# ESP Biography

## W D, Crufty MIT alum

Major: Chemistry

College/Employer: UC Berkeley

Not Available.

## Past Classes

(Look at the class archive for more.)

Carbon Chauvinism in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
We, as carbon-based lifeforms, have the terrible tendency towards carbon chauvinism, the assumption that all lifeforms in the universe would also be carbon-based and resemble earth lifeforms. This is not only impolite, it's politically incorrect! This class will ask you reconsider your inherently bigoted carbonocentric bias as we explore new heteroelemental paradigms in the form of alternative biochemistries. We will discuss alternative biochemistries in known organisms (e.g., extremophiles) and in theoretical organisms (e.g., the possibility of silicon-based life).

Fractional Calculus in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
I know you've taken first derivatives, second derivatives, hell, even $$n$$th derivatives. And I know you've all been wondering: is there life beyond the integers? Are we all forever trapped in the integral hegemony? The time is nigh to break free from your integronormative upbringings! In this class, we will discuss non-integer order derivatives, and make sense of statements like $$\frac{1}{2}$$-order derivative, $$\pi$$-order derivative, or even $$i$$-order derivatives! We will discuss the many ways to define derivatives and integrals to arbitrary order, including using the Riemann-Liouville operator and pseudodifferential operators. We will not be discussing applications because applications are for ninny physicists and engineers.

Cross-Cultural Bro Studies in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
Chad likes to play ultimate frisbee out on Killian Court, but wears jeans that are too tight to play in. Tripp likes cruising down Mass Ave and trying to pick up chicks with his bros, but has conflicting feelings about misogyny. Grant just picked up a couple of cold ones for the guys, but secretly only likes rose wine. What is going on? What happens when two worlds collide? In Cross-Cultural Bro Studies, we will examine the growing taxonomy of bros and discuss the consequences of loosening social boundaries on bro culture.

Poetry Workshop in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
Read and talk about poetry YOU'VE written! In this class, each student will bring one poem which everyone will read and discuss. The aim of the class is to give new ideas and critical feedback about the students' poetry. We will also talk about some of the nuts and bolts of poetry: forms, literary terms, techniques, etc.

Fractional calculus in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
I know you've taken first derivatives, second derivatives, hell, even $$n$$th derivatives. And I know you've all been wondering: is there life beyond the integers? Are we all forever trapped in the integral hegemony? The time is nigh to break free from your integronormative upbringings! In this class, we will discuss non-integer order derivatives, and make sense of statements like $$\frac{1}{2}$$-order derivative, $$\pi$$-order derivative, or even $$i$$-order derivatives! We will discuss the many ways to define derivatives and integrals to arbitrary order, including using the Riemann-Liouville operator and pseudodifferential operators. We will not be discussing applications because applications are for ninny physicists and engineers.

Carbon Chauvinism in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
We, as carbon-based lifeforms, have the terrible tendency towards carbon chauvinism, the assumption that all lifeforms in the universe would also be carbon-based and resemble earth lifeforms. This is not only impolite, it's politically incorrect! This class will ask you reconsider your inherently bigoted carbonocentric bias as we explore new heteroelemental paradigms in the form of alternative biochemistries. We will discuss alternative biochemistries in known organisms (e.g., extremophiles) and in theoretical organisms (e.g., the possibility of silicon-based life).

Explosive Materials in Spark! 2010 (Mar. 13, 2010)
Blowing things up is exciting! In this class, we'll talk about explosive materials on the molecular level, including molecular structure, synthesis, and relevant reactions (Note: I won't be teaching *how* to make explosives.)

Fractional Calculus in Splash! 2009 (Nov. 21 - 22, 2009)
You've probably taken a derivative. Maybe even a second derivative. And if your teacher hated you, they probably made you take it at least n times, where you then looked at it in bamboozled awe. But your teacher stopped there, didn't they? They didn't tell you about $$\frac{1}{2}$$-derivatives, $$\frac{1}{4}$$-derivatives, $$\pi$$-derivatives, or $$i$$-derivatives, did they? The time is nil to break free of integral constraints. We will explore the underworld of fractional calculus, where you can differentiate or integrate to any order you could possibly dream of.* *Complex numbers, that is. Leave your quaternions and Cayley algebras at home.