“We are in the universe and the universe is in us.” –Neil deGrasse Tyson. I remember when I was in the 8th grade and first heard about astrophysics. I found it fascinating and frightening, and I thought that, surely, the only way into the subject was through densely written manuals and have an innate Hawking mind. Luckily, this is absolutely wrong, and basic astrophysics is accessible to anyone. This class is designed for students who are intrigued by the night sky but have never taken an intensive course in astronomy or astrophysics. Black holes, the big bang, Kepler – learn about the who’s, what’s and where’s of the universe. Note: no prior knowledge about astronomy is necessary. We will rely on basic mathematics for 'back-of-the-envelope' calculations.

This class will be a series of very short (7-8 min.) lightning lectures on various topics in modern physics, designed to give a conceptual overview of each topic and what is interesting and exciting about it. Session 1 will include topics like Special Relativity, General Relativity/Cosmology, The Early Universe/Inflation, Unsolved Problems in Physics (quantum theory of gravity, what's going on with dark energy/dark matter), and the LHC/the Higgs particle.

Want to see what happens when you cool something over 300 degrees below the freezing point of water? Interested in seeing how you can use everyday household ingredients to create fluids that get thicker when you push on them? Stop by this walk-in activity for some fun with liquid nitrogen, non-Newtonian fluids, and more.

It’s a topic that has at least fascinated the Hollywood scene for years – is there life outside our little blue marble? Right now, that’s a little more than scientists can chew, but the field of exoplanetary research is growing evermore rapidly. Come learn about the history, basics and cutting edge research of exoplanets.

“We are in the universe and the universe is in us.” –Neil deGrasse Tyson. I remember when I was in the 8th grade and first heard about astrophysics. I found it fascinating and frightening, and I thought that, surely, the only way into the subject was through densely written manuals and have an innate Hawking mind. Luckily, this is absolutely wrong, and basic astrophysics is accessible to anyone. This class is designed for students who are intrigued by the night sky but have never taken an intensive course in astronomy or astrophysics. Black holes, the big bang, Kepler – learn about the who’s, what’s and where’s of the universe. Note: no prior knowledge about astronomy is necessary, but I strongly encourage that students be committed to staying in the class. It’ll be on the smaller side and tight knit!

Probably the most well-known equation in all of physics was derived by Einstein in 1905: $$E=mc^2$$. This equation came with a radical new notion of how space and time are related. Einstein's theory, dubbed the Special Theory of Relativity, is now an essential part of our understanding of the universe. This course will cover the main ideas of special relativity, including length contraction, time dilation and the invariance of the speed of light. Time permitting, we will discuss how the effects of relativity have major implications to how charges and currents interact, and may also touch on ideas from General Relativity, which is the most successful theory of gravity to date.

Do you like playing with lasers? Ever wonder how a gyroscope moves? Magnets - how do those work? Come join us for some fun physics demos including air tracks, pendulums and experiments you can play with for yourself!

Physics is all around us. Every day we hear stories about bigger and better particle colliders, an expanding universe, and new forms of exotic matter. This course is geared at getting you up to speed on some of the newest and most exciting discoveries in modern physics. MIT's Society for Physics Students have compiled a set of lightning lectures on topics including: -Cosmology and the Big Bang -Quantum Mechanics and Particle Physics -Relativity and Gravity -Statistical Mechanics -Astrophysics Come be a part of the cutting edge of physics.

Physics is a not a subject which can sit isolated on its ivory tower; it's prone to human mishaps. Come see the human side of physics, for a change! Topics vary from debunking a universal ether to the REAL motivation behind Schrodinger's equation. We'll be looking at the people, the fads and the approaches of physics throughout the years. Note: This will NOT be a technical class, and we'll be poking some fun at the subject we all know and love.

All the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies. Bokononism is the invented religion of Kurt Vonnegut from his world famous novel Cat’s Cradle. Together we will explore the scattered psalms and writings from the Books of Bokonon. Believe in vin-dit; find your karass; come listen to the foma!