Splash Spring 2017
Course Catalog

Glass has applications beyond windows: i.e. laser glasses for driverless cars or tattoo removal, optical fibers for telecommunication, and glass for displays. Let's talk about display glass.

The key distinction between "chemically strengthened" display glass (i.e. iphone screens) and window glass is differences in range of cation sizes. We'll talk a bit about the "ion exchange" chemistry making this glass scratch resistant.

The majority of the time will be spent talking about a fundamental science research project looking at the effect of cation size on glass structure.

One of my goals is to talk about how high school class labs and university research labs differ. Do you have any questions about what science research is like? I'll do my best to walk you through how this research project started, who did what, and its outcomes. :)

About me: I'm a Stanford graduate student with an college degree from Penn State. I just finished most of the degree requirements for the PhD degree and will be graduating in the Spring.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Some high school chemistry is helpful, i.e. familiarity with terms and concepts like cation, anion, ionic and covalent bond, bond strength. I welcome hand raising to ask questions about science if something doesn't make sense.

How did the ancient Greeks measure the diameters of the Earth and the Moon? How could the ancient Greeks have measured the distance from Earth to the Moon or the Sun? (Fun fact: they probably didn't. But you can outsmart the Greeks!) How much energy does Earth actually receive from the Sun? Does how high you jump depend on your body mass? How many atoms make up an adult human body?

In this class, we will explore the art of estimation using tools from math and physics. We are not aiming for perfection, only to get within an order of magnitude (a factor of 10)! Through the class, we hope you will appreciate the usefulness of quick-and-dirty calculations in both everyday and scientific applications.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Geometry Trigonometry

What do bugs walking on water have to do with erupting bottles of soda? Find out through some exciting chemistry experiments!


Class Style
Activity

Last year, LIGO made a groundbreaking discovery - the gravitational wave signal from the inspiral, merger and ringdown of two black holes in a binary system. We will explore the science of how this discovery was made and discuss what we can learn about our universe by detecting gravitational signals. We will also discuss future experiments in gravitational wave astronomy and play around with some real data from LIGO.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
High school math and physics

Three different High School International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) participants, in fields ranging from Biochemistry to Energy to Nanomaterials share their perspectives on research, how to get involved, and how to make your work meaningful. Each will also provide an overview of their own project. The session as a whole will allow students to not only learn about research, but perhaps think of some ideas of their own.


Class Style
Panel

Prerequisites
An interest in STEM, curiosity, and a love of problem solving. Bring questions with you! That is why we are here!

Polymers are fascinating materials that can be found almost everywhere in our daily lives. From the plastics we buy at the store to the skin on our bones, polymers come in all shapes and sizes. Due to their interesting and special properties, polymers are used in many applications, from flexible materials to electronic devices to complex fluids. In this short course, taught by the Stanford Polymer Collective, we'll learn about polymers through fun hands-on activities that highlight some of their most important properties.


Class Style
Activity

Chemistry is exciting and it happens all around us every day. In this class we will talk about the states of matter, a little about polymers (like plastics), and really anything else that gives us a chance to do cool demos for you all! You may get a chance to make a souvenir to take home, too. You'll just have to come and find out!


Class Style
Activity

This class will cover a few essential concepts from General Relativity. Our goal is to introduce students to the metric tensor, a key object in the study of GR. We will discuss how physicists relate mathematical formulation to physical understanding. Subtopics will include: coordinate transformations, tensor notation, the Einstein equations, and spacetime curvature.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Calculus, Classical Mechanics

This course teaches the basic amino acids that define our proteins and discusses the basic concepts of primary, secondary, and tertiary protein structures.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Basic chemistry Basic physics

Why do gummy bears glow when you electrocute them? What's that?? You've never electrocuted a gummy bear before?!?! Come explore the chemistry behind your favorite foods.


Class Style
Activity

This will be a broad and general introduction to big bang cosmology. We will discuss the Big Bang and the evolution of the universe since then. We will then discuss current exciting research efforts to study the early universe including using microwave telescopes to image the Cosmic Microwave Background. This class will be focused on the experimental efforts to study the early universe


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Mechanics and a bit of familiarity with waves especially the electromagnetic spectrum.

What is “quantum”? How does the weirdness of quantum mechanics promise another revolution in information technology?
In this class, you’ll learn the basic principles of quantum mechanics, and apply these principles to understand quantum key distribution, a perfectly secure way for communication. The class will foster physical understanding through demonstrations during lecture.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Algebra; trigonometry

Lots of people talk about what “Scientists say” and what is “experimentally proven”. We all want to be rational and make good decisions.

But what is science, really? And how do you know when someone is just trying to BS you by throwing around the word “science”? We’ll talk about that, and, like real scientists, do some real experiments.

What is nanotechnology? Learn how nanotechnology can improve solar cells, kill cancer cells, and even filter water for drinking.


Class Style
Lecture

Fortune-telling, or predicting the future, is often associated with psychics and witches, but it's actually something that scientists do all the time.

In this class, we will take you on a tour of the predictive power of chemistry---from Dmitri Mendeleev in 1867 predicting an element's properties 70 years before it was discovered, to today, where we use computer simulations to predict the properties of materials that have never been made before.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
You should have been exposed to the idea that atoms are the building blocks of matter, and possibly have seen a periodic table before. These are suggestions, but not required!

The Earth is constantly being hit by high-energy particles from space. Although invisible to the eye, these "cosmic rays" hit the atmosphere and erupt into a shower of lighter partices, which can be seen by specialized, ground-based detectors. These muons in these cosmic rays have been some of the most energetic particles we have ever seen. In this class, we will discuss cosmic rays, and from them learn about both particle physics and astrophysics.

All of matter is made from elementary particles that are smaller than atoms. But wait, if these particles are so small, how can we possibly study them?

This class is an introduction to how physicists detect and study subatomic and elementary particles. We'll first discuss some properties of different subatomic particles and how they interact with each other. Following that, we'll use the LArIAT detector at Fermilab as a case study of detector techniques and technology.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge about electromagnetism and chemistry is good, but it's not absolutely required.

Ever wondered how black holes work? Why do they do the things they do, and what do they actually do? What's a singularity, and why are they important?

Or perhaps you've wondered about what our world is made out of. How many dimensions are there, and how do they work? What is the heart of our space made out of?

And imaginary time?! What is that?

Well, if any or all of these topics interest you, then you're in for a treat. This class will give you a solid introduction and understanding of how our world works and the tools we can use to study theoretical physics and the cosmos.

This class will be challenging, but if you are at least the tiny bit interested please attend! I can most definitely try working with you and make sure you leave Stanford with a comprehensive understanding of the material. I look forward to meeting you!


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Integral and differential calculus. Physics I. Multivariate differentials preferred, but not required.

Learn the basics of photography using chemicals! Today, almost every phone has a camera, and every camera today uses electronic technology. But did you know digital cameras only started becoming popular 20 years ago? Before then, photography was done with chemistry. In this class, we'll talk about some of the processes used and then you can make your own chemical photograph using the cyanotype process, which is the origin of the term "blueprint."


Class Style
Activity

This class will provide an introduction to the currently most accurate theory of gravitation - Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Using simple mathematics, we will describe the basic concepts of the theory, its applications, and consequences. Among other things, we will talk about gravitational waves, black holes, and the geometry of the Universe.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Good knowledge of basic mathematics. Calculus advantageous, but not necessary. Classical mechanics, including Newton's law of gravity and orbits.

We often associate electricity with fire, but in this class you'll learn how the flow of electricity in circuits is almost identical to the flow of water through pipes! We bring this idea to life through hands on demos, live experiments, and data analysis.


