This class will give an overview of human immune system followed by an introduction on how our body recognizes different infectious agents like bacteria and virus. Then we will discuss how our immune system fights infection. Finally, benefits of immunization like flu shot will be discussed.


Prerequisites
None

There are lots of newspaper articles talking about the “recent advances in health sciences”. Some suggest that “beer helps to prevent cancer”, others assert “beer increases risks of getting cancer”. Which one should we believe?

How do doctors decide what to do when coming across contrary scientific evidences? And what doctors don’t know about the surgery they perform or the drugs they prescribe?

We will do some hands-on experiments on drawing conclusions in the world of uncertainty, and take a quick survey of current methodologies in medical sciences.


Prerequisites
Have flipped coins, or played any other games involving probability or uncertainty.

The human genome is comprised of three billion base pairs, of which, 99% are identical across the entire human population. Only a very small fraction of the genome harbors any variation. It is this small, variable fraction that plays an important role in natural selection and can inform us about events such as demography.

With genomic sequencing technology becoming increasingly cheap and accessible to the public, we are now entering an exciting era of personalized genomics and medicine. In this course, we will learn about the signatures of genetic variation that can help us understand our susceptibility to diseases and our human demographic history.

Can a sugar-pill cause morphine release? Can hypnosis cure blindness? Can looks kill (literally)? Can getting shot not hurt?

We'll talk about old history and new science developing around "mind-body" medicine, how your mind and brain affect your body in really interesting ways. We'll meet people with paralysis who can regain their movement, and blind people can regain their sight by the power of words. We'll see how the brain can produce pain completely independently of any "physical" cause. We'll discuss theories of how the brain might be involved in diseases like fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome.

If that's not enough, you'll learn about ritual executions that rely on the victim's expectation, and soldiers in WWII who get shot but don't seem to mind.

In short, we'll explore the strange and perplexing frontier where Mind meets Body.

In this class we will discuss DNA and the properties of DNA, and use this knowledge to figure out how to extract DNA from strawberries or other things (you can pick!)! Come ready to act like a scientist to solve the mystery of how to extract DNA - you will have the chance to experiment and see amazing things before your very eyes!

How do white blood cells look like? Why do we need them? What happens when things go awry with such a cell, and what causes common white blood cell related diseases? We will look at a couple of major such illnesses, and explore through the lens of the disease some of the mechanisms through which white blood cells perform their functions.


Prerequisites
knowing a bit about cells would be helpful, but not essential

DNA contains the information for all of the parts of a cell. But what happens when DNA gets damaged?

In this course, we discuss the different ways that cells have adapted to repair and tolerate changes in their DNA. We also discuss how defects in DNA repair pathways can lead to human disease, such as cancer.


Prerequisites
A general understanding of DNA and its structure would be helpful, but not essential.

Cell migration is important for the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. Biological processes such as embryonic development, wound healing, and immune responses all require the movement of cells in specific directions to specific locations. Come to this class to learn about the mechanisms that drive cell motility!

We are what we eat, right? Whether you believe that statement or not you might as well learn why we need to eat. In this class, we’ll take a biologic perspective on eating by reviewing the basic food groups, conducting hands-on experiments, and applying such knowledge to medical case studies.

How do we know what our eyes and ears are telling us are true? We'll be investigating our senses and finding places where they may break down.
Some questions we'll ask:
Why does orange juice taste bad after brushing my teeth?
How do optical illusions work?
How do ears and eyes work?

We may not answer everything because some of these questions are still being reached, but we will be showing a bunch of fun illusions to learn more about perception and why we can't always trust it.


Prerequisites
None.

Parasitic worms have been living inside the human body since times before our earliest recorded history. Unlike the infectious microbes that cause diseases more familiar to us (i.e. the flu, the common cold, gastroenteritis, etc.), adult worms tend not to be microscopic in size—some can even reach 10-20 meters in length (imagine that living inside your gut)! Come and learn about how these disgusting yet fascinating creatures find their way into human hosts, where and how they survive within the human body, and the consequences that may result from worm infections, ranging from blindness to severe deformation of body parts to impairment of physical and mental development.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of biology would be great, and an interest in learning cool things about infectious organisms will be a plus!

This class uses Stanford's collection of indigenous and imported plants to demonstrate interesting facts and features about trees.
During a walking tour of campus, students will learn about tree anatomy, ecology, and the cultural relevance of certain tree species.
Students will also learn the identifying characteristics of common tree families.

Taking images of cancer is one of the most important areas of medical engineering. There are many methods to "take a picture" of a tumor, but each has its own pros and cons. Come learn about some of the most common methods of cancer imaging, such as CT, MRI, and PET.


Prerequisites
Students should have at least a very basic idea of what cancer tumors and x-rays are.

This course will first quickly explore the basics of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)–covering what HIV is, how HIV is transmitted, and how HIV affects humans physiologically in the form of AIDS. With that basis, we can then explore how HIV has become a considerable problem in many countries, how our views about sexuality lead to discrimination against HIV positive people, why there are so many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, and what has been done to slow the spread of disease.


Prerequisites
A high-school-level Biology course is recommended, but absolutely not required.

Does DNA determine exactly how a living organism will look or behave?

How do all the many cells in the human body function differently despite having the same DNA?

Discover how non-genetic factors in our cells lead to a diversity of cell states or identities, allowing us to function as complex, multicellular organisms, but also causing serious problems such as cancer when these factors go awry.


Prerequisites
basic understanding of cancer and cell biology (if you know what oncogenes are, the structure of DNA, and what a cell is made of, you will be fine)

Primitive vaccines were developed in ancient China, India, and Africa and were the precursors for modern vaccine technology used today to prevent millions of people from suffering from diseases such as smallpox, whooping cough, and polio. How were vaccines developed? How do they work to prevent disease? What are the continuing challenges in vaccination? If a zombie apocalypse were eminent, could you be the vaccine developer to save the day?


Prerequisites
Enthusiasm for health or biology!

You've most likely heard about asthma before. Perhaps you know someone with it; a friend, a family member--maybe even yourself! In our class, we'll learn more about the condition, which is a growing problem in today's society. We'll be discussing a variety of asthma-related topics, such as what asthma really is, current treatment options, and where asthma treatment and research are headed today.

Think you know what HIV is? Want to become an expert on HIV/AIDS? In our informal seminar we aim to investigate the history of the domestic and global HIV/AIDS epidemic, mechanisms of viral transmission and cellular entry, and current research breakthroughs.


Prerequisites
Basic High School Biology

Seeing the world around us feels effortless, but our visual system is actually incredibly complicated. We automatically use assumptions about the natural world to influence the way we see objects, and our brain has specialized areas to process different types of visual information. In this class, we’ll use optical illusions to investigate the surprisingly complex tricks that our brains use to help us understand the world. We’ll learn that all of us are partially blind, that colors are not what they seem, why faces are so important, and much more!

Have you ever wondered how many and what types of invisible bugs you encounter on a daily basis? In this class, we will explore the microbes that constantly surround us - everywhere from the kitchen sink to the inside of your mouth. The class will be a half-hour lecture followed by an interactive discussion. Hands-on modeling/drawing will demonstrate what different types of microbes look like and how they interact with their environment.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of biology

In this course, we will learn how the heart works and discuss cardiovascular imaging techniques.


