If someone asked you if the laws of physics were the same yesterday as they are today, you would probably say yes, of course they are; how could anyone doubt that? If they then asked you if physics is the same in all the different rooms of MIT, you would probably start to think they are a bit crazy and tell them yes. If you think that it's obvious that physics should be the same everywhere and for all times, you're wrong: these facts are symmetries of nature with amazing, measurable consequences. One of the most powerful observations ever made in physics has to do with the existence of symmetries (like space and time translation) underlying the laws of motion which we use to describe nature. This extraordinary observation - known today as Noether's Theorem - says that every symmetry of a physical system implies the existence of a conserved quantity. Beginning from basic Newtonian mechanics, we will show that different ways of looking at classical problems can give us a new way of understanding complicated systems in simple language and with little effort. Short introductions to the basics of modern physics - relativity and quantum mechanics - will allow us to look at the world as what physicists call a field theory. From this perspective, we will see how the symmetries of our universe explain conservation of energy, momentum, and electric charge.

Your world is quantum mechanical, and that is a horrifying fact. If you think the world around you makes sense in any intuitive way, I am here to show you the truth: the rules which nature follows could not be more unnatural, and there is a great deal of disturbing physics that we can (and will!) explore as a result of the strange way nature has "decided" to operate at its most fundamental level. If you have ever wanted to know what all the fuss is about quantum mechanics, this is the class for you. We will now make a crucial distinction: quantum mechanics is strange, but it is not hard. Everyone reading this description is capable of achieving a full mastery of quantum mechanics; it will just require some time to develop the new sort of intuition that is required to really understand this area of physics. Over the course of this class, we will slowly but surely build up the physics that describes the world around you, from the fundamental particles upwards. This course will roughly cover the same material as seen in a first undergraduate course in quantum wave mechanics. We will begin with an introduction to the fundamental principle of quantum superposition, and depending on how far we can get, end with a lecture on applications to quantum computation. Challenge yourself - if you think the world makes intuitive sense, come see how it really works. I promise, you will never see nature the same way ever again.

Do you like icosahedra? What about hypercubes? If so then this class is for you. We will be discussing the math behind the platonic solids (the 5 fundamental shapes in 3-D geometry) as well as discussing 4-D shapes. Then we will build as many of them as we can.

The greatest physicist of all time is Isaac Newton. His discovery of gravity confirmed our understanding of the essential process of planetary/projectile motion. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!

The greatest physicist of all time is James Clerk Maxwell. His discovery of electromagnetic waves confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of light. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!

The greatest physicist of all time is Albert Einstein. His discovery of the theory of relativity confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of space and time. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!

The greatest physicists of all time are Joseph Lagrange and William Hamilton. Their discovery of new formulations of mechanics confirmed our understanding of the essential concept of energy. Come learn about their vital contributions to the world of physics!

The greatest physicist of all time is Alan Guth. His discovery of cosmic inflation confirmed our understanding of the essential process of the Big Bang. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!

The greatest physicist of all time is Erwin Schrodinger. His discovery of unitary time evolution confirmed our understanding of the essential physics of quantum processes. Come learn about his vital contributions to the world of physics!

Come learn why quantum mechanics is awesome (and not crazy)! We'll look at some of the really cool and intuition-defying experiments that helped build up quantum theory while debunking some of the craziest ideas sometimes (falsely!) justified via quantum mechanics. No background in physics or mathematics is necessary - just bring your common sense!

Ever wondered how fast the fastest thing in the universe is, or what that "thing" is? Come explore what happens when we start to examine the realm of high-speed physics, where distances grow shorter, time seems to pass more slowly, and just about everything you know as "fact" is no longer quite true. We intend to make this accessible to a wide range of students, so do not be intimidated by the mathematics of relativity - we will be focusing on the qualitative aspects of the science.

Yo dawg, we heard you like physics so we put physics in your SPLASH so you can physics while you calculus while you gyroscope while you SPLASH in gyroscopic fluid. Come learn all the classical mechanics your body has room for in two 1-hour sessions, from kinematics to gyroscopes with examples/experiments for all topics covered. You've never seen physics like this, and neither have we.

You're sitting on the edge of your seat, clammy hands gripping onto a buzzer. The moderator just said something, but what was it? And is it just me, or did everyone on the team forget to study Earth Science? For improving your game when it counts, this course will first discuss strategies of preparing and playing Science Bowl, followed by hands-on practice rounds. Taught by the captain of last year's national championship-winning team.