Class Style
Activity

Learn about how chemistry is essential to cooking and tasting food. Why is food spicy? Why does jello jiggle? How do baked goods rise? How can we make substitutions for key ingredients?


Class Style
Lecture

Did you know that your body is made up of more than 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules?

From zebra stripes to patterns on snakes to the spacing between the bones in your spine, biological systems have to control their organization by positioning individual molecular signals in this sea of molecules.

With so many chemicals floating around, how do organisms control the position of individual types?

In the first half of the class, we will learn how to use simple ideas from physics to mathematically describe the motion of individual molecules diffusing and reacting in a biological system. We will learn exactly it means for something to move around "randomly", and use this new understanding to derive the "Langevin Dynamics" approach to atomic simulation using only the simple fact that molecules react by colliding with each other.

In the second half of the class, we will use our new physics knowledge to work as a class on a real question from biology. Example questions that will be chosen from are: How can an embryo create the pattern of signals needed to form its spinal column during development? How can the tiny bacterial cells all around us move the two copies of their DNA into each new cell when they split in two, even without anything to pull two copies of the DNA apart? Students will have a chance to see what it feels like to do work on the cutting edge of these fields. There will also be cool videos of each system to help the class decide what to work on.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Students should have encountered the idea that all matter is made of molecules, and that molecular reactions happen when two molecules collide with each other. Students should be able to follow every step of the math as long as they are comfortable with the material in Calculus I. Necessary topics from probability theory and differential equations will be introduced during class. This class is a follow up for "B5154: From Bouncing Molecules to Stripes and Spines". That class is not a strict per-requisite, but will help the student get more out of the second half of this class.

Lean some of the ways that chemistry can provide us with renewable energy today & in the future! We will focus on two electrochemical devices: batteries and fuel cells. You will learn the very basics of how they work, and we will discuss their similarities and differences. Class will include a working mini-Fuel Cell Car as a demo!

Class will focus mostly on understanding the basics of how both devices operate, and should be accessible to anyone with an interest in learning more! Will be an interactive lecture.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
An interest in learning more about the subject.

Have you ever thought about building tiny structures atom by atom? Nanochemistry is concerned with just that! We will be learning about the differences in molecular behavior on the nanoscale that make nanomaterials so unique and useful, as well as some cool recent applications of nanotechnology, such as nanobiosensors and quantum dot solar cells.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
knowledge of some chemistry (atoms, photons, fluorescence, molecular bonding)

Are diverse phenomena ranging from radio waves to visible light to Gamma rays really the same physical process? Why do they interact so differently with matter? In this class I will give a broad survey across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, with a focus on connections to everyday life.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of electric, magnetic field and electromagnetic induction. Basic concept of waves.

Since the invention of the microscope in the 17th century, microscopes have played an indispensable role in many fields of research: from medical sciences to engineering, and from earth sciences to biology. But what can we see using different types of microscopes? And what can’t we (yet) see? In this class, we will dive into various microscopy techniques and see examples of state-of-the-art research!


Class Style
Seminar

Can you design the most spectacular Mentos and soda reaction? You'll start with Seltzer water, Mentos, and coke ingredients. What you do to make it better is up to you!

Let the best team win! Winners in categories of Best Team Name, Most Spectacular Reaction, Best Teamwork

Wear sunscreen/ hat; we will be outside.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
NONE

What makes the sound of an instrument distinct from other sounds around us, like blowing wind or crashing waves or a person talking? In this class, we'll look at the physics of sound and what makes sound musical. Students will get a chance to look at the sound waves generated by instruments and produce their own sound waves. Depending on time and student interest, we will also discuss some of the mathematical tools for describing sound (and waves in general), and Fourier analysis, in particular.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
* Trigonometry (sines, cosines, radians, etc.) * Algebra * You should know what an infinite series is (e.g. a geometric series)

We will discuss the chemical and physical properties of batteries and why they are valuable to us. We will do a couple hands-on activities to investigate batteries.


Class Style
Seminar

Many biological processes are controlled by fluid dynamics: Molecules are actively transported inside cells, many marine animals like starfish larvae generate their own flows to draw in food, bacteria use intriguing hydrodynamic mechanisms to swim and form colonies on surfaces, and organisms can even communicate or synchronise their motion via pressure waves.

In this short introduction we will discuss the basic concepts of ‘living fluid mechanics’. The focus will not be on maths and equations, but on ideas and new strategies we can learn from the fascinating world around us. Expect many pictures and videos, and perhaps a couple of live demonstrations!

This class should be understandable to 7th graders but interesting for anyone up to researchers, simply because biology has so many layers of complexity. The question is: what to look for? After we develop an idea what animals can do with liquid flows, we can try to explain how they live underwater, and why they behave as they do. Curiosity is central in this path towards discovery!


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
Desire for knowledge:)

Petroleum is a hot topic in science and politics today, and the news is filled with debates about such issues as offshore drilling, hydraulic fracturing, global warming, and energy independence. This class is designed to provide an in-depth scientific background to oil and natural gas that will help students to understand current debates about fossil fuels and formulate their own opinions. Topics covered will include the basic chemistry of oil and natural gas, petroleum geology, exploration methods, drilling, production engineering, unconventional reservoirs, oil refining, uses of petroleum products, and the fate of carbon in the atmosphere and oceans. If time permits, we will also discuss coal, carbon capture and sequestration, oil sands, gas hydrates, and natural bitumen.

Students taking this class should also consider "Geology of Oil," which will cover the geology of petroleum systems and methods of seismic exploration in greater detail.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
High school chemistry required (seriously, please don't take this if you haven't had chemistry)

Do you feel like an explorer born in the wrong century? Join us for a geography themed adventure where you'll solve puzzles based on a variety of maps, ranging from historical maps of California to subway maps to maps tracking the spread of infectious disease. Learn about the history behind these cartographic artifacts and the stories they tell while using creativity, logic, and spatial reasoning on this modern-day adventure quest!


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
None, but do note that we will be breaking the class into groups of 2-4. Get your friends to enroll with you!

What is oil exactly? Where does it come from? And how is a bunch of dead stuff powering (and warming) the world? This class explores how oil reveals the nature of ancient life and how the scientific quest for “black gold” has helped unravel the history of ancient oceans, rivers, and mountains.


Class Style
Lecture

Are we alone in the universe? How can we know? If we do find life, where can we find it and what will it look like? Will it be microbial or multi-cellular? Will life on other planets even have cells?

In this class we'll discuss these questions and the modern attempts to answer them in a brief overview of the Search for Life in the Universe!


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
basic biology (recommended)

Become a citizen scientist! In this class, students will get the unique opportunity to participate in ecology research. Students will first learn briefly about the history and use of wildlife automatic cameras in ecology research. Most of the time will be spent on activities and discussion. Activities will include: labeling of wildlife photos used in current research projects. We will also discuss ecological questions that can be answered with wildlife camera photos and data.


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
statistics is helpful, but not required.

We will learn about the formation of the Earth and the processes that shape what we see at the surface. We will discuss the mechanics behind plate motion and why it makes the Earth so unique in the solar system. Additionally, we will cover the rock cycle and the composition of the Earth.

Recent findings on Mars have provided us a tantalizing glimpse at the planet’s ancient history. Based on data from rovers and orbiters, we now know that Mars used to be warmer and wetter than it is now. But how wet and how warm? Did Mars have a giant ocean? Was Mars like Antarctica? We’ll explore how some simple reasoning from chemistry, physics, and field geology can unravel the ancient history of a faraway planet and tell us a thing or two about our own.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Basic high school chemistry and physics

This class will offer a brief overview of the science behind earthquakes. We will discuss the plate tectonic context of earthquakes, the mechanical theory behind faults and earthquakes, attempts to predict earthquakes, how earthquakes can cause tsunamis, fundamentals of earthquake preparedness, and more.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Math through algebra would be advantageous but is not required

This class is a broad exploration of coral reefs: their ecology, the many species they support, and their importance to people. You don't need to know much about these topics to take the class!