Prerequisites
Basic biology recommended but not required and an interest in the heart.

Are human beings still evolving?
Are performance enhancing drugs okay?
How do we cope with a future in which genetic engineering will be possible?

All animals start out as a single cell, the zygote. Embryology is the branch of science that studies the embryo: all of the stages of development between the zygote and animal's final form. This course will help answer questions such as:


-How do embryos decide where to grow a head, where to grow a tail, where to grow arms and legs, where to grow eyes, etc.?

-What do the embryos of different species of animal look like? What do they all have in common? What are the differences?

-Why do human babies grow hands while bat babies grow wings?

-Where does the embryo store all of the instructions it needs to grow and take the right shape? How does the embryo read those instructions? Can we change the instructions? What happens if we do?

-How can we study embryos? What kind of experiments can scientists do with embryos?

You will also be able to compare living and preserved embryos of different animals at different stages under the microscope. It'll be fun! :)

Learn about the Hepatitis B pandemic! Come hear about what the virus is, what the signs and symptoms are, and what YOU can do to protect your community from Hepatitis B.

Wish you could use power ups like a real life Mario or Pokemon? This interactive course allows you to do things (in class) to replicate findings from researchers around the world. Learn how practicing gratitude, looking someone in the eye, and holding a friend's hand can make even an electrical shock feel less painful!

Most of us know about prosocial behaviors--like sharing, caring and helping--but we may not realize the instant and long-term benefits they have for our physical and mental health!

I will be exploring Positive Psychology and resiliency through my five years as a Physiological Psychology researcher and over 15 years volunteering with normative and clinical populations.

Questions are encouraged and the aim for this course is to not only feel better--but also how to put research into practice
at school, work, home and with friends to buffer you against everyday stressors.

When standard treatments fail to cure blood cancers then bone marrow transplantation is the only curative option. Patients receive bone marrow cells from a healthy donor. This provides a new healthy immune system that helps keep the cancer cells from reappearing. Good Morning America host Robin Roberts received a bone marrow transplant last year for this reason. Stanford researcher Dr. Suparna Dutt will give an overview of Bone Marrow Transplantation- Blood Stem Cell Therapy that has saved thousands of lives over the past 30 years.

Learn about the core ethical ideas that govern all scientific and medical research. Discover the criteria that must be met for medical research and clinical trials. Explore the level of adherence of various forms of scientific research to these core principles and the means of oversight setup to ensure research is conducted in an ethical manner.

We will also explore specific topics, examples, and cases; where the ethics of research are non-trivial to evaluate and often accompanied with social controversy. We will apply the core principles learned to actively debated areas of scientific and medical research.

It's interesting how biological molecules work together in beautifully
complex systems such as cellular processes and even whole organisms.

Turns out structure and chemistry completely define behaviour of biomolecules!
In this class we will go over how scientists figure out the composition,
structure and specific chemical properties of biomolecules(e.g. proteins
and RNA) while maintaining native and relevant states (i.e. physiological
conditions). We will also talk about how function is affected by structure,
and structure by chemical environment and composition. Also, why all
of this is crucial to biology.


Prerequisites
AP bio would help. Curiosity and interest in science

Welcome any students and parents who would like to test their knowledge about nutrition. Can you tell what you know about nutrition is true or not? What are "made up" or are "assumptions"?
What you eat, drink, and digest in your stomach is important, because this is about you and your well-being.


Prerequisites
Be interested about nutrition and would like to know what are factual information and myths.

If you could find out whether you will develop a disease with no known cure, would you want to know?

This course will provide an introduction to the science behind Huntington’s Disease, which is a genetically inherited disease that affects both the mind and the body. After an overview of cool topics like DNA and genetics, we will talk about genetic testing – what that is, and how it applies to parents or children who may have Huntington’s Disease. You will then use this knowledge to debate the ethical concerns that arise when screening for inherited diseases.

If your parents have Huntington’s Disease, would you get tested? If you were going to have children but did not know if you had the disease, would you get tested? Would you have kids if you tested positive?


Prerequisites
Some basic biology might be helpful, but we’ll provide a quick intro at the beginning of the course too!

Curious about sex, sexual health/wellness, or about safer sex practices? Feel like your school sex ed hasn't given you all the information you want? If you said yes to either of those questions, this class is for you!

In this class, we'll take a sex-positive approach to some of the basics of sexual education. Topics will likely include things like anatomy, sexually transmitted infections, and overall sexual wellness.

Ever wonder how an animal is formed? Ever wonder what animals look like before they are born?

Did you know that all animals and even you started out as little more than a tiny ball of cells? How did these cells know to build you the way you are? In this class, we’ll examine how animals grow from such a simple form into a recognizable animal. We’ll talk about how cells in the embryo “decide” to form different tissues, and how they know where to form them. We'll also look at vertebrate embryos of different species as they develop to compare how similar/ different they are. You will be amazed by the similarities you can find between embryos of different species. We'll also crack open an egg and look at live chick embryos to explore different stages of development and talk about the different tools biologists use to study development.

What is the brain? How does it work? How can I make it stronger?

You’ll learn about awesome experiments that show that the brain can be rewired, remolded and strengthened. You’ll meet someone operating with half a brain (literally), people who built physical strength just by thinking about it, and people who rewired their brains and cured mental illnesses with the power of thought. We’ll cover what you need to know about the brain.

If you’ve got a brain, you should take this course! :)

**Updated with new materials for Fall 2013!**

Note: this course was extremely popular last Fall and Spring, so sign up soon!

Did you know that from the day that you are born you become colonized with a multitude of microorganisms? Unlike germs that can make you sick, these microbes that live on and in your body provide many benefits that keep you healthy. Come learn about the microbes that you carry around every day and how they help protect you against disease!


Prerequisites
Some background in biology and an interest in microorganisms are a plus!

Have you ever heard the term FOODprint? Did you know that when you dump uneaten food into the trash can, it not only makes a kid go hungry in sub-Saharan Africa but also contributes to global warming? Here’s a statistic: Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tons) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tons)? Can you name some of the actions YOU can take to reduce your FOODprint? Come find out in this fascinating course, entitled “Think Eat Save – Reduce Your FOODprint.”


Prerequisites
none

Have you ever wondered what happens in the third of our lives that we spend sleeping? A lot more than you might think. Sleep stages, lucid dreaming, sleep disorders, and the dangers of sleep deprivation are all covered in this course. Drowsiness is red alert!

Learn about the emerging field of neural prosthetics: electronic systems that interface with and connect to the brain and nervous system. We will start with a brief introduction to neuroscience as well as some of the guiding principles used in the field, transitioning to real-world examples.

This class will cover descriptions of neural prosthetic systems that are commercially available or under active development. Systems discussed will include retinal prostheses, cochlear implants, and cortical communication and motor prosthetics.

A basic introduction to the gene as the basic unit of biological function. We will also talk about the exciting prospect of using genetic engineering/synthetic biology to create a better world.


Prerequisites
Enthusiasm!

A fun Chocolate presentation on the history, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, manufacturing of chocolate. Some trivia, some saqmples and a free drawing for chocolate


Prerequisites
none

Learn about the science behind taste! How do we sense and distinguish different tastes? How do taste buds work? Find out all this and more!

