
1 year biology, 1 year chemistry
Prerequisites
1 year biology, 1 year chemistry
S12521: [Science Olympiad - Div C] Designer Genes, Day 2
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miles Dai,
Annika Gomez
This course is a continuation of [Science Olympiad - Div C] Designer Genes, Day 1. On the second day, we will have a practice test going over the material we covered the previous day.
Prerequisites
Please take [Science Olympiad - Div C] Designer Genes, Day 1 as well to take this course.
Prerequisites
Please take [Science Olympiad - Div C] Designer Genes, Day 1 as well to take this course.
S12562: Organic Chemistry: Beyond Naming Compounds
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Gabriel Mintzer
2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, cis-1-ethyl-3-phenoxycyclohexane . . . Is this all you imagine when you think organic chemistry? Then this is the class for you! Organic chemistry is so much more than IUPAC and high-school chemistry nomenclature homework. It's about problem solving and creativity. Come to experience the true fun of organic chemistry---reactions, mechanisms, and syntheses!---and to receive a more representative introduction to an exciting field.
Prerequisites
High-school Chemistry (AP Chemistry Preferred)
Prerequisites
High-school Chemistry (AP Chemistry Preferred)
S12458: How to be Biochemically Beautiful
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jordan Benjamin,
Crystal Chang
Ah, to be young and beautiful--but what's the current consensus on immortality? Hairspray, fad diets, face masks, anti-wrinkle serum--do any of these work? If so, how? What's the mechanism behind acne? Botox? For that matter, what is attraction, biochemically speaking? After this class, you'll be able to read fancy food labels at the grocery store, understand vitamins, and debunk TV ads. Special focus on food categories and the science of chocolate chip cookies :D
Prerequisites
1 year of high school biology, 1 year of high school chemistry
Prerequisites
1 year of high school biology, 1 year of high school chemistry
S12644: Nature's most exotic material: the quantum vacuum
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Nicholas Rivera,
Jamison Sloan
Before modern physics, we used to think of empty space (the vacuum) as ultimate nothingness, and completely devoid of anything interesting. Modern physics has continued to teach us that nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, the vacuum is responsible to many at-first mind-boggling effects. Among them:
Two uncharged metal plates in empty space (no batteries, no circuit) attract each other!
If you accelerate a mirror, it shines light!
If you accelerate, the temperature read by your thermometer appears to increase!
In this short class, we'll understand how essentially all of these bizarre effects come from so-called "quantum randomness" and "Heisenberg's uncertainty principle". By the end of this class, you're likely to come to the conclusion that the vacuum is just as much a "material" as rubber or glass or water.
In explaining these phenomena, we'll come to understand how geckos exploit them to climb walls, and these effects provide cohesive forces that stabilize materials. We'll also come to understand what "virtual" photons are and how they play an important role throughout fundamental physics. Finally, we'll explore a strange-sounding question: "what do a child on a swing, an amplifier, and a black hole have in common?"
Prerequisites
A minimum of physics is needed to get insight from this class. Familiarity at a high-school physics level with springs, pendulums, circuits, voltages, and electric and magnetic fields is helpful.
Two uncharged metal plates in empty space (no batteries, no circuit) attract each other!
If you accelerate a mirror, it shines light!
If you accelerate, the temperature read by your thermometer appears to increase!
In this short class, we'll understand how essentially all of these bizarre effects come from so-called "quantum randomness" and "Heisenberg's uncertainty principle". By the end of this class, you're likely to come to the conclusion that the vacuum is just as much a "material" as rubber or glass or water.
In explaining these phenomena, we'll come to understand how geckos exploit them to climb walls, and these effects provide cohesive forces that stabilize materials. We'll also come to understand what "virtual" photons are and how they play an important role throughout fundamental physics. Finally, we'll explore a strange-sounding question: "what do a child on a swing, an amplifier, and a black hole have in common?"
Prerequisites
A minimum of physics is needed to get insight from this class. Familiarity at a high-school physics level with springs, pendulums, circuits, voltages, and electric and magnetic fields is helpful.
S12690: Quantum Computing for Dummies
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Mills,
Venkat Sivaraman
A short intro into what quantum computing is. Why it's cool, and hopefully gives some good intuition into how it can be used.
S12349: Fun Facts About the Ocean
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rebecca Kurfess,
Clio Macrakis
Did you know that horseshoe crabs came from life on a meteorite? That stingrays store electric energy from lightning? Or that starfish can move 20 mph when prompted? None of those facts are true, but we'll talk about some equally surprising facts about ocean life!
S12474: Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matt Yarnall
In this class we will be studying the fundamental building block of life: carbon. From the 118 elements on the periodic table, life on earth has continually utilized carbon to form the foundation of its cellular membranes, catalytic molecules, and genetic material. Indeed, close to 20% of human body mass is entirely carbon.
To understand the ubiquity of the carbon atom, we will begin by analyzing its unique and durable bonding properties. Next, we will study carbon’s versatile geometry through an analysis of atomic orbital hybridization. We will then take a step back to look at how carbon’s properties allow it to form the bedrock of larger organic molecules comprising the other building blocks of life: Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.
In the second half of the class we study the relative stability and reactivity of organic molecules. In this vein, will discuss partial charges/electron distribution, molecular resonance theory (delocalized pi orbitals) and steric strain. We will finish the class with an analysis of functional groups: the atom(s) with which make organic chemical reactions possible.
Prerequisites
This course is the first in my three-part series on Organic Chemistry, comprising “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry,” “Organic Chemistry II: Reactions of Small Molecules” and “Organic Chemistry III: Synthesis of Small Molecules.” A year of high school Chemistry is very strongly recommended, AP Chemistry is preferred. Everyone will be able to understand and gain something from the course, but we will be going by the basics rather quick to get to the interesting content. This series on Organic Chemistry is in no way required to understand my class “Medicine of the Future: Discovering the Cure to Cancer,” but will provide you with a chemical perspective on the experimental pharmacology I will be discussing in that class; all science is interrelated!
To understand the ubiquity of the carbon atom, we will begin by analyzing its unique and durable bonding properties. Next, we will study carbon’s versatile geometry through an analysis of atomic orbital hybridization. We will then take a step back to look at how carbon’s properties allow it to form the bedrock of larger organic molecules comprising the other building blocks of life: Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.
In the second half of the class we study the relative stability and reactivity of organic molecules. In this vein, will discuss partial charges/electron distribution, molecular resonance theory (delocalized pi orbitals) and steric strain. We will finish the class with an analysis of functional groups: the atom(s) with which make organic chemical reactions possible.
Prerequisites
This course is the first in my three-part series on Organic Chemistry, comprising “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry,” “Organic Chemistry II: Reactions of Small Molecules” and “Organic Chemistry III: Synthesis of Small Molecules.” A year of high school Chemistry is very strongly recommended, AP Chemistry is preferred. Everyone will be able to understand and gain something from the course, but we will be going by the basics rather quick to get to the interesting content. This series on Organic Chemistry is in no way required to understand my class “Medicine of the Future: Discovering the Cure to Cancer,” but will provide you with a chemical perspective on the experimental pharmacology I will be discussing in that class; all science is interrelated!
S12691: How to Find a Planet ft. a Non-Astronomer
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Tyler Millis,
Charlotte Minsky
Want to learn how to look into the deep unknown and find extraterrestrial life? Wondering what challenges astronomers face in the search for other other worlds?
You'll still be wondering after this class!
I, a serious student in the department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science with experience in planetary and small body astronomy, will be preparing slides on the basics of exoplanet detection and properties. My friend, a computer science major with absolutely no knowledge of planetary science, astronomy, or the relevant branches of physics and chemistry, will be attempting to present these slides and explain exoplanet detection to you without ever having seen the presentation.
Come through for a fun - or at least cringe-worthy - attempt at science! I'll also be available for the last 20 minutes of class to answer questions and tell you about the real science on the slides if you want :)
You'll still be wondering after this class!
I, a serious student in the department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science with experience in planetary and small body astronomy, will be preparing slides on the basics of exoplanet detection and properties. My friend, a computer science major with absolutely no knowledge of planetary science, astronomy, or the relevant branches of physics and chemistry, will be attempting to present these slides and explain exoplanet detection to you without ever having seen the presentation.
Come through for a fun - or at least cringe-worthy - attempt at science! I'll also be available for the last 20 minutes of class to answer questions and tell you about the real science on the slides if you want :)
S12346: Math in Biology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Grace Kuffner,
Tal Scully
Computational biology is an exciting field where researchers find ways of understanding biological systems through mathematics. Come learn about how we can use high-dimensional math to analyze single-cell RNA sequencing data in an effort to answer some of the most fundamental questions in biology.
Prerequisites
You should be familiar with the central dogma of biology (DNA to RNA to proteins). You should also know how to calculate the distance between two points in 2-dimensional space.
Prerequisites
You should be familiar with the central dogma of biology (DNA to RNA to proteins). You should also know how to calculate the distance between two points in 2-dimensional space.
S12604: What is global health?
Difficulty: **
This course will provide you with a glimpse into the most pressing global health issues faced in today’s world. Through discussions and interactive games you will be able to understand both the problem, ongoing relief efforts, and how you can personally get involved.
S12537: The Structure of Personality
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kristine Hocker
This class will explore how structures in the brain impact personality. Topics will include Phineas Gage, introversion versus extraversion, and beliefs.
S12396: Scale of the Solar System: How big is Uranus really?
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Riley Brown,
Bowen Yu
Can the Earth really fit into the Sun more than a million times? How far did New Horizons fly to reach Pluto? Why isn't Pluto a planet?