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Curiosity to learn about coral reefs!

This class is intended as a crash course for the current state of global climate change. From the science basics to international negotiations to Trump's policies to environmental justice, we will briefly touch on it all! Class will include demo and fun (scary?) facts to impress your friends


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
Enthusiasm and an open mind!

I will teach about the way the physical laws of the universe interact with nature and I will teach about plants and the outdoors!
(Mobile class, we will walk around Stanford campus!)


Class Style
Activity

An introduction to the geology of the rocks that produce oil and how we find them. This class will cover the basics of sedimentology, petroleum systems geology, and seismic petroleum exploration. Although not required, we recommend that students taking this class also consider taking "All About Oil," which will provide a more technical coverage of the chemistry of petroleum systems, the carbon cycle and production engineering.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
None

From SpaceX's Falcon 9 to NASA's Saturn V, these rockets all had one major goal: deliver their payload into space. Rocket payloads have ranged in the past from satellites to human-carrying spacecrafts to rovers intended to explore Mars. In this class, you will learn about the engineering fundamentals that go behind building a rocket payload as while as catch some handy rocket science knowledge and history on the way. This class is intended for space fanatics and just about anyone curious about the progress of human exploration.


Class Style
Lecture

We’ll be taking apart my 1964 Honda Dream motorcycle and exploring how it works.

Students will get hands on experience taking things apart and putting them back together.

Here’s a picture of a motorcycle similar to mine: http://www.rcycle.com/Ken_Fisher_Honda_305_Dream_068_cropped_op_800x512.jpg


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Be Hands-On

A hands-on exploration of the ways energy is produced today, the repercussions of fossil fuels, and the challenges of renewables.


Class Style
Lecture

In this class, we will embark on a short adventure on how modern digital systems work. We will start with the fundamentals of a digital device through digital logic and basic circuits and then learn how the following components work, what intelligent techniques are used and how they connect to the overall computer:
CPU, ROM, RAM, Hard Drive, USB, Display etc.

We will cover topics like Pipelining, Caching, basic Compilers, Machine language and the interface where the software meets the hardware. Using the iPhone as an example, we will see how these complex components interact to make the iPhone work so smoothly!


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Prior knowledge of Ohm's law and computer science is helpful, but not required. Due to the fast paced nature of the class, some aspects of the class might be challenging to students without the pre-requisites.

If you've taken an intro programming class before, you've probably used loops to count the number of vowels in a given word, analyzed numerous methods of sorting lists, and you can probably write a recursive function to compute the n-th term of the Fibonacci sequence in your sleep.

Have you ever thought, "Who cares?! I'll probably never have to do that again outside of class!"

If so, this class is for you! We will put together projects pertinent to problems plaguing our persons and ponder about puzzling them out through practical Python programming!


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
Know some fundamentals about programming (loops, string manipulation, data structures, doesn't necessarily have to be in Python!) Be prepared to cooperate with other students to come up with solutions!

Cities are complex. They must balance built, natural, and human systems. Explore the nuances of defining and measuring important characteristics of urban spaces.
Collaborate with others as we brainstorm, analyze, and create a sustainable city of the future!


Class Style
Activity

This course will cover how the modern-day lithium-ion battery came to be. We will answer how lithium-ion batteries work, why they stop working over time, and why they sometimes explode. We will also cover some of the research being done to solve these problems for next-generation lithium batteries.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
A basic course in chemistry is heavily recommended.

Ever wonder how your LED displays work? In this class, students will learn about time-division multiplexing, a popular technique used to control light matrices like electronic displays. The class will begin with an introduction to multiplexing and an overview of the design. Students will then work together to implement their own multiplexed LED display circuits, and program a microcontroller to drive the displays.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of circuits

What makes an airplane fly? Why are airplanes shaped like they are? This class takes a brief look at the history, physics, and engineering behind flight, and ends with a paper airplane contest where you can test out your own flying creation.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Basic algebra. Interest in science/physics.

We will cover the basic principles of converting light from the sun into usable electricity using semiconducting materials. We will also talk about some of the exciting new advances in solar energy technology and the potential impact of solar energy on the world's energy landscape.


Class Style
Lecture

This class is designed to introduce the students to the type of engineering measures we can take to manage our stormwater. There will be hands-on activity to demonstrate how we can purify our stormwater using low-cost filter materials.


Class Style
Seminar

Come hear from current Stanford students what it's like to study engineering in college! A variety of disciplines and interests will be represented.


Class Style
Panel

Earthquakes are one of Earth's most devastating phenomena. Come learn about earthquake mechanisms and design of structures in earthquake prone areas (like California) and experience shaking first hand!
The class will cover the basic physics behind structural earthquake engineering design; the focus will be on explaining concepts through demonstrations.


Class Style
Lecture

It's a bad day if your phone screen cracks, but it's something else entirely if your airplane falls out of the sky. Learn about the science and engineering behind materials failures in history through demonstrations and hands-on experiments. Emphasis on HANDS-ON demonstrations, not a boring lecture! We'll experience first-hand how liquid metals can catastrophically destroy structural materials in applications like space exploration and aerospace. We'll explore how many materials can change dramatically with changes in structure, temperature, and other conditions. You'll walk away from this class with greater knowledge of the atomic structure of materials and a deeper appreciation for the diverse properties of the materials that surround our everyday life.


Class Style
Activity

This class will cover what is (and is not) a hologram with a short history of holography and the basic physical concepts of coherent light. Several techniques for analog and digital holography will be discussed, with demonstrations of several types of holograms and not-holograms.


Class Style
Lecture

Learn about the basics of circuits and sewing through a small hands-on sewable circuit project, which you get to keep and take home! We will use sewable LEDs, snaps, and coin batteries, connected together with conductive thread (no soldering required!). If you have extra fabric scraps, old T-shirts, or spare components you wish to use, feel free to bring them.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
This class is intended for beginners—no knowledge of electronics or sewing required! If you have background knowledge in this area, you might be bored for part of class.

Computer science is more than just programming - it's learning how to solve problems using computers. This class will teach you the fundamentals of computer science and how to think like a computer scientist: how to solve programming problems, understand what a computer is doing, and most importantly how to approach programming bugs if they come up. Join us and learn what computer science is all about!


Class Style
Lecture

Do you want to be crazy and create, and solve really challenging in the world around you? If so, this class is for you. We're going to learn Design Thinking by making you designers and sending you on a 2 hour design scavenger hunt in teams. Design thinking is a tool for solving problems with humans at the center, and is used by innovative organizations all accross the world like IDEO, Stanford, and Apple.


Class Style
Activity

Do you have a product idea that you are passionate about but don't know how to execute? There are multiple aspects to creating a software product - discovering the idea, conceptualizing the user experience, technical development, and business strategy. In this class, we briefly cover and provide an overview of all these aspects and how they fit together. The goal of the class is for you to take away an understanding of how a product is developed and how you can take your own ideas from concept to launch!


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Some programming experience is recommended but not necessary. Due to the fast paced nature of the class, certain concepts may be more challenging for those without prior knowledge of programming/computer science.

Have you ever wondered what it is that runs our world? The electronics that powers everything from your home systems to your computers to, well, nearly everything now? In this hands-on-class, you'll get to build circuits, understand why they work, and then see them in action!