At the end of the class you will be able to try a "Miracle Berry Tablet" which will make sour foods taste sweet.

What motivates us? What systems in the brain drive us one way or another? Why did I just check Facebook again?

In this talk, you’ll learn about sex (now I have your attention :P), addiction, pornography, drugs, altruism, self-control, and even the meaning of life. You’ll learn about how dopamine and oxytocin work and why they matter. You’ll also get some practical advice on ways to boost willpower, develop good habits and break bad ones.

If you’ve got behaviors you’d like to change, you should take this course! :)

Ever wonder how your brain makes you who you are? How does your brain help you see and move? Can we come up with a cure for brain diseases? This class is a hands-on introduction to the brain and its various functions. It's your chance to ask your burning questions about the brain to a bunch of people studying it!

Buried not so deeply inside the gooey fathoms of your brain are the secrets that have plagued poets and philosophers for millennia. That's right, they are just sitting there mocking us. But don't be fooled my friends. The brain can be a harsh mistress. Centuries of scientists laboring away their lives in windowless basement laboratories (which always smell oddly like dusty bologna) have discovered exactly 5 and 1/2 brain facts. Okay that's not exactly true. They have discovered a lot more than that. But only 5 and 1/2 of these facts were so face-meltingly awesome that upon learning them I fell out of my chair and wept uncontrollably on the floor for hours. I recommend you bring your own helmet and box of facial tissues to class. While your at it a change of pants isn't a terrible idea. (Okay just kidding you don't need any of that stuff)

Mud is not just for little children. There's a lot of great biology going on down in the muck. Did you know that there are microbes that breathe metal and ones that will die if they're exposed to oxygen? There's a whole world of bacteria that has nothing to do with the stuff we worry about being in your food. We'll be making and learning about Winogradsky columns (self sustaining microbial ecosystems that fit in a soda bottle) that show the amazing diversity of microbes in a clear, colorful way that you can take home and watch grow.


Prerequisites
A willingness to get your hands dirty

Almost 60% of kids experience a traumatic event before age 16, such as getting hurt, seeing someone else get badly hurt, or other frightening events. These experiences can be difficult to forget, and can affect a person in a lot of ways. This class explains how teens might deal with trauma in different ways, and what brain imaging has taught us about the ways that the brain responds to trauma and stress, as well as how it can recover


Prerequisites
intro biology intro psychology

One in every three women and one in two men will contract it. We wear cute pink tee shirts and run 3 Days for it. You pay $20 of hard-earned cash to your friends who do Team in Training. But how much do you really know about cancer? In this class, we'll discuss causes, biology, types, and treatments for cancer.

Bacteria are everywhere and similar to humans they communicate with each other and reside within “small houses”. Enroll for this course to learn about the exciting features of a bacterial village and how it is produced during diseases.


Prerequisites
An interest in biology and micro-organisms will be a plus

Each student will build a simple speaker to take home. We will transmit music wirelessly and learn about sound, how speakers work, and basic circuits.


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.

We will be teaching about water contamination and processes that are used to treat water to make it safe for drinking. The activity will allow students to design filters to clean water that is visibly dirty (i.e. turbid). We will split the students into groups of 3-4, and they will have the opportunity to make filters out of different materials to clean the water.

We will teach you how to rapidly prototype and validate your ideas for starting your own business. By the end of the session, you will know how to create your own web application from scratch. We will also discuss how web businesses are formed. Instructors have backgrounds in engineering and product development at Stanford University, Microsoft, and several startups.


Prerequisites
Programming experience in Java, C/C++

What is the fastest and most fascinating thing in the whole universe? LIGHT!

In this class, we will delve into the magical world of light. We will talk about how ordinary sunlight is powerful enough to provide more energy in 2 hours than the world uses in one year. Then we will move on to much cooler topics such as how light can be harnessed to build Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber or Iron Man's laser beams.


Prerequisites
Basic physics knowledge

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.

This class provides an overview of a few topics (including a demonstration) from some of the following technical fields: engineering, mathematics, computer science, and statistics.

We hope this will be a great opportunity for students to learn about interesting projects and careers in engineering and other related fields. Questions and discussion are welcome!

Students of all ages are encouraged, and the discussion will be tailored to the level of students enrolled.

This event is partly sponsored by IEEE (Institute for electronics and electrical engineers).

Learn the basics of digital circuit design. I will teach students about switches, boolean operations and boolean gates, the basics of digital electronics. I will also teach students about how counters (like the decimal counter on a wristwatch) can be made using boolean gates and a clock pulse. I will then transition to more complex tools like multiplexers/demultiplexers and flip-flops, the latter of which is a crucial tool in computer hardware.


Prerequisites
Circuits at the level taught in high school physics classes.

*** DISCLAIMER: Taking this class will get you into Stanford. Guaranteed. ***

"Hi. I have been stalking you for the last 10 years of your life. I've compiled my observations into a 100% factual narrative of your life story. Want to read it?"

Well... would you?

Creepy hypothetical stalkers aside, we are all living out a story. This class is for those of us who want to make it a great one.

WHAT WE WILL DO: 1. It's a secret.
2. (didn't I just say it was a secret?!)
3. Fine, some of it will involve airborne whip cream.

ABOUT ME: My name is David, I love jazz piano, being crazy in public, performing slam poetry (is there a difference?), robotics, quantum mechanics, and listening to people's stories.

This class will cover the basics of radio communication, with an emphasis on space based radio communication. Learn about:

-Radio theory
-Antennas
-Time domain vs Frequency Domain
-Digital communication
-How to track and communicate with satellites


Students will get a chance to make their own amateur radio satellite contact!


Prerequisites
-Completion of beginning Algebra -Motivation to learn

The ability to spontaneously repair damage, which is termed as self-healing, is an important survival feature in nature because it increases the lifetime of most living creatures. Our human skin is a perfect example of self-healing capability: minor cut can be healed completely while severe cut can lead to scars. This class mainly focused on the examples of implanting this amazing self-healing feature onto electronics, like electronic skins. We can witness the miracles only in science fictions are now coming true!

Polymers are fascinating materials that can be found almost everywhere in our daily lives. These macromolecules have many repeating subunits that form long chains and networks. From the skin on our bones to the plastics we buy at the store, polymers come in all shapes and sizes. In this short course, we'll learn about polymers through fun hands-on activities that highlight some of their most important properties.

1. PM role: What does PM do every day? What are required skills for a PM? What is the difference between top 1% PMs and 10% PMs? How to get prepared to become a great PM? Who are some great PMs in the US? …
2. Product Development Process: What is defined as a great product? How to create great products? How to measure the success of a product? How to work with different team to get things done? …

Come take part in a marble roller coaster design competition! We will discuss the basic physics behind designing a roller coaster and what components different engineers work on. Then we will group you into teams - you get to build your own roller coaster out of newspaper and tape! Prizes for the best design!


Prerequisites
None.

Explaining the rules of cricket.


Prerequisites
-

Question: What do Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have in common?

Answer: They're both billionaires and they both love the card game bridge.

If you too aspire to become a bridge-playing billionaire, then the first step is to learn how to play bridge! (Sadly, the second step is not covered in this class.)