These are some questions that you will hopefully not only know the answers to by the end of class, but truly comprehend the scales that we have no reference to here on Earth. In one hour, each one of you will create a scale model of the solar system that will give you a new perspective on how you view the solar system. If time allows, we will also discuss how our solar system compares to others nearby and in the grand scheme that is the entire universe.
Prerequisites
A readiness to get your mind blown
These are some questions that you will hopefully not only know the answers to by the end of class, but truly comprehend the scales that we have no reference to here on Earth. In one hour, each one of you will create a scale model of the solar system that will give you a new perspective on how you view the solar system. If time allows, we will also discuss how our solar system compares to others nearby and in the grand scheme that is the entire universe.
Prerequisites
A readiness to get your mind blown
S12601: Paradoxes in Special Relativity
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Keith Phuthi
A brief intro to what special relativity is followed by strange paradoxes that result from it and how they are resolved.
Prerequisites
AP physics I level is recommended but not required
Prerequisites
AP physics I level is recommended but not required
S12606: Parasites Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alex Chan
What are apicomplexan parasites? What are the gnarliest of these and how do they cause disease?
Prerequisites
Students should understand the basic concept of a cell and its components.
Prerequisites
Students should understand the basic concept of a cell and its components.
S12624: How to understand equations in Physics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ting-Chun Lin,
Krittamate Tiankanon
Do you find that equations in physics are like an alien language? We will talk about ways to view an equation through causality, dimension analysis, scaling and more!
Prerequisites
If you found physics equations to be confusing :P
Prerequisites
If you found physics equations to be confusing :P
S12353: The Physics of Sustainability
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Isaac Metcalf
Curious how climate change actually works? Want to learn why throwing an apple core in the trash is worse than throwing it under a bush, but better than throwing it in a creek? Ever wonder why acid rain is a problem in New England but not Texas? Come to this three-hour rapid-fire lecture and have all your sustainability science questions answered!
Prerequisites
A basic chemistry knowledge is recommended, but not required
Prerequisites
A basic chemistry knowledge is recommended, but not required
S12406: Quantum Physics in Flatland
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Christian Ferko,
Colin Nancarrow
Quantum field theory is the most successful scientific theory known to humanity -- and also the hardest to understand. But it becomes much more manageable in the two-dimensional world familiar from the $$(x,y)$$ plane of geometry. This is the stage on which string theory and other so-called "conformal field theories" unfold, but here we'll discuss the essence of these theories using only intuition, conceptual arguments, and pictures. Come listen to two theoretical physics PhD students geek out about what makes physics in two dimensions so beautiful and so powerful.
Prerequisites
It will help if you know about complex numbers.
Prerequisites
It will help if you know about complex numbers.
S12674: Intro to Neuroscience - Topics and Research Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Pranav Lalgudi,
Alexis Schneider
A brief overview of introductory neuroscience, followed by descriptions of ongoing neuroscience/engineering research at MIT!
Prerequisites
Basic biology knowledge
Prerequisites
Basic biology knowledge
S12523: [Science Olympiad - Div C] Circuit Lab, Day 2
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miles Dai,
Annika Gomez
This course is a continuation of [Science Olympiad - Div C] Circuit Lab, Day 1. On the second day, we will have a practice test going over the material we covered the previous day.
Prerequisites
Please take [Science Olympiad - Div C] Designer Genes, Day 1 as well to take this course.
Prerequisites
Please take [Science Olympiad - Div C] Designer Genes, Day 1 as well to take this course.
S12429: Ways to Detect Radiation on a Shoe String Budget
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jacob Miske
I will demonstrate some ways I have made detectors to track alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron irradiation tracks with the cheapest materials I could find.
I will talk about how you can get into nuclear science and engineering from your own home or in a high school lab setting.
I will talk about how you can get into nuclear science and engineering from your own home or in a high school lab setting.
S12475: Organic Chemistry II: Reactions of Small Molecules
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matt Yarnall
In this second installment of my organic chemistry series, we will be studying how small carbon-based molecules react with one another to form novel chemical products. We will build off topics of partial charges, molecular resonance, and steric strain (discussed in my “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry” class) to understand what motivates certain molecules to react with one another and not with others.
We will begin our study by studying the simplest molecular reaction: the acid/base reaction (exchange of a proton). Next we will look at simple nucleophile/electrophile reactions, including SN1 and SN2 reactions. We will also analyze what makes a good nucleophile (electron donor), and use this knowledge to predict which molecules might interact with one another. Much of this part of the course will be focused on transition and intermediate states–the series of momentary stages molecules go through as they are converted to products. Our knowledge of transition states will allow us to understand the conditions under which certain reactions can occur or be inhibited, as well as how those reactions can be catalyzed by enzymes.
To end our class, we will analyze the most versatile functional group in organic chemistry: the carbonyl (carbon double bonded to an oxygen). The carbonyl group enables a plethora of chemical reactions, and is indispensable to the creation of large biomolecules in cells.
Prerequisites
This course is the second in my three-part series on Organic Chemistry, comprising “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry,” “Organic Chemistry II: Reactions of Small Molecules” and “Organic Chemistry III: Synthesis of Small Molecules.” A year of high school Chemistry is very strongly recommended, AP Chemistry is preferred. Everyone will be able to understand and gain something from the course, but we will be going by the basics rather quick to get to the interesting content. This series on Organic Chemistry is in no way required to understand my class “Medicine of the Future: Discovering the Cure to Cancer,” but will provide you with a chemical perspective on the experimental pharmacology I will be discussing in that class; all science is interrelated!
We will begin our study by studying the simplest molecular reaction: the acid/base reaction (exchange of a proton). Next we will look at simple nucleophile/electrophile reactions, including SN1 and SN2 reactions. We will also analyze what makes a good nucleophile (electron donor), and use this knowledge to predict which molecules might interact with one another. Much of this part of the course will be focused on transition and intermediate states–the series of momentary stages molecules go through as they are converted to products. Our knowledge of transition states will allow us to understand the conditions under which certain reactions can occur or be inhibited, as well as how those reactions can be catalyzed by enzymes.
To end our class, we will analyze the most versatile functional group in organic chemistry: the carbonyl (carbon double bonded to an oxygen). The carbonyl group enables a plethora of chemical reactions, and is indispensable to the creation of large biomolecules in cells.
Prerequisites
This course is the second in my three-part series on Organic Chemistry, comprising “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry,” “Organic Chemistry II: Reactions of Small Molecules” and “Organic Chemistry III: Synthesis of Small Molecules.” A year of high school Chemistry is very strongly recommended, AP Chemistry is preferred. Everyone will be able to understand and gain something from the course, but we will be going by the basics rather quick to get to the interesting content. This series on Organic Chemistry is in no way required to understand my class “Medicine of the Future: Discovering the Cure to Cancer,” but will provide you with a chemical perspective on the experimental pharmacology I will be discussing in that class; all science is interrelated!
S12507: Viruses!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Connor Dobson,
Molly Parsons
Cows are 25% snake. It’s true. And spoiler alert: it’s (probably) because of viruses. While that may sound crazy, we find examples of similar behavior across many species. Viruses play an active role in shaping ecosystems worldwide, sometimes acting as deadly pathogens, while other times serving as helpful partners. In this course, two excited grad students will give an overview of how these extraordinary organisms work, how they interact with us, and what we can do to prevent the next epidemic (don’t forget to wash your hands).
S12717: Stargazing, Telescopes and more! Full!
Difficulty: *
Come learn the basics of observational astronomy, from identifying constellations to using a telescope. We'll go through some of the cool things you can see in the sky, and hopefully end with how you can continue to stargaze. If we're lucky (for the night section), we might get to go outside and see some stars!
Prerequisites
If the forecast is clear, bring warm clothes since we might go outside!
Prerequisites
If the forecast is clear, bring warm clothes since we might go outside!
S12464: Quantum Field Theory Story Time
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Skinner
Quantum mechanics is hard, and you are probably tired. So come relax and listen to an introduction to quantum field theory told in the style of a bedtime story. QFT is probably the deepest and most precise description that we have of nature, and usually it comes with lots of complicated-looking equations and diagrams. But here I'll give you a much more gentle introduction to QFT, using only pictures and no math. Learn a little bit about vacuum fluctuations, virtual particles, and the difference between Fermions and Bosons. Walk out with a new perspective on what "empty space" really is.
S12636: Cognitive Biases and Social Change
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Priten Shah,
Chandani Shah
We'll cover the common cognitive biases that affect the way people interact with each other in society. What makes up (and breaks down) how people act, think, believe, and react. We'll cover both biases that affect individuals and groups and include interactive activities to help students learn about the different biases by seeing how they themselves often are affected by them.
S12448: Giant Bubbles! Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jason Gonsalves,
Abigail Walzer
What makes a good giant bubble? Have you ever wondered? Have you ever wondered what they put into that bubble mix to make bubbles the size of your head? We'll talk about what makes a good giant bubble, and try making some of our own.
S12596: Thinking like an Experimental Physicist
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Keith Phuthi
Have you ever wondered what goes into the process of experiments like LIGO and detecting neutrinos? This class will use a basic example to show what scientists do to go from theory to citable results to help you in your own projects.
Prerequisites
Basic physics but not a strict requirement
Prerequisites
Basic physics but not a strict requirement
S12533: [Science Olympiad - Div C] Thermodynamics, Day 2
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Miles Dai,
Robert Kao
This course is a continuation of [Science Olympiad - Div C] Thermodynamics, Day 1. On the second day, we will have a practice test going over the material we covered the previous day.
Prerequisites
Please take [Science Olympiad - Div C] Thermodynamics, Day 1 as well to take this course.
Prerequisites
Please take [Science Olympiad - Div C] Thermodynamics, Day 1 as well to take this course.
S12732: Explore STEM through food
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Laodice Flanagan,
Geeti Gangal
Did you know that children can learn about big concepts like why ships float using treats like jelly beans and marshmallows?