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
A little bit of algebra and an interest in electricity and making stuff.

Introduction to electronics, how they work, and their various applications in medicine, consumer products, wireless communication, and others.


Class Style
Lecture

In this class we will learn about some basic properties of light including color, refraction, and polarization. We will not only explore the theory but will see how they manifest in the real world through hands-on demonstrations.


Class Style
Seminar

This is a fun-filled, fast-paced class where we will explore Design Thinking as a method for building empathy and solving problems. We will then discover some interesting technologies together to help you construct a Dream Toy for whomever you'd like to build! Let's have fun with rapid prototyping, tinkering and interactive tools!


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Willingness to share ideas with peers in class, and TONS of enthusiasm to explore!

Each student will build a simple styrofoam cup speaker. We will learn about sound, audio signals, how speakers work, and basic circuits.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Please bring a portable music player such as an MP3 player or smartphone if you have one. A few extras will be available to use if you do not have one.

Engineering is all about working together! In this class we will first learn about the different kinds of engineering and then break into groups that are each responsible for building one component of a giant Rube Goldberg machine. The ultimate challenge? Trying to put them all together at the end!


Class Style
Activity

Come hear about the humanities opportunities going on around campus! There will be a panel of actors, dancers, musicians and writers who can answer any of your questions!


Class Style
Panel

The short fiction of Jorge Luis Borges (1899 - 1986) is at once fantastical and philosophical, dialoging with an extensive landscape of ideas and thinkers by means of metaphors and metafictional devices. In this class we will explore the effect to which Borges puts these contrivances to use (while also marvelling at the bizarre and unique worlds he creates) by reading and discussing a few of what we consider to be his best stories. No prior knowledge of Borges or his work will be assumed.


Class Style
Discussion

Are you interested in learning more about Finnish language and culture? This class will teach you how to introduce yourself in Finnish and use other interesting phrases. This class will also introduce students to some fun aspects of Finnish culture. Finnish snacks will be provided!


Class Style
Lecture

When I was first put in a creative writing classroom, it changed my life. I want to provide that experience to other students. This will be a class where we talk quickly about types of effective writing and then try it ourselves!


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
None

Where did science come from? Who were the heroes who invented it? Why wasn't it invented sooner?

In this class, we'll talk about the exciting story of how we went from alchemy to chemistry, from astrology to astronomy. We'll talk about the epic debate about whether it was the earth or the sun in the center of the universe, discussing the discoveries and politics involved. You'll hear about popes and kings, monks and bishops, and even a few professors.

If that's not enough, I'll tell you:

*Why practically nobody thought the earth was flat
*How Galileo accomplished the greatest troll of all time
*Why it's really hard to prove that the earth revolves around the sun (without satellites)

Calling all map lovers! Join me as we learn about the history of cartography, by looking at some of the most unusual (and fascinating) maps from the ancient world to today! We will talk about sea monsters on Renaissance maps, mapping cholera in nineteenth-century England, and the commercialization of cartography at worlds fairs— among other exciting topics! There will be lots of maps (and fun facts!).


Class Style
Lecture

What does it mean to “play Indian”? How have Euro-Americans imagined their Native American neighbors since the colonial period and how have these imaginings helped construct America’s national identity? Seeking to address these questions through specific historical cases and open discussion, this course will allow students to explore the influence of Native American life and tradition on American identity, as well as consider the paradox of the simultaneous construction and destruction of Native people in American life inherent in the process.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Some knowledge of American history necessary for this course.

Are museums stuffy and boring or are they filled with lively artworks that teach us about history and being alive? We vote the latter! This class, co-taught by two art historians, will engage art and artifacts at the Cantor Museum and ask questions such as: Why is art important? What can art tell us about the past, the present and ourselves? This class will offer an introduction to the methods of art history and model how to use these skills to more creatively and critically engage our visual world.


Class Style
Discussion

This creative writing course will teach students how to use language to strike a chord with their readers. Students will receive instruction on how to use empathy as a means to evoke emotion and create meaningful scenes and situations in their writing. No experience needed — just an open mind and eagerness to write!


Class Style
Seminar

Kiel vi fartas? How are you doing?

Esperanto is a constructed language that combines features of Romance, Germanic, and Slavic languages. Esperanto speakers live all around the world. Many learn Esperanto to travel and meet other Esperantists (Esperantistoj) with whom they share no native language. Others learn Esperanto because it assists in learning other Latinate, Germanic, and Slavic languages. It is a beautiful language that is popular among polyglots.

In this class, we will learn the basics of Esperanto grammar and vocabulary.

Watch this interesting video to hear from people who were raised speaking Esperanto in Brasil, Belgium, Japan, Poland, and other countries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzDS2WyemBI


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Love of language! You do not need to know any Esperanto! However, knowledge of another language (especially of a Latinate, Slavic, or Germanic language (such as Spanish, Polish, German, Romanian, Portuguese, et cetera)) will help but is NOT required.

This course introduces students to the basics of critical thinking and focuses on applying these basics to the language of news pieces. We cover the linguistic features of fake and biased news. Class exercises emphasize the ability to detect sources of bias in a text and be able to analyze the news piece into the main claims, supporting evidence, and background assumptions. The course also discusses practices that help us reduce bias and falsehood in our own reports and thinking.


Class Style
Discussion

Over the last 25 years, hip-hop has seen an explosion in popularity. From the streets of New York to Broadway and the White House, rap's enormous cultural influence demands a rethinking of how we critically reflect on this relatively novel art form. By listening to examples by Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Badass, and others, we will analyze the basic techniques employed in rap - rhyme scheme, rhythm and flow, word play, and literary techniques - to learn to better appreciate this rich and diverse American genre.


Class Style
Activity

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Especially in periods of political and cultural upheaval, the importance and power of the written word is undeniable. In the 21st century, how do we conceptualize and engage with ideas of race, ethnicity, and social justice? How can writing, as an artistic and expressive medium, elevate and center the voices of historically marginalized communities?

In this workshop, students will engage with concepts of race and social justice through a seminar and discussion format, and will then be able to explore these concepts through interactive creative writing exercises.


Class Style
Seminar

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 - 1951) is cited in some circles as the most important philosopher of the 20th century, for revolutionizing Analytic Philosophy not once but twice. His first book, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921), presents a 'picture theory' of language that sets out to explain how language represents its subject matter. It proved immensely influential with philosophers interested in making philosophy more scientific—Wittgenstein himself claimed his book resolved all philosophical problems, and never published again in his lifetime. However, he did not stop writing, and the Philosophical Investigations (1953), published posthumously, presents a completely different conception of language. Here language is understood in terms of 'language-games' through which language gains meaning by how it is used rather than by relating to its subject matter in a special way. The Philosophical Investigations proved even more influential than the Tractatus, despite being almost entirely incompatible with it.

Two opposing philosophies for one philosopher? In this class we will have a debate, with Andrew presenting and arguing for Wittgenstein's early views, and Harry his later ones. All are welcome, and we won't assume any prior knowledge of Wittgenstein or philosophy. But don't come just to hear us talk—we want you to form your own opinions by joining the debate!


Class Style
Discussion

Have you ever stared at a painting by Jackson Pollock and wondered, "What does this all mean?" We're here to help you find out! Using the works in the Anderson Collection, we will introduce you to some of the most significant artists of the Abstract Expressionist movement. If you've never taken an art history class before, this is a great place to start! The works we will examine are more than splatters of paint on canvas - they are rooted in the times in which they were created, but speak to what is eternal in the human experience.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
None! Just come ready to learn.

An overview of creative writing techniques focused on personal stories.


