ESP Biography



CHRISTOPHER MILLER, MIT Physics Technical Instructor




Major: Physics

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: 2021

Picture of Christopher Miller

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I am a Technical Instructor in the Physics Instructional Resources Lab in the Physics Education Group where I run lecture demos and labs as well as problem solving for TEAL classes.

In 2021, I graduated from MIT with an SB in Physics and a minor in Art, Culture, and Technology.



Past Classes

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

S16221: The vacuum: how low can you go? in Splash Fall 2025 (Nov. 22 - 23, 2025)
A low-pressure class. May contain plasma, solid nitrogen, baking, and $10000 worth of scientific equipment. Free space. Nothing to see here.


S16222: magnets: how do they work? in Splash Fall 2025 (Nov. 22 - 23, 2025)
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!


S16228: How to measure a gravitational wave in Splash Fall 2025 (Nov. 22 - 23, 2025)
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.


S16083: The Atom: Theory and Experiment in Splash Spring 2025 (Mar. 15 - 16, 2025)
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics with an opportunity to get up close and personal with real experimental apparatuses. Some live data collection and analysis included.


S16084: magnets: how do they work? in Splash Spring 2025 (Mar. 15 - 16, 2025)
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!


S16149: The vacuum: how low can you go? in Splash Spring 2025 (Mar. 15 - 16, 2025)
A low-pressure class. May contain plasma, solid nitrogen, baking, and $10000 worth of scientific equipment. Free space. Nothing to see here.


S15708: The Atom: Theory and Experiment in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)
Explore the evolution of the theory of the atom - with an opportunity to get up close and personal with real experimental apparatuses. Some live data collection and analysis included.


S15709: magnets: how do they work? in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)
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!


S15196: The Atom: Theory and Experiment in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)
Explore the evolution of the theory of the atom - with an opportunity to get up close and personal with real experimental apparatuses such as a Crookes tube, Rutherford's gold foil experiment, double-slit interference, cloud chamber trajectories, the photoelectric effect, discharge tubes, and a Stern-Gerlach apparatus. Some live data collection and analysis included.


S13414: Atomic Theory I: The Basics in Splash 2019 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2019)
From "opposites attract and likes repel" to why we say an atom has protons, neutrons, and electrons - an experimental journey into the basics of chemistry.


S13416: Atomic Theory II: Modern Concepts in Splash 2019 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2019)
Discover the reality of the quantum model. Figure out what stops protons from pushing each other out of the nucleus. Impress your chemistry teacher with these and more!


S13417: Atomic Theory III: Mostly Particle Physics in Splash 2019 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2019)
Break protons and neutrons into quarks and gluons, think about waves, learn about energy and the rest of the Standard Model. For pure enjoyment - topics you won't see for 4+ years. First half is an overview, the rest is pure math.


P12884: Atomic Theory I: The Basics in Spark 2019 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2019)
From "opposites attract and likes repel" to why we say an atom has protons, neutrons, and electrons - an experimental journey into the basics of chemistry.


P12885: Atomic Theory II: Modern Concepts in Spark 2019 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2019)
Discover the reality of the quantum model. Figure out what stops protons from pushing each other out of the nucleus. Impress your first chemistry teacher with these and more!


P12886: Atomic Theory III: Mostly Particle Physics in Spark 2019 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2019)
Break protons and neutrons into quarks and gluons, think about waves, learn about energy and the rest of the Standard Model. For pure enjoyment - topics usually covered after high school. First half is an overview, the rest is pure math.


M12888: Geometry in Spark 2019 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2019)
The essential properties of n-dimensional worlds. No classification of shapes, angle-finding, or proofs - just thought experiments about funky objects.


M12334: What is a vector? in Splash 2018 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2018)
No magnitude. No direction. No arrows. No lies. The general truth about day 1 of every STEM class.


S12335: Atomic Theory I: The Basics in Splash 2018 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2018)
From "opposites attract and likes repel" to why we say an atom has protons, neutrons, and electrons - an experimental journey into the basics of chemistry.


S12336: Atomic Theory II: Modern Concepts in Splash 2018 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2018)
Discover the reality of the quantum model. Figure out what stops protons from pushing each other out of the nucleus. Impress your chemistry teacher with these and more!


S12337: Atomic Theory III: Mostly Particle Physics in Splash 2018 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2018)
Break protons and neutrons into quarks and gluons, think about waves, learn about energy and the rest of the Standard Model. For pure enjoyment - topics you won't see for 4+ years. First half is an overview, the rest is pure math.


P12087: Atomic Theory I: The Basics in Spark 2018 (Mar. 17 - 18, 2018)
From "opposites attract and likes repel" to why we say an atom has protons, neutrons, and electrons - an experimental journey into the basics of chemistry.


P12088: Atomic Theory II: Modern Concepts in Spark 2018 (Mar. 17 - 18, 2018)
Discover the reality of the quantum model. Figure out what stops protons from pushing each other out of the nucleus. Impress your first chemistry teacher with these and more!


P12089: Atomic Theory III: Mostly Particle Physics in Spark 2018 (Mar. 17 - 18, 2018)
Break protons and neutrons into quarks and gluons, think about waves, learn about energy and the rest of the Standard Model. For pure enjoyment - topics usually covered after high school. First half is an overview, the rest is pure math.


Z12090: Broad History of American Politics in Spark 2018 (Mar. 17 - 18, 2018)
From Federalist Papers about factions to the Constitution, Jackson, slavery, populists and progressives, wars, civil rights, conservatives, and Trump. The themes they love in AP US History.


S11694: What's the Matter? in Splash 2017 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2017)
From Greek philosophy to models of the atom to relativistic quantum field theories, explore in depth how experiments have shaped the modern understanding of the constituents of matter.