Splash Fall 2025
Course Catalog
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Arts
A16339: Learn how to write with a fountain pen!
Difficulty: **
Curious about fountain pens but not sure where to start? This class will teach you about how fountain pens work and how to use them for writing and drawing!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
A16347: Design Practice in Flux: A Research-Based Framework for Understanding Design Education and Career Trajectories
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Steven Faerm
Award-winning author and professor Steven Faerm will present insights from his recent book, "Introduction to Design Education: Theory, Research, and Practical Applications for Educators," exploring how and why US design industries are rapidly evolving. His talk will examine the shifting role of designers across sectors and experience levels, the implications for design school curricula, and what it means to be a design student or educator today. Faerm will conclude with forward-looking strategies for navigating the future of both design education and the design profession.
This talk is intended for students interested in pursuing careers in art and design.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Professor of Fashion, Parsons School of Design.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
none.
This talk is intended for students interested in pursuing careers in art and design.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Professor of Fashion, Parsons School of Design.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
none.
A16348: Process Over Product: Reframing Creativity in Design Education
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Steven Faerm
What separates truly innovative design from the ordinary? The answer lies in a critical yet often overlooked phase: the exploratory middle stage between initial research and final design outcomes.
This lecture examines exceptional undergraduate design projects to reveal how breakthrough creativity emerges during the process itself—not just in the finished work. Through detailed analysis of student case studies, Faerm demonstrates how experimental methods, iterative play, and conceptual risk-taking generate designs with intellectual depth and emotional resonance—qualities that distinguish meaningful work from mere problem-solving.
Attendees will gain practical strategies for enhancing their own creative practice by understanding the strategies behind these successful projects. Whether you're developing your artistic voice or refining your design methodology, this session offers research-based insights into cultivating innovation at the most pivotal stage of your creative process.
Please note: This is a lecture presentation, not a hands-on workshop.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Professor of Fashion, Parsons School of Design.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None
This lecture examines exceptional undergraduate design projects to reveal how breakthrough creativity emerges during the process itself—not just in the finished work. Through detailed analysis of student case studies, Faerm demonstrates how experimental methods, iterative play, and conceptual risk-taking generate designs with intellectual depth and emotional resonance—qualities that distinguish meaningful work from mere problem-solving.
Attendees will gain practical strategies for enhancing their own creative practice by understanding the strategies behind these successful projects. Whether you're developing your artistic voice or refining your design methodology, this session offers research-based insights into cultivating innovation at the most pivotal stage of your creative process.
Please note: This is a lecture presentation, not a hands-on workshop.
Presented by Steven Faerm, Professor of Fashion, Parsons School of Design.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None
A16224: K-pop Workshop
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Samantha Belleman,
Sophie Li
Are you a fan of K-pop or Demon Hunters?
Come learn the dance “Golden” from the movie KPop Demon Hunters! No experience is required! We'll have fun learning some fundamentals and the choreography! This class will be a low-stress environment open to all levels of dancers, but will be specifically geared towards beginners.
Class Style
Activity
Come learn the dance “Golden” from the movie KPop Demon Hunters! No experience is required! We'll have fun learning some fundamentals and the choreography! This class will be a low-stress environment open to all levels of dancers, but will be specifically geared towards beginners.
Class Style
Activity
A16376: Learn how to crochet :)
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ashlinn Stoneking
Want to take a break from math and science but still want to learn a new skill? Learn how to crochet! And then you can take the trinket you make home with you! You'll learn basic stitches and skills to make a project and you can take some materials home with you to continue learning. (Prior experience is welcome, but a lot of time will be spent learning basic skills)
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
A16292: The Most Noble Art of Dungeons and Dragons: Theory and Practice
Difficulty: *
An introduction, followed by practical experience in the art of meeting in taverns, going on quests, slaying monsters, and the various other hijinks that comprise the most noble art of Dungeons and Dragons. We'll start at the beginning, so don't worry if you have no experience---we'll teach you! After character creation, we'll dive into a brief one-shot led by our Dungeon Masters (all MIT students), and by the end, you'll be ready to play (or even start) your own campaign at home! All supplies will be provided.
(psst. we have FREE dice for you to take home)
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
thirteen gold pieces and the gallbladder of a monster slain within the last two days (none, come and have a fun time!)
(psst. we have FREE dice for you to take home)
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
thirteen gold pieces and the gallbladder of a monster slain within the last two days (none, come and have a fun time!)
A16384: Pen Sketching and Character Design
Difficulty: *
Join us for a fun time learning about how to utilize your plain black pen and creating characters of all sorts of personalities, qualities, and styles. Meet new people while enjoying snacks. Any art background is welcome!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
Visual and Performing Arts
A16308: A capella 101: Fun Singing Exercises
Difficulty: *
Do you want to learn how to win an A Capella battle? Do you want to learn how to do beatbox/vocal percussion? Are you looking for fun singing exercises to practice with friends?
Join the MIT Wellesley Toons (MIT's one and only cross-campus a capella group) in this fun 1h 30 min class full of a capella warm ups, beatbox and music training exercises. No previous musical experience needed, just a lot of initiative to learn!
Class Style
Activity
Join the MIT Wellesley Toons (MIT's one and only cross-campus a capella group) in this fun 1h 30 min class full of a capella warm ups, beatbox and music training exercises. No previous musical experience needed, just a lot of initiative to learn!
Class Style
Activity
A16314: ap exam speedrun any% (all endings) (deathless)
Difficulty: *
Think you’ve got what it takes to ace every AP? Come play our Kahoot where we’ve pulled one multiple-choice question from all 36 AP exams! There will be (very cool) prizes for the winners.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
A16231: Intro to Contemporary Dance
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Samantha Belleman,
Sophie Li
Express yourself through movement! Even if you've never danced before, come learn the fundamentals of moving your body in a purposefully creative way. We'll learn some of the basics and a short dance to give you exposure to contemporary. Open to all levels of experience!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
A16275: MIT Ohms present: One-Day Choir!
Difficulty: **
Like to sing? We do too! Over the course of two hours, we'll be having fun with music and the human voice: doing some fun improvisational warmups, going off and learning a full a cappella arrangement, and singing it in a big choir. Come spend a couple of hours making music with people who love to make music! (Inspired by the Gaia Music Collective's One-Day Choirs)
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with sheet music/singing by ear
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with sheet music/singing by ear
A16367: How to Run a Radio Station
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Haley Hernandez,
Michelle Luo
Hey! With this class, you can learn more about Walker Memorial Basement Radio. We will give you a tour of the station and explain how to put music/sound on air. We have a record library and multiple control rooms to go through. Maybe will have a small activity too!
Class Style
Activity
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Activity
A16397: Intro to Modular Synthesis
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Evan Lofink
Modular synthesis is a way of creating music by running current through different connected modules (LFOs, filters, sequencers, etc.) in order to sculpt particular sounds as an output. In this exciting crash course, you will learn the basics of modular synthesis through a series of guided exercises on a software version of modular synthesis. The workshop will culminate in a brief opportunity to use learned techniques to create your own musical ideas, (laptops provided).
Class Style
Seminar
Class Style
Seminar
A16289: Improv
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Henry Jiang,
Jason Mao
Learn to improvise with MIT students (and alumni of the LIVE teaching program!) No experience required. Come have fun, unwind, and build your quick thinking skills.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
Languages and Literatures
B16238: Reconstructing Middle Chinese
Ever wondered what languages sounded like in the past, and how people figure it out? Join us on a journey to reconstruct what Chinese sounded like a thousand years ago!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
B16235: Linguists vs. Machines: Who Had the Telescope?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Maya Honda,
Yuexuan Zu
I saw the man with the telescope, but who had the telescope? Ambiguities like this are ubiquitous in languages. In this two-hour workshop, we’ll first approach the phenomenon from a linguist’s perspective, exploring how sentence structures can be used to explain such ambiguities. In the second part, we’ll see how machines try to resolve them, using real datasets and hands-on coding activities. By the end, you’ll understand why ambiguity challenges both humans and computers, and why studying it reveals so much about the hidden structure of language and the limits of artificial intelligence.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
It is recommended, though not required, to bring a tablet or laptop for the coding activities.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
It is recommended, though not required, to bring a tablet or laptop for the coding activities.
B16312: How to Make a Language
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jacob Greene
Have you ever seen characters in a TV show or movie speaking in a language that doesn't actually exist? Or maybe you've heard about projects like Esperanto--invented languages that help people from different places communicate. If you've ever been curious about these, or about languages in general, come learn about what parts make up a language--and how you, too, can create your own!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
B16288: Languages of Middle Earth
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Bridget Duffy,
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.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None, if you've taken this class before, it will be the same material.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None, if you've taken this class before, it will be the same material.
B16291: The Language of the Omegans
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Ren Chai
Discover the language of the Omegans, an alien species that found Voyager I and thus have had their language and culture influenced by Americans.
Definitely not an outdated meme in disguise.
Class Style
Lecture
Definitely not an outdated meme in disguise.
Class Style
Lecture
B16382: What makes a good translation?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Isabel Anderson
In this class, we will talk about literary translations and the different priorities that translators may have, particularly as it relates to verse and figures of speech. There will be a mix of lecture and discussion, so if there is a poem/other work of literature in translation that you want to talk about, feel free to come with a copy and/or questions about it!
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
It will probably be helpful to have taken a foreign language class at some point, but that is not a requirement.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
It will probably be helpful to have taken a foreign language class at some point, but that is not a requirement.
B16285: how to talk good
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
William Feng,
Calvin Rodrigue
sina wile kama sona e toki pona anu seme?
do you wanna learn a simple language? toki pona is a constructed language with less than 140 words, and is spoken around the world. you might be wondering, "how can you communicate anything with so few words?" come to our class to find out :)
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
interest in language
do you wanna learn a simple language? toki pona is a constructed language with less than 140 words, and is spoken around the world. you might be wondering, "how can you communicate anything with so few words?" come to our class to find out :)
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
interest in language
B16334: Learn American Sign Language!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shayaan Subzwari,
iman khanani
Want to learn how to speak with your mouth shut?
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
B16368: Speak some German
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Simon Henniger,
Rhea Karty
Hallo! Sprichst du Deutsch? Do you speak German?
This class is a language cafe for everyone interested in speaking or learning German! We will be grouping people based on their language ability, so if you already speak some German, you can talk to others at your level. If you don't speak any German at all, we will teach you some!
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
None, all levels of German welcome.
This class is a language cafe for everyone interested in speaking or learning German! We will be grouping people based on their language ability, so if you already speak some German, you can talk to others at your level. If you don't speak any German at all, we will teach you some!
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
None, all levels of German welcome.
B16247: The Beauty & Complexity of Language: Introduction to Linguistics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Maya Honda,
Jacob Kodner
Human languages are more complex than most people think. What do you actually know when you speak/sign a language? Do you have a memorized list of words/phrases in your mind, or do you have some type of computational system of mental rules? What can studying language scientifically tell us about the human mind? This class will serve as a crash-course introduction to central questions in the field of linguistics and to the scientific methods that linguists use. In this class, you will learn about the various aspects of language that linguists study — sentence structure, sound formation, meaning, and more — and think through some puzzling aspects of language you may have never thought about before. Together, we will see firsthand how intricate, beautiful, and diverse human language is!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
B16328: Self-Learning Mandarin as a Heritage Speaker
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rey Li
I've tried to learn Mandarin like 4 different times as a heritage speaker. Here's what I've learned about DIY language learning and my experiences in what system has finally clicked. Likely applicable to anyone trying to self-learn a language, but examples will be in Mandarin and from a heritage speaking context (e.g. not having to learn the absolutely basics).
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
Computer Science
C16245: How to build a desktop computer
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Heejung Kim
Have you ever wondered what makes up a PC? Crack open that black box and learn how to build one! We'll cover the main components of a desktop PC, how to assemble them, installing the operating system, and common pitfalls.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
C16220: advanced inventory management in (modded) minecraft
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Raleigh Berman,
Lumia Neyo
this class is about applied energistics 2, a minecraft mod.
if you play a lot of modded minecraft, you're probably familiar with ae2. maybe you've even used it yourself to store your items (or perhaps you prefer refined storage), having created some storage drives or stuck a storage bus on a drawer controller. maybe you even set up some autocrafting. but you can do more than that, minecraft steve. so, so, so much more.
this class will go into some of the more creative uses of ae2, and teach you about cable management, channel management (including p2p channels), busses and terminals, subnets and ad-hoc networks, advanced autocrafting with processing patterns, and more. a surprising amount of this stuff translates into real life network administration, which is cool if you ever want to be a sysadmin one day, and why this class is in the computer science category instead of the pop culture category.
