ESP Biography

There’s nothing more picturesque than blowing bubbles on the porch during a warm summer’s day. But have you ever thought about how strange and wonderful bubbles are? In this class we will be take the mundane and discover a multitude of complexity, hidden beneath the surface. Bubbles appear simple and plain, but the physics behind these translucent orbs is anything but. We will try to understand a number of these complexities, such as why they and oil slicks take on their rainbow-like appearance. We will then move on to the mechanism through which we appreciate them – our sight, something else often taken for granted but actually fascinatingly intricate. How do we perceive light and color, and how does the retina work? These are the questions we will try to answer together. We will blow some bubbles ourselves at the end, and hopefully by then a few minds will be blown as well! The class will largely be conceptual and not too math-y. We will write a few equations, but students with all levels of science and math backgrounds are welcome to join!