Bridge is a brainy card game somewhat like hearts. It's especially fun because it's played 2 on 2, so if you ever lose (hypothetically, of course) you've got someone other than yourself to blame!

This class is for anyone and everyone who wants to learn bridge. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!

Most people would agree that games are a lot of fun. Not as many people realize that they can have a purpose as well. There are lots of types, including ice breakers, get to know you games, and energizers. In this class, we will get to talk about why certain games exist and how to use them, but most importantly, have lots of fun playing games!

This class will teach you some typical exercise routines that ballet dancers go through before each rehearsal. Inspired by the New York City Ballet workout, you'll learn how to increase your strength and flexibility to help in sports, dance, and health in general! It will include some fun music too!


Prerequisites
No prior dance experience required, just a little enthusiasm and some stretchy pants/socks or dance shoes!

Have you heard of supercell? Do you know who Hatsune Miku is? We’ll examine how Japanese MAD’s and the virtual singing idol software Vocaloid have impacted Japanese (and now the world’s) popular culture.

You might have heard of Touhou Project, a series of indie shoot-em-up games that have taken the anime-comic-game community by storm, racking up hits on websites such as Pixiv, NicoNicoDouga, and conventions like Comiket and abroad. Come learn about why it is the #1 most popular fan franchise in internet history!

Learn a brief history of Mehandi, known as Henna - a traditional body art. Explore traditional and modern uses and designs, learn the science of henna, then practice designing your own henna tattoo and adorn yourself!

Participants will learn about the cultural history of henna and it’s common uses then and now from decorating hands and feet to coloring clothing and drums. After a brief lecture participants will practice drawing designs and apply a design to their hands. Participants will leave with a design, the instructors henna recipe, and care instructions.

This session uses natural henna (www.hennaforhair.com) lemon juice, and hairspray as a fixative for the henna. The Henna will be pre-made in cones, but you will learn to make your own henna cone. Leave the paste on for a minimum of four hours up to overnight if you cover your design. Henna is a stain so don't wear your favorite outfit to this session in case you spill.

Questions? Please email the instructor.

Come and learn what you are eating!!
We will explore label reading on packaged foods - fresh, frozen, canned, as a meal, desserts, cereals and more.
There will be samples and hands on practice. At the end, let’s have some fun and strength a little. There will be a short but fun session on introduction to Chi Quong for health and everyday exercise. It is simple and easy to do.

Magic: the Gathering is one of the oldest collectable card games and is still played today by thousands of people.

In this class, we’ll go over the basic rules of the game, find out why Magic is such an awesome game, and then make our own decks and play them against other people!

You’ll leave with a lot of free cards, an understanding of the game of Magic, and a great time!


Prerequisites
No experience required, but people that have some knowledge of Magic are advised to contact me @ lamdavid@stanford.edu before signing up. All you have to bring is an open mind and excitement.

Learn how to fold a medium difficulty 4-petaled origami roses, based on the crane-base.


Prerequisites
Being able to fold a crane would be good

Come find out what makes a great photo! You'll learn about topics like composition, exposure, lighting, etc. Don't know what those are? Great! We'll teach you all that. You'll come out of the class with a better understanding of how a camera works so you can use that knowledge to your advantage and show off your awesome photography to your friends!


Prerequisites
None. If you bring a camera, I can help you learn the controls, but there is no actual photography in this course. For that you should take my course "Photography Excursion" held later in the day.

Advanced photographic knowledge and techniques, including exposure triangle, light value, depth of field, lens optics, filters, and image processing tools like Photoshop.


Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic photography, competence with math and physics. There is no actual photography in this course; for that you should take my course "Photography Excursion" held later in the day. Optional: Bring your best photos on a card, flash drive, computer, etc. to share with others.

Relax and relieve your stress by exploring your artistic skills !

Learn the lacrosse basics! In under 2 hours you'll play your first mini lacrosse game. No experience needed, and gear will be provided.

Much of historical European politics would have made more sense if you were there at the time. This class will give you a chance to recreate those politics. Take command of countries in a simple war game and learn about the balance of power by seeing it play out in action.

Join us in a walking tour of the magnificent Stanford campus. We will start in the Main Quad and visit many other locations, taking pictures as we go. At the end we can compare photos on a computer and even edit them if we have time.


Prerequisites
A camera is required for this course, preferably a camera with manual controls such as a DSLR. Photographic knowledge and skills will help you make better photos, so taking one or both of my previous courses ("Introduction to Photography" and "Technical Aspects of Photography") is highly recommended.

Stanford Quidditch, Silicon Valley Skrewts, and San Jose State Owls want you! We'll go over the basics of quidditch as it is played by high schools, colleges, and community teams throughout the world, and play some scrimmages. We'll provide the brooms!

Wear shoes you can run in (e.g. sneakers).
Bring a water bottle so you can keep hydrated.
Sunscreen is recommended.

Learn how to play REAL mahjong, not mahjong solitaire. Riichi mahjong is the most common variant played in Japan, which is similar to but has a few key differences from Chinese mahjong.


Prerequisites
None, but knowing some basic Chinese characters such as numbers will help.

A fun presentation about invention and patenting using familiar toys (SLINKY, FRISBEE Yo-YO, etc) as props.
A free drawing will be held at the end of the lectrue for a patented tooy and a copy of its US patent.
Free web site
pat2pdf.org
#6469 is for A. Lincoln.


Prerequisites
none

Bank bailouts. Stealing to feed your hungry kid. Lying to save Jews in your basement. Waterboarding. What’s right and what’s wrong? And how do we know?

This will be a crash course in Ethics, the rigorous discipline of determining what’s right. This lost science will be critical for anyone who will have to make decisions in their life.

I’m modeling this course after the enormously popular class and book taught by Michael Sandel at Harvard (Google my course title).

When we think of teaching, we tend to envision a classroom setting with lots of desks and a teacher at the front. This is *a* form of teaching, but there are many other things that also use its skillset - running a summer camp, tutoring, and docenting are all examples of the many places you can apply teaching skills besides the classroom.

The purpose of this class is to go over basic skills and knowledge to aid in learning how to teach effectively. It is a very interaction and discussion-based class, NOT lecture-based, so come prepared to participate and actively contribute to the class!

In this class, you’ll talk to a panel of students from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds who made it to Stanford and are thriving as leaders today. Many of these students come from low-income rural and inner-city public and charter schools. Many are also first generation college students whose parents did not attend college. They’ll tell their stories and provide their thoughts on the key elements to success as a student from an underserved or underrepresented area. They will also discuss how to make the most out of your education and programs like Splash! This is NOT a class to ask about how to get into Stanford. This is a class geared towards the needs of the low-income, underrepresented students that come to Splash through financial aid.

Are you anxious about internship, college, or job interviews? Come to this interactive course to receive solid tips from a Class of 1992 Harvard College pre-med turned United Nations intern turned US Department of State diplomatic interpreter turned multinational law firm corporate attorney turned venture investor, cross-border business consultant and strategist, and bilingual communications specialist and published translator/editor who has been on both sides of these interviews since high school. This course is for anyone wishing to develop and fine-tune interviewing skills that can be applied in a variety of settings.