Class Style
Lecture
if you play a lot of modded minecraft, you're probably familiar with ae2. maybe you've even used it yourself to store your items (or perhaps you prefer refined storage), having created some storage drives or stuck a storage bus on a drawer controller. maybe you even set up some autocrafting. but you can do more than that, minecraft steve. so, so, so much more.
this class will go into some of the more creative uses of ae2, and teach you about cable management, channel management (including p2p channels), busses and terminals, subnets and ad-hoc networks, advanced autocrafting with processing patterns, and more. a surprising amount of this stuff translates into real life network administration, which is cool if you ever want to be a sysadmin one day, and why this class is in the computer science category instead of the pop culture category.
Class Style
Lecture
C16400: Become a web prototyping master with Streamlit!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jada Ogueh
Have you ever wanted to make a website, then dipped your toes into the murky waters of React, Vite, Express, Node.js, TailwindCSS, NPM, Material UI, controllers, etc. and promptly said "heck no!" and continued on with your life? If that describes YOU, then take this one hour class where you'll learn to cheat web development (read: rapidly prototype single serve websites with Streamlit, a Python library). (It saved me in HackMIT.)
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Python-curious....
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Python-curious....
C16331: Intro to Programming
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Violet Cato,
Stirling Newberry
Do you want to write code?
Getting into programming can be very intimidating. Whether you're totally new or somewhat experienced, we start from the ground up and look at everything you'll need.
We'll discuss:
- types and advantages of different languages
- logic gates
- syntax
- errors & debugging
- good code: elegance & polymrophism
...and plenty more.
In this class you'll get the opportunity to learn everything you need to start writing code, and get to try it out yourself, writing simple programs in Java and/or Python.
(=
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Helpful but NOT required: - familiarity with coding - previous programming experience If you can bring a device for programming (think laptops, not phones) that will also be helpful, but not required -- there should be laptops if needed.
Getting into programming can be very intimidating. Whether you're totally new or somewhat experienced, we start from the ground up and look at everything you'll need.
We'll discuss:
- types and advantages of different languages
- logic gates
- syntax
- errors & debugging
- good code: elegance & polymrophism
...and plenty more.
In this class you'll get the opportunity to learn everything you need to start writing code, and get to try it out yourself, writing simple programs in Java and/or Python.
(=
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Helpful but NOT required: - familiarity with coding - previous programming experience If you can bring a device for programming (think laptops, not phones) that will also be helpful, but not required -- there should be laptops if needed.
C16335: Redstone Engineering
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Violet Cato,
Stirling Newberry
Have you always had a knack for building redstone contraptions? Has this part of Minecraft always eluded you?
Whichever camp you fall into, there's room for some fun engineering for you in this class. We'll be exploring redstone engineering in Minecraft as a way to understand concepts of electrical engineering and programming, like logic gates. We'll also be learning to make way cooler stuff in Minecraft, just for the sake of Minecraft.
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Bringing a Minecraft-capable device (whether thats a phone, laptop, etc.) will be helpful, but is NOT required.
Whichever camp you fall into, there's room for some fun engineering for you in this class. We'll be exploring redstone engineering in Minecraft as a way to understand concepts of electrical engineering and programming, like logic gates. We'll also be learning to make way cooler stuff in Minecraft, just for the sake of Minecraft.
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Bringing a Minecraft-capable device (whether thats a phone, laptop, etc.) will be helpful, but is NOT required.
C16267: Health Technology in Action!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Zadriana Smith
Interested in using technology to solve challenges in healthcare? You've come to the right place! In this hands-on course, you will explore how computer science is transforming healthcare by tackling a critical real-world problem yourself! We will discuss what happens when non-English speaking patients cannot understand their doctor's instructions, then create a working prototype of an app or chatbot to help address these linguistic barriers. By the end, you will see how your technical skills can be used to save lives.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
No coding experience required - all essentials will be taught! Preferred exposure to Python and interest in health/medicine. If you have your own laptop, please bring it! Make sure you have access to either Visual Studio Code or Google Colab (both are free, and Colab is online).
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
No coding experience required - all essentials will be taught! Preferred exposure to Python and interest in health/medicine. If you have your own laptop, please bring it! Make sure you have access to either Visual Studio Code or Google Colab (both are free, and Colab is online).
C16315: Interactive Robots!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Kela Roberts
Have you ever wondered how robots work?
Are you interested in learning about robots and coding?
Come and check out our course about robots!
This course is a beginner's level course about programming, robots, coding, and more.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
None
Are you interested in learning about robots and coding?
Come and check out our course about robots!
This course is a beginner's level course about programming, robots, coding, and more.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
None
C16372: Let's make an "AI"
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Simon Henniger,
Rhea Karty
As difficult as it is to imagine now, our AI overlords started as meager little models that would do things like read handwriting or predict what you would like to listen to next.
In this 1:50 minutes class we will learn about AI: from early deep learning models all the way up to (the basics of) modern LLMs.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
This will be a fast moving class, and you probably won't understand everything (and thats ok!!). We will focus on generalizations, rather than the specifics of the thorny math (although there will be plenty of math if you are interested!!). It is helpful to know algebra, derivatives, and matrix multiplication... but these are not needed!! This is meant to be a jumping off point for you to learn more!
In this 1:50 minutes class we will learn about AI: from early deep learning models all the way up to (the basics of) modern LLMs.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
This will be a fast moving class, and you probably won't understand everything (and thats ok!!). We will focus on generalizations, rather than the specifics of the thorny math (although there will be plenty of math if you are interested!!). It is helpful to know algebra, derivatives, and matrix multiplication... but these are not needed!! This is meant to be a jumping off point for you to learn more!
Engineering
E16256: How to genetically engineer a microbe
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Morgan Guempel,
Lumia Neyo
Want to make yeast produce spider silk? How about make clothes out of kombucha? Microbes can do a lot, but through the magic of $\textit{plasmids}$ they can do so much more! As someone who presented at an international conference for my synbio work, I'll go through my engineering process, go over what you need to do this yourself, and take audience requests and see what other cool plasmids we can make!
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
Know that DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
Know that DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein
E16240: Introduction to Amateur Radio
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Heng Ye
Want to learn how to talk to people all across the world without a cell phone? Help your community in emergencies? Learn about electronics and potentially bounce signals off the moon? Amateur radio is a fun hobby that can present all sorts of fun activities.
Your first step in ham radio will be getting a Technician license through an FCC licensing exam, and that exam is what this class will cover. Along the way, we'll learn about not only the equations on the exam but also all the fun experiences that come from this exciting hobby. In 3 hours, we will speed through the license exam content, including safety, basic electronics, and FCC regulations, and explore the practical applications of these concepts. It is intended that the content covered, in addition to possibly a few more hours of studying, will allow you to get your Technician license and make your first transmissions.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Basic electronics knowledge (Ohm's law, etc) is helpful but by no means required. You certainly don't have to be an electrical engineer to get your ham license!
Your first step in ham radio will be getting a Technician license through an FCC licensing exam, and that exam is what this class will cover. Along the way, we'll learn about not only the equations on the exam but also all the fun experiences that come from this exciting hobby. In 3 hours, we will speed through the license exam content, including safety, basic electronics, and FCC regulations, and explore the practical applications of these concepts. It is intended that the content covered, in addition to possibly a few more hours of studying, will allow you to get your Technician license and make your first transmissions.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Basic electronics knowledge (Ohm's law, etc) is helpful but by no means required. You certainly don't have to be an electrical engineer to get your ham license!
E16246: Rockets
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Thomas Deucher,
Enrico Setiawan
Watch live assembly and integration of a rocket while learning the key principles, physics, and engineering behind high-power launches. Then, take those foundations with real industry insights into rocket systems shaping the future of space travel.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
E16223: Bioreactors Crash Course
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Mingpei Li,
Thomas Warkentine
Come learn about a bioreactor and how it works and see it in operation (with just water, of course).
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
E16225: Rocket Science: Fundamentals with the MIT Rocket Team
Difficulty: **
Ever wonder what makes a rocket fly--or crash? Join members of the MIT Rocket Team for a hands-on introduction to the physics and engineering behind rocketry. We will have a 50-minute lecture covering the basics of propulsion, aerodynamics, and structural design, with real-world examples from student-built rockets.
Then, we will test your engineering know-how in our Egg Drop Challenge: design and build a protective capsule to keep an egg safe during a high-impact landing.
No prior experience needed--just a love of space. Come launch your understanding of rocket science!
Class Style
Activity
Then, we will test your engineering know-how in our Egg Drop Challenge: design and build a protective capsule to keep an egg safe during a high-impact landing.
No prior experience needed--just a love of space. Come launch your understanding of rocket science!
Class Style
Activity
E16205: An Introduction to Aviation, Energy and the Environment
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andy Eskenazi,
Shreya Sharma
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the broad field of aviation, energy and the environment, i.e., the air quality and climate impact induced by flying on an airliner, and the potential approaches to mitigate this impact. Teachers are current members of the MIT Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment (LAE), and will combine their expertise to not only introduce students to this field, but also share insights of their current research. The lecture will include topics related to contrails, hydrogen and biofuels, inter modality, and electrification, among others.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None! Just willingness to learn about aviation and the environment!
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None! Just willingness to learn about aviation and the environment!
E16320: Design and battle tops!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Beckett Roberge,
Annette Vega
Students will learn how to use basic CAD software and basic principles of Newtonian physics to design the best spinning tops. Over night I will 3D print the tops. The next day students will be able to see how long there tops last and take it home!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
N/A
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
N/A
E16236: From Hot Coffee to Industrial Reactors: An Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Maya Honda,
Yuexuan Zu
Why does your coffee cool down? Why does the smell of pizza spread through a room? And how can a factory make thousands of candy bars every minute without running out of ingredients? These simple questions hide the same ideas that chemical engineers use when they design real processes: keeping track of what flows in and out, measuring how heat builds up or disappears, and figuring out how quickly heat can move through a system. In this session we’ll start with familiar, everyday examples and build up to the challenge of designing a chemical reactor, where all three ideas meet. By the end, you’ll see how chemical engineering connects the small things you notice at home with the big systems that power modern life.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
E16258: Intro to Digital Logic
Difficulty: ***
We cover basic digital logic principles including logic gates such as AND and OR, truth tables, circuit diagrams, boolean algebra and more. In addition, we will introduce binary numbers and how we add and subtract them.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Interest in electronics and electrical engineering
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Interest in electronics and electrical engineering
E16296: Underwater Robots!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Angie Fortuno,
Teagan Sullivan
Come build underwater robots with MIT's autonomous robot team and compete in a fun game with your fellow Splash students! May the best robot win!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
E16241: The Art of Morse Telegraphy
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Heng Ye
This interactive class will introduce you to the art of Morse telegraphy. Learn to efficiently tap out messages using this 190-year-old technology. This skill will allow you to unlock areas of ham radio, covertly communicate with your friends, or show off your nerdiness.
Proper keying and receiving technique (Koch/Farnsworth methods) will be taught to allow you to internalize the code and minimize the development of poor habits and allow you to reach your full potential. By the end of the class, you will know and understand the foundations of Morse code and how to further develop your skill.
Class Style
Activity
Proper keying and receiving technique (Koch/Farnsworth methods) will be taught to allow you to internalize the code and minimize the development of poor habits and allow you to reach your full potential. By the end of the class, you will know and understand the foundations of Morse code and how to further develop your skill.
Class Style
Activity
E16268: How WiFi Works
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Dimitar Dimitrov
Do you want to know how your phone can send and receive information without any wires?
Ever wondered why your connection gets slower when you move further away from WiFi — or when you're in a crowded room?
Curious about how WiFi has improved over the years, and what’s coming next?
In this course, we’ll explore how WiFi really works. We’ll cover the basics of digital modulation and encoding, looking at them through the lens of WiFi’s 802.11 physical layer. We’ll also dive into Media Access Control, focusing on 802.11’s CSMA/CA protocol. Along the way, we’ll connect these ideas to the bigger picture with a quick look at the OSI model and why each layer matters.
Class Style
Lecture
Ever wondered why your connection gets slower when you move further away from WiFi — or when you're in a crowded room?
Curious about how WiFi has improved over the years, and what’s coming next?
In this course, we’ll explore how WiFi really works. We’ll cover the basics of digital modulation and encoding, looking at them through the lens of WiFi’s 802.11 physical layer. We’ll also dive into Media Access Control, focusing on 802.11’s CSMA/CA protocol. Along the way, we’ll connect these ideas to the bigger picture with a quick look at the OSI model and why each layer matters.
Class Style
Lecture
E16318: Criticality: How to Operate Your Own Nuclear Reactor
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
alice pellerin,
Sean Tynan
Although nuclear reactors are incredibly complex devices with hundreds of individual parts, their basic physics has its roots in the nuclear experiments of the 1940's. This class will provide an overview of how a nuclear reactor works, and the ways that we (as scientists and engineers) can control the awesome power of the atom! Taught by a graduate Nuclear Engineer and licensed reactor operator!
