Quantum computers promise to break RSA encryption, a cornerstone of modern cryptography. But over 20 years ago, before quantum computation was even imagined, two scientists found the fix: a protocol that used quantum mechanics itself to guarantee absolutely secure communication, against any possible attacker. It was an idea so counterintuitive and revolutionary that it took ten years to be published. After a short (but self-contained) introduction to quantum mechanics and classical cryptography, we'll discuss this scheme, why it works, and what people are doing with it today.

In 2013, the LHC discovered the Higgs boson. But the Higgs decays too fast to ever be seen directly. So what exactly did they see, and how did they know it was the Higgs? In this class, I'll give an overview of the process of particle discovery, an enormous industry that employs thousands of theorists and experimentalists. We'll touch on the physics of the Standard Model, and why its results can be so hard to predict. We'll talk about the algorithms used to analyze and simulate particle collisions. And we'll consider the thorniest question of all: how can we ever know what really happened inside a collision? Time permitting, we'll talk about how the above principles are being used to search for supersymmetry and dark matter today.

If you follow science news, you've probably heard about how quantum computers promise to break RSA encryption, a cornerstone of modern information security. But over 20 years ago, before that algorithm was even invented, two scientists figured out how to use quantum mechanics to guarantee absolutely secure communication -- against any attacker, classical or quantum. We'll discuss this scheme, as well as what people have done with it since its invention. Time permitting, we'll give a very brief overview of how quantum computers threaten classical encryption in the first place.

Suppose you have an inclined plane, a protractor, a stopwatch, several carts, and a scale. Can you design an experiment using these things to measure the acceleration due to gravity, g? It might seem impossible to give an answer. After all, aren't there tons of things you could try? But the answer is no, and you don't need to know anything besides basic algebra to prove it. In this class, we'll discuss several techniques that are incredibly useful for solving physics problems and verifying solutions, and solve some tough, messy problems using almost no effort at all. By the end, you'll be able to do the same, using dimensional analysis, symmetry, scaling, and limiting arguments. If we have time, we'll touch on some cool applications in modern physics.

Say you're teaching a friend English over the phone, and he wants to know what 'left' and 'right' mean. What do you say? You might say "you write with your right hand", but maybe he doesn't. Or, "the Sun rises on the right, when you face North", but you'll find that defining North and South is just as hard. Seeking a more universal way, you might turn to physics: "when you turn right, your angular momentum points along..." -- but wait! The direction of angular momentum is found using the *right* hand rule. It's all hopelessly circular. So, can you tell, or not? In this class, we'll tackle this question from a physics point of view, through the concept of symmetries. The journey will take us through decades of theoretical work, several Nobel prize winning experiments, and end with unsolved questions on the frontiers of physics.

Ever wanted to learn why neutrinos pass right through us or about the curvature of spacetime? Were you ever curious about how we use atoms to do quantum computation? Learn all of it in our series of 5 minute in our lightning lectures on popular topics in physics!

Want to have some fun with ferrofluids, or shatter gummy bears and flowers? Come join us as we experiment! We'll be demonstrating these cool effects on a variety of objects.

If you follow science news, you've probably heard about how quantum computers promise to break RSA encryption, a cornerstone of modern information security. But over 20 years ago, before that algorithm was even invented, two scientists figured out how to use quantum mechanics to guarantee absolutely secure communication -- against any attacker, classical or quantum. We'll discuss this scheme, as well as what people have done with it since its invention. Time permitting, we'll give a very brief overview of how quantum computers threaten classical encryption in the first place.

Suppose you have an inclined plane, a protractor, a stopwatch, several carts, and a scale. Can you design an experiment using these things to measure the acceleration due to gravity, g? It might seem impossible to give an answer. After all, aren't there tons of things you could try? But the answer is no, and you don't need to know anything besides basic algebra to prove it. In this class, we'll discuss several techniques that are incredibly useful for solving physics problems and verifying solutions, and solve some tough, messy problems using almost no effort at all. By the end, you'll be able to do the same, using dimensional analysis, symmetry, scaling, and limiting arguments. If we have time, we'll touch on some cool applications in modern physics.

Find out how much physics you can do simply with your math skills! Marvel at the mathematical basis of forces, fields and oscillating systems! Derive equations for the movement of astronomical bodies using dimensional analysis! Many delights await you in this special seminar, which will prime you to make a force-ful and electric-fying impression at cocktail parties for physicists!