You and your friends have attained a large, multi-flavored cake. You would all like to eat some of that cake, but you each have slightly different preferences about what part of the cake you want. Some of you love the coconut shavings; some will avoid the chocolate icing at all costs. The large scoop of ice cream in the corner is particularly popular. Is there a way to split up the cake fairly amongst yourselves—without losing any friends in the process? It turns out there is, and we can prove it! All it takes is a cute little theorem about coloring points in triangles called Sperner's Lemma. In fact, not only does our theorem tells us that a fair division exists, it can even tell us exactly how—plus or minus a sprinkle. Come see how it all works here!

Think of that one book or movie with a killer twist ending, a shocking reveal that blew you away and left you stunned in your seat, marveling at the storyteller's cunning and cheek. (Don't tell me what it is, though: I don't want to be spoiled.) Ever wondered how the writer or director managed to pull it off? Now think of that other twist ending that was absolutely atrocious, that left you feeling confused, cheated, or rolling your eyes because you'd seen it coming from a mile away. (Again, don't tell me what it is: spoilers for bad stories are spoilers, too.) What makes some twists work and others flop? This is an intriguing topic that is very difficult to discuss, because, as you've probably already noticed, talking about plot twist is difficult without, well, actually talking about those twists, thereby spoiling them. Fortunately, there's one series chock-full of excellent surprise endings that nearly everyone of our generation has already been exposed to: Harry Potter. We'll examine and discuss the techniques J. K. Rowling employs to create some of her most shocking revelations, as well as the broader thematic ideas that a clever twist can convey. And perhaps you'll come out of this class ready to craft your very own mind-blowing plot twist.