Class Style
Activity

The most memorable and moving parts of many Shakespeare plays are monologues, where a character either engages with himself (a soliloquy) or declaims to another. In this class we'll read several of Shakespeare's greatest monologues, ranging in length from 12 lines (Macbeth's lament on his Lady's death) to 55 (Antony's invective at Caesar's funeral). In each case we'll put the monologue in context and watch clips to show how various actors have chosen to interpret it. This class is meant as pure poetic fun -- no prior knowledge is required!


Class Style
Seminar

We will discuss the usage of images and text in graphic novels both in western traditions and asian manga styles. What should be drawn and how should it be drawn? When do authors choose to use text rather than images? How do dynamic vs static images affect the reader experience? How does genre affect image or word styling? What should sound effects look like?
Bonus points if you show up to class in a cape


Class Style
Discussion

Some have claimed that in the universe, "there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference."

Is that the deepest truth about reality? Or is there something really real about the beauty of a sunset? Is there such a thing as Truth? Are there Heroes and Villains, or do people simply do what is best in their own eyes and nothing more.

We will explore the big ideas of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. We'll hear from the ancient Greeks and the Moderns. We'll look at cognitive science as well as neuroimaging to try to find the answers. I will present the case that, despite all the popular pessimism, the proper response to the Universe is Joy.


Class Style
Lecture

Chinese can be a hard language to learn compared to others, in large part because its writing system has very little phonetic basis (does not look like it sounds). But, if we just take a step back, and focus on the characters visually without a concern for their pronunciation, we begin to see some interesting patterns. In this class, we will be looking at the origins of Chinese characters and writing some! NO knowledge of Chinese required, just some imagination for visualizing the characters. :)


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
None! Be aware, if you already know a lot of Chinese, it might get a little boring.

When I was first put in a creative writing classroom, it changed my life. I want to provide that experience to other students. This will be a class where we talk quickly about types of effective writing and then try it ourselves!


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
None

Wonder what a photo is really actually trying to tell you? Interested in the history of photography? Ever question photography’s validity as an art form? Come to hear a take on photography and its place in our world! We’ll find peculiar ways to look at photos and chronicle photography throughout the years.
(Disclaimer: We won’t be taking any photography, so regardless of how good or bad you think you are at it, you should take this class!)


Class Style
Seminar

Why do I get up in the morning? How do I live a good life? What is it that gives my life meaning? Where does that meaning come from? Is there anything wrong with living a meaningless life? Such are the questions we will ponder in this introduction to existentialism, a philosophical tradition that explores how we give meaning to our lives.

No background with existentialism or philosophy is required--all you need is an open, critical mind and a curiosity about your life. We'll read selections from Milan Kundera, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Fredrick Nietzsche, and others. This class will largely be discussion focused, and students will leave the class with various ways to think about their lives and what gives it meaning. Such a journey to find meaning in this life is surely one that spans an entire lifetime, but I hope to help you begin such a journey.


Class Style
Seminar

Want to learn to write so beautifully that your words sound like they dropped from heaven? The Romantics knew how. In this class we'll read and discuss verse from the golden age of English poetry, including Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth, Blake, Coleridge and Beddoes. No prior exposure to any of these writers is necessary -- their charm will come out amply on the day!


Class Style
Seminar

This class will explore how a certain individual worked non-stop to single-handedly changed the face of their practice and transformed public perception of an uncommon profession. Want to know who this modern genius is? Attend this class to find out!


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
An open mind

In this course, we will explore how speakers at TED conferences craft effective oral presentations, and how these same communication skills can help students in high school, college, and beyond! By studying and discussing videos of top TED speakers, students will learn the habits of effective communication. Topics covered will include oral presentation skills, effective slide design, and content organization. We will also discuss common fears about public speaking and ways to overcome them. Students will then have an opportunity to practice these skills with an oral communication tutor from Stanford's Hume Center for Writing and Speaking.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
None

Witch hunting was hardly an unusual practice in early modern Europe. However, the long history of the practice cannot adequately explain America's Salem witch trials of the 1690s, in which over 200 people were accused of witchcraft. Exploring the history of Puritan life and belief in colonial America and using primary source evidence from the trials, we will seek to determine and understand the origins of the mass hysteria that produced one of the most infamous and bloody witch hunts in American history.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Just an interest in early American history.

This mini course aims to introduce Chinese language and culture through various interactive activities and hands-on experiences. Participants are expected to learn survival Chinese, Chinese festivals, table manners, social taboos, and how to make Chinese ties! A souvenir certificate will be given to the participants at the end of the class.


Class Style
Activity

Like TED talks? Ever wanted to overcome an excruciating fear of public speaking? Or just be a more inspiring and engaging speaker and communicator?

Come learn with us! This will be a participatory workshop where everyone gets a chance to speak.

The teachers include TA's and Professors from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
none - just an eagerness to speak in front of people you just met.

Students will engage with creative writing prompts and have a chance to start working on pieces in a genre of their choice (theater, poetry, prose). Students who feel comfortable and willing will have an opportunity to share what they've begun to create with the group.


Class Style
Activity

92 symbols, 2200 characters, and 4400 pronunciations. That’s about the bare minimum any native Japanese speaker knows.

Japanese is notoriously difficult to learn, and its writing system is understood to be one of the most complex in the world. But it is this complexity that makes Japanese flexible in a distinct way compared to its linguistic cousins. Why does Japanese use both alphabets (like Korean) and logographs (like Chinese)? How are new words introduced? And how can we use that to understand Japanese culture?

Using the Japanese language as a unique lens, we will explore the role of language as both a symbol of power and a living part of history. We will take a journey through time, hunting down idiosyncrasies of the Japanese language and how they came to be.

We will conclude with interesting (and tasty!) real-life examples of Japanese words that have evolved through time and cultures, extending even beyond the Japanese language.

Familiarity with basic Japanese and/or Chinese helpful, but no prior experience needed.


Class Style
Lecture

How do you go from crankin' out essays every week to creating universes only you can think of? This class is a how-to guide to writing like the next best-selling novelist?


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
A heartbeat, a working imagination, literacy, and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone.

When Romeo utters that "Juliet is the sun," we are surely not meant to take him literally--to think Juliet is a large sphere of flaming gas sure isn't what Romeo is trying to convey. But if the meaning of Romeo's metaphor isn't to be found in its literal content, then what is the meaning, and where can it be found?

Some theorist, such as Max Black, suggest that some words in metaphor are meant to be understood figuratively, not literally--"sun" here doesn't mean a large sphere of flaming gas, but rather, "the warmth of my life, what my day starts with, etc." Others, such as Paul Grice, think that metaphor works in implication--to say "Juliet is the sun" is literally false, so Romeo must be meaning something else, must be implying some other meaning. Donald Davidson argues that metaphors don't do their work in terms of meaning, but rather, use--they inspire us to make comparisons, but don't assert them in themselves. Finally, Kendrall Walton and David Hills find that metaphors operate in the realm of "make-believe."

This class will serve as a brief introduction to the philosophy of language and one of its toughest, most interesting problems--that of understanding metaphors. We'll check out some of the more influential theories on metaphor and some of their potential problems. No previous experience with philosophy is required--only a curious mind and a love of metaphor and figurative language is recommended. The class will largely be discussion focused, and students will leave the class with a deeper understanding of philosophy of language and how metaphors do their work. You'll likely be able to impress your English teacher as well.


Class Style
Seminar

The way in which computers interact with human languages is rapidly developing. Within the past few years, a variety of new techniques have emerged each with their own limitations and benefits for everything from understanding emotion in text to building maps of a language relating words.