Topics will include:
Preparation
Presentation
Common interview questions
Common pitfalls
Closing the interview
Thank you notes

You might think Facebook and Twitter are just an outlet for your thoughts and a platform to connect with friends, but you're wrong!
Your online persona is increasingly more important for future professors, landlords, and employers to size you up before they ever meet you.
Learn the Do's and Don'ts of online media.

What does it mean to live in the moment? And why would we want to?

Mindfulness and meditation are all about waking up and appreciating each moment of our lives. They can help us rewire our brains for the better, helping us to deal with stress, to feel happier and healthier, and to act with kindness and compassion.

And we can apply them anywhere, anytime--whether we're eating a chocolate chip cookie, or talking to a friend, or doing homework, or just breathing!

In this class, we'll talk about what mindfulness and meditation are all about, and we'll learn some simple ways to apply them right now in your own life.

“In the end, just three things matter:

How well we have lived
How well we have loved
How well we have learned to let go”
― Jack Kornfield

Do you wonder why certain people seem to have all the connections and you don't? Want to get ahead and make the right connections to help you in college and in the work force? Come on in and we will explore what to do and why to do it.

Let’s brainstorm to design a satisfying and sustainable life. We'll have group discussion of values, choices and results. We'll explore the intersection of satisfaction, sustainability, consumption and community. People increasingly are viewed as "consumers". Let's explore the balance of many possible roles in our lives and how they can add satisfaction and promote sustainability

Every wondered how to get the most out of life?

With so many options out there, how do you decide what you like and what you can succeed in?

What this class will offer is a framework for anyone interested in exploring the infinite possibilities life has to offer.

In this introduction to outdoor leadership we'll talk about group dynamics, community-building, risk management and a quick intro to some outdoor living skills. This class is a good fit for anyone with an interest in the outdoors -- all backgrounds welcome!


Prerequisites
None!

Introduction to personal finance basics to help lay the foundation for lifelong learning about money management and its impact on your life.

What will be covered -
Basics of money, difference between cash and credit, banking and its purpose, checking and savings account, inflation, compound interest and elementary basics of stocks and bonds and its overall influence in our economy.


Prerequisites
None

Ideas are the force that drives science and technology. They are the spark that begins every new invention, and every new solution to every problem – even the little ones that we have to deal with every day. But creativity is often thought of as restricted to arts and crafts, and its importance in problem solving is underestimated. I will teach you how I systematically approach new situations, with an emphasis on how to come up with new ideas. Be prepared to think outside the box!

What is a consortium? What are the advantages and disadvantages when considering college? We will discuss examples (Claremont Colleges, Five Colleges, etc.) and their differences/similarities between higher education in general and each other.

Discuss different leadership and managerial skills you will need not only in your professional career but in many aspects of your life. Talk about how to bring these aspects out of you. We'll go over the skills, what it will take to develop and refine them, and how to apply them to your daily life.

Scientists in positive psychology and neuroscience have been focusing on what we are all looking for, happiness. Come learn about their findings and some practical ways in which we can all find happiness right now, exactly where we are. We will discuss daily practices and mindsets in order to create a happier life.


Prerequisites
An open mind

Why should you volunteer local or abroad? How and Where? During this class we will answer these questions and also touch on how to use volunteer experience on college applications and job resumes. We'll provide personal examples of volunteering as co-organizers of our own volunteer group and unique experiences such as volunteering in prisons and various countries abroad.

Ever wonder what it means to be happy? Ever wonder if happiness is something you can truly achieve? Well, fear not, in The Art of Happiness, we will go on a journey together through some of the research that has been done on Happiness and positive psychology. From this, you will learn different practices to express happiness, coping mechanisms to deal with stress and overall, how to create your own authentic source of pure happiness!

*Note: Presentation will be very interactive and engaging, student responses will be asked.


Prerequisites
Come with an open mind, a readiness to learn, to engage and to be happier!

Let's adjust gears, brakes, and the way a bike fits so your ride improves. We even patch tires, and fix klunky, squeky things. Bring your bike if you can.

An interactive discussion about how the next generation can get involved in solving world problems. We will specifically work with the United Nation's Foundation Girl Up campaign. Girl Up provides a platform for girls like you to channel your energy and compassion to help the world's hardest to reach girls. Learn how to become a leader in your community and get free swag through our interactive workshop! Join us to learn more about how you can make a difference in our world.

Has a friend ever come to you in a time of need? Have you ever felt like you didn’t know what to say? Come practice with Stanford Peer Counselors who will help you become a better listener and a more supportive friend!


Prerequisites
None

The world needs great leaders to tackle its biggest problems… and that starts with YOU! Although women are underrepresented in today's leadership ranks, this class will inspire and teach you how to position yourself as a leader in high school, college, and beyond. Come learn about relevant leadership skills such as effective negotiation and clear communication that will help you excel in a variety of academic, personal, and professional situations. More importantly you will also learn how to put these skills into practice starting today --including securing dream mentors, finding internships, navigating the college application process, and getting on the right trajectory for career achievement early on.

The instructors for this class feature women from the Stanford community who have extensive experience leading and making innovative contributions to their fields. They also have a passion for helping students achieve their leadership potential, which you can learn more about at www.missceo.org.


Prerequisites
A desire to learn, grow, and discover your inner leader.

Take part in Decision Simulation where student trek in Nepal and face a decision. Learn a framework for decision making.


Prerequisites
none

If you want to learn about your favorite players, from LeBron to Kobe to Messi to Miguel Cabrera, we'll teach you how to compare them in each of their sports through statistics and other analysis.

Have you ever felt shy or nervous when speaking in front of a group? Want to learn how to win an argument (and do it in style)?

This class will engage you in the thrill of public speaking and provide you with a taste of competitive debate!

We will start off with fun drills to help you become fearless and confident in your public speaking skills, then progress to lively mini-debate rounds with your fellow classmates. It should be an interactive and fun time for all!

[Taught by the team of volunteer student coaches from the Stanford Youth Debate Initiative]

Knowing how you think best can make you a better thinker!

Discover the four ways of thinking needed to solve problems and be creative. Knowing your thinking style can not only help you think better, but it can also help you work more effectively in teams.

Did you know that gratitude and compassion can rewire your brain and behavior for the better? Did you also know that they can help you deal with stress in school, improve your physical health, and transform your social life? In this class, you'll learn about the power of gratitude, mindfulness, and self-compassion to change your life and increase your happiness! We'll look at scientific research from positive psychology and neurobiology, discuss all things happiness, and engage in a few fun exercises that will be useful in your everyday life. By the end of the class, you'll have tangible tools to help improve your academic, personal, and social life.


Prerequisites
None, just an open mind!

There's more to getting into college than making the grades. Come learn how to prepare for college while in high school.

This class will expose students to an abridged version of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We will discuss each of the seven habits and take part in interactive activities about them.

You're heading to college this fall. Congratulations! But now that you're in, how do you survive and thrive there?

I was a first generation college student who learned many useful tips to make the most of my college experience.

Come hear about all the things I wish I had known before going to college.

First generation college students are especially encouraged to attend!


Prerequisites
The course is designed to help seniors who will be going to college in the near future.

Facts. They are useful. But unfortunately, not always available. Luckily for you, this class is all about how to break your crippling dependency on facts.