Students will gain an understanding on density through eggs, cheese and chocolate!! They will learn about how the change in density can create different textures and delicious treats. And, as a bonus, there will be a tasting session at the end!!
Students will gain an understanding on density through eggs, cheese and chocolate!! They will learn about how the change in density can create different textures and delicious treats. And, as a bonus, there will be a tasting session at the end!!
S12489: Jenga: The Science Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kelsey Merrill
Learn about the science behind Jenga and gain skills in playing the game. Learn how the game works and why it does what it does from a physics perspective. Then, learn how to most effectively remove the blocks and become a Jenga master! Most of the class will be playing Jenga.
S12556: The Funk of Fermentation Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tran Nguyen,
McCoy Patino
What do chocolate, cheese, coffee, kimchi, and bread have in common? They - and many other foods - are fermented! Fermentation takes many forms and has many different outcomes, but what is it really? How do certain foods transform in flavor, while others simply rot? Can we ferment our own foods and/or beverages at home? Learn all of this and more in The Funk of Fermentation!
S12557: Stupid Human Tricks
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. Topics such as: Our weak backs, a penchant for atherosclerosis, the valgus knee and why this tells you Bigfoot has to be a guy in a furry suit, etc.
S12613: The Chemistry of Cooking
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Samantha Webster
You have denatured proteins, crystallized compounds, cultured microbes, experimented with enzymes, and separated phases of matter, all within the tastiest of laboratories - your own kitchen! Come learn about the chemistry of cooking, and maybe observe some informative (and delicious) demonstrations.
Prerequisites
Basic chemistry and biology is helpful
Prerequisites
Basic chemistry and biology is helpful
S12695: Weather is Awesome! Intro to Atmospheric Science
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jordan Benjamin,
Josh Talbot
Come explore the beauty of Earth's atmosphere and weather and learn how weather phenomena are observed and predicted.
S12411: Evolutionary Baggage Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Nora Enright
In our constantly changing world, what helps one generation can harm the next. This class explores the ways that genetic disease can result from adaptation to different environmental stresses.
Prerequisites
At least a little bit of biology
Prerequisites
At least a little bit of biology
S12517: How Genetic Engineering Works
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tetiana Husak
You probably heard about genetic engineering but have you ever wondered how it works? Learn how scientists managed to apply bacterial immune system elements as tools for DNA cutting and genome editing, and how natural genetic engineers such as viruses and parasitic bacteria can be used to introduce foreign DNA into animal and plant cells. How did fluorescent jellyfish revolutionize molecular biology research? What are the applications of genetic engineering in food industry, and is it safe? How is human insulin made for patients with diabetes? Is it possible to cure genetic diseases? (And a lot of other interesting methods and applications)
S12476: Organic Chemistry III: Synthesis of Carbon-based compounds.
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Matt Yarnall
In the final installment of my organic chemistry series, we will use our knowledge of molecular reactions to plan the synthesis of carbon-based molecules of our own choosing. “Synthesis” entails a series of tightly controlled chemical reactions which enable us to create and alter a small molecule; the efficient synthesis of such molecules has wide reaching applications in fields stretching from industry to pharmacology,
This course will provide an overview of synthesis techniques: when to add nucleophiles to expand the size of a molecule, how to convert one functional group to another, and how to eliminate extemporaneous parts of a molecule to attain to a final product. We will center our study around the carbonyl group and its derivatives, as these groups provide the centerpiece of most synthesis strategies.
This course, while far from comprehensive, should provide you with an understanding of how an organic chemist sees and shapes the molecular world. I hope you leave this course with an appreciation of the beauty of the molecular world and the laws which govern it.
Prerequisites
This course is the third in my three-part series on Organic Chemistry, comprising “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry,” “Organic Chemistry II: Reactions of Small Molecules” and “Organic Chemistry III: Synthesis of Small Molecules.” A year of high school Chemistry is very strongly recommended, AP Chemistry is preferred. This series on Organic Chemistry is in no way required to understand my class “Medicine of the Future: Discovering the Cure to Cancer,” but will provide you with a chemical perspective on the experimental pharmacology I will be discussing in that class; all science is interrelated!
This course will provide an overview of synthesis techniques: when to add nucleophiles to expand the size of a molecule, how to convert one functional group to another, and how to eliminate extemporaneous parts of a molecule to attain to a final product. We will center our study around the carbonyl group and its derivatives, as these groups provide the centerpiece of most synthesis strategies.
This course, while far from comprehensive, should provide you with an understanding of how an organic chemist sees and shapes the molecular world. I hope you leave this course with an appreciation of the beauty of the molecular world and the laws which govern it.
Prerequisites
This course is the third in my three-part series on Organic Chemistry, comprising “Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry,” “Organic Chemistry II: Reactions of Small Molecules” and “Organic Chemistry III: Synthesis of Small Molecules.” A year of high school Chemistry is very strongly recommended, AP Chemistry is preferred. This series on Organic Chemistry is in no way required to understand my class “Medicine of the Future: Discovering the Cure to Cancer,” but will provide you with a chemical perspective on the experimental pharmacology I will be discussing in that class; all science is interrelated!
S12767: The Art of Defying Gravity
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jasmine Jin,
Steven Speck
The teachers are two members of the MIT Track and Field team who will walk you through the biology, physics calculations, and technical aspects of the different kinds of jumping.
Prerequisites
Enthusiasm!
Prerequisites
Enthusiasm!
S12554: Methylene blue and stories of pathology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
The basic dye, and redox indicator, Methylene blue will be the central character is a series of tales which will serve to explain several key concepts in human pathology. Antihistimines, antipsychotics malaria, sickle cell disease, viagra, fish tanks, and a variety of seemingly disparate topics of biology will be explained with the help of methylene blue.
S12392: Babies and Brains!
Difficulty: *
What do babies know about the world?
How do we ask what babies know?
In this class, we'll share some of the most exciting findings in psychology and neuroscience that come from studying babies, and explore techniques that enable us to ask big questions about the little ones. Be ready to think, ask questions, participate in demos, and see some adorable videos!
How do we ask what babies know?
In this class, we'll share some of the most exciting findings in psychology and neuroscience that come from studying babies, and explore techniques that enable us to ask big questions about the little ones. Be ready to think, ask questions, participate in demos, and see some adorable videos!
S12354: Crash Course in Engineering Superheroes
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jordan Harrod
Most of us know or have heard about people who need new organs--whether it be a heart, a kidney, or a skin graft--and through this, have learned about how difficult (and expensive) it is to attain them. However, doctors, scientists, and engineers are currently on the brink of developing the technology needed to eradicate this problem completely, to the point where we may be able to "upgrade" humans into something like superheroes. In this class, we will talk about current research on and applications of biomedical engineering, and will apply that knowledge in small groups by brainstorming ways to use biomedical engineering to turn ourselves into our favorite superheroes.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of biology and physics
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of biology and physics
S12603: How to solve climate change
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sam Allon,
Kelsey Larson
An economist, a chemist, and 20-30 high school students will put their heads together to solve one of the most important problems of the century: climate change.
S12505: Braaaaains! The Neuroscience of Zombies
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jarrod Hicks,
Mark Saddler
Have you ever wondered WHY zombies act the way they do? In this class, we'll analyze zombie behaviors in an attempt to relate them back to underlying neuroanatomical deficits commonly found in zombies. Although our primary focus is to study zombies, you'll inadvertently learn some neuroscience along the way. Following our discussion, we'll satisfy our hunger for brains by performing a sheep brain dissection.
S12645: Eyes: Stereoscopic Insights
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shardul Chiplunkar
Learn about the human eye, how to see stereograms, what glasses really do, and more! There's a lot going on when you look out at the world and most of it isn't... in plain sight. Our eyes are our primary sense organs and looking at how they work can be... eye-opening.
Come and see!
Prerequisites
Normal or corrected eyesight. Glasses/contacts are perfectly fine, but if you have other medical issues with one or both eyes, you may have difficulty with some of the class activities.
Come and see!
Prerequisites
Normal or corrected eyesight. Glasses/contacts are perfectly fine, but if you have other medical issues with one or both eyes, you may have difficulty with some of the class activities.
S12707: How Stars Die
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Haley Bates-Tarasewicz,
Katya Bezugla
Explore the physics of the long lives and spectacular deaths of stars! Red giants, supernovas, pulsars, black holes, all of that cool stuff you've read about in science fiction novels! Class will be focused on general concepts and intuition, but may go into light derivations.
Prerequisites
The class will be easier to understand if you have taken or are currently taking high-school level physics and chemistry. Not required.
Prerequisites
The class will be easier to understand if you have taken or are currently taking high-school level physics and chemistry. Not required.
S12546: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology: An Introduction to Astronomy
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Riley Brown,
Bowen Yu
This class will provide an overview of interesting topics in astronomy. We will be focusing more on concepts rather than rigorous mathematical descriptions of astronomical phenomenon. Topics to be discussed include stellar evolution, galaxy types, cosmological principles, basic special and general relativity, black holes, current events, and anything that you find interesting!
S12400: Astrobiology 101: Are We Alone?
Difficulty: **
Have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear, starry night and wondered "are we alone?" If you have, you're not alone. Come and learn more about the scientific field of astrobiology, the study of life outside Earth and the origins of life. In this class, we'll discuss everything from exoplanets to extremophiles, as well as show you how you can join the hunt for life outside Earth.
[Deprecated] Walk-in Activity
W12769: Nail Art
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ashley Ann Thomas
The Nail Art class is a fun class that will teach students how to decorate their nails.
W12398: Game theory (Let's Play!)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Aruzhan Amanbayeva,
Daniyar Aubekerov
Are you bored of classes? You want to have some fun? We are here to help you!