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
Some familiarity with grammar

Do you love myths? Ever imagined your own mythological world?

In the course, we'll study a few mythological traditions (focusing on the Greeks) in order to understand what makes mythology so timeless and exciting.

Then... we'll use myths as a starting point to write our own creative stories!

By the end, you'll take home the ability to talk about some mythological traditions, and have gained some key creative writing tools.


Class Style
Seminar

We will be examining how language creation through poetry shapes and is shaped by the Asian American experience. We will read and discuss poetry from contemporary Asian American poets--if time permits, we will be writing our own poem.


Class Style
Seminar

Our relationship with animals takes a variety of forms. We imagine animals as family members when they are our pets, use them as characters for our children's stories as metaphors for the human condition, consume them in our everyday meals as food, watch them in their wild habitat at nature parks, and keep them caged in zoos for our entertainment and education, and their conservation in the wild.

As ethically and historically conscious thinkers, we must constantly re-examine our personal, everyday relationship with animal life and how, as a collective humanity, that relationship has evolved over chronological time. By doing this, we come to understand, question, and revise our contemporary values as a society. Zoo’s make a perfect case study for exploring the growing field of animal ethics.

As legacies of European Imperialism, zoo’s reveal the continuing narrative of mastery of nature and dominance over other forms of life, including ourselves (some zoos did display more “primitive” humans since 1956). Evolving from it’s questionable origins, zoos today are largely held as bastions for species survival and pillars for fostering environmental literacy. They display the animal kingdom’s greatest hits, offering us the chance to see the globe through a microcosm of the world’s greatest mammalian megafauna. We can go to a zoo today and see elephants traversing a tiny “African Dirt-land,” or Snow Leopards lounging lazily in the “Concrete Himalayas,” or even rare Polar Bears melting under the California sun on white-painted rafts in a “fun-sized Arctic Ocean.”

Today, growing public awareness of animal consciousness has sparked debates about the ethical nature of zoos. Zoos are under attack by animal rights activists, who criticize them as commercial institutions who prioritize profit margins and entertainment over animal welfare. Zoo's tell us a different side of the story - they tells us that they allow visitors to have a unique connection to the natural world people would otherwise not have access to. Zoos, as commercial and conservation institutions, must perform an ethically precarious balancing act of many conflicting concerns – weighing animal welfare with enclosure aesthetics and ‘natural’ education, wildlife conservation investment with profit margins and entertainment, and, most significantly, the fostering of a benevolent caretaker relationship with nature with the tendency to tell an implicit narrative of human dominion and superiority over nature.

In this class, we must ask ourselves difficult ethical questions: What is the end or mission of zoos? Why do we confine animals in enclosures for us to see, instead of letting them be free in the wild? What distinguishes man from animals to justify our treatment of them? What narrative are zoo’s telling us about nature and humanity’s role in the world? Why do we value some species of animals over others for display in zoos? Are these choices arbitrary or justifiable? Given contemporary nature documentaries and rapidly declining travel costs, why do zoos still appeal to us? And finally, should zoos be banned altogether or should they be improved? If the latter, how should they be improved?

In this class, we will re-examine our human-animal relations through the lens of the zoo. We will delve into the zoo’s dark historical origins and how its mission has evolved over historical time. Then, we will tackle the variety of ethical concerns that arise upon contemplation of the end of zoos: the globally ubiquitous commercial enterprises and conservation institutions we visit to see a microcosm of the world.


Class Style
Lecture

Why are the roofs of the Main Quad of Stanford University red? There is a rumor that the roofs were once stained by the blood of Chinese railroad workers who helped build the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. Since the 1850s’ Gold Rush, Chinese immigrants have long been an important part of Californian culture. Between 1865 and 1869, over 12,000 Chinese laborers were shipped to the U.S. to build the railroad, and many of them even lost their lives because of the harsh working environment. However, their contributions to California and to the U.S. were never appreciated. In fact, Chinese immigrants were discriminated against during the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act that lasted for almost sixty years, during the 1960’s before the Civil Rights Movements, and even today, especially after the election. All of this makes it important for us to reconsider the contributions of Chinese immigrants and question why a group of “model immigrants” were treated unfairly.

In this course, the speaker not only tells you the stories of what contributions Chinese immigrants made to California, but also invites you to participate in a play in which you will play a Chinese immigrant in five different periods: 1850s, 1890s, 1940s, 1960s and 1990s. In this interactive play, you will learn how Chinese immigrants helped build California and also have a better understanding of their hardships.


Class Style
Discussion

Irony is ever-present in art including literature, film, music, dance, from Shakespeare to Deadpool. Irony is closely tied to many movements and tools and signifies a specific kind of self-expression, often commenting on the expectations of a medium or of society as a whole. The class will seek to approach questions ranging from whether an artwork can be entirely ironic to the value of irony, to how irony is used and to what its impact is.

(Irony: "...an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result", Oxford Dict.)


Class Style
Discussion

Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.

Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.

Ever wondered what is the biggest number? That's easy! There's no biggest number! But the notion of infinity is more than meets the eye.

In this course, we will attempt to answer questions such as: What do we really mean when we say there are infinitely many natural numbers? How did we arrive at our present understanding of infinity? Are there different kinds of infinities?

The infinite has preoccupied mathematicians and philosophers of centuries past. Come learn more about this fascinating topic!


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Familiarity with algebra, comfort with basic mathematical proofs.

Take your coffee mug. Think of the rim as a compass with the handle pointing North. Tap it gently with a spoon at South and North-East. Can you hear the difference? If you can and want to know why, check out this class. If you can't, definitely come to the class - we'll show you how ;)

We won't stop at that - an hour full of mysteries, magic and math await.


Class Style
Activity

Computers are increasingly able to create art that most people, and sometimes even experts, cannot differentiate from that made by people. Understand the premises underlying art generation including music, literature, visual art and see them in action

Why do high school students need to report their GPA and SAT scores? How do companies decide what your insurance premiums will be? Regression.

Regression is the backbone of many fields: economics, machine learning, sociology, the list goes on and on.

In this class, we'll start with the basics of linear regression and work all the way up to generalized logistic regression with linear algebra (time permitting).

We'll cover topics like inference and confidence intervals, probability, and the bias/varience tradeoff along the way.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Students should know how to take a derivative and have some intuition for probability (i.e. coin flips).

In this class, you and other students will work together to solve some interesting and challenging math-based logic puzzles. In the process, you'll learn some fundamental techniques for logic-based thinking that will help you both in future classes and in everyday life.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Willingness to actively participate

In our digital world, sharing information securely online in crucial to our daily lives whether we are buying something on Amazon or browsing our social networks. One way that transactions are made secure is through encryption. But what is encryption and how does it work? In this class, we will explore the mathematical background of public encryption schemes, including why prime numbers play a key role in cryptography!


Class Style
Seminar

The phrases "Machine Learning" and "Deep Learning" have become so common today, but seem too sophisticated for many of us. Not any more!

In this class, we will learn about why industries are using Machine (and Deep) Learning, understand why it works, and discuss some interesting applications! The applications will range from simple day-to-day tasks to very large scale problems.

Non-exhaustive list of questions that we will answer: What is Machine Learning? What are Neural Networks? Do they work and if so, when and why? What are some of the concepts and techniques used? When and where are these techniques used? And lastly, can WE build products/applications that use these techniques (hint: Answer is YES!) and how?


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
There will be *some* probability, linear algebra and introductory calculus but whatever we need will be reviewed and taught in class. Nevertheless, having some basic background in the above will be helpful, but not required by any means.