Come learn all about creating information without worrying about inconsequential things such as "reality", or "truth". Become an expert at being an expert. I know what I'm talking about, and so can you!

What is "friendship"? This class will explore historical, philosophical views of friendship from Plato and Aristotle to contemporary philosophers. While surveying historical views of friendship, we will aim at answering the first question and questions like: "Do we have 'true' friends?", "What does it mean to act justly or unjustly towards our friends?", and "Can we live without friends?".

Most importantly, each student will be pushed to form a personal view of friendship.


Prerequisites
There are none! Students are encouraged to come in with their own idea of what friendship is, while being open to new ideas.

Do you like telling stories? Do you wish you were better at expressing your thoughts and ideas in front of an audience? Whether you're talking to a group of 2 or 200, whether you're a scientist, an engineer, or a politician, getting your audience to quickly understand your ideas and be convinced by your arguments is a very useful superpower to have.

We'll cover a broad range of tips and tricks, from how to engage and hold your audience's attention, to how to organize your thoughts and express your ideas clearly.

Our class philosophy is: this is a safe environment, with no grades or judgment. We're here to practice and learn something. So, whether you've never spoken in public before or you're looking to hone your skills, come by and let's talk.

If you would like to learn how to make chicken-scallion potstickers, or if you would like to learn a bit about David Foster Wallace's unfinished work \emph{The Pale King}, this is the class for you! The literary portion will be suitable for vegetarians, but the food will not. We won't go into much depth in our study of TPK; my goal is simply to spark your interest and maybe even inspire you to read the whole book.

Learn to take care of yourself, so that you can feel well.

Design your own conversations to get more ideas and go to new and unfamiliar places. We'll discuss different conversational styles and practice a couple short exercises in class. You'll leave with ideas about how you can design your own to fit your goals.


Prerequisites
None

Students participate in a group project where they are students trekking in Nepal and face a difficult decision. They learn a decision framework to handle the situation and future decisions they face in life. Compared with the shorter version of this course (45 minutes), students will have an additional fun activity that expands their understanding of decision making.

Lunch this year is included in the tuition fee and free for all Splash participants! You must wear your nametag to receive lunch.


Prerequisites
your Splash nametag

Lunch this year is included in the tuition fee and free for all Splash participants! You must wear your nametag to receive lunch.


Prerequisites
your Splash nametag

You need not know how to code to build a web application prototype quickly.
This class teaches 'How to build web prototypes rapidly' for testing an idea with users, before developing the real application.


Prerequisites
None Recommended (not required) for the students to have a laptop plus internet connection

Have you ever imagined what happens behind the scenes when you go to a web page, say http://www.stanfordesp.org, on your web browser? How does the browser connect to the server (machine that serves the pages) and what protocols does it use to communicate? How does the server locate the page that it needs to serve and in what format does it send it back? Finally what is the process by which the web page is displayed?

Join me in this class as we embark upon a fascinating journey through the inner workings of the INTERNET.

More modern programming languages are becoming more and more abstract these days. Python is one of them! In this class I will teach the Python language and also tell you guys why it is a great language to code in!

Sampling from a probability distribution is an essential component in tasks such as machine learning or simulation, and is often surprisingly difficult. For example: sampling animals according to how likely they are to survive (the analogy used in the class), sampling dynamic video game scenes according to how realistic they are, or helping a lost robot navigate by sampling over possible locations.

The theoretical portion of the class introduces the basics of sampling, and algorithms up through genetic algorithms and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. The second half of the class will be a programming project implementing the methods from the first half to make your own learning program!


Prerequisites
Basic statistics (Bayes Rule, joint/conditional probability, etc.); Basic programming (Python) for the second half.

Ever wondered how to store massive amounts of data in an organized and efficient way? The answer is Databases!

In this course we will learn the fundamentals of Databases and look at MySQL as an example. We will also learn to install and run a MySQL database.

Ever wonder why knowledge of $$\hat{f}(s)=\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}dt\cdot e^{-2\pi ist}f(t)$$ tells you how your music sounds without even having to hear it? Find out how the Fourier transform can be used to create electronic music with a computer. We'll use a synthesizer and frequency filter to make some cool sounds.

If you can, bring your laptop, and I'll show you how to get started.


Prerequisites
Calculus could be useful to understand the math, but ultimately, we'll look at the ideas from a conceptual point of view.

'The extremely polite monks who lives on THIS farm likes to play tricks on each other. On a lightless night when brothers Alfred and Benjamin were both snoring soundly, brother Craig sneaks in and colored their shaven head blue. Both monks woke up noticing each other's blue head but too polite to tell, too polite to ask if they too, had their head colored blue. The silence broke when brother Dave broke in, blurted out the sentence, "At least one of you have a blue head".
Two seconds later, the two monks blushed one after another. (Why? Hint: traverse down both monks' train of thought) Without Dave's innocent remark, neither train of thought would have been set on motion, yet, Daves tell them nothing - apparently - that they do not know already.'

This is a classical prologue to a philosophical field, namely common knowledge. In layman account, knowing what one knows is insufficient, knowing what others know, what other knows that one know that ......

In this session, I will present several mathematical games that illustrate this concept. Join this session if you yearn for a mind blogging break after a week full of classes!

Credit (Inspiration and exceprt source): Math Hysteria by Ian Stewart


Prerequisites
Basic Arithmetic Skill

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!


Prerequisites
Familiarity with algebra, comfort with basic mathematical proofs.

There is math. Like no math in school. And proofs full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive them, you need to be as mad as a hatter!


Prerequisites
BYOH* and prepare yourself for logic that doesn't make any sense. *Bring your own hat (something with a rim that can support an index card please)

This will be a rapid introduction to the Lambda Calculus, a theoretical model of computing originally proposed by Alonzo Church in the 1930s. We will explore how, starting from the barest primitive ideas, you can derive all the comutational power of a modern desktop computer! NOTE: This is not the calculus you've heard about in school! In fact, there are almost no numbers involved, and you don't need to know any math -- just have a curiosity for some slightly abstract reasoning.


Prerequisites
Some programming experience will be helpful but not at all required.

Never fight over how to share again! Learn some simple (and some not-so-simple) techniques for fairly dividing things up, and learn the logic behind why they work! Then try them out for yourself.

WHat is the difference between a computer scientist and a programmer? What is computer science mostly about? What do computer scientists do? What sort of topics do computer scientists specialize in? Learn about the hottest discipline of the 21st century (i.e. the one with the biggest demand in the job market according to projections of the bureau of labor statistics).


Prerequisites
None

Do you enjoy math, but don’t like getting bogged down in tedious algebra? Do you like beautiful results, but hate formal proofs that give no intuition?

In this class, we'll go through bunch of seemingly intractable or messy problems and then give short, sweet solutions that you can understand in your head. It's like golf -- the fewest number of moves wins!

This class will probably feature your favorite characters, like prisoners with hats, rational dinosaurs, and pirates doing pirate stuff.

Do you want to learn how to program? Have you heard about "coding" or "programming" before but don't know what it is? If you have no previous programming background, this class is for you.


Prerequisites
None

We will build colorful visualizations of shapes and functions in different dimensions. You'll get to take home your very own model of a hypercube!