W12512: Campus Sport Orienteering
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tetiana Husak
Rules are similar to classic sport orienteering competition - find 15 out of 25 control points on main campus as quickly as you can using MIT campus map (and probably learn more about MIT in the process). Each control point has a colorful pencil attached and participant should mark correct cell with control point number in the grid to prove that they has found this point. This task involves both running as you should perform task in minimal time (only main part of campus so no danger of crossing the roads) and strategical thinking (as you should choose which 15 points do you want to find and plan the optimal path through all of them). More difficult and funny version includes collaboration of two participants and texting using cell phone - one has a map but not allowed to leave lobby 13. So they would have to text instructions to other participant who walks along the campus and finds control points without a map. Texting is the only allowed form of communication between two participants - no sending photos, video translation, etc.
W12621: Sporcle Trivia
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Pranit Nanda
Come and play trivia! Pick a topic or let Sporcle choose a random one for you.
W12762: Acrylic Painting
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Candace Tong-Li
We'll be using mini canvases to create dynamic (and pocket-sized) paintings. Come create a piece of art that you can take home with you!
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
W12355: Wooden Brainteasers
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sophie Mori
Soma cubes, pentominoes, 3-D pentominoes, and more! Come try your hand at assembling squares, rectangles, prisms, and other geometric shapes.
W12757: Ice Cream, Cheese, Milk: All Dairy-Free!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Leslie Yan
Come sample dairy-free versions of your favorite dairy products, and find out why you should eat less dairy or go dairy-free!
W12772: Acapella Sing-a-Long!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joonho Ko
We’re the MIT-Wellesley Toons! Want to learn how to read and sing an acapella arrangement, or want to sing a bunch of fun rounds? Come sing and jam with us! No acapella/singing experience necessary :)
W12623: Learn to Solder
Difficulty: **
Come learn the basics of soldering! Learn how to solder lengths of wire together and components on to circuit boards. No experience required!
W12639: Chess and Chess Puzzles
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Aileen Ma,
Julian Wellman
Rook no further! We have all the chess you are looking for. From chess puzzles to rapid bullet to bughouse chess, people of all ages and skill levels are welcome to stop by and get their daily dose of chess!
W12705: SET
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Doreen Chin
Play a fun game of SET, a simple pattern recognition card game.
W12759: Cardboard Box Forts
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sophie Mori,
Evan Tey
Cardboard! Tape! All sorts of building materials! Revisit your childhood and come build the fort of your dreams. Come armed with creavity; we'll provide the (foam) weapons.
W12637: Ruby Red Appreciation
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brandon Wang,
Byron Xu
At ESP, we love to drink juice. Come learn to appreciate the best juice with us, Ruby Red!
W12752: Appreciation for any juice that is not Ruby Red
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Paolo Adajar,
Marianne Olsen
At ESP, we love to drink juice. Come learn to appreciate every jucie except the worst juice, Ruby Red!
Juices included will be lemonade, all kinds of orange juice, and things that are juices if we stretch the definition of juice a little bit.
Juices included will be lemonade, all kinds of orange juice, and things that are juices if we stretch the definition of juice a little bit.
W12374: UX Prototyping: The ESP Website
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sophie Mori
ESP is giving its website a much needed revamp. Come test out our prototypes and offer feedback to contribute to the user experiences of the future!
W12775: Linguistics Problem Solving
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Adam Hesterberg
Do you enjoy unraveling logic puzzles, want to learn about other languages, or crave the feeling of 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!
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!
W12676: Science Bowl
Difficulty: **
Come play high school Science Bowl and try to win for bragging rights and learn some awesome things about science! Know lots of science trivia, love hitting buzzers, or just want to try to answer questions ridiculously fast? This is the walk-in for you! You do not need to have familiarity/experience with this game to participate!
W12440: Ukulele
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Erica Liu
Never strummed a ukulele before? Play the ukulele in your sleep? Or anything in between? Come learn the basics or wow us all with your amazing skills!
W12741: Fun AMC Bonanza
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Meghana Vemulapalli
Drop in and do some fun math problems from previous years' AMC 10/12 tests together! Collaborative and interactive!
W12773: Food tongue 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Adam Hesterberg
Come learn food tongue, a language in which every word is a food, by immersion!
W12565: Flow Arts
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jack Gurev,
Sam Pauley
Restless from sitting in classes all day? Come get out that energy with us through spinning or flow arts. We’ll provide the props and teach you the moves.
W12755: DIY Sustainability
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Janice Shiu,
Vivian Song
Do It Yourself arts and crafts to save the planet one project at a time. Make some free swag like lip balm, dryer balls, and more!
W12758: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream(LN2)
Difficulty: **
Want to watch some cool chemistry and eat some cool liquid? Come join us for a delicious treat!!! Lactose-free options are available
W12751: Sporcle!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Margaret Sands
Come take quizzes with other students on topics you suggest! (Personal favorites range from Avatar the Last Airbender to K-pop)
W12760: Paper Airplanes
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katarina Bulovic,
Joachim Kennedy
We will introduce some of our favorite flimsy designs and have free time for students to design and fly their own planes.
W12655: Vegan Baking
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Maggie Zheng
Come learn some simple, delicious vegan recipes for baked treats! Scones, brownies, cookies, etc.
W12704: Chocolate!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Doreen Chin,
Leslie Yan
Come melt chocolate and mold them into fun shapes!
W12736: Intro to Rice Cookers
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Tiffany Huang,
Julia Jia
We'll teach you how to cook rice (and more!) like a pro who's been cooking rice for 18 years. Come and learn how to thrive gastronomically in college!
W12756: Ask me anything about math!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jackie Bredenberg,
Della Hendrickson
Want to learn more about math you've learned in school? Noticed a pattern you're interested in finding more about? One of your Splash teachers mentioned something that sounds cool? Come with your questions, and I'll try to answer them! If nobody has any questions, I'll probably just talk about set theory or something for an hour.
W12761: Learn to Juggle!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Collin Perkinson
Juggling, the art of creative object manipulation, was first documented around 4000 years ago in an ancient tomb of an Egyptian prince, and today it is practiced around the world. A unique and beautiful art form, juggling is related to dance, weaving, and mathematics. It provides a good mental and physical workout and is lots of fun! The MIT Student Juggling Club is here at Splash 2018 to teach YOU how to juggle! Come join us at our walk-in activity and learn to juggle with balls, rings, or clubs. Beginners are welcome!
[Deprecated] Miscellaneous
X12689: How to be a Pool Shark
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Brian Mills,
Venkat Sivaraman
We'll go over the basic rules of pool and some strategies that can be used to become a better player.
X12414: Stress & School: The Impact of Stress on Learning…and What You can do About It
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Steven Faerm
Are stress and anxiety negatively impacting your studies? You are not alone. Across the country, stress levels among high school and college students are reaching all-time highs — and climbing steadily. Why are we so stressed out? How do stress and anxiety affect learning and brain development? What are some easy and practical ways to decrease your stress levels for improved cognitive performance?
This 45-minute workshop begins by examining the growing body of research around the rising levels of stress and anxiety in America. We’ll then look more closely at how stress and anxiety are affecting learning capabilities, cognition, and general well-being. Finally, we’ll learn 5 easy and practical methods you can use — no matter the time or place — to become less stressed, more centered, and be present.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Associate Professor, Parsons School of Design.
This 45-minute workshop begins by examining the growing body of research around the rising levels of stress and anxiety in America. We’ll then look more closely at how stress and anxiety are affecting learning capabilities, cognition, and general well-being. Finally, we’ll learn 5 easy and practical methods you can use — no matter the time or place — to become less stressed, more centered, and be present.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Associate Professor, Parsons School of Design.
X12677: Let's Talk about Baseball!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ahaan Rungta,
Alexandra Smerekanych
Come interact with other enthusiastic baseball nerds about the MLB 2018 season, playoffs, offseason, and sabermetrics! Don't know what the last word means? We can talk about that too!
Prerequisites
A little knowledge about what transpired in the most recent MLB season.
Prerequisites
A little knowledge about what transpired in the most recent MLB season.
X12638: Battlebots
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ryan Koeppen,
Kip Stahlecker
This class is for people who are completely new to combat robotics and lifelong Battlebots fans alike. In this class we will go over the rules and a brief history of Battlebots as well as a discussion of the general forms of fighting robots. After that, the rest of the class will be spent watching Battlebots fights and analyzing them to look at the strategy and robot design.
Prerequisites
A love of robots and an interest in learning about battlebots.
Prerequisites
A love of robots and an interest in learning about battlebots.
X12708: All About Fonts: an Introduction to Typography
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Valerie Chen,
Xiang Wan
What's the difference between a font and a typeface? Why are some typefaces more popular than others--why do a select few seem to be everywhere? How were they created?
After learning about typefaces, you'll never be able to unsee its once-invisible presence all around you.
After learning about typefaces, you'll never be able to unsee its once-invisible presence all around you.
X12745: Gender Beyond the Binary
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Katie Omberg,
Ryker Reed
Like thinking about gender? Ever felt like male and female don't cover all the possibilities? Come learn all about the Gender Spectrum and all the different identities that a person can have that fall outside the Binary of Female or Male. We will talk about gender identity in society, in science, and in life. Come enjoy a fun discussion and bring your questions! No prior knowledge necessary, just respect and an open mind.