By the end of this course, you will know how to solve the famous sliding puzzle blindfolded: take an unsolved 15-puzzle, memorize it, then solve it with your eyes closed. Along the way, we will learn about a mathematical concept called permutation.

15-puzzles will be supplied. There will be plenty of time allotted for practice.


Class Style
Seminar

Do you know what is the next big thing in Bay Area tech businesses? Do you know what the most “trendy” technology is in Google, Facebook and Apple? Yes, it is Artificial Intelligence, software that can “learn” and “think”. This class introduces some of the basic concepts in artificial intelligence and related applications that could change our life in the near future.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
None, this class is a basic introductory science class, however, some basic knowledge about computers is very helpful.

Ever wondered how Facebook lets you into your account with your password? Or maybe what happened in Bletchley Park back in World War II? (Ever watched Imitation Game?)

Cryptography is the art (or science) of securely sending information; no eavesdropper should figure out what your message is! In this class, we'll discuss two main topics in cryptography. We'll start with classical ciphers, like the cryptograms in the newspaper. Then, we'll discuss password hashing and show you how to HACK a real website (our own website, of course).


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Algebra I or some equivalent of math

When most people think about computer science and programming, they think about websites and video games. However, in the age of Big Data, programming has become a vital tool for researchers (such as myself) that need to analyze lots of data. In this class, I will introduce R, an open source programming language for statistical computing and graphics. We'll start at the basics (2 + 2 = 4), and by the end you should be able to analyze any dataset and visualize your results with pretty graphs.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
No programming experience is required. Some statistics knowledge may be useful but is not required.

Come and learn about the wonders of the Montys, that is, Hall, Carlo, and Python! In this session, we will explore a tool of probability theory - the Monte Carlo method. Utilizing the Law of Large Numbers, we can simulate an event a number of times in order to determine the likelihood of a certain outcome. We will use this method first to approximate pi, and then we will use it to examine the famous "Monty Hall" paradox. And who knows - we may even encounter a Monty Python sketch or two while we're at it!


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Some familiarity with probability, and a sense of curiosity!

Suppose you have $$k$$ integers. Can you, for arbitrary remainder $$r=0,...,k-1$$, find some subset of those integers so that their sum has remainder $$r$$ upon division by $$k$$? Why is it the case that every rational number has a decimal expansion that eventually terminates or repeats? Can you write a computer program using finite memory which can recognize all primes? These sort of questions can be answered using the ubiquitous pigeonhole principle.

The pigeonhole principle is one of the first problem solving techniques that young math students learn, but that doesn't mean it is always easy to apply! This class will contain a short lecture with several examples followed by a longer problem solving section in which students are given a list of problems to try to solve (with varying difficulties and prerequisite knowledge), and ending with a section where students share some of their solutions to the more difficult problems. (Modeled after the Polya problem solving seminar.)


Class Style
Seminar

We will explain the basics of machine learning in an easy to understand manner without a mathematical background. We will then explore many of the cool applications that machine learning is being used for today. Finally we will talk about what you can do to learn more about machine learning.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Some understanding about computer science and mathematics will help, but even if you don't understand the technical background of ML, you can enjoy the applications section.

What do maps, Facebook, and power grids all have in common? They can be studied with graph theory! These aren't the graphs you're used to - instead, these graphs help us study things that are connected to one other. In this class, we'll learn about some basic concepts in graph theory and how it can be applied to problems in our daily lives.


Class Style
Seminar

So what is coding, actually? How is this mysterious idea of computer science used to create amazing things like Facebook, Youtube, or Flappy Bird? We’ll start with a brief overview of the most important concepts of computer programming, and transition into activities where you’ll collaborate to solve real-life problems with computer science principles.

You’ll explore the immense power of programming and stretch your imagination to the limit in this half-instructive, half-interactive class. If you’ve had little or no exposure to computer science before, this class is for you! Laptop not required.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
An open mind and willingness to engage with other Splash students

Quantum computation is one of the most interesting, powerful, and misunderstood developing technological fields. This class approaches the math and physics of QC, going over the nature of a qubit and entanglement, the mathematics and representations of quantum circuits and gates, "teleporation," and the implementation and implications of algorithms including Shor's factoring algorithm


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Basic linear algebra is preferred

An introduction to the mathematical analysis of baseball. Find out how people evaluate players, predict outcomes, and come up with statistics like BABIP, wRC+, and WAR while learning important principles in statistics and probability theory.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Familiarity with the rules of baseball and basic baseball terminology required. Basic probability and statistics knowledge is helpful, but not required.

I will start with a brief overview of the real world problems software engineers are able to solve and try to empower the students to realize they could be the next greatest programmers. I then plan on teaching the basics of CS using Karel, a simple robot living in a simple world. At the end of the workshop I will give the students a chance to write a simple program on their own based on a set of options.
I want students to leave this workshop comfortable with basic CS topics such as methods, with a taste of the excitement coding brings and hopefully the desire to learn more.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Curiosity!

At the Trinity test, Enrico Fermi dropped some pieces of paper into the air and estimated the strength of the atomic bomb to be 10 kilotons of TNT. The measured value was 18.6 kilotons of TNT. That's incredible!

However, you do not need a PhD or Nobel Prize on hand to do these back-of-the-envelope calculations! We'll be covering some concepts in estimation/approximation, scientific notation, dimensional analysis, and then proceed to problem solving! There will also be a competition among teams of students, with the prizes TBD. :)


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Comfortable with - Using scientific notation - Multiplication/division of lots of small numbers (NOT speed, just solid fundamentals) - SI units and prefixes. Makes the problems more relevant, but not required! (review attached worksheet; I will have copies in class!) See: https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/pre-algebra-exponents-radicals/pre-algebra-scientific-notation/a/scientific-notation-review

Discord is a chat service, like Skype or Facebook Messenger. You can join a group chat, and sometimes there are users with a BOT tag - these users are bots. Often these bots do fun things like post pictures at your request or help the admins organize the server. They can respond to messages and enter voice chat.

How do these bots work? What can they do? What sorts of concerns should I have when using free online bots?

How can I build one?

In this class, we will learn about how bots work, build a simple Discord chatbot, learn some Javascript, make our basic bot better, and discuss further extensions you could build. It will be open discussion/building after that.

We will be using Chromebooks provided by the Splash program, but you may bring your own laptop if you want to. If you bring your own laptop and want to run code directly on your machine, please download and install NodeJS from nodejs.org before class.

** YOU MUST HAVE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS YOU CAN ACCESS DURING THE CLASS **


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
You must have an email address that you can access during the class to create Discord and Codeanywhere accounts (they send activation links). You may also use your own Discord account. You do not need to be a frequent user of Discord. We're starting from zero. Some familiarity with basic coding in any language (if statements, functions/methods, arrays) would be useful but isn't required.

In a time when buzzwords like “artificial intelligence” and “machine learning” are tossed around frequently, why don’t intelligent agents like Siri and Amazon Alexa seem very … well, intelligent?

Sci-fi media has long promised worlds with true AI beings, like JARVIS in "Iron Man" and HAL in "2001: A Space Odyssey". But our current reality is much tamer, and it seems like such technologies are a long way off.

Artificial general intelligence, or AGI, is the study of how computers can be made to be truly as intelligent as (or more intelligent than) a human being. What is the state of AGI today? Why is it such a hard problem? What does the future hold? And is AGI really something we should strive for, anyways?

In this interdisciplinary overview, we traverse neuroscience, computer science, and philosophy to explore the fascinating topic of AGI. We start from the inception of “thinking machines” and watch how the field has progressed to the current state-of-the-art. We take a look at the human brain, how it works, and what amazing feats it can perform. Finally, we ponder what current and future AI technologies mean for us and, indeed, for our species.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Some knowledge of neuroscience and computer science is helpful, but not required.

A panel featuring Stanford computer science students, talking about their experiences in computer science at the school, but mostly about computer science in general and any advice they may have.


Class Style
Panel

Famed Splash Teachers Bill and Jake are back. And this time, they're conducting a one-of-a-kind science experiment.

In mathematical folklore there are number of facts which are widely believed to be true. But many of them have never been tested in the real world. In this class, we'll put those theories to test, and use YOU as the data points.

Can humans pick numbers which look random? Can we use mathematics to estimate heights of buildings? Can the mathematical constant $\pi$ be computed using popsicle sticks? All of these remain to be seen.


Class Style
Activity

Why do some companies continue to unsustainably pollute? During a white elephant, should I grab a new gift, or steal another's gift? Where should I eat if I want to "accidentally" bump into my crush?

All of these questions can be answered using game theory! By learning a few key concepts, you can find an interesting analysis of any game. The interesting part is identifying "games" in real life, because most, as the examples show, don't look like the games we are used to.

This course will dive into the concepts of:
- expected value of a game
- optimal strategies
- pure and mixed strategies
- more analytical tools!


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Probability, problem solving flexibility, willingness to do hands-on math

This class will cover basic logical concepts in computer science. We will use the Java programming language and code in an online IDE.

We will be working with "hard code" as opposed to something graphics-based like Alice, Scratch, Greenfoot, etc. because I feel I can best teach with code, not drag-and-drop graphical interfaces.To clarify: We will be writing code and reading textual output; not making mini graphical games or building websites.

Due to our highly limited time, we will move quickly. My goal is to give you exposure to many fundamental programming concepts (and their Java syntax) such as variable declarations, I/O, for and while loops, and if statements. I will also briefly address more general ideas in computer science such as other programming languages, IDEs, APIs, comments, and debugging. We will not cover object orientation due to time constraints.

This class is designed to give beginners a taste of the logic and mechanics involved in entry-level computer programming. Those with prior CS experience are welcome but should note that I will be starting from the beginning. Due to our limited time, we will not be able to do exercises on every concept I cover, so this class is probably *most* useful to someone who is going to continue studying CS after this class so they can solidify their understanding of the concepts I introduce. I will address avenues for continuing CS study (e.g. online MOOCs, high school classes, etc.) in class as well.

Note: Splash! will provide Chromebooks for our class to use but if you are already bringing a laptop for another class you are welcome to use that as well. I wouldn't recommend bringing a laptop for this class alone, however, because the Chromebooks will do just fine for our purposes (we are using an online IDE).


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
familiarity with algebra is highly preferred

The class covers human vision, computer image representation, computer image manipulation and generation (both simple and fractal patterns), image search, and image recognition using deep learning with Google's inception network. This is a huge amount to cover in a single class, so the class is taught in a lecture style and the focus is more on exposing the students to these topics versus attaining any specific proficiency. Handouts will give students pointers to online resources and open source software in the hope that they continue to explore these concepts after the class.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
none

The mathematical theory of knots has applications throughout mathematics, physics, chemistry, and even biology! It is used to understand the way DNA behaves, attempt construction of quantum computers, determine chirality of molecules, and more! We will explore the basic concepts of knot theory (borrowing from the 2013 PUMaC Power Round), and by the end of the session you will have enough knowledge under your belt to impress everyone at your next dinner party! So do knot hesitate to sign up, you will knot be disappointed!


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Algebra 1, particularly knowledge of polynomials.

In 1997, chess world champion Gary Kasparov lost a series of chess games against the most unexpected of opponents: a computer. IBM's Deep Blue became the first computer to ever defeat a world champion in chess, cementing the power of artificial intelligence. 19 years later history would be repeated, as professional Go player Lee Sedol lost against Google's AlphaGo artificial intelligence. How do computers manage to keep beating the best human players? In this course we will explore the algorithms and clever tricks used in artificial intelligence to gain the upper hand on human opponents, from MinMax and Monte Carlo to Neural Networks and beyond!


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
No programming experience is required for this course.

This course will provide an introduction to the concepts of cryptography. Starting with the simple one-time pad, we will give intuition for several of the most important techniques in symmetric-key and public-key cryptography. Time permitting, we will also discuss a few of the fancier cryptographic inventions of the past few decades (e.g., zero-knowledge proofs, multi-party computation, homomorphic encryption).


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Some familiarity with proof-based mathematics is strongly recommended.

Explain what programming language is for, what it can achieve, and introduce some basic programming concept, including variable declaration, for-loop, etc. Programming language used will be Python.


Class Style
Lecture

Come learn about sports and recreation in college! Whether it's Varsity, club, intramural or just pick-up games, there's something for everyone, from basketball to sailing to rock climbing. We will have a panel of 4-5 student athletes share their experiences and take questions from you all!


Class Style
Panel

A combination of dance styles from around the world implemented into fitness. Over the course of an hour, you will mirror one of Stanford's Zumba Instructors, Jay Gonzalez, in dance. Together, we will dance to these rhythms and have a good time.

"If you can walk, you can zumba." ~Beto Perez

Come, dance, and leave happy.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Exercise clothes and comfortable shoes to dance in

Do you like to sing? Have you ever thought about singing with other talented musicians? Want to know if Pitch Perfect is actually real A Capella? If you answered yes to any of those questions, come to Everyday People's A Capella seminar where we'll teaching as well as performing some of the songs that we sing throughout the year. No prior experience is necessary, just come with an open mind and be ready to sing with others!


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Any interest in music or singing!

Although photography has existed in some form for centuries, the role of photography at a sub-hobbyist level has changed substantially over that span including its boom in the past several years. Look at the purposes and artistic value of these photographs and discuss the implications of the evolution of its constraints as a medium.


Class Style
Discussion

Come hear about being involved in music and art in college from current Stanford students!


Class Style
Panel

Writing poetry, and want to get it off the page? Interested in soulful, experimental performance poetry, spoken word, or slam poetry? Come to this workshop to push the boundaries of what is possible.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Bring 1 idea for a performance poetry piece; already-written or just a seed is fine.

Have you ever wondered what goes on in your brain while watching your favorite animated TV shows or movies? Behind every successful (and unsuccessful) animation, motion and vision are interacting in an intricate way inside your brain. Learn more about the perception of motion and the persistence of vision as we make our own zoetropes and flipbook animations out of objects you can easily find!


Class Style
Activity

We will be watching A Serious Man by the Coen Brothers and having an hour of discussion about the movie and its related themes and philosophical questions afterwards.


Class Style
Discussion

Prerequisites
None

Come hang out with some members of Stanford's juggling club, Down With Gravity, and learn how to juggle 3 juggling balls. We've taught hundreds of people how to juggle. Anyone can learn!


Class Style
Activity

Art has been around since as early as 28,000 BCE (and possibly earlier!) and has continued on to today. Art gives an interesting look into different cultures and time periods that can sometimes illuminate more than history texts can. However, the 'life' of the artworks themselves can also be something worth looking into. Works have been destroyed or stolen throughout time and that is the focus of this class. We will be looking at various art crimes and thefts from the prehistoric times to the modern day. Come prepared to look at some awesome art!


Class Style
Lecture

Come learn the dance to The Boys by Girls Generation (SNSD). If you're interested in K-pop or dance, this is the place for you!

Check out this link for the dance video: https://youtu.be/XbDc7T8V3nQ


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
No dance experience necessary! Bring a water bottle and wear shoes that are easy to dance in.

Discover new ways of seeing.
Develop your style of expression.
Capture the moment.


Class Style
Activity