"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities." - John Green

There's something funny about working with infinity. How can some infinities be bigger than others? Concepts that are normally easy, like addition, are quite counterintuitive once we start working with infinity.

In this class, we will go over some fundamentals about countability, denseness, and finding/proving bijections! We will also cover Cantor's diagonalization arguments, Hilbert's hotel, and briefly talk about the continuum hypothesis.


Prerequisites
Some basic exposure to proofs and an open mind!

Despite their simple definition (a set of points connected by some number of lines) the study of abstract graphs has far-reaching applications such as mapping, social networks, and routing resources in Computer Science. We'll have a look at some fundamental properties of graphs of interest to computer scientists and some algorithms that help us harness useful information from graphs. Along the way, we'll also have a look at some USACO problems that involve graph theory to help you develop some intuition for the subject.


Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites, but you'll appreciate the material a lot more if you have taken a basic class in programming.

It's really hard to factor a really big number into two primes. It seems like a simple idea, but it's the basis for the RSA cryptosystem which is at the core of our internet security infrastructure. Come learn how one of the most commonly-used cryptographic algorithms (and related friends!) work, and how to mathematically prove they're secure.

What was once considered an esoteric realm of pure mathematics has profoundly practical implications in the domain of cryptography and encryption; learn how the study of prime numbers forms the basis for public-key encryption as we trace the evolution of number theory from Euclid's Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic all the way to RSA and beyond.


Prerequisites
Basic algebra

Isn't it funny how after you learn a new word, it begins to show up everywhere?

What's the chance that two people in your class were born on the same day? How about three people on the same day?

We'll talk about how we can understand coincidences in everyday life using tools from probability (e.g., balls and bins model, poisson processes) and some ideas from psychology.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with limits, basic statistics, binomial expansion.

If two people have to split a cake, is it "fair" if one cuts and the other gets to choose which piece they want? Does this still work for 3 people? What if 100 pirates need to split up their $1000 of loot? Or if you need to split a $20 weekly allowance between you and your younger sibling? How should ESP decide who gets into what classes? And, if we publish the lottery algorithm, what makes a system easy or difficult to 'game'? This class will explore the concepts of "fairness" and of "game theory" - using the intersection to discuss practical cases where people care about the result... LIKE WHEN THERE'S CAKE INVOLVED!!! (yes, there will be cake, and it will not be a lie)

The number 41 is a sum of two squares (25+16). Can you write 37 as a sum of two squares? How about 43 or 47? To a mathematician, the next obvious step is to find the pattern and make a conjecture. Only once we know what is true is it possible to prove it. We will illustrate how mathematical research is done by finding an answer to the question of which numbers are a sum of two primes and then proving it using the arithmetic of the Gaussian integers.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with the complex numbers and the desire to talk about theoretical mathematics and proofs.

We will briefly cover the history of AI before discussing a variety of algorithms that are representative of major paradigms. The objective of our session will not be to understand the details of particular algorithms, but rather to get a feel for how one can approach various problems in AI.


Prerequisites
A good mathematical background and/or strong mathematical intuition would be helpful.

Why does the sun orbit the earth in a perfect circle? How do we know that the universe is shaped like a luggage trunk, with the rectangular earth resting askew at its base? Why are there exactly six planets? And how can we hear the ethereal hum of the great crystal spheres on which the planets agglomerate?

We'll discover the sublime and hilarious history of cosmology, from Pythagorus to Kepler (600BC-1600AD, approximately), and learn some of the beautiful mathematics underlying their insane theories of the universe. We'll also talk a bit about the personalities and aesthetics which motivated science before the scientific revolution.

This will be a weird and dangerous mix of history, math, and philosophy.

Ever wondered how the apps on an iPhone work? Ever wanted to go behind the scenes and make your own? We’ll take a look at how an iPhone app is created, from designing the interface to writing the code. Get a taste of what real developers do on a daily basis, and how you can make your own apps!


Prerequisites
Core programming knowledge, including functions and variables (knowledge of object-oriented programming, including classes and methods, recommended).

Every wondered what exactly people mean by the "fourth dimension"? Have you ever been skeptical of those who say it's impossible to visualize anything beyond three dimensions? Bollox! I say it absolutely is possible for humans to visualize higher dimensions, and while I believe it takes longer than one short class to do so, I can at least explain how you might start.

We will first go over the basics of what the fourth dimensions is, then I will devote most of the class time to going through a series of visualizations for various four dimensional shapes and figures. If you enjoy any one of math, philosophy, pretty pictures, or having your mind twisted in a knot, this class is for you.


Prerequisites
None!

Want to learn how to program a cloud? or a rough, and unpredictable mountain? or an infinitely precisely shaded fern? Then sign up for this class and I will BOTH introduce you to JavaScript, a powerful visual programming tool, and show you around the psychedelic world of Fractals! Check out some of these images and see if you can tell which are real and which are mathematically-generated forgeries: http://tinyurl.com/8erkfxy Those which are forgeries are made using Fractals: mathematical objects which are produced by repeating very simple instructions over and over again. You'd never want to draw these images by hand, but with the aid of computers, we can plot hundreds of thousands of points in seconds. This ability enables us to decode natural objects which the "smooth" curves and platonic solids you learn about in high school can never emulate.

Computer algorithms are behind many of the things we do in our day to day life. Whether it’s finding mutual friends on Facebook, using the iPhone auto-correct, or searching for something on Google, computer algorithms enable us to do things that we otherwise could not. We’ll also cover the logic behind these algorithms and others in the products we use every day.

We’ll discuss things that computer are really good at (like sorting a list of 1,000,000 numbers in less than a second), and things that computers are really bad at (like figuring out the optimal way to organize student’s schedules at a school).

We’ll spend the first half of class understanding ways to break down problems like a Computer Scientist. In the second half of class, students will begin devise algorithms on paper to solve real-world problems.

Much like the study of Computer Science in college, this course focuses on problem solving over writing code. No programming experience is needed for this course.

Knot theory is an exciting branch of topology, the mathematical study of shape. With knot theory, we can analyze the very rich structures and patterns hidden within knots. We can also make fascinating discoveries - for example, did you know that knots appear in the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and many other of Leonardo da Vinci's works? This Splash class looks at knot theory from both mathematical and artistic perspectives and should be a lot of fun for anyone who likes math, puzzles, or art!


Prerequisites
Interest in puzzles, art, math, or some combination thereof!

... where SQL ("Structured Query Language" if you must) is pronounced "sequel."

Learn about SQL injection, a tactic for getting unauthorized data (read: "credit card numbers and passwords") through standard user interfaces (read: "by typing stuff into web forms"). We'll talk about the technical details of how the exploit works and how websites defend against it.


Prerequisites
You should have used some sort of computer programming language before, even briefly.

We will discuss what has come to be known as "the curse of dimensionality" - - a major challenge of modern data analysis important for making predictions in health care, biology, economics, and even presidential elections. Paradoxically, sometimes more data can lead to illusions of structure, and erroneous not-so-scientific findings. We will discuss some of these paradoxes and how mathematicians and scientists solve high-dimensional problems.


Prerequisites
Calculus

Learn to make your own math-y animations by drawing polyhedra flip-books demonstrating the relationships between the platonic solids.