X12409: Talking about Mathematics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Leo Alcock
This talk is meant to introduce the world of mathematics beyond the high school classroom. We will discuss what mathematics is in a modern context and why mathematicians and scientists dedicate so much time to its practice. It will start with a brief overview of the presentation of mathematics in high school and then shift to our main focus. Topics include: modelling, formalism, abstraction, unreasonable effectiveness, and beauty in mathematics. Time permitting, we may be able to talk a bit of the culture of mathematics.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with high school algebra would be useful but there will be almost no math done in this lecture. I would like to note that this is not only an introduction for those unfamiliar with the world of mathematics beyond secondary school institutions but also a discussion which is pertinent to those who would consider themselves very familiar with advanced mathematics. If you have a curiosity, interest, or passion for mathematics you may learn something new about it's cultural underpinnings or at the very least a way to motivate to others why you find it so interesting.
Prerequisites
A familiarity with high school algebra would be useful but there will be almost no math done in this lecture. I would like to note that this is not only an introduction for those unfamiliar with the world of mathematics beyond secondary school institutions but also a discussion which is pertinent to those who would consider themselves very familiar with advanced mathematics. If you have a curiosity, interest, or passion for mathematics you may learn something new about it's cultural underpinnings or at the very least a way to motivate to others why you find it so interesting.
X12404: Financial Planning 101 for College Living
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Lori Trojak
What do you need to pack/ purchase for a typical dorm room? What expenses outside of tuition, room and board and books will you need or want to cover each month? Should you have a credit card or bank account? Some expenses can vary greatly depending on the college, nearby town and personal wants but we will cover the basics in this class and leave you with a spreadsheet that you can fill in with your own particular information/ expectations and estimates as you speak with different colleges.
Prerequisites
None.
Prerequisites
None.
X12524: Lying: The Art of Fibs and Fiction
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Val Shum
Want to casually convince people to believe your words? Need to figure out excuses on the fly? Take a bit of time away from stress and problems with a few quick tips for lying!
X12388: Quidditch for Muggles
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Zion Moore,
Priya Pillai
Ever wanted to fly on a broom? Well, we can't do that (due to FAA regulations), but we can teach you how to pretend to!Learn how to play Quidditch with the MIT Marauders and gain all the skills you'll need to make it to on to the Gryffindor/Slytherin/Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff Quidditch team!
X12602: How to Run A Splash
Difficulty: *
Ever thought about what happens behind-the-scenes when you sign up for Splash classes? Or how all of our teachers and classes fit into MIT's classrooms? Splash takes months to plan, and for good reason. Come learn how we make Splash happen every year!
X12368: Making the Best Financial Decisions for You: College, Career, etc...
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Patricia Craig,
Charlotte Swartz
A handful of major decisions can really influence your life and possibly have a lasting influence on your future happiness. What career you choose, what college you attend, how you pay for college, who you choose to marry, whether you buy a house or rent - - these are some of the really big "financial" decisions. The purpose of this course is to help you expand your thinking on these very critical decisions with particular emphasis on college decisions.
X12403: Traveling the USA for a Year-Part 1:How To Do It
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Lori Trojak
This is Part 1 of 2. You may sign up for either part or both. Our family traveled by RV, ships, and planes throughout the USA for a year.. We schooled on the road and learned to use every resource as efficiently as possible. Part 1 is about how we did it. How we planned, kept in touch with people, received mail,... you name it. If it had to do with ordinary living, we found a way. Come learn how to do this yourself! (Part 2 is more of a visual with talking about what to see.)
Prerequisites
None
Prerequisites
None
X12468: Planning Like a Pro: How to Bullet Journal
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Emily Levenson,
Lily Zhang
Bullet Journaling is a flexible, do-it-yourself planning system designed to help you organize and track your life.
This class will introduce you to a variety of basic spreads and techniques to give you the skills to design a planner best suited for your needs.
Bullet Journals can be as simple or as intricate as you desire. For those interested, calligraphy and other decorative techniques will also be introduced.
Prerequisites
None! (except cursive for those interested in calligraphy)
This class will introduce you to a variety of basic spreads and techniques to give you the skills to design a planner best suited for your needs.
Bullet Journals can be as simple or as intricate as you desire. For those interested, calligraphy and other decorative techniques will also be introduced.
Prerequisites
None! (except cursive for those interested in calligraphy)
X12451: High Tea with Kai and Andy
Come learn about British culture from two guys who aren’t remotely British (and enjoy some high tea)! This is the perfect time for you to pay your respects to Her Majesty, watch some Ali G videos, and polish your British accents that you’ve been secretly practicing this whole time.
Prerequisites
If you are British and don't want to hear your accent done very poorly, you may want to avoid this class.
Prerequisites
If you are British and don't want to hear your accent done very poorly, you may want to avoid this class.
X12630: You'll find out...
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mazien Agha,
Nikhil Bhat
You're spending a weekend at MIT taking classes, and you have like 20 time slots to fill. With classes about time travel, ice cream, Chinese sauces, Knots and more why bother taking a class you know nothing about?
Well, we're not about to give away a whole lot here, just know there'll be food, music, and we'll have a good time.
Sign up (or don't)
I'm not here to tell you what to do. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Prerequisites
Just be ready...
Well, we're not about to give away a whole lot here, just know there'll be food, music, and we'll have a good time.
Sign up (or don't)
I'm not here to tell you what to do. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Prerequisites
Just be ready...
X12666: Untold Wikipedia stories
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kevin Li,
Alicia Weng
All sorts of weird drama has happened on Wikipedia. Edit wars over hyphens and dashes, over spellings and punctuation, very few with real-life consequences. I'll tell some of the stories here, and why they matter (or don't.)
X12402: Traveling the USA for a Year-Part 2:What We Saw
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Lori Trojak
This is part 2 of 2. You could do one or both. 1 focuses on planning and tips and 2 (this class) focuses on what to see. We saw so many spectacular sights while we traveled the year. Many were planned, many were surprises and some exceeded our expectations like seeing the Aurora Borealis and swimming with 150 year old turtles, seeing lava bubble on top of a crater and whales breaching. This class is a mix of photos and talk of what to see where and when. Get a feel for what you may want to see. The world is filled with many wonders. I hope to show you some of the many we saw and give details of how and when you can plan to see them too.
Prerequisites
A sense of adventure and wonder:)
Prerequisites
A sense of adventure and wonder:)
X12369: Developing Your Inner Strength & Resilience
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Patricia Craig,
Charlotte Swartz
Every person has times in their life when it is really tough. Whether a parent lost a job, a grandparent just died, someone you know has cancer, parents are getting divorced, or not fitting in at school - - - coping and trying to stay upbeat seems nearly impossible. This course will provide some helpful hints on managing those rough patches. The hints are drawn from the following books, “The Adversity Quotient”, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”, and “The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook.” Additionally, some hints from Stanford Professor Michael Ray’s course, “Creativity in Business” will be discussed.
X12481: A Treatise on the Modern Meme
Difficulty: *
To meme or not to meme, that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the Sub to repost
The gifs and jokes of yester year
Or to create OC against the sea of reposts
And in downvoting end them. To OC–to post;
To post perchance to meme–ay there’s the sub,
For in that post of OC what memes may come,
When we have shuffled off this bottom text,
Must give us pause–But that the dread of spici’r OC,
That undiscover’d board, for whose born
no memelord returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather post the memes we have
Than create others we not of?
Thus Four Chan doth make normies of us all.
Whether ‘tis nobler in the Sub to repost
The gifs and jokes of yester year
Or to create OC against the sea of reposts
And in downvoting end them. To OC–to post;
To post perchance to meme–ay there’s the sub,
For in that post of OC what memes may come,
When we have shuffled off this bottom text,
Must give us pause–But that the dread of spici’r OC,
That undiscover’d board, for whose born
no memelord returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather post the memes we have
Than create others we not of?
Thus Four Chan doth make normies of us all.
X12452: The Science and History of Tea
Difficulty: *
Come join us for a discussion of the history of tea across cultures and continents. We will discuss the story of civilization, colonization, and globalization as taught through our favorite hot beverage! Since we're all chemists, we'll also go into some of the science behind tea, caffeine, and why we all rely on it so much
X12566: Werewolf: How to Make Mafia Really Complicated
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Anton Cao,
Renbin Liu
Do you enjoy playing mafia? Do you enjoy deceiving everyone in the game and become the lone survivor? Then this class is for you! Werewolf is a variation based on mafia with many more interesting roles. The version we will play in this class is based on a variation adapted from China. I promise you there will be a lot of lies! This class will teach you basic strategies for playing common roles, basic reasoning principles, and tricks to confuse others! Join the party and be careful.
X12681: Let's Talk About the NBA!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Francisco Proskauer Valerio,
Ahaan Rungta
The rise of Bronzo. The controversies of Carmelo. The revival of the Celtics? Jimmy B on a new team? Ben Simmons getting a jumper?
Come discuss storylines from this year's NBA season, predictions, statistics, issues like tanking, or maybe all-time greats. You'll get to shape the discussion based on what topics interest you most.
Prerequisites
Passion for Basketball and the NBA
Come discuss storylines from this year's NBA season, predictions, statistics, issues like tanking, or maybe all-time greats. You'll get to shape the discussion based on what topics interest you most.
Prerequisites
Passion for Basketball and the NBA
X12619: Mind/Body Awareness
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Malte Ahrens,
Francesca Majluf
From meditation to dancing, dreams and yoga, this class will help you gain control and understanding over how your body works and the way it relates to your mind.
X12625: Cloaks and Daggers, Without the Daggers
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
E Rosser
Plotting. Lurking. Hardcore sneakin'. A big ole cloak is useful for so many things. In this class, we'll assemble our own cloaks and pick up some useful hand-sewing skills along the way. This workshop will be geared for the novice sewist: if you've already got a couple of stitching projects under your belt, then you might find yourself a little underwhelmed. Let the hooded lurking commence!
X12456: Labelling the Earth around Us
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jeremy Freudberg,
Peter Klapes
In this course, students will explore concepts such as land, easements, roads, and other rights-of-way, drawing on examples from Massachusetts. Students will then apply these concepts to better understand structures such as sidewalks, private ways, and ‘paper streets’. Students will also learn how to make use of various tools to further explore this genre of geographic information, and make sense of it in legal and historical contexts.
X12682: Let's talk about the NFL!
Difficulty: **
What's the best time to talk about the football season? During football season! Come discuss and rant about your fantasy teams or your favorite teams or anything related to the NFL! We may or may not also discuss some changes to the league.
(We will not be entertaining strong political views, it'll just be football talk!)
Prerequisites
A decent knowledge of the NFL.
(We will not be entertaining strong political views, it'll just be football talk!)
Prerequisites
A decent knowledge of the NFL.
X12430: Solving a Rubiks Cube!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Roy Kwon
Learn how to solve a Rubiks cube! I will teach you the most basic and easy way to solve a cube.
We won't get into the math behind it, but you'll know how to solve a Rubik's cube when you see one.
We won't get into the math behind it, but you'll know how to solve a Rubik's cube when you see one.
X12735: "Cooking" for Broke College Students
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Victor Chau
Learn how to cook SPAM (thank god you don't have to), boil water to make ramen, steal food from your friends, and order out food on grub-hub for cheap!
X12590: How to Make Your Memory Work Like Magic
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sophia Mittman
In this class students will discover fun and simple memory techniques that can be utilized to learn new information quickly, study efficiently, and retain pieces of new information longer. Topics covered will include but are not limited to: learning names and faces, memorizing countries/states and capitals easily, mastering foreign vocabulary, memorizing numbers (for historical dates, pi, and more), listing the presidents sequentially, remembering long lists of words, and decreasing absentmindedness.
Prerequisites
No previous skills of memorization are required! Anyone who wants to improve their memorization skills will do well in this class!
Prerequisites
No previous skills of memorization are required! Anyone who wants to improve their memorization skills will do well in this class!
X12563: Introduction to Taekwondo
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Shravan Venkatesan
Want to learn how to defend yourself in a fight? Want to impress your friends with all your fancy new kicks? Just need a way to get some exercise? Do none of these conditions apply to you? No matter the case, this is the class for you!
This course will take you through the fundamentals of taekwondo, including basic stance work and posture, blocks, punches and kicks. We will also cover good practices to use when stretching before and after working your muscles, and how to build up endurance over time. We may also introduce a basic fighting form if time permits. NO PRIOR MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED!
This course will take you through the fundamentals of taekwondo, including basic stance work and posture, blocks, punches and kicks. We will also cover good practices to use when stretching before and after working your muscles, and how to build up endurance over time. We may also introduce a basic fighting form if time permits. NO PRIOR MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED!
X12444: Ultimate Frisbee 101
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Helen Li,
Richard Yip
Learn the basics of ultimate frisbee - throwing, pivoting, catching, and cutting effectively. Then scrimmage!
Prerequisites
Sneakers and athletic clothes required!
Prerequisites
Sneakers and athletic clothes required!
X12686: Being a Proud Tribesman
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ashley Kim,
James Koppel
Give an American soldier a heavy pack, and moving becomes harder. Give it to an African villager, and moving becomes easier. Turns out they're just better at walking than us. And standing and sitting. Come learn why everything you know about posture is wrong.
Superpowers to be had from this class include the ability to see things directly behind you and being able to sleep on a wooden log. Some increase in height may be expected. Warning: Upon completion of this class, your life may feel like an endless massage. You may also experience a sudden urge to replace all your furniture.
Prerequisites
Bring a jacket, or something else soft and moldable. We will be using it to modify the shape of chairs.
Superpowers to be had from this class include the ability to see things directly behind you and being able to sleep on a wooden log. Some increase in height may be expected. Warning: Upon completion of this class, your life may feel like an endless massage. You may also experience a sudden urge to replace all your furniture.
Prerequisites
Bring a jacket, or something else soft and moldable. We will be using it to modify the shape of chairs.
X12491: Sex Ed: The Sequel
Difficulty: ****
Everything you wanted to know and everything you didn't know you wanted to know.
Prerequisites
16+ preferred (comfortable with adult content)
Prerequisites
16+ preferred (comfortable with adult content)
X12738: Knitting for Beginners Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Julia Jia,
Meghana Vemulapalli
Have you ever wanted to learn to how to knit? Now is your chance! Sink into the endless comfort of knitting and purling and create something with your own two hands to take home!
Prerequisites
No experience necessary!
Prerequisites
No experience necessary!
X12455: How to Solve a Rubik's Cube Blindfolded
Difficulty: ****
Teachers:
Julian Hamelberg
Learn how to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded?
Prerequisites
Know something about Rubik's cubes
Prerequisites
Know something about Rubik's cubes
X12766: How to feed 15 people under 30 dollars
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sheila Baber,
Mimi Wahid
Food brings people together. Sometimes, that's a lot of people. And they're hungry. We'll teach you how to cook up enough food (for food preferences we'll go with vegetarian) to feed a room full of people--from getting cheap ingredients (we'll do this ourselves, but it's still good to know!) to scaling recipes to actually dicing and slicing and frying and boiling. Time to get cooking!
X12525: Crocheting 101: Owls
Difficulty: *
Have you ever wanted to snuggle with a cute owl? Have you ever wanted to make something out of yarn? Now you can do both! Come to Crocheting 101 to explore the world of yarn. No prior experience necessary!
X12380: How to speak in public without peeing your pants!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jim Flannery
Want to improve your public speaking skills and overcoming all your fears? This is the place to do it. AND - it will be fun! I've run this class the last 3 years at Splash and Spark and people really love it. No pre-requisites needed, come exactly as you are and we'll have a good time.
X12331: Effective Altruism
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Juan Gil,
Valerie Richmond
Effective altruism is the practice of using evidence and reason to determine how to most improve the world. This class will discuss how YOU can be an effective altruist and make the greatest positive impact!
Prerequisites
An interest in doing good!
Prerequisites
An interest in doing good!
X12469: From Outdoor Adventures to Your Environmental Impact
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Carlo Amadei,
David Ding
We will tell you crazy stories about how we have played fearlessly like children in the outdoors like climbing mountains.
We hope that you get inspired to explore the outdoors yourself.
This playground is endangered by our everyday actions, so we will talk about what you can do to reduce your environmental impact, as well as the science behind climate change and water/plastic pollution.
Prerequisites
None
We hope that you get inspired to explore the outdoors yourself.
This playground is endangered by our everyday actions, so we will talk about what you can do to reduce your environmental impact, as well as the science behind climate change and water/plastic pollution.
Prerequisites
None
X12667: Linguistic Relativity
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Matthew Hutchinson,
Tyler Millis
A fellow Course 9 (Brain and Cognitive Science) friend has created slides on Linguistic Relativity, but it is something that I do not know anything about. So by "teach," I mean see the slides for the first time during the session and do my best to explain it.
Prerequisites
Sense of Humor
Prerequisites
Sense of Humor
X12589: THE ILLUMINATi
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Patricia Gao,
Rachel Weissman
Want to know how the world really works?
X12687: Being an Immovable Object Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
James Koppel,
Hsin-Yu Lai
If you twist your shoulder in the right way, you can lift twice as much. Tense your abs in the right way, and you can punch three times as hard. Whether you like martial arts or yoga, dancing or football, or even if you just want to seem more confident when presenting, you can do more with less effort when you put your body in a position of stability. So come to this class and get better at everything!
Prerequisites
Wear loose clothing
Prerequisites
Wear loose clothing
X12530: Origami Naval Shell
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Fiona Gillespie,
Shravan Venkatesan
Do you enjoy origami? Come to Origami Naval Shell and learn how to fold Tomoko Fuse's model. None of the individual folds are complex, but precise folds are very helpful for collapsing the model.
Prerequisites
Some experience with origami would be helpful but not required. There are pictures online of the model that can show the difficulty.
Prerequisites
Some experience with origami would be helpful but not required. There are pictures online of the model that can show the difficulty.
X12467: How to solve a Rubix Cube Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Daniel Vuong
Teaches how to solve the Rubix cube.
X12663: Spain for Non-Spaniards Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Pranav Lalgudi,
Alexis Schneider
Learn how to plan a trip to Spain! We'll talk about some of the coolest places to see and things to do, sample some classics from Spanish cuisine, and also teach you some intro Spanish along the way :)
X12329: Bad Data Visualization and How to Avoid It
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Regan Dvoskin,
Ryan Perny
What makes a graph good? What makes one bad? Have you ever seen a chart so confusing that you can't understand it?
This class will look at some bad visualizations and talk about what makes them bad. For example, they may be confusing, difficult to read, or have multiple interpretations. We'll also discuss how these visualizations could potentially be improved.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of how to read charts (bar/line/pie charts, etc.)
This class will look at some bad visualizations and talk about what makes them bad. For example, they may be confusing, difficult to read, or have multiple interpretations. We'll also discuss how these visualizations could potentially be improved.
Prerequisites
A basic understanding of how to read charts (bar/line/pie charts, etc.)
X12490: Origami, Shapes, and You!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Haihao Liu,
Kevin Ye
Shapes are all around us. This course will use modular origami to explore the nature of certain symmetrical 3D objects. What is modular origami? In short, you fold a bunch of basic units, then assemble it into a wonderful complex structure. Most of the class will be spent creating your own 3D origami models to keep, which you can turn into mini-lamps with provided LEDs!
X12609: Journalism Workshop
Difficulty: **
Become a reporter for two hours! We will teach you to research and write a news article.
X12660: How to get a Six Pack in 1 Hour
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Dexin Li,
Sarah Wang
Are you tired of being a couch potato? Do you desperately want abs? Come join us for a full body workout where we'll tone your abs, arms, and quads. Six pack guaranteeed!
X12526: Basic Gymnastics Things Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Evan Caragay
Wanna learn some basic gymnastics things? I'll teach you them! Probably like handstands, cartwheels, and forward rolls. Will be a nice break from sitting in a classroom! Also, if you have more gymnastics experience feel free to come, I can teach/work with higher level skills too!
X12612: Build a Board Game
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Pravi Samaratunga
Design a board game from scratch in 4 hours! Or at least get started on it.
This will be a crash course on:
- Board Game Brainstorming
- Design Principles
- Rapid Prototyping
- User Testing
By the end of the class, you should have a board game of your own! Or at least a concept that you can take into the wild and develop further.
This will be a crash course on:
- Board Game Brainstorming
- Design Principles
- Rapid Prototyping
- User Testing
By the end of the class, you should have a board game of your own! Or at least a concept that you can take into the wild and develop further.
X12661: Card Games
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Dexin Li,
Sarah Wang
Come learn how to play classic card games like Hearts, President, 80 Points/Tractor/Finding Friends! Or come chill and play childhood games like Heads Up 7 Up and Duck Duck Goose!
X12675: Coffee: Past and Present
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Allysa Allen,
Sarah Weidman
Ever wondered how coffee came to be so popular? How did coffee beans evolve? What is the coffee shop industry like today? Join us for a deep dive into the past and present of coffee cultural evolution.
Taste tests may be provided :)
Taste tests may be provided :)
X12618: Protobowl your tiny trivia nerd heart out
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nisha Devasia,
Mayukha Vadari
Do you wanna be the very best (at protobowl)??? Then turn up and participate in our protobowl tournament. We will have prizes for the Very Best Protobowler!!
X12542: Mastering Your Memory: How to remember anything you want
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Martin Schneider
Do you want to be able to more effectively remember what you learn? This class will give you tools for remembering *whatever* you want: class material, people's names, a deck of playing cards... you name it! We'll talk about mind palaces, spaced repetition, desirable difficulties, and more. Improving your memory will make you a more effective learner and problem solver; get ready to learn about learning!
Prerequisites
Just don't *forget* to show up!
Prerequisites
Just don't *forget* to show up!
X12576: The gods of Gielinor
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mendel Keller,
Tuan Nguyen
Come learn about the gods of Runescape, the myths, the history, and the ongoing struggle for control of the races of Gielinor. Learn about Zamorak's betrayal of Zaros, and about Guthix's banishment. Study the dragonkin, and their relationship with the stone of Jas. The divided dragon riders, and the diary of the last of a kind. Follow the staff of Armadyl through five ages. And hear all about Seren's introduction of the ritual to the Mahjarrat, culminating in the murder of Mah.
We will be going over the gods arriving on Gielinor, and the relationships between them. This course will provide an overview of the developing story of the gods of Runescape, and the relationships between them. This will include cutscenes of the more major events, and depictions of many of the more minor ones. We will meet all of the 20+ gods Runescape has to offer, and trace back their often complex history. We will also take a look at how this lore developed in real time, as the developers tweaked their notion of the various gods they had already introduced, in order to fit the evolving narrative being offered.
Prerequisites
None! Only an interest in learning is required. This course is geared both at students who have never before heard of Runescape, and those who have been playing for years. None of what we will discuss will be directly related to gameplay and mechanics, but rather it will all focus on the storyline and lore. *knowledge of how to make bronze recommended **must know correct way to enter Lumbridge castle ***no pray noobs
We will be going over the gods arriving on Gielinor, and the relationships between them. This course will provide an overview of the developing story of the gods of Runescape, and the relationships between them. This will include cutscenes of the more major events, and depictions of many of the more minor ones. We will meet all of the 20+ gods Runescape has to offer, and trace back their often complex history. We will also take a look at how this lore developed in real time, as the developers tweaked their notion of the various gods they had already introduced, in order to fit the evolving narrative being offered.
Prerequisites
None! Only an interest in learning is required. This course is geared both at students who have never before heard of Runescape, and those who have been playing for years. None of what we will discuss will be directly related to gameplay and mechanics, but rather it will all focus on the storyline and lore. *knowledge of how to make bronze recommended **must know correct way to enter Lumbridge castle ***no pray noobs
X12338: Play SET! Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Eli Yang
Learn to play SET, a fun and fast-paced game of matching shapes and colors, and practice playing with some new friends.
X12671: Healthy Relationships 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Gabrielle Ndakwah,
Max Yu
Let's talk about healthy relationships! What they are like and why we want them.
X12390: Subways of the World Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Katie Fisher,
Mark Mockett
Calling all subway fans! Come chat about mass transit with us! We'll cover the differences between major subway systems around the world, the technologies that allows subways to run, and design a new system!
X12384: Live, Laugh, Lead: Exciting Leadership Activities
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Blake Berk,
Anna Wahl
Crossing deadly rivers of molten chocolate, escaping explosive minefields, and constructing great pyramids. Now what does all this have to do with Leadership? Come and find out…
Do you like games, teamwork, creative problem solving, or having fun? Want to know how this can help you become a better leader? Come and participate in fun interactive activities, and maybe learn a thing or two about leadership.
The Leadership Training Institute (LTI) is a high school mentoring program right here at MIT, and we will be sending mentors to lead what will surely be a jam-packed session of excitement, fun, and thoughtful conversation.
Do you like games, teamwork, creative problem solving, or having fun? Want to know how this can help you become a better leader? Come and participate in fun interactive activities, and maybe learn a thing or two about leadership.
The Leadership Training Institute (LTI) is a high school mentoring program right here at MIT, and we will be sending mentors to lead what will surely be a jam-packed session of excitement, fun, and thoughtful conversation.
X12381: How Kids Make Cash: the Art of Self-Directed Earning
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jim Flannery
Why don't they ever teach young people how to make money???? It's a strange omission from our school curriculum.... until now!
In this class, I will share with you many stories and examples of how young people have taken their interests and passions and turned them into a paycheck. No formal education required!
I gave this talk at the two AERO conferences earlier this year and it was a huge hit, so I decided to bring it to Splash for the first time. I think you'll love it.
In this class, I will share with you many stories and examples of how young people have taken their interests and passions and turned them into a paycheck. No formal education required!
I gave this talk at the two AERO conferences earlier this year and it was a huge hit, so I decided to bring it to Splash for the first time. I think you'll love it.
X12729: Community organizing for social change!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Emily Thai,
Lorraine Wong
Come learn how to do some kick-ass organizing! We've worked on campaigns for trans rights and climate action right here in Massachusetts. High school and college campuses are at the forefront of some big social changes, and we've got the chance to really change our communities for the better!
Hear about how to motivate and mobilize people, and how to really make a connection and have conversations that change people's minds. Workshop how to really make grassroots change in your own community!
Hear about how to motivate and mobilize people, and how to really make a connection and have conversations that change people's minds. Workshop how to really make grassroots change in your own community!
X12395: Anatomy of a Fountain Pen
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Riley Brown,
Bowen Yu
Fountain pens may seem like a thing from the days of yore, but they are making a real comeback! Whether it’s about being steampunk, #calligraphy on Instagram or whatever you kids do these days, a myriad of benefits come with using a fountain pen. It can not only help you have neater handwriting but some evidence even shows it can help your self-esteem and raise your academic performance. In class, we will cover the basic parts of a fountain pen, the common variations you might come across and some writing techniques. I will provide some cheap fountain pens for you to try out and play around with.
Prerequisites
Absolutely no prior experience necessary!
Prerequisites
Absolutely no prior experience necessary!
X12610: Skincare 101 Full!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Afura Taylor,
Jennifer Wang
Do you have skin? If so, do you want to take care of it? Come learn all about the different things people put on their skin to make their skin better, then put things on your skin to make your skin better!
X12412: EmojiCon
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Isha Gani,
Daniel Whatley
Have you ever tried talking using only emojis? If so, have you ever had someone understand your emoji-only messages? Here, you'll get a good sense of how to do both!
Prerequisites
If you know what an emoji is, great. Otherwise, come learn!
Prerequisites
If you know what an emoji is, great. Otherwise, come learn!
X12408: Understanding Complex Social Systems
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Alexander Siegenfeld,
Matthew Vernacchia
How do we begin to understand systems--political, economic, biological, social--whose complexity is beyond the limits of human comprehension? Standard academic assumptions fail for complex systems, resulting in inaccurate predictions and an underestimation of the probabilities of extreme events, such as the 2008 financial crisis. Nonetheless, these false assumptions are often used, due to the human tendency to prefer a pretense of knowledge to a knowledge of uncertainty. This class will teach you how to approach understanding systems with many interacting components, using a rigorous framework that combines concepts from information theory and physics. Topics include the basic principles of complex systems science and their applications to hierarchies, economic crashes, ethnic violence, the evolution of altruism, urban planning, and pandemics.
X12345: Starting a Company as a High Schooler
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Priten Shah,
Chandani Shah
Two start-up founders and business consultants will explain to students how to think like an entrepreneur and start a company as a high schooler.
X12504: Introduction to Puzzlehunts
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Brian Chen,
Sophie Mori
Do you like word games? Logic puzzles? Creative problem solving? Join us to learn about puzzlehunts, a fun style of puzzles and puzzle events blending all of these types and more, and try your hand at solving some puzzles!
Prerequisites
Having a device that can access the internet is useful, but not essential. If you've ever done well in a puzzlehunt before, or if you've taken this class when I previously taught it, this might be too easy for you.
Prerequisites
Having a device that can access the internet is useful, but not essential. If you've ever done well in a puzzlehunt before, or if you've taken this class when I previously taught it, this might be too easy for you.
X12718: Resume 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Julia Arnous
Think a resume would be pointless for you now? Come learn why you might want a resume, what to include in it, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to show your strengths! We may also cover a few other topics such as references, cover letters, interviews, handling a new or first job, and how to gain experience when you're in high school.
Prerequisites
No need to have a resume or even really know what one is!
Prerequisites
No need to have a resume or even really know what one is!
X12382: School Sucks so Start Your Own
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jim Flannery
Is school making you feel bored, ignored, bullied, lost in the shuffle, or just plain tired of being told what to do everyday?
You are not alone.
I've traveled all over the US and abroad seeking answers to the "school problem" and I've found them and I'm going to share with you everything I've learned so that you can overcome the "school problem" too.
You are not alone.
I've traveled all over the US and abroad seeking answers to the "school problem" and I've found them and I'm going to share with you everything I've learned so that you can overcome the "school problem" too.
X12737: Tidbits on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Paolo Adajar,
Kami Krista
This will be an interactive course that compiles several strategies, lessons, and interactive modules that I have learnt over the years from other entrepreneurs/researchers on creativity and innovation.These include Peter Diamandis, Richard Branson and Tina Seelig. In particular, they will be those thought processes, strategies and applications that are intuitive once taught, but surprising when first discovered. The hope is that students will learn tangible and highly versatile skills and experience applications of these, for their own entrepreneurial activities.
X12633: Leading From Behind: Skills for Servant Leadership
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Noah Hagen,
Rachel Reyes
Leadership is always in demand, and it's not just for the people at the top. In this course, you'll be given the opportunity to examine yourself as a leader and be exposed to skills through the lens of the servant leader. This won't be a lecture session. Students will be engaging in activities and discussions.
X12527: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Erick Eguia
As bizarre as the title may sound, this is not a work of science fiction written to explain the possible effects of wearing a sombrero costume for Halloween. Instead, this class will briefly explore various psychological phenomena, and some of their “interesting” effects, to put it lightly.
Prerequisites
A brain that works.
Prerequisites
A brain that works.
X12410: The Science of Chocolate/How to Make Truffles
Difficulty: **
Do you love chocolate? Ever wonder why chocolate melts in your mouth? Or gets dry and crumbly when it's old? Join us to discover the science and engineering behind chocolate! Learn how to go from a cocoa bean to a truffle and discover phase diagrams, nucleation, and a little bit of history while you're at it. Ample chocolate will be provided.
X12426: How to ace any interview ever
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Ahaan Rungta,
Anagh Tiwary
Come join an interactive workshop where you'll learn how to master all the tips and tricks to navigate any interview (college, club, career, etc) ever! There will be games and competitions to master ones interviewing abilities!
Social Studies
Z12487: Non-linear Thinking in a Linear World
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sherene Raisbeck,
Josh Shaine
Does doing one thing at a time drive you batty? Do people frequently tell you to pay attention or to 'stay on topic?' Do you think in pictures instead of words? Does the whole "You have to do it in the right order" concept bother you? Join us for an exploration of the How's and Why's of non-linear thinking. We'll talk about how to recognize and develop strengths, not just how to 'fit in.'
Prerequisites
Open-mindedness
Prerequisites
Open-mindedness
Z12662: Past, Present and Future of American Urban Design
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kevin Li,
Alicia Weng
Why is your suburban hometown so boring? Why are American cities racially segregated? How can we make our cities more walkable for the future? I'll run through a crash course of the history, the present, and the future of urban design, and hopefully give you a better understanding of why our cities look the way they do.
Z12614: The Real Deep State
Difficulty: *
What is the bureaucracy? What powers do federal regulatory agencies have? How do they interact with Congress and the Presidency? Come learn about what Cabinet Secretaries, "career officials," and commissions do for the environment and consumer protection, and how you can have input on new rules and regulations!
Z12543: International Development: Why "saving the world" is harder than it seems...
Difficulty: **
Have you heard of international development? Are you passionate about helping to solve global problems like hunger, disease, natural disasters, or consequences of war? Do you want to learn more about what people are doing on the cutting-edge and what makes for a good solution?
Come join us to learn more about the joys of helping humanity, the problems people encounter when trying to do good things, and what you can do to be the change you wish to see in the world.
The first half will be spent on introducing you to the world of international development, and the second will be a workshop for developing your own ideas.
Prerequisites
Just a heart.
Come join us to learn more about the joys of helping humanity, the problems people encounter when trying to do good things, and what you can do to be the change you wish to see in the world.
The first half will be spent on introducing you to the world of international development, and the second will be a workshop for developing your own ideas.
Prerequisites
Just a heart.
Z12749: Gerrymandering: Theory and Practice
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Benjamin Kraft,
Joanna Sands
Gerrymandering: America's favorite political power play since 1812. We'll learn how and why parties draw congressional districts with nicknames like "The Pinwheel of Death", "The Mistake by the Lake", and "The 8 Mile Mess", and why it's hard to outlaw such madness. Then you'll get to try your hand at gerrymandering, to see if you can do better than your classmates at getting more seats for your party.
Z12485: Underachievement - Changing Your Perspective
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sherene Raisbeck,
Josh Shaine
A lot of students are told how bright they are, and yet, "Why aren't you living up to your potential?!" Parents, teachers, and even yourselves are asking just that. Maybe you really aren't as smart as they think? Join us to explore this incredibly uncomfortable place to be... I promise it will be thought provoking, if not fun!
Z12488: The School That I Want
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sherene Raisbeck,
Josh Shaine
Some kids consider what school *could* be or *should* be.
Some kids never do.
This is a class for those of you who have given this some thought and would like others with whom you can bounce ideas back and forth. We'll also look at some of the historical books on this topic.
Couldn't we do better than what we have?!
Prerequisites
Opinions and an open mind on the subject of education.
Some kids never do.
This is a class for those of you who have given this some thought and would like others with whom you can bounce ideas back and forth. We'll also look at some of the historical books on this topic.
Couldn't we do better than what we have?!
Prerequisites
Opinions and an open mind on the subject of education.
Z12642: How to do adult-related money things
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Joseph Cox,
Roan LaPlante
This is a class about how to handle money.
There are a lot of experiential skills around handling money that students are usually not taught in school, including some very basic things. In this course we will focus on basic life skills around how to make, spend, and move money. This includes how to invest money and what you should invest it in, how to do your taxes (and what is necessary to do taxes well), how to write and deposit checks, how banks work, which banks you should use, and how to apply for jobs.
This class will have extensive student-focused question and answer time. Students are encouraged to prepare questions that they have about how to handle money. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
There are a lot of experiential skills around handling money that students are usually not taught in school, including some very basic things. In this course we will focus on basic life skills around how to make, spend, and move money. This includes how to invest money and what you should invest it in, how to do your taxes (and what is necessary to do taxes well), how to write and deposit checks, how banks work, which banks you should use, and how to apply for jobs.
This class will have extensive student-focused question and answer time. Students are encouraged to prepare questions that they have about how to handle money. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Z12712: Temptation! How Behavioral Economics Can Help You Make Better Choices Full!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lisa Ho,
Charlie Rafkin
Would you rather do your chores today or tomorrow? Ever eat too many cookies, even though you know you'll feel sick afterwards?
It turns out psychologists and economists have found a broad set of situations where people want one thing now that they wouldn't want later, and it's possible to study this phenomenon scientifically. In this class, you'll found out what biases you have and how science can help you rein them in.
It turns out psychologists and economists have found a broad set of situations where people want one thing now that they wouldn't want later, and it's possible to study this phenomenon scientifically. In this class, you'll found out what biases you have and how science can help you rein them in.
Z12367: Navigating Politics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Richard Barone
Discover your political beliefs and how to exercise them! We'll be considering all the hard social questions and why your opinion matters. To do so, we'll consider some historical happenings and the current political mayhem. This will be a great introduction to politics for those taking or planning to take AP United States Government or a similar class. Please bring a smart phone or laptop.
Z12585: Labor Market with Search Frictions
Difficulty: **
We will try to derive a simple model of the Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides (DMP) model for the labor market with search frictions. This model won its authors the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economics.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of micro/macro-economics.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of micro/macro-economics.
Z12665: Causality in economics
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Kevin Li,
Alicia Weng
Economists seem to have gone to absurd lengths to demonstrate causality in empirical ways. In this course, I'll talk about why we want to know this sort of thing, and I'll sample some of the most clever instrumental variables and other randomized trials for this purpose.
Z12555: Reasons for Optimism: Modern Social Statistics
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sterling Harper
It is easy to be pessimistic about the state of the world. Every time we turn on the news, we are confronted with some new story about violence, poverty, or disease. It is easy to think that the good days are behind us, and the world is descending into chaos. But the statistics tell a different story. In the last 20 years, we have halved the fraction of the world population living in extreme poverty. Illiteracy is declining, vaccination is growing, and fewer children are dying. The recent years have been among the least violent in human history. Take this class and equip yourself with hard empirical data to combat the pessimism and quantify the ongoing miracle of the improving human quality-of-life.
Z12657: Make Your Own Language
Difficulty: **
Are you fascinated by languages? Do you want to make one?
Come construct a completely new language, while also understanding how languages work and the cool stuff they do with sounds, words, structure, and other things.
We'll provide: something to write on, something to write with
Bring: something to think with and preferably some friends
Of the 2-hour session, we'll be spending the latter hour actually constructing the language, which is an optional section.
Prerequisites
Speaking at least one language
Come construct a completely new language, while also understanding how languages work and the cool stuff they do with sounds, words, structure, and other things.
We'll provide: something to write on, something to write with
Bring: something to think with and preferably some friends
Of the 2-hour session, we'll be spending the latter hour actually constructing the language, which is an optional section.
Prerequisites
Speaking at least one language