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Basic math knowledge (algebra)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Basic math knowledge (algebra)
Humanities
H16207: Japanese in 50 minutes!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Steve Nelson
This class will introduce you to the Japanese language - including both written and spoken Japanese. By the end of this quick session you'll be able to read and write Kanji (a little) and speak short conversations in Japanese.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
N/A
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
N/A
H16303: Intro to Negotiation
Are you conflict-averse? Or do you like arguing a little too much? Do you sometimes hear "it's not what you said, it's the way you said it"? Or do you know enough to tell an interaction is going badly, but not enough to fix it?
How can we be better leaders in our personal and academic lives? How do we balance increasing the total payoff with claiming a fair share of that increase? We explore this problem together using research and exercises from negotiation theory/psychology.
Class Style
Activity
How can we be better leaders in our personal and academic lives? How do we balance increasing the total payoff with claiming a fair share of that increase? We explore this problem together using research and exercises from negotiation theory/psychology.
Class Style
Activity
H16378: Tanakh Crash Course
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Isabel Anderson
This class will cover the structure and some history of the Tanakh (also known as the Hebrew Bible) through an academic lens as well as an overview of what the other major texts of Judaism are. You do not need to know anything about Judaism (or any religion) to take this class; the goal is to explain what the different terms that are thrown around mean as well as give some historical context for the linguistic and narrative elements of the Tanakh.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
H16391: How to have adventures and tell their stories
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Tim Hindges
What makes a good adventure? How do you go on one? Most importantly, how can you let people know how that adventure really unravelled? I believe adventures and telling stories are at the core of humanity, and together we can try to overcome issues that get between us and unforgettable experiences.
Class Style
Discussion
Class Style
Discussion
H16338: QuizBowl!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Shayaan Subzwari,
iman khanani
Come play quiz bowl and trivia questions! Win some really yummy grape juice (and bragging rights)! Learn some things you didn't know about!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
H16349: Reviewing the Past
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jingru Zhao
This course explores the history of history (historiography) and how historians portrayed events and the effects on our understanding today!
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Ability to read and willingness to participate in discussion!
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Ability to read and willingness to participate in discussion!
H16394: The Fire Go Spin
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nina Cranor,
Esther Jung
People spin fire. It's really cool! Come learn where the spinning arts tradition originates.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
H16369: Ethics 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Simon Henniger,
Rhea Karty
Do the ends justify the means? Is it ethical to cheat if you know you won’t get caught? Should you break the law to help someone in need? -- If you have ever asked yourself these questions, this is the class for you! We will undertake a whirlwind tour through philosophical ethics. In the first hour, you will learn about three major ethical theories (deontologism, utilitarianism and virtue ethics). In the second hour, we will use what we learned for in-class debates and discussions about specific issues. Bonus: If we have time, we will discuss some metaethics.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
None.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
None.
H16380: How to Plan a Novel/Novel-Length Story
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Isabel Anderson
Have you ever wanted to write a novel? Have you ever tried writing a novel and then lost steam a few thousand words in? In this class, we will talk about ways of structuring and planning novels/novel-length stories (yes, that includes fanfiction), strategies to stay motivated, and maybe talk about our novel ideas if there is time/interest.
Class Style
Seminar
Class Style
Seminar
H16306: All About Cities
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Victor Gabriel Dominguez,
Marvin Mao
Have you ever thought about why cities are the way they are? Why are the streets of downtown Boston so confusing? How did Boston even get so big? What's up with the T? Why is it so unpleasant to walk to the mall?
Urban planning is a super important field in a world where population is increasingly centralized in cities. This class will discuss some of the forces and ideas that have impacted how cities have been designed throughout history, current issues that impact our everyday lives, and how we can make our communities more livable and sustainable in the future.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
An interest in the world around you
Urban planning is a super important field in a world where population is increasingly centralized in cities. This class will discuss some of the forces and ideas that have impacted how cities have been designed throughout history, current issues that impact our everyday lives, and how we can make our communities more livable and sustainable in the future.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
An interest in the world around you
H16395: Revisiting Childhood Media: What Did We Miss?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Esther Jung
Remember watching shows as a child? Spongebob, the Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and more? Come walk down memory lane as we discuss what we missed in the past.
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Come with a show in mind / rewatch the show if time allows ahead of time.
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Come with a show in mind / rewatch the show if time allows ahead of time.
H16321: How Often Do You Think About The Roman Empire?
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Riya Sahu,
Shruti Siva
Maybe a little, maybe a lot. Maybe too much… or maybe not? Whatever your current level of fascination with ancient Roman civilization, we hope we can raise it by at least three (unspecified) units. If you have ever declared war on the ocean, or felt particularly indignant at the injustices faced by ancient chickens, or mourned your chicken as your empire fell, or even none of the above, this is the class for you. Come join us as we dive into random tidbits from Roman history, literature, culture, and mythology, and maybe discover some patterns along the way. This is simply an introduction to the vast world that the classics have to offer–no Latin or Greek experience needed!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
H16401: Letterlocking: a hands-on history of secret messages
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Caroline Chea
Do you want to send secret messages? Secure your messages with letterlocking! Letterlocking is the historical practice of securing a letter through folds, cuts, wax seals, and more. (The letter is its own envelope!)
Do you like origami and hands-on activities? We’ll go over some historical examples from figures like Mary Queen of Scots and Emily Dickinson, and then you’ll have the chance to reverse-engineer and fold some letterlocks yourself.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Just a willingness to fold/cut some paper! :)
Do you like origami and hands-on activities? We’ll go over some historical examples from figures like Mary Queen of Scots and Emily Dickinson, and then you’ll have the chance to reverse-engineer and fold some letterlocks yourself.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Just a willingness to fold/cut some paper! :)
H16211: Your Novel
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Violet Cato,
Stirling Newberry
How to write a novel? You don't - you rewrite one. He are a short points to "kill your babies" - because the first to realize is the a novel is that is not for you, but your audience.
This is how to reach them.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
None.
This is how to reach them.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
None.
H16259: Public Speaking
Difficulty: *
If you're looking to get better at presenting ideas, leading peers, and delivering speeches, consider this class a good opportunity to do just that. We will learn tips, practice presenting, and build intuition about how to be a good public speaker.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
A willingness to get better at public speaking
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
A willingness to get better at public speaking
H16264: A (Less) Wrong Alignment of AI
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Douglas Granillo,
Sebastian Prasanna
Ever used ChatGPT or Claude, but are curious (or even worried) as to what it means for the future of humanity? pi's sworn enemy, rationality, is a set of principles that aim to deal with it and more! Through discussion and a little competitive spirit, you'll get an appetizer to what AI alignment is and means to all of us. No prior knowledge is required, as long as you have heard of ChatGPT before!
Class Style
Discussion
Class Style
Discussion
Lunch
L16406: 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.
L16407: 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
M16337: Chess... in higher dimensions‽
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Violet Cato,
Stirling Newberry
Every want to play tri-dimensional chess, from Star Trek? Ever take an interest in '5 dimensional chess with mutliverse time travel?'
We won't be doing any time travel during this class (probably), but we will be using chess and board games to explore the math of higher dimensional geometry.
We'll also just be playing chess in 3, 4, and 5 dimensions because it's very fun and cool.
<3
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Experience with chess and/or geometry are helpful, but not at all necessary.
We won't be doing any time travel during this class (probably), but we will be using chess and board games to explore the math of higher dimensional geometry.
We'll also just be playing chess in 3, 4, and 5 dimensions because it's very fun and cool.
<3
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Experience with chess and/or geometry are helpful, but not at all necessary.
M16344: o.oo.o:. .ooo.oo. (Algebraic Topology)
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Niko Ramirez,
Cindy Zhang
Come learn about shapes without size, algebra without numbers, and complex complexes without complex numbers.
Find out why the title is screaming at you like a mildly irritated ghost. Topology is like geometry, if shapes didn’t have size or angles. Topologists use algebraic tools to study what properties stay consistent in the less restricting world of topology. Using loop-de-loops and building blocks, we can find groups, chains of groups, and chains of chains of groups that help us understand these bizarre and mysterious objects.
This class will cover advanced abstract mathematics that we definitely don’t expect you to have seen in high school. We recommend this class if you enjoy being confused and thinking about things that have too many dimensions for you to think about.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Familiarity with groups is helpful but not required.
Find out why the title is screaming at you like a mildly irritated ghost. Topology is like geometry, if shapes didn’t have size or angles. Topologists use algebraic tools to study what properties stay consistent in the less restricting world of topology. Using loop-de-loops and building blocks, we can find groups, chains of groups, and chains of chains of groups that help us understand these bizarre and mysterious objects.
This class will cover advanced abstract mathematics that we definitely don’t expect you to have seen in high school. We recommend this class if you enjoy being confused and thinking about things that have too many dimensions for you to think about.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Familiarity with groups is helpful but not required.
M16350: Mathematical Matchmaking
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sophie Vulpe
Come one, come all, to Mathentine’s Day! Celebrate the discount (and platonic) version of Valentine’s Day that is so close yet so far from Pi Day by meeting some new friends and secretly doing some math in the process. Like dating apps, we’ll use a super secret algorithm to pair you up, but unlike dating apps, we’ll eventually explain how the algorithm works. All you need is a willingness to learn about people and numbers alike!
Note: The activity we have planned requires an even number of participants, so it is important that if you sign up for this class, you show up. Some sweet treats will be provided.
Class Style
Activity
Note: The activity we have planned requires an even number of participants, so it is important that if you sign up for this class, you show up. Some sweet treats will be provided.
Class Style
Activity
M16410: Ranking Sports Teams with Linear Algebra
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Justin Li
Learn how linear algebra and sports intersect from former NFL offensive lineman and MIT math professor Dr. John Urschel.
Imagine you have a large sports league where the number of teams is much larger than the number of games each team plays. How do you decide which teams are best? With linear algebra of course!
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
some very mild exposure to the concept of matrices and vectors (no formal linear algebra course required). No formal grade range, whoever is comfortable with this.
Imagine you have a large sports league where the number of teams is much larger than the number of games each team plays. How do you decide which teams are best? With linear algebra of course!
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
some very mild exposure to the concept of matrices and vectors (no formal linear algebra course required). No formal grade range, whoever is comfortable with this.
M16340: Monoid: The Essence of Combination
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Morgan Guempel,
Kyle Williams
Monoids are a kind of structure in mathematics which, in a sense, generalize what it means to combine two things together. Many things in our day-to-day lives are monoids: collections of stuff, numbers, functions, colors, and much more. This class will introduce monoids, explore fun examples, and culminate in an important application of monads in computer science: the MapReduce data processing model. Along the way, students should get a taste the possibilities of mathematics beyond rote calculation.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
- required: algebra 1 (strong familiarity with equations, variables, polynomials, and functions) - recommended: calculus 1 (e.g. AP Calculus AB) - recommended: some programming experience (e.g. AP Computer Science A)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
- required: algebra 1 (strong familiarity with equations, variables, polynomials, and functions) - recommended: calculus 1 (e.g. AP Calculus AB) - recommended: some programming experience (e.g. AP Computer Science A)
M16379: Introduction to Fractals
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Isabel Anderson
Ever wondered where fractals come from? In this class we will talk about how fractals are formed, specifically the Mandelbrot and Julia sets, and how the two are connected. If there is time, we will also look at fractal dimensions. While it is helpful to know what complex numbers are for this class, it is not required, and I will try to remember to send information about complex numbers prior to class.
Note that if you attended this class in the past (2022/2023), I will mostly be covering the same material.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Know what a coordinate plane is
Note that if you attended this class in the past (2022/2023), I will mostly be covering the same material.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Know what a coordinate plane is
M16199: Proof by Storytelling: Pascal's Triangle and Combinatorial Identities
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Srinivas Arun,
Marvin Mao
A central idea behind the mathematical field of combinatorics is finding why seemingly unrelated mathematical expressions are equal, without needing to dive into messy algebra. One particularly elegant and intuitive way to do so is double counting: we tell a story, look at it from two different perspectives, allowing us to represent the same thing in two different ways mathematically.
We'll puzzle out how to interpret sums, products, and more as tangible stories and images: learn what taking a walk in Manhattan has to do with Pascal's Triangle and how assembling a team of cats and dogs can simplify a scary-seeming sum.
On a personal note, taking a class like this when I was in middle school helped me realize the creativity hidden in math and contributed to combinatorics being one of my favorite subjects. I hope to present a similar experience to others in an accessible manner.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
We will refer to factorials and "n choose k" (aka a "combination" or "binomial coefficient"). We will review this at the beginning of class if you are not completely sure. For example: If I have five apples, in how many ways can I pick three of them to eat, if the order doesn't matter? The answer is 5 choose 3 = 5!/(3!•2!)=10.
We'll puzzle out how to interpret sums, products, and more as tangible stories and images: learn what taking a walk in Manhattan has to do with Pascal's Triangle and how assembling a team of cats and dogs can simplify a scary-seeming sum.
On a personal note, taking a class like this when I was in middle school helped me realize the creativity hidden in math and contributed to combinatorics being one of my favorite subjects. I hope to present a similar experience to others in an accessible manner.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
We will refer to factorials and "n choose k" (aka a "combination" or "binomial coefficient"). We will review this at the beginning of class if you are not completely sure. For example: If I have five apples, in how many ways can I pick three of them to eat, if the order doesn't matter? The answer is 5 choose 3 = 5!/(3!•2!)=10.
M16260: Multivariable Calculus
Difficulty: ***
We will cover the basics of multivariable calc and give a high level introduction to the concepts. We will build intuition to tackle challenging concepts in the class.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Some form of calc experience
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Some form of calc experience
M16310: Combinatorial Games
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Evin Liang
Do you want to win games? Do you want to lose games? Do you want to invent numbers? Do you want to learn about infinity? If the answer to any of those is yes, come to combinatorial games!
Come to learn some fun games to beat your friends at, and how to do so! For example, did you know that dots-and-boxes is actually a very difficult game? You'll also learn why numbers are really just special types of games, and about various types of infinite numbers as well.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
algebraic manipulation, induction
Come to learn some fun games to beat your friends at, and how to do so! For example, did you know that dots-and-boxes is actually a very difficult game? You'll also learn why numbers are really just special types of games, and about various types of infinite numbers as well.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
algebraic manipulation, induction
M16357: BECOME A DESMOS WIZARD AND LEARN COOL MATH!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Lars Wust
I *strongly* recommend bringing a (charged!) laptop for this course. No experience in Desmos is required. Completion of Algebra II is recommend although not required, I will try my best to explain everything :)
Do YOU want to learn to how use DESMOS (yeah, the graphing calculator you probably begrudgingly use for math homework) to make cool cellular simulations, demonstrate chaos theory, create Fourier series visualizations, write music and learn some basic music theory, and maybe even program a neural network?! Then this is totally the class for you!
In 110 short minutes, I'll try to teach you as much as I can about a weird nerdy hobby I started learning in 9th grade. There's a surprising amount of nuance involved with creating cool Desmos graphs, and you'll definitely learn some cool problem solving skills. If I succeed in teaching you, I hope you'll be able to create really cool demonstrations, art, or really whatever your heart desires in Desmos! Oh, and most importantly, we are going to have FUN and eat some cool foreign snacks!!
Topics (roughly):
- Mathematically define a grid (in Desmos)
- Simulate Conway's Game of Life (in Desmos)
- Create Bezier Curves (in Desmos)
- Eat food (in real life)
- Learn about neural networks (in Desmos)
- Create audio waveforms and basic chords (in Desmos)
- Create a Mandelbrot Set (google images of it, its super cool and just derived from Algebra I math!) (in Desmos)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Algebra II (Recommended) Laptop A love for learning and fun!
Do YOU want to learn to how use DESMOS (yeah, the graphing calculator you probably begrudgingly use for math homework) to make cool cellular simulations, demonstrate chaos theory, create Fourier series visualizations, write music and learn some basic music theory, and maybe even program a neural network?! Then this is totally the class for you!
In 110 short minutes, I'll try to teach you as much as I can about a weird nerdy hobby I started learning in 9th grade. There's a surprising amount of nuance involved with creating cool Desmos graphs, and you'll definitely learn some cool problem solving skills. If I succeed in teaching you, I hope you'll be able to create really cool demonstrations, art, or really whatever your heart desires in Desmos! Oh, and most importantly, we are going to have FUN and eat some cool foreign snacks!!
Topics (roughly):
- Mathematically define a grid (in Desmos)
- Simulate Conway's Game of Life (in Desmos)
- Create Bezier Curves (in Desmos)
- Eat food (in real life)
- Learn about neural networks (in Desmos)
- Create audio waveforms and basic chords (in Desmos)
- Create a Mandelbrot Set (google images of it, its super cool and just derived from Algebra I math!) (in Desmos)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Algebra II (Recommended) Laptop A love for learning and fun!
M16209: Tensor Decomposition for Mostly Anyone
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sean Pascoe
Big data too big? In this short course, we'll learn some basic concepts in linear algebra and apply them to see how we can understand trends in multidimensional data.
You should know: how to multiply numbers
You do not need to know: what a tensor is, the diameter of the sun
You might want to review: middleweight character stats in Mario Kart Wii
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
ability to multiply and add numbers
You should know: how to multiply numbers
You do not need to know: what a tensor is, the diameter of the sun
You might want to review: middleweight character stats in Mario Kart Wii
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
ability to multiply and add numbers
M16392: Love, Weather, and Living Things - A View Through Dynamical Systems
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrea Jia,
Jakin Ng
Will my relationship work out? Can we predict the weather? What about the rise and fall of populations, or the formation of a memory? Can we answer these questions using math? Perhaps...
Join us for a crash course on dynamical systems to see for yourself! Put simply, a dynamical system is a set of mathematical equations that describe the evolution of something over time. We will cover some basics necessary to understand and analyze dynamical systems, then we will look at some of their (in our opinion) very interesting modeling applications in real life.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Know what a derivative is! Background in linear algebra (eg. vectors, matrix multiplication) is helpful but not required
Join us for a crash course on dynamical systems to see for yourself! Put simply, a dynamical system is a set of mathematical equations that describe the evolution of something over time. We will cover some basics necessary to understand and analyze dynamical systems, then we will look at some of their (in our opinion) very interesting modeling applications in real life.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Know what a derivative is! Background in linear algebra (eg. vectors, matrix multiplication) is helpful but not required
M16212: INFINITY
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Cyrus Rule
Has someone ever told you that "some infinities are bigger than others?" Does that not make much sense? In this class, we'll dip our toes into set theory, the language behind most modern math. Specifically, we will explore cardinality, the art of telling when one group of things is bigger than another, using the power of an underappreciated tool you already know: matching. Along the way, you will encounter a hypothetical hotel and at least two kinds of infinity.
By the end, you will be equipped with ideas that broke math less than 150 years ago.
(Disclaimer: the first person to study these ideas lost his mind. Enroll at your own risk.)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
- Comfort with arithmetic (adding, subtracting, multiplying) - Willingness to think about abstract ideas Helpful but not required: - Familiarity with the idea of a function
By the end, you will be equipped with ideas that broke math less than 150 years ago.
(Disclaimer: the first person to study these ideas lost his mind. Enroll at your own risk.)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
- Comfort with arithmetic (adding, subtracting, multiplying) - Willingness to think about abstract ideas Helpful but not required: - Familiarity with the idea of a function
M16313: Fish Strategy Guide
Difficulty: **
Want to learn a new card game? Already know how to play Fish but aspire to be a pro? Want to see probability, statistics, and game theory used in a strategic format? Come to Fish Strategy Guide, where you'll get a chance to play with fellow students and deep-dive into all the intricacies of the classic 3v3 card game! No prior Fish background required.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of probability
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of probability
M16269: Mathematical Juggling
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joy Xie
Do you like juggling? Do you like numbers? If the answer is yes to any of those questions, come learn about the mathematics behind juggling! We’ll talk about siteswaps, the Average Theorem, and more cool things.
No juggling skill required.
Class Style
Lecture
No juggling skill required.
Class Style
Lecture
M16279: Sizes of Infinity, through Several Games about Chocolate
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Luna Avolio,
Loch Beagle
Have you ever heard that "some infinities are bigger than other infinities?" Do you want to know what that means? Do you like chocolate? Come to this class to find out answers to all these questions and more!
(Note: if you're familiar with "Cantor's Diagonalization Argument" or dealing with set cardinalities and bijections, you shouldn't take this class; it will not be interesting.)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None, except that you should *not* know why certain infinities are bigger than other infinities (otherwise you will be bored and maybe sad).
(Note: if you're familiar with "Cantor's Diagonalization Argument" or dealing with set cardinalities and bijections, you shouldn't take this class; it will not be interesting.)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None, except that you should *not* know why certain infinities are bigger than other infinities (otherwise you will be bored and maybe sad).
M16301: Mathematics of Modern Cryptography
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Ephraim Fischer
Ever wonder how your messages stay private, your passwords stay safe, or how Bitcoin even works? Spoiler: it’s not magic: it’s math.
What most of modern cryptography boils down to is taking advantage of an unsolved math problem to make a code so good that even the world's best computers will take billions of years to decode it. In this class, we'll be going through many of these problems and the underlying group and number theory to understand them.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Algebra II
What most of modern cryptography boils down to is taking advantage of an unsolved math problem to make a code so good that even the world's best computers will take billions of years to decode it. In this class, we'll be going through many of these problems and the underlying group and number theory to understand them.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Algebra II
M16322: Intro to Desmos Programming
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Amir Ghani
Every 14 year old has used Desmos to graph a line in Algebra I. But, do you know how deep you can really go? Join me while we discover the intricacies of Desmos programming and learn how to use the basics to make a beginner level program! (Bring a laptop if you'd like to follow along).
(NOTE: This is a class on programming on the Desmos website not on how the Desmos website was programmed).
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Geometry
(NOTE: This is a class on programming on the Desmos website not on how the Desmos website was programmed).
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Geometry
M16206: Understanding the game SET using Math
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Lisa Kondrich,
Matthew Soza
Do you want to understand how games work? Do you want to impress your friends by knowing what's on a card without looking at it? Join me in an exploration of my favorite card game, SET! We'll learn how to play the game, and then set out to understand the structure of the game deeper. With hypercubes and tricks that seem like magic, let's play and uncover the mathematical secrets of this seemingly simple game!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with arithmetic (ie: addition, subtraction, multiplication & division). Very beginner friendly! We will honestly be primarily working with the numbers 0, 1 and 2.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with arithmetic (ie: addition, subtraction, multiplication & division). Very beginner friendly! We will honestly be primarily working with the numbers 0, 1 and 2.
M16232: Lean: a powerful language for programs and proofs
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Anthony Wang
Tired of debugging bad code? Interested in weird programming languages? Curious about using computers for doing math?
In this class, we'll learn the Lean programming language, which is probably radically different from any other language you've used before. We'll explore some of Lean's powerful and quirky features, such as first-class types, type classes, monads, local mutability, and tactics. Hopefully, this class will give you a fresh new perspective on an alternative way of programming and doing math.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Some programming experience in any language (especially functional programming) Some experience with proof-based math
In this class, we'll learn the Lean programming language, which is probably radically different from any other language you've used before. We'll explore some of Lean's powerful and quirky features, such as first-class types, type classes, monads, local mutability, and tactics. Hopefully, this class will give you a fresh new perspective on an alternative way of programming and doing math.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Some programming experience in any language (especially functional programming) Some experience with proof-based math
M16265: Intro to Trading
Difficulty: **
Ever wondered what happened with Gamestop? Interested in making money? We will go over the basics of what a market is, how buy/sell orders work, and play an interactive trading game.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
N/A
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
N/A
M16270: Burnside's Lemma and Group Theory
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Alansha Jiang
Ever wondered how many ways there are to color beads on a necklace? How about how symmetries interact to form structured groups that are fundamental to the rest of math and science?
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Exposure to basic combinatorial counting Some level of comfort with abstraction
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Exposure to basic combinatorial counting Some level of comfort with abstraction
M16276: Increasing Mathematical Opportunities
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Apurva Varigonda
Math is increasingly important due to the advent of technologies. However, many students are getting left behind due to the lack of mathematical opportunities in their area. But you, as a student, can help make sure that doesn't happen.This class will help you identify community needs, look for sources of mentorship, and get started hosting your own math class, program, event, or competition!
Class Style
Discussion
Class Style
Discussion
M16317: Perspectives on Trees
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Srinivas Arun,
Jordan Lefkowitz
In this class, we’ll dive into mathematical trees—simple graph-theoretic structures that appear everywhere. We’ll start from scratch with fundamental properties, then explore different perspectives that unlock powerful problem-solving tricks. Along the way, we’ll see how and why trees arise so naturally across mathematics.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
Pop (and not-so-pop) Culture
P16271: Let's talk NFL & Fantasy Football!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Marianne Olsen,
Ahaan Rungta
Who are the real Super Bowl contenders this year? What do you need to do to win your fantasy football championship? This and everything NFL-related: let's talk about anything y'all want to discuss! 🏈
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
A decent knowledge of the NFL.
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
A decent knowledge of the NFL.
P16283: Dragons: They're Everywhere
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Jaylee Bouwhuis
Do you like dragons? Of course you do, who doesn't!
Join me and other fellow dragonologists as we dive into the fascinating history of dragons. We will examine the convergent evolution of the beasts throughout multiple cultures in history.
We will also discuss classic examples of dragons, and what about the creatures continues to capture the modern mind.
Class Style
Activity
Join me and other fellow dragonologists as we dive into the fascinating history of dragons. We will examine the convergent evolution of the beasts throughout multiple cultures in history.
We will also discuss classic examples of dragons, and what about the creatures continues to capture the modern mind.
Class Style
Activity
P16307: The Art of Yapping
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Akpandu Ekezie
Talk too much? Talk too little? Either way, you’re doing it wrong. That’s where "The Art of Yapping" comes in. In just one hour, you’ll learn how to yap with confidence, charm, and just the right amount of nonsense to never have a boring conversation again!
Class Style
Discussion
Class Style
Discussion
P16342: spirit island
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Lumia Neyo,
alice pellerin
so there's this island, and it's getting invaded, and we're the (supernatural) spirits that need to stop the invaders before the island gets destroyed
(it's a cooperative board game)
Class Style
Activity
(it's a cooperative board game)
Class Style
Activity
P16377: How to Tie a Tie
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Isabel Anderson
Come learn a bit about formalwear and then learn/practice a few different ways of tying ties! We'll cover the basics to start, but if there's time we'll also learn some fancier knots. Everyone is welcome regardless of gender; ties are for everyone!
I will bring some of my own ties, but please BYOT if you are able.
Class Style
Activity
I will bring some of my own ties, but please BYOT if you are able.
Class Style
Activity
P16302: Intro to Puzzlehunts!
Difficulty: **
Ever wondered what it’s like to solve the kinds of puzzles that take over MIT every January during the world-famous Mystery Hunt? Puzzlehunts aren’t just crosswords or Sudoku- they can be about Taylor Swift songs, abstract math, or even famous memes.
In this session, we'll talk about the basics of how puzzlehunts work, and work together on some fun and exciting puzzles and enjoy the “aha!” moments. No matter what you enjoy, puzzlehunts have something for everyone. You’ll see how wildly fun (and a maybe addictive) puzzlehunts can be. You don't need to have prior experience with puzzles- just curiosity and creativity!
Class Style
Discussion
In this session, we'll talk about the basics of how puzzlehunts work, and work together on some fun and exciting puzzles and enjoy the “aha!” moments. No matter what you enjoy, puzzlehunts have something for everyone. You’ll see how wildly fun (and a maybe addictive) puzzlehunts can be. You don't need to have prior experience with puzzles- just curiosity and creativity!
Class Style
Discussion
P16329: The Simpsons: History, Humble roots, and H-shaping Modern Satire
Difficulty: *
Almost everyone’s heard of The Simpsons: America’s beloved cartoon family that’s stayed on the air for 30 years. The show is quite different from what it used to be - but that begs the question… what *did* the show used to be? Where did it come from? How did it become as huge as it is? Why the hell is it still on the air almost 40 years later? And most importantly, how did it shape satire as we know it? Well - you’re in luck! Ride the monorail through The Simpsons’ history - come hear a guy yap about his special interest for a few hours, and maybe one day you’ll be able to use some of it in your English class.
Class Style
Seminar
Class Style
Seminar
P16370: ~Queer Cartoons~
Difficulty: *
Are you queer? Do you like queer TV shows? Are shows like the Owl House, Steven Universe, and She-Ra single-handedly combating your overwhelming sense of dread about society? If so, you should come to ~Queer Cartoons~, where we hang out and discuss the role of queer cartoons (and other media) in society!
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Must not be homophobic or transphobic (or any other -phobics)
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
Must not be homophobic or transphobic (or any other -phobics)
Science
S16234: A tour of the terrestrial planets
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Grace Fanson,
Shaalin Sehra
Ever wondered what it would look like to walk across Mars, Venus, or Mercury? In this 50 minute crash course, we’ll take a fast-paced tour of the rocky worlds in our solar system, exploring their mountains, canyons, volcanoes, craters, and mysterious landscapes. Along the way, you’ll see how planetary scientists “read” the surface of a planet to uncover its history. After our tour, you’ll have the opportunity to examine real meteorites, create your own impact craters, and test your news skill by interpreting real images and data from other planets. Whether you’re into space exploration, geology, or just curious about what other worlds look like, this class will give you a fresh perspective on the planets closest to home.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16355: Understanding Quantum Mechanics through Random Walks
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Christian Ferko,
Aaron Mutchler
Quantum mechanics is among the most successful physical frameworks that humanity has discovered, and it underlies our present understanding of nature at the smallest scales. One way of thinking about quantum mechanics, which you might hear about in a chemistry class, involves wavefunctions. However, there is a completely different and quite beautiful perspective on this subject which connects it with a branch of mathematics called "stochastic processes".
In this class, we will explain the surprising connection between quantum physics and jittering, jagged paths with fractal properties. Using Python, we will show simulations of models like random walks and the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, and tell you how they describe the behavior of quantum particles. And, if there's time, we'll try to give you a taste of our research which builds upon this connection to link quantum mechanics with the neural network models that are driving the AI revolution.
Come to this class for a new and exciting view on the physics of the very small, and leave with an appreciation of how the mathematics of random paths encodes fundamental aspects of reality.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
You might get more out of this class if you've seen some calculus, but this is not a requirement! This class is also partly based on research performed at IAIFI, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions, which you can learn more about in our other class "S16354: Meet Scientists at the Cutting Edge of AI and Physics!"
In this class, we will explain the surprising connection between quantum physics and jittering, jagged paths with fractal properties. Using Python, we will show simulations of models like random walks and the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, and tell you how they describe the behavior of quantum particles. And, if there's time, we'll try to give you a taste of our research which builds upon this connection to link quantum mechanics with the neural network models that are driving the AI revolution.
Come to this class for a new and exciting view on the physics of the very small, and leave with an appreciation of how the mathematics of random paths encodes fundamental aspects of reality.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
You might get more out of this class if you've seen some calculus, but this is not a requirement! This class is also partly based on research performed at IAIFI, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions, which you can learn more about in our other class "S16354: Meet Scientists at the Cutting Edge of AI and Physics!"
S16248: Inner Workings of Plants
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eldar Urkumbayev
Have you ever wondered how blueberries turn purple or how leaves capture light? Did you love learning about plant cells' funky quirks in your Science class? Are you curious about the world inside our green friends? Then this seminar is for you!
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of what cells, evolution, and atoms/molecules are.
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of what cells, evolution, and atoms/molecules are.
S16362: Molecular & Cellular Biology Unlocked: Making Advanced Topics Easy
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nashara Moreau
Come and join us in Molecular & Cellular Biology Unlocked: Making Advanced Topics Easy!
This course offers an in-depth look at Biology, revealing how it shapes our everyday lives. It’s an excellent foundation for students interested in pursuing careers in research or medicine. Everyone, regardless of background, is welcomed - come explore, be inspired, and discover your path in STEM!
Class Style
Lecture
This course offers an in-depth look at Biology, revealing how it shapes our everyday lives. It’s an excellent foundation for students interested in pursuing careers in research or medicine. Everyone, regardless of background, is welcomed - come explore, be inspired, and discover your path in STEM!
Class Style
Lecture
S16228: How to measure a gravitational wave
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Christopher Miller,
Gustavo Velez
Though General Relativity predicts constant emission of waves, the strongest known sources can only move a mirror by one ten-thousandth the width of a proton.
Learn how LIGO manages to detect this minuscule motion by removing the air from 4km tunnels, damping motion with glass fibers and magnets, aligning invisible lasers with radio signals, and squeezing light with glowing rocks. Includes demonstrations of the major wave and optical phenomena employed.
Class Style
Lecture
Learn how LIGO manages to detect this minuscule motion by removing the air from 4km tunnels, damping motion with glass fibers and magnets, aligning invisible lasers with radio signals, and squeezing light with glowing rocks. Includes demonstrations of the major wave and optical phenomena employed.
Class Style
Lecture
S16255: Sounds in Motion: Exploring the Science of Speech
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hani Al Naeem,
Christopher Legerme
Spoken language relies on an intricate motion of vocal organs followed by swift and precise processing to produce and comprehend speech. In this interactive and hands-on workshop, you’ll learn about phonetics - the science of speech sounds, from vibrating vocal folds to rippling sound waves, all the way to how our ears and brains make sense of it all. We will record our own voices, use them in a speech analysis software, then learn to read visualized properties of these sounds. We will then solve short puzzles about spotting the phonetic twists that give accents their unique character. We guarantee that you’ll never hear everyday conversations the same way again!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
S16353: Histochemistry and special stains in pathology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Andrew Thompson
A brief tour of the various chemical dyes and stains still used in the modern day pathology lab. By perusing images of tissue sections stained by a dozen or so separate dyes (often just two), a fantastic amount of biochemical information can be gleaned. Tissue changes due to disease or death alter the staining landscape and consequently, the gallery of images obtained through histology.
This will give us an excuse to discuss the underlying chemistry of the molecules the dyes stain; proteins, carbohydrates, DNA, RNA etc.
A sneaky way of introducing the student to biochemistry though the old fashioned light microscope.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
basic understanding of biology and chemistry. acid/base
This will give us an excuse to discuss the underlying chemistry of the molecules the dyes stain; proteins, carbohydrates, DNA, RNA etc.
A sneaky way of introducing the student to biochemistry though the old fashioned light microscope.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
basic understanding of biology and chemistry. acid/base
S16385: Visual Physics Simulations with Python
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Jared Machtinger,
Hilary Zen
A rapid introduction to simulating and animating physical systems in Python. We'll start with an introduction to computer programming and a little physics. We'll simulate a bouncing ball to learn the method and build up to simulating a gravitational system. By the end of the class, you will have the tools to develop your own simulations. No prior experience in programming or physics required, although the class may be challenging if you have no background in either.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
A gmail account (specifically, it has to be gmail). If this poses a problem, we can provide an email address for you.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
A gmail account (specifically, it has to be gmail). If this poses a problem, we can provide an email address for you.
S16221: The vacuum: how low can you go?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Christopher Miller,
Gustavo Velez
A low-pressure class. May contain plasma, solid nitrogen, baking, and $10000 worth of scientific equipment. Free space. Nothing to see here.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16354: Meet Scientists at the Cutting Edge of AI and Physics!
Difficulty: **
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to be the most transformative technology of our lifetimes, while mysteries about the nature of physical reality offer some of the most challenging and exciting research problems in the world. Our mission is to marry these two subjects.
This class is presented by scientists at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI), a research group based at MIT but also including Harvard, Northeastern, and Tufts. In this event, we will introduce ourselves and tell you about some of the fascinating work we're doing at the intersection of AI and physics -- from the galactic scale, to the regime of fundamental particles, to the unthinkably microscopic domain of string theory which unifies quantum mechanics and gravity.
Come to this class and learn why, as we say at IAIFI, "deep learning (AI) plus deep thinking (physics) equals deeper understanding."
Class Style
Lecture
This class is presented by scientists at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI), a research group based at MIT but also including Harvard, Northeastern, and Tufts. In this event, we will introduce ourselves and tell you about some of the fascinating work we're doing at the intersection of AI and physics -- from the galactic scale, to the regime of fundamental particles, to the unthinkably microscopic domain of string theory which unifies quantum mechanics and gravity.
Come to this class and learn why, as we say at IAIFI, "deep learning (AI) plus deep thinking (physics) equals deeper understanding."
Class Style
Lecture
S16361: Biochemistry Unleashed: Molecules to Miracles
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Nashara Moreau
Get ready to uncover the secrets of life in Biochemistry Unleashed: Molecules to Miracles! This course is your sneak peek into the exciting world of science. If you’re curious about science, research, medicine, or simply want to understand how life really works, this class is the perfect place to start.
**Please note: I also teach a course in Molecular and Cell Biology, which complements this Biochemistry class and provides students with a well-rounded understanding of life at both the molecular and cellular levels.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Be ready to open your mind and unlock the wonders of Biochemistry - it’s more exciting than you think!
**Please note: I also teach a course in Molecular and Cell Biology, which complements this Biochemistry class and provides students with a well-rounded understanding of life at both the molecular and cellular levels.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Be ready to open your mind and unlock the wonders of Biochemistry - it’s more exciting than you think!
S16262: Balloons and Bubbles - A Burst of Physics
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sophie Li,
Zhi Zheng Ong
Why does a helium balloon float toward the ceiling? Why are soap bubbles always round and rainbow-colored? And what do these have to do with biotech, clouds, rockets, atoms, or even the expanding universe?
In this fast-paced and hands-on class, we’ll use everyday objects - balloons and bubbles - to explore the big ideas of physics. From the forces that lift things into the air, to the colors of light waves, to the mysteries of the cosmos itself, you’ll see how simple questions lead to some of the most powerful scientific discoveries.
Come ready to play with balloons (yes, you’ll get one that floats!) and to blow bubbles while uncovering the hidden rules of nature. Whether you’re curious about mechanics, fascinated by light, or just love making bubbles float away, you’ll leave with a new way of looking at the world around you.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Taken an introductory physics course (up until Newton's Laws)
In this fast-paced and hands-on class, we’ll use everyday objects - balloons and bubbles - to explore the big ideas of physics. From the forces that lift things into the air, to the colors of light waves, to the mysteries of the cosmos itself, you’ll see how simple questions lead to some of the most powerful scientific discoveries.
Come ready to play with balloons (yes, you’ll get one that floats!) and to blow bubbles while uncovering the hidden rules of nature. Whether you’re curious about mechanics, fascinated by light, or just love making bubbles float away, you’ll leave with a new way of looking at the world around you.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Taken an introductory physics course (up until Newton's Laws)
S16375: Willy Wonka's Chocolate Laboratory
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Naana Annan,
Sara Koshi
Step inside the sweetest science lab you’ve ever imagined! In this 90-minute crash course, we’ll explore the chemistry behind chocolate’s snap, shine, and silky smoothness. Through hands-on experiments and tasty demonstrations, you’ll uncover how crystal structures, melting points, emulsions, and molecular interactions transform simple ingredients into a perfect chocolate bar.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
High school chemistry recommended but not required.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
High school chemistry recommended but not required.
S16226: What it Means to be Human
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Patrick Sherlock
Human beings have long asked about who we are and how we fit into this complex world we find ourselves in. Scientists and philosophers have spent centuries studying human anatomy and behavior to try to decipher what exactly makes a human being human. Maybe it's our large brains? Maybe it's how we interact with others? Maybe it's how we think?
To begin trying to answer these sorts of questions, we must first realize that there might not be any single right answer, and instead perhaps we must approach these sorts of problems from many different perspectives. Only then may we begin to appreciate how beautifully complicated the human animal truly is.
In this 2 hour crash-course, we will discuss methods and theories spanning evolutionary biology, neuroscience, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and psychology in order to better understand who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.
Class Style
Lecture
To begin trying to answer these sorts of questions, we must first realize that there might not be any single right answer, and instead perhaps we must approach these sorts of problems from many different perspectives. Only then may we begin to appreciate how beautifully complicated the human animal truly is.
In this 2 hour crash-course, we will discuss methods and theories spanning evolutionary biology, neuroscience, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and psychology in order to better understand who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.
Class Style
Lecture
S16244: Quantum Mechanics Without the Math
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Michael Lee,
Jakob Nielsen
"Quantum" is one of those words that can seem mysteriously futuristic and frustratingly confusing. Lucky for us, we don't need rigorous (and intimidating) math to begin to unravel the mystery that quantum mechanics can sometimes look like.
A broad, conceptual overview of quantum mechanics will be given, with a particular focus on real experimental results that reflect some of the unintuitive parts of quantum theory.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Previous exposure to basic physics/chemistry would be helpful, but all necessary concepts will be reviewed.
A broad, conceptual overview of quantum mechanics will be given, with a particular focus on real experimental results that reflect some of the unintuitive parts of quantum theory.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Previous exposure to basic physics/chemistry would be helpful, but all necessary concepts will be reviewed.
S16281: Terra-fic Terrariums
Interested in how plants work? Want to know why an apple crunches when you bite into it? Like gardening, or wish you had a green thumb? This class will be a terra-fic choice for you!
Join us to learn basic plant science and botany! We will also make a terrarium for you to take home! You’ll definitely leaf happy :)
Class Style
Activity
Join us to learn basic plant science and botany! We will also make a terrarium for you to take home! You’ll definitely leaf happy :)
Class Style
Activity
S16284: Shooting for the Stars: Women in Physics
Difficulty: *
Ever wondered why no famous female physicists are mentioned in your physics classes? (Marie Curie is the exception, not the rule.) Look no further, for the Undergraduate Women in Physics club (UWiP) will patch the holes in your knowledge left by the Massachusetts education system. Join us for a fun discussion about the lives and work of renowned physicists such as Chien-Shiung Wu and Shirley Ann Jackson, and meet the coolest group of future physicists at MIT.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16316: The pH-D of Pollution: A Crash Course in Crisis Chemistry
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Malu Lima,
Angelika Lu
The challenge is clear: industrial waste is polluting rivers globally with persistent, toxic dyes. In this intensive 2-hour, hands-on workshop, you'll analyze cutting-edge water purification research, including Advanced Oxidation Processes and Nanotechnology that achieves over 96% pollutant removal.
Your mission: choose the most viable cleanup technology and, working in teams, develop a comprehensive implementation plan and pitch for a water-stressed community. It's a race against pollution to design a sustainable, global solution.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of high school chemistry.
Your mission: choose the most viable cleanup technology and, working in teams, develop a comprehensive implementation plan and pitch for a water-stressed community. It's a race against pollution to design a sustainable, global solution.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of high school chemistry.
S16386: The Strongest Force in the Universe
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Jared Machtinger
The nucleus of an atom has a stable mixture of protons (with positive charge) and neutrons (with no charge). But hold on, positive charges repel each other, and neutral charges should have no effect on protons, so why don't the protons just fly away from each other? This class will examine the strongest force of nature - the one that allows protons and neutrons to exist in the first place, binds protons and neutrons inside atomic nuclei, and constantly evades high school science curricula.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Any physics class would be helpful, but is not required
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Any physics class would be helpful, but is not required
S16319: Milk.
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Adam Simkins,
Emilia Szczepaniak
Why do we drink milk? It's actually pretty unusual that we do! Learn about the science, history, and cultural significance of milk, and do it all while enjoying a glass, too! Non-dairy/lactose-free milk will be provided.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
S16359: Chemistry home lab: Safety and setup
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yuqing Liu,
Samuel Xu
Like chemistry? Want to set up your very own lab at home? Come to our workshop on the things you'll need to know to safely conduct experiments by yourself! Learn about what a home lab has and what things you can (or can't) do.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Know a little bit of chemistry... or don't.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Know a little bit of chemistry... or don't.
S16390: Blood things
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Vera McCoy,
Ryan Stam
Why do some things eat blood? Let’s talk about sanguivores (bats, leeches, and more)!!!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16243: Under Pressure: An Introduction to Our Earth’s Chemistry
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michael Lee,
Jakob Nielsen
What actually happens below the surface of the earth? What happens to an electron when we squeeze it and what does that mean for the geology of our world? What even is olivine? It might just seem like a bunch of rocks and magma down there, but trying to figure out exactly what those rocks are and how that magma moves is a long standing challenge for science. In this class, we’ll share some anecdotes from this field and leave you with some open questions still unanswered. Before we can begin delving deep into the earth, we’ll also give you an introduction to the field where most of our intuitive tools come from: high pressure science. The most fun aspects will likely be easiest to appreciate if you have a basic background in chemistry and physics, but we’ll try our best to cover any prereqs as we go.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Introductory chemistry and physics preferred but not required
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Introductory chemistry and physics preferred but not required
S16219: Glow Lab: The Science of Bioluminescence
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Holly Cheng,
Zach Pracher
In this hands-on lab, you won’t just learn about bioluminescence—you’ll actually get to see and experiment with it yourself! After discovering how and why some creatures glow, you’ll work directly with living bioluminescent algae. You’ll make them glow in the dark and see what they look like under a microscope. It’s a chance to hold living light in your hands and explore one of nature’s most fascinating tricks up close!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
S16299: Darwinian Pre-Adaptation: Does it Fly?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Hayim Sims
Why did birds develop wings? To fly? No!
Learn the truth about how animals developed complex appendages and answer the big evolutionary question that stumped Charles Darwin when he published his theory of Natural Selection. We'll end our discussion by going through a modern paper that expands on this mystery, and you'll run your own experimental 'test-flight' to check that it works!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Introductory Bio/Genetics would be helpful but not required!
Learn the truth about how animals developed complex appendages and answer the big evolutionary question that stumped Charles Darwin when he published his theory of Natural Selection. We'll end our discussion by going through a modern paper that expands on this mystery, and you'll run your own experimental 'test-flight' to check that it works!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Introductory Bio/Genetics would be helpful but not required!
S16356: Intro to Relativity: Space, Time, and Everything Between
Difficulty: **
Have you ever seen the movie Interstellar and wondered how Matthew McConaughey stayed so incredibly young while his daughter aged? Despite the movie being science fiction, this effect is actually real and stems from Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity. This course is all about this, but without calculus! We will go over what special relativity is and how none of us are truly standing still. We will also introduce Einstein’s Two Postulates of Relativity and the three effects that come from this: the “rear clock ahead” phenomenon, time dilation, and length contraction. You do not need any previous experience in physics or high-level math for this. Be prepared for lots of clocks and trains!
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
basic quantitative reasoning skills and just a curious mind!!
Class Style
Discussion
Prerequisites
basic quantitative reasoning skills and just a curious mind!!
S16363: Design a DIY biology project II
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Sasha Targ
Let’s design a DIY biology project together! You'll learn some of the basic steps in choosing a goal or question, planning/designing experiments, analyzing the results, and tools and resources to help you out along the way. As a group, we'll decide on a topic to focus on (ex: making a genetically engineered organism, analyzing the microbiome, creating a new and brighter fluorescent protein). Depending on the project, we can analyze real data and help build the skills to start you on your way towards actually carrying it out in a real lab!
This is one class that will happen in two parts.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
General Biology, General Chemistry
This is one class that will happen in two parts.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
General Biology, General Chemistry
S16387: Is DNA Really (Only) a Double Helix?!?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Carolina Kusumanegara,
Selena Yang
MYTH-BUSTING HIGH SCHOOL BIO!!! There are many aspects of biology left oversimplified and unexplored in the high school biology curriculum -- from triplex (and quadruplex) DNA helices to the enzymatic functions of RNA, show up to see all the sides of biology your high school bio teacher won't teach you about!
Cool computational bio simulations! Discussion on (potentially revolutionary) biotech research! Students will have many opportunities to answer questions and discuss with their peers about concepts covered.
Class Style
Discussion
Cool computational bio simulations! Discussion on (potentially revolutionary) biotech research! Students will have many opportunities to answer questions and discuss with their peers about concepts covered.
Class Style
Discussion
S16204: Workshops in Quantum Physics and Quantum Computing
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Timo Horn-Domonkos,
Agustin Valdes Martinez
No doubt you’ve heard that “quantum is weird.” True… but learning about it is far from impossible. In fact, discovering quantum for yourself has never been easier, and many people are interested in what this science can do for us, especially in the field of quantum computing.
This course is a hands-on pair of workshops to introduce you to quantum from two related but slightly different perspectives: an experimentalist in the early 1900’s discovering photons for the first time, and a theorist leveraging quantum mechanics to encrypt messages.
In the experimental track, you will measure one of the most famous constants in physics: Planck’s constant, using some circuitry and a spectrophotometer. You will interpret your results in the context of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle to measure the effect of quantum physics in our day to day lives. You will learn about
- Quantum nature of light
- Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle
- Error analysis, statistics, and interpretations
- Optical and electrical measurements
In the theorist track, you will explore a quantum cryptography experiment between Alice and Bob. Alice wants to send Bob a message in a secure way using quantum mechanics. See the BB84 protocol in action and explore how quantum measurement can make communication secure. You will learn about
- Quantum measurement
- Superposition of quantum states
- Entropy and information (loss)
- Language of quantum mechanics (linear algebra, probability)
We encourage students to try both tracks if time allows!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
We recommend having taken some physics/chemistry class before, just so you're familiar with the formal concepts of energy, momentum, particles, etc. You should be comfortable with some basic geometry like Pythagoras and plotting circles on the X-Y plane.
This course is a hands-on pair of workshops to introduce you to quantum from two related but slightly different perspectives: an experimentalist in the early 1900’s discovering photons for the first time, and a theorist leveraging quantum mechanics to encrypt messages.
In the experimental track, you will measure one of the most famous constants in physics: Planck’s constant, using some circuitry and a spectrophotometer. You will interpret your results in the context of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle to measure the effect of quantum physics in our day to day lives. You will learn about
- Quantum nature of light
- Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle
- Error analysis, statistics, and interpretations
- Optical and electrical measurements
In the theorist track, you will explore a quantum cryptography experiment between Alice and Bob. Alice wants to send Bob a message in a secure way using quantum mechanics. See the BB84 protocol in action and explore how quantum measurement can make communication secure. You will learn about
- Quantum measurement
- Superposition of quantum states
- Entropy and information (loss)
- Language of quantum mechanics (linear algebra, probability)
We encourage students to try both tracks if time allows!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
We recommend having taken some physics/chemistry class before, just so you're familiar with the formal concepts of energy, momentum, particles, etc. You should be comfortable with some basic geometry like Pythagoras and plotting circles on the X-Y plane.
S16222: magnets: how do they work?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Christopher Miller,
Gustavo Velez
Can you hear a magnet? Can you see a spin? What is the field in the nucleus of an iron atom? Why do our magnets explode if we don't feed them $4000 of liquid helium every year? Answers to all these questions and more!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16278: The History of Physics Through Nobel: 1901-1925
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yoshihiro Saito
Maybe you've heard of Heisenberg, Einstein, and Feynman—but what exactly did they win their Nobel Prizes for? And how do their discoveries connect to the bigger picture of physics? This class explores the history of physics by following the trail of Nobel Prizes, from the earliest awards in the early 20th century to modern breakthroughs. Along the way, we’ll see how revolutionary ideas—like quantum mechanics and relativity—reshaped our understanding of the universe. Expect stories of triumph, controversy, and even the occasional overlooked genius. By the end, you’ll see how physics has evolved, one prize at a time. This particular session will focus on the awards between 1901-1925.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16324: Infectious Disease and Antibiotic Resistance
Difficulty: *
What is the molecular and cellular basis of infectious diseases, and how does the immune system respond to infections? We will cover the mechanisms that enable resistance to antibiotics and how antibiotic resistance has affected different populations globally. We will explore solutions to the issue of antibiotic resistance.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16330: Conlang-ing: Invent a *working* language!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Violet Cato,
Sean Tynan
Have you ever wanted to invent your very own language?
With the power of science (linguistics), we are going to make that happen!
This class will be a combination of lecturing and hands-on activities. You'll get the opportunity to work alone or with a small group to create a simple conlang (constructed language) and practice speaking it.
We will study:
- Phonetics
- The IPA
- Writing systems
- Grammar
- Languages from around the world
We will take a look at many languages, both natural and constructed, and learn to choose sounds, create a writing system, build a grammatical system, and speak our invented languages!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
No prerequisites! The following will be helpful, but are not necessary: - experience studying a non-native language - familiarity with the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)
With the power of science (linguistics), we are going to make that happen!
This class will be a combination of lecturing and hands-on activities. You'll get the opportunity to work alone or with a small group to create a simple conlang (constructed language) and practice speaking it.
We will study:
- Phonetics
- The IPA
- Writing systems
- Grammar
- Languages from around the world
We will take a look at many languages, both natural and constructed, and learn to choose sounds, create a writing system, build a grammatical system, and speak our invented languages!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
No prerequisites! The following will be helpful, but are not necessary: - experience studying a non-native language - familiarity with the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)
S16389: Cosmology and the Dark Side of the Universe
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Cyan Chandra,
Jared Machtinger
How did the universe begin? How has it evolved to its current state? What are dark matter and dark energy? Is the universe a donut? These questions probably won’t be answered in this class, but we’ll explore them as much as we can.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16277: Seeing is believing: insights into the microscopic world
Difficulty: *
Microbes like bacteria, viruses, and fungi quietly control our world. They do wonderful things like convert waste into nutrients for plants and animals, create food from light, and provide us with medicines. However, they can also make us sick. How do scientists “see” these invisible creatures so that they can study them?
We will have a series of demonstrations that show some of the tools that scientists use to study this world that is only visible under a microscope. We will show what bacterial colonies look like, where different microbes can be found in nature, how microbes interact, and what microbes look like under a microscope. Stick around and you can put yourself into the shoes of a microbiologist! You can prepare your own sample to look at under a microscope, grow your own microbes that live in and around you, and try different fermented foods.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
None
We will have a series of demonstrations that show some of the tools that scientists use to study this world that is only visible under a microscope. We will show what bacterial colonies look like, where different microbes can be found in nature, how microbes interact, and what microbes look like under a microscope. Stick around and you can put yourself into the shoes of a microbiologist! You can prepare your own sample to look at under a microscope, grow your own microbes that live in and around you, and try different fermented foods.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
None
S16216: Look through our SUPER STRONG microscopes!!!!!!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Anna Beck,
Mark Suppiah
Zoom into rocks! hair! gloves? computer chips! under a scanning electron microscope and a super strong optical microscope! Discovery the scales on hair! What does a split end look like? Identify the elements in a mystery rock using energy dispersive spectroscopy!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
S16217: Introduction to Cardiology: How the Heart Beats and Breaks
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Allen Davis,
Kathleen Higgins
This course will be a broad overview of how the heart works, from the tiny cells that make up the heart muscle up through the damage sustained during a heart attack. Other topics may include generation of a heart beat, structural abnormalities, arrhythmias, blood pressure, and electrocution.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with basic biology and physics. Students should recognize terms like "cell", "muscle", and "electrical."
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Some familiarity with basic biology and physics. Students should recognize terms like "cell", "muscle", and "electrical."
S16250: Amphibians + Reptiles - Birds = Herpetology
In this class, we talk about herpetofauna. What's that you ask? Amphibians and reptiles share a common ancestor but we don't want to include birds so we came up with a new word. We'll bask in a general overview of amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and caecilians) and non-bird reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards, and crocodiles), two groups that are being described at an astonishingly high rate. This class will start with the general anatomy and physiology of each order (without getting bogged down in mi-newt details) and connect them together by going back in their evolutionary history. We'll finish with some toad-ally urgent notes on ecology and their declining populations. No python experience needed!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16365: Rhyme and Reason: Exploring the Linguistics of Poetry
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Maya Honda,
Cora Lesure
We use language in creative ways to play, joke, and generally express ourselves all the time. In an era where we are increasingly surrounded by AI generated speech, this ability to create and to play remains distinctly human. But what actually makes a lyric catchy or a poem sound poetic? From haiku to hip hop, we know a poem when we hear or read one. How do we know? This course will attempt to answer this question by exploring the linguistic underpinnings of poetry and verse.
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguists want to understand all of the complex things we know (even if we don’t know we know them) when we know a language. In a poem or a song, sound and meaning are skillfully manipulated and arranged in order to create a wide range of effects. Complex meanings and intense feelings can be conjured in just a few words or lines. This is an incredible cognitive feat when you stop and think about it. In this course, through exploring poetry and lyrics across a variety of languages, we will think critically about processes like rhyme and word play. We will investigate what these properties of poetry can teach us about how our linguistic system works, and how it allows us to produce and interpret sound and meaning.
Class Style
Discussion
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguists want to understand all of the complex things we know (even if we don’t know we know them) when we know a language. In a poem or a song, sound and meaning are skillfully manipulated and arranged in order to create a wide range of effects. Complex meanings and intense feelings can be conjured in just a few words or lines. This is an incredible cognitive feat when you stop and think about it. In this course, through exploring poetry and lyrics across a variety of languages, we will think critically about processes like rhyme and word play. We will investigate what these properties of poetry can teach us about how our linguistic system works, and how it allows us to produce and interpret sound and meaning.
Class Style
Discussion
S16388: Blink, Beat, and Brain Tricks: The Science of Rhythm and Attention
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sundararaman Rengarajan
Why do magicians fool your eyes and why does music make you move? In this class, we’ll dive into the brain’s timing system - how your eyes jump, how rhythms sync your body, and why illusions trick your senses. Get ready for clapping games, visual stunts, and musical beats (including some wild Indian rhythms) that reveal how your brain grooves with the world.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
S16215: Forestryyyyy
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Vivian Ding,
Alan Wang
In this class, we talk about the giant beings that peacefully living alongside us ... trees! We will get to the roots of how trees function and their various features. A discussion about the many benefits that trees provide will transform your prior be-leafs about trees, while a discussion on best management practices and threats to the health our forests will show you the importance of good forest stewardship.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16280: The History of Physics Through Nobel: 1926-1950
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Yoshihiro Saito
Maybe you've heard of Heisenberg, Einstein, and Feynman—but what exactly did they win their Nobel Prizes for? And how do their discoveries connect to the bigger picture of physics? This class explores the history of physics by following the trail of Nobel Prizes, from the earliest awards in the early 20th century to modern breakthroughs. Along the way, we’ll see how revolutionary ideas—like quantum mechanics and relativity—reshaped our understanding of the universe. Expect stories of triumph, controversy, and even the occasional overlooked genius. By the end, you’ll see how physics has evolved, one prize at a time. This particular session will focus on the awards between 1926-1950.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16327: phonetics 101
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Emme Cai,
sovannjet lim
you've been making noises with your mouth before you even learned to talk. you may even be familiar with the ipa as a way of classifying human mouthsounds. but what's the acoustic theory behind these sounds? what does it even mean to hear a "voiceless labiodental fricative"? join us to learn how to describe and differentiate language sounds!
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
know what the ipa is (not the beer)
Class Style
Seminar
Prerequisites
know what the ipa is (not the beer)
S16333: How Democracy is Built
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sean Tynan,
alice pellerin
This class explores the systems we use to elect our leaders. We examine the impacts of counting votes differently, controlling how borders are drawn, and more! We'll test various voting methods with in-class experiments, so be ready!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Bring an Internet-connected device (e.g. smartphone) if you have one!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Bring an Internet-connected device (e.g. smartphone) if you have one!
S16345: Introduction to microbiology
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Rachel Chubb
Learn about the invisible world around us, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more! Microbes influence our health, food, environment, and social interactions; this course will explore the importance of microbes and how they function.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Basic/general biology
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Basic/general biology
S16203: Food Science - Cooking for Experimentalists
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Clio Batali,
Patrick Clay
Ever wonder what chocolate and swords have in common? What about whipped cream and styrofoam? Caramel and glass? Learn about foundational science and engineering through the lens of food! Students will discover scientific concepts and build chemical intuition which can be applied in school, the kitchen, and beyond.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
S16351: MYTH BUSTERS: Real or Fake?
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Constantine Bulavenko,
Lars Wust
Can you pop a balloon with just a lemon? Are flames hollow? Do you know why? Sign up to find out for yourself!
LET'S GO MYTH BUSTING! During this class, we will be doing a series of hands-on experiments and nerdy party tricks. Together, you will try to predict and explain what happens. But most importantly, there will be lots of fun (and snacks???!?!)!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of physics and chemistry is recommended (but not required!).
LET'S GO MYTH BUSTING! During this class, we will be doing a series of hands-on experiments and nerdy party tricks. Together, you will try to predict and explain what happens. But most importantly, there will be lots of fun (and snacks???!?!)!
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of physics and chemistry is recommended (but not required!).
S16208: Berry Scientific: DNA Extraction Lab
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Sean Pascoe
Ever wondered why strawberries don't grow legs? Ok, maybe you haven't... but if that got you thinking about what makes a berry a berry, come find out! In this course, we'll get hands-on practice with experimental design while recreating the classic strawberry DNA extraction experiment and giving an overview of modern life sciences research. We'll also be giving a brief introduction to scientific literature, and how to use curiosity to investigate the (fruity) phenomena in life.
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
interest in the building blocks that make up life :)
Class Style
Activity
Prerequisites
interest in the building blocks that make up life :)
S16257: Building Blocks of the Brain: How Neurons Communicate
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Julia Laventhall
Every thought we have, every sensation we experience, and every action we take requires our brains. While the brain is an incredibly complex tissue, involving ~86 BILLION neurons, with TRILLIONS of connections between neurons, communication between neurons starts with the action potential.
In this class, we will go over the basics of the action potential! Content will dabble in physics, chemistry, and biology to explain how neurons generate potential differences across the membranes, and use flow of ions into or out of the cell to communicate!
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Some basic chemistry, biology, and/or physics may be useful, but this class is open to all grades, and I am more than happy to fill in knowledge gaps as applicable :)
In this class, we will go over the basics of the action potential! Content will dabble in physics, chemistry, and biology to explain how neurons generate potential differences across the membranes, and use flow of ions into or out of the cell to communicate!
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Some basic chemistry, biology, and/or physics may be useful, but this class is open to all grades, and I am more than happy to fill in knowledge gaps as applicable :)
S16336: Tangential Lecture (on whatever you want)
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Violet Cato,
Stirling Newberry
Inspired by the beloved "5 minute lectures on whatever you want", this class aims to be a casual and fun way to explore science topics in a tangential and meandering way.
We'll follow whatever line of questioning strikes our collective fancy and have a great time learning some new things.
For example, we might start at "Why are plants green?" and visit optical visits, talk about additive and subtractive color systems, discuss the mechanisms of photosynthesis, and so on.
We'll take questions from the audience and keep it light. If you want to learn some new things and move fast through a bunch of topics in a lighter setting, sign up!
((:
Class Style
Lecture
We'll follow whatever line of questioning strikes our collective fancy and have a great time learning some new things.
For example, we might start at "Why are plants green?" and visit optical visits, talk about additive and subtractive color systems, discuss the mechanisms of photosynthesis, and so on.
We'll take questions from the audience and keep it light. If you want to learn some new things and move fast through a bunch of topics in a lighter setting, sign up!
((:
Class Style
Lecture
S16360: Introduction to organic chemistry
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Yuqing Liu,
Samuel Xu
Want to learn organic chemistry? We will go over the basics of how to name organic molecules, why organic chemistry is so important, and do a few questions! We also will have snacks :)
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Experience in a prior general chemistry class would be helpful but not strictly necessary.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Experience in a prior general chemistry class would be helpful but not strictly necessary.
S16366: Plasmas, the 4th State of Matter!
Difficulty: ***
Teachers:
Erick Liang,
Padmalakshmi Ramesh
Come learn about plasmas, the fourth state of matter, with fast-paced live demonstrations! We'll create a plasma in a vacuum chamber, visualize electron paths in a Crookes tube, and simulate Earth’s magnetosphere and auroral phenomena using a terrella.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
S16399: Exploring the Weirdness of Light
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Minghao Zou
Light bends, twists, interferes, and vanishes. It acts like a wave, yet arrives as a particle; it shapes the way we see the universe, yet travels through nothing at all. In this class, we’ll explore light from different perspectives—particle, wave, and field—through rigorous physics and vivid demonstrations that reveal just how strange and beautiful it truly is.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Prior exposure to physics; vector algebra; basic understanding of E&M and waves.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
Prior exposure to physics; vector algebra; basic understanding of E&M and waves.
Walk-in Activity
W16254: Meet Spot the robot dog and learn about Human-Robot Interaction!
Difficulty: **
Come meet Chase, the Spot robot dog used in the Interactive Robotics Group to improve human-robot interaction!
When we think about developing robots, a lot of times we are thinking about better sensors, better motors, cooler appearances– but have you thought about the human and social aspects that let humans and robots coexist and work together as teammates? Come learn about trust, transparency, communication, and adaptation – and drive around a Boston Dynamics Spot robot!
Class Style
Discussion
When we think about developing robots, a lot of times we are thinking about better sensors, better motors, cooler appearances– but have you thought about the human and social aspects that let humans and robots coexist and work together as teammates? Come learn about trust, transparency, communication, and adaptation – and drive around a Boston Dynamics Spot robot!
Class Style
Discussion
W16249: You Are WHERE You Eat
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eldar Urkumbayev
A common saying goes: "We are what we eat". Nowadays, a big part of what we eat is where does it come from?
In this activity, we will research the origins of our favorite snacks, meals, and cravings. Join if you want a deep dive into pop corn versus sweet corn, why Thai basil tastes so different from an Italian one, and much much more!
Note: Please bring a device with internet access, ideally a laptop.
Class Style
Activity
In this activity, we will research the origins of our favorite snacks, meals, and cravings. Join if you want a deep dive into pop corn versus sweet corn, why Thai basil tastes so different from an Italian one, and much much more!
Note: Please bring a device with internet access, ideally a laptop.
Class Style
Activity
W16287: Learn to Crochet!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Joy Ren
From keychains to coasters to cute penguins, come make your own crocheted craft! No previous experience is needed. Come choose from a variety of colors, designs, and patterns!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
W16381: Free-For-All Quiz Bowl
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Henry Jiang,
Marvin Mao
We will read quiz bowl tossup questions! If you're not familiar, a tossup consists of multiple sentences about the same answer that get less and less obscure. Buzz as early as possible to get points + win a small snack for each correct answer!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
W16396: Intro to Soldering
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Eugeniya Artemova,
Matthew Cox
Ever wanted to learn how to assemble circuits? Come to this walk-in and learn basic soldering! Circuit boards and electronic components will be provided.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
W16237: Mocktail Making
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
John Oggeri,
Angelica Zhu
Join us for a refreshing, hands-on experience where you’ll learn to create delicious and colorful mocktails! This casual class will guide you through the basics of mixing, garnishing, and balancing flavors.
You’ll try your hand at crafting a variety of mocktails, from fizzy and fruity to warm and creamy, using everyday ingredients and a few bar tricks. No prior experience required: this is just a fun experience. By the end, you’ll leave with new recipes, some mixology skills, and perhaps your own new signature mocktail!
Class Style
Activity
You’ll try your hand at crafting a variety of mocktails, from fizzy and fruity to warm and creamy, using everyday ingredients and a few bar tricks. No prior experience required: this is just a fun experience. By the end, you’ll leave with new recipes, some mixology skills, and perhaps your own new signature mocktail!
Class Style
Activity
W16341: linguistics puzzles :D
Join us as we embark in a journey of solving epic linguistics puzzles for fun small prizes
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
W16304: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream!
Difficulty: **
Want to watch some cool chemistry and eat some cool liquid? Come join us for a delicious treat!!! Lactose-free options are available.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
W16305: Puzzles!
Difficulty: **
We'll have all sorts of paper puzzles available! Come grab a crossword or Sudoku! Learn about other logic puzzle genres! Try your hand at some enigmatic "hunt-style puzzles", where you're not given explicit instructions!
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
W16311: Retrosynthesis Extravaganza
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Misha Donchenko,
Kieran Obiozo
Curious about how chemists make entirely new chemicals from scratch? Do it yourself with a set of realistic *retrosynthesis puzzles*, where you build molecules step-by-step from simple building blocks! No single hard-and-fast answers, no equipment, no previous chemistry knowledge required! Only creative thinking and learning what makes chemistry fascinating and fun.
The puzzles range in difficulty from very easy to medium to special hard problems for more experienced or more daring students. The instructors will give you hints and answer your questions about all things chemistry. Join us at the beginning for a spoken overview of puzzle solving approaches, which will otherwise be available in written form throughout.
Class Style
Activity
The puzzles range in difficulty from very easy to medium to special hard problems for more experienced or more daring students. The instructors will give you hints and answer your questions about all things chemistry. Join us at the beginning for a spoken overview of puzzle solving approaches, which will otherwise be available in written form throughout.
Class Style
Activity
W16286: Mutant Plushie Lab
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Michelle Liang
Create an army of mis-matched minions to unleash your vengeance on the world! Or, you know, just see what a teddy with an alligator head would look like. If you would rather play with Sid's toys than Andy's, this is the Activity for you. No prior sewing/gene splicing experience required.
Class Style
Activity
Class Style
Activity
W16297: MIT SFS presents: Um Actually!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katherine McEwan,
Shruti Siva
Are you deeply passionate about something nerdy? Have you ever wanted the chance to prove just how nerdy you are? Have you watched in silence as people got crucial facts about the nerdy properties you love horribly wrong? Then Um, Actually is for you! Um, Actually is a trivia game format created by Dropout(*) where you hear a series of statements about some nerd/geek stuff, listen for the statement that is incorrect, and buzz in with the correct statement. The correct statement must be preceded with the phrase Um, Actually, said as annoyingly as possible.
*Um, Actually, it was created by CollegeHumor before it was renamed to Dropout
Class Style
Activity
*Um, Actually, it was created by CollegeHumor before it was renamed to Dropout
Class Style
Activity
Social Studies
Z16273: Predictably Irrational: A Crash Course in Human Weirdness
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Abel Beregi,
Magdalena Misiewicz
Humans are predictably terrible at making decisions and evaluating risks. Sharks scare us more than walking down the stairs, free samples rule our lives, and our decisions are often guided by others' opinions of us. In this class, we’ll explore stories, experiments, and research in behavioural economics to see why we consistently misjudge risk, overvalue immediate rewards, and get nudged in ways we barely notice. You’ll learn why it's often so hard to get started with your homework, and how small tweaks - nudges - can steer behaviour in the “right” direction. By the end, you’ll understand yourself and everyone around you a little better.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
Z16274: Europe Does Not Exist: learn the art of making conspiracy theories
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Saranesh Prembabu,
Zhiye Song
Did you learn in school that there is something called a "Europe" located north of Africa and west of Asia? Well, that is actually wrong! You've been lied to and brainwashed by the shameless ruling elites to believe in this nonsense. There is overwhelming evidence to prove that every single thing you've heard regarding this so-called "Europe" is pure fabrication.
What about the Eiffel Tower? That's actually in China. Stonehenge? In Zimbabwe. Shakespeare was an Iraqi and Isaac Newton flat out never existed.
Come learn about just some of the abundant evidence that there is no such thing as "Europe". Let us together uncover this obscene conspiracy. In the process we'll learn tips on how you too can spin a conspiracy theory to prove any claim you want.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None. But a thorough knowledge of world geography (high school level or beyond) would make this more fun. You should also be prepared to follow complicated reasoning. No lizards allowed.
What about the Eiffel Tower? That's actually in China. Stonehenge? In Zimbabwe. Shakespeare was an Iraqi and Isaac Newton flat out never existed.
Come learn about just some of the abundant evidence that there is no such thing as "Europe". Let us together uncover this obscene conspiracy. In the process we'll learn tips on how you too can spin a conspiracy theory to prove any claim you want.
Class Style
Lecture
Prerequisites
None. But a thorough knowledge of world geography (high school level or beyond) would make this more fun. You should also be prepared to follow complicated reasoning. No lizards allowed.
Z16309: Engineers Without Borders: Projects in Global Development
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Rohan Bosworth,
Celestina Pint
Interested in global development? Water? Engineering? Serving communities?
Learn about the exciting work MIT Engineers Without Borders is doing in global development! In this class, you'll learn about the projects we're working on – renovating a healthcare clinic and building a fully irrigated garden – and the engineering and social challenges that come along with it. Then, we’ll do a hands-on building activity on water and irrigation, so you can experience the work we do.
No experience is required, and all are welcome!
Class Style
Activity
Learn about the exciting work MIT Engineers Without Borders is doing in global development! In this class, you'll learn about the projects we're working on – renovating a healthcare clinic and building a fully irrigated garden – and the engineering and social challenges that come along with it. Then, we’ll do a hands-on building activity on water and irrigation, so you can experience the work we do.
No experience is required, and all are welcome!
Class Style
Activity
Z16323: Intro to Global Health
Difficulty: *
How do we guarantee medical care for all? Should vaccinations be mandatory? How should we distribute resources if our medical system is under stress? Is it possible to balance protecting our economy, our environment, and our citizens? Physicians, scientists, politicians and advocates work tirelessly to promote global health equity—but how? In this class, we’ll learn about how we can work towards achieving equal, accessible, and quality care for all—and what that means globally.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
Z16325: Health Policy and Equity
Difficulty: *
What are the origins of health disparities, and what policies have been created to address them? We will cover key social, structural, economic, and political determinants of health, how health policy is made, and how health policies impact diverse populations around the world. We will also explore how advocacy can contribute to creating more equitable health systems and promoting health literacy.
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
Z16272: Maps: The Good, the Bad, and the Misleading
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Abel Beregi,
Magdalena Misiewicz
Think all maps are created equal? Think again. In this class, we’ll dissect what makes a map useful, beautiful, or utterly confusing. We’ll cover scale, colour choices, symbols, legends, and a quick intro to mapping software. Along the way, we’ll critique some hilariously bad examples, admire some genius ones, and discuss how maps can “lie” without technically lying.
Class Style
Seminar
Class Style
Seminar
Z16364: Introduction to Business and Finance
Difficulty: **
Curious how companies make money, why markets move, and what careers exist in business? In this hands-on class from the MIT Sloan Business Club, you’ll explore what a business is, how markets and competition work (Porter’s 5 Forces, SWOT), and the basics of investing (stocks vs. bonds, time value of money, risk). We will also map real career paths in consulting, finance, and entrepreneurship. No prior experience needed—just bring your questions and energy!
Class Style
Lecture
Class Style
Lecture
Z16403: Maps, maps, and more maps!
Difficulty: *
Teachers:
Caroline Chea
Let’s look at a bunch of maps! A map is a spatial way of representing the world. How do you see the world, and how does the world see you? Maps can be geographical, navigational, political, interactive, participatory, inaccurate, misleading, fictional, and just generally impact the way you see the world.
Curious what any of the above means? Join us in discussing some popular maps and analyzing some maps that might just shift your perspective of the world.
Class Style
Lecture
Curious what any of the above means? Join us in discussing some popular maps and analyzing some maps that might just shift your perspective of the world.
Class Style
Lecture
Z16214: Help Solve Climate Change!
Difficulty: **
Teachers:
Katharine Gage,
John Gage
We know the technical changes needed for a relatively safe climate future: reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 and reduce CO2 in the air below 350 ppm by 2100. The cheapest, fairest, and most comprehensive way to address the underlying climate pollution problem is to fix the market's failure to account for the costs of pollution in prices with a solution called Carbon Fee and Dividend. The fee makes it powerful, the dividend makes it fair, and associated border adjustments will push our carbon price around the world. Congress can move us halfway to achieving our 1.5˚C warming limit goal and make the remaining work easier with this one beneficial piece of legislation.
This will fundamentally change the US economy, so there is strong resistance from those who profit from the status quo of using fossil fuels. Is it possible to break the logjam and save ourselves? Can any of us do anything to help address the most significant crisis human civilization has ever faced? Yes, together we can!
We can take effective action in this pivotal moment in history, just as people in past generations achieved women's suffrage, civil rights, and same-sex marriage through collective action movements. Ordinary people advocating together for change is our last, best hope to avoid climate catastrophe. Your part in creating the political will for a livable world begins here.
Class Style
Lecture
This will fundamentally change the US economy, so there is strong resistance from those who profit from the status quo of using fossil fuels. Is it possible to break the logjam and save ourselves? Can any of us do anything to help address the most significant crisis human civilization has ever faced? Yes, together we can!
We can take effective action in this pivotal moment in history, just as people in past generations achieved women's suffrage, civil rights, and same-sex marriage through collective action movements. Ordinary people advocating together for change is our last, best hope to avoid climate catastrophe. Your part in creating the political will for a livable world begins here.
Class Style
Lecture