In this course, we learn to make interactive websites with Node.js, we will build a working chat website so if you have a laptop handy it can be used in demos. I will also show how you can easily upload your web app using Heroku.

What is infinity? Is "infinity" a number? Does `\frac{1}{0} = \infty`? What does it mean when a mathematician tells you that some infinities are bigger than others?

We'll explore what mathematicians mean by "infinity", talk about different sizes of infinities and how to compare them, and more!


Prerequisites
Some familiarity with abstract mathematical reasoning

Come learn the fundamentals of Game Theory and Mechanism Design, the mathematics of strategy, by formally analyzing problems that occur in our day-to-day lives!

Urban Dictionary defines the "Sidewalk Shuffle" as "the awkward dance that results when two people approach each other from opposite directions, each attempts to move out of the other's way, and both end up moving in the same direction. Often followed by further ungainly movement, apologies, and awkward laughter." Has this ever happened to you? Was it awful? Learn Game Theory and never have to experience it again!

Now, imagine you have a giant golden hippopotamus statue taking up space in your room that you want to get rid of. You ask all your friends how much they'd pay you for it, then the highest bidder gets it in exchange for their bid, right? WRONG! Learn Mechanism Design and find out how to make even more money from your friends in this situation.


Prerequisites
High School Algebra 1

Can machines learn? Will they ever achieve a level of sentience that rivals that of humans? These are great questions that we will *not* answer in this class. Instead, we'll layout some of the foundations for classic machine learning techniques.

Starting with the maximum likelihood approach, we will cover topics such as binary classification, regression, or fitting to a mixture of gaussians, and will show you how to derive their update rules.

We'll end with real world examples, potentially in biology.


Prerequisites
Calculus

Quick, think of a number between 0-15! Done? Okay, now I’ll ask you few questions. To each question, you must answer "yes" or "no," but you are allowed to lie at most once in your answers. Ready? Here are the questions:

1) Is your number greater than or equal to eight?
2) Is your number one of 4,5,6,7,12,13,14,15?
3) Is your number one of 2,3,6,7,10,11,14,15?
4) Is your number odd?
5) Is your number one of 1,2,4,7,9,10,12,15?
6) Is your number one of 1,2,5,6,8,11,12,15?
7) Is your number one of 1,3,4,6,8,10,13,15?

From your answers, I claim that I can determine what number you chose, and whether you lied or not. If you want to watch me try to read your mind - or find out my secret - come to this class! Our strategy will be derived from the mathematical field of "error correction"; we'll start out learning about the Hamming code, and how it helps people send messages through noisy channels without fear of information loss.


Prerequisites
Be able to understand this joke: "There are 10 types of people in this world: those who know binary, and those who don't."

We will learn how to create tessellations, tiling the two-dimensional plane with a repeating pattern. Students will be introduced to basic tessellation techniques and a tiny bit of geometry, and get a chance to make their own. Think: a soccer ball or M.C. Escher, as in this photo: http://uploads7.wikipaintings.org/images/m-c-escher/lizard-1.jpg

A brief introduction to the interesting topic of permutations and combinations. We will cover problems on fundamental principles of counting, permutations and combinations

This hands-on class is intended for people who want to start writing code (and learn how to use it) but have not been exposed to it before. I will start from the very beginning, and by the end of the class you will have seen enough to know how to start learning more on your own. I will also give you some direction as to what might be fun projects to take on. If you want to get yourself set up on a laptop, bring the laptop in.

In this class I will cover the basics of web design including learning HTML, CSS, & JavaScript. We will learn to make a website from scratch and also be uploading the site with the use of Heroku.

Is it possible to perform computations on data without knowing what that data is? Is it possible to share a secret with 100 people in a way that any group of 10 or more people can learn the secret but any group with less than 10 people can not? Is it possible to vote in an election without revealing your vote to anyone?

The answer to all of the above questions is YES. While on the surface, such protocols seem almost magical, they are all made possible by clever mathematical tricks, some of which are quite simple to grasp! In this course, we will pull back the curtains and examine some of the mathematical tricks that enable the wizardry behind modern cryptography.


Prerequisites
Comfort with basic mathematics (e.g. basic algebra) and abstract ideas.

Do you want to learn the hot topic in the computer industry? Join me to learn following:

1. Evolution of Computer Industry
2. Different technologies such as Virtualization in Cloud Computing
3. What is Cloud Computing?
4. Different types- Public, Private, Hybrid and Community
5. Cloud service models - Iaas, PaaS, Saas and more
6. Benefits of Cloud Computing
7. Challenges in the Cloud - Security, Multi Tenancy
8. Future of Cloud


Prerequisites
Knowledge of computer industry

The field of Machine Learning is getting a lot of attention, and indeed, it's pretty cool. It's a field in which computers can actually teach themselves to do things that not even their programmers are capable of. This is your opportunity to learn about what Machine Learning is, where it came from, and form an introductory understanding of how it works. We'll go through several examples, run some demos, and, for those interested in programming, we'll discuss implementation.

Suppose you have billions of books, and someone asks you for all the pages containing the word "eggplant", sorted by the quality of the books according to the world's eggplant experts. How long would it take you to deliver the results? If you answered longer than 300 milliseconds, then you have something to learn from Google. It takes a human longer than that to even read, let alone answer, such a question. In that time, Google actually fulfills thousands of such requests.

Their process is brilliant: conceptually simple but technically complex, and in this fast paced tour, we'll zoom through the basics of both, covering:
- PageRank
- Inverted Indices
- TFIDF
- Text alignment
- Language modeling
and more...

We'll end by discussing some limitations of the Google approach to Search and Translation and hinting at next steps in both fields...

Come and learn to make fun and awesome Facebook apps. In this class we will go over the various Facebook APIs and learn how you can make a web app that uses the large social network.


Prerequisites
Programing experience recommended.

Have you ever wondered how computers are able to play board games like Chess? It turns out that the way humans play these games is very different from how we know how to make computers do so. We'll look at the minimax technique for building AIs for Chess or other games, and we'll discuss some of the tricks you need to do to make it perform on a truly grandmaster level.

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)

[Warning: Not just a history class! We'll actually try to think scientifically]

Ever wonder what cooled lava looks like or how rocks from deep in the earth look like? Do you want to see the different rock types that come out of a volcano? In this class we will explore the different rock types, where they are found, and how to identify them in different places you see everyday. Hands on activities will show you how geologists look at rocks to interpret them to gain important information about our earth! Understanding what rocks are composed of and how they behaved in the past gives us insights to how they might behave in the future.
Codevelopers: Elizabeth Morin, Meredith Townsend, Natalie Sievers

As an American, you are responsible for emitting 20 tons of CO2 every year (averaged over the population). Where do CO2 emissions come from and what can we do, as individuals and society, to reduce the greenhouse gas production that is warming our planet? This course will dive into everyday decisions (how does turning off the lights compare to driving an extra mile in your car?) as well as present a wider view of energy systems and infrastructure (why are coal plants still producing a significant portion of our electricity?). Connecting it all will be a focus on understanding physical mechanisms and quantifying energy use and CO2 emissions to give you the tools to weigh alternatives rationally.

We will be gathering in the courtyard and practice dribble, passing and some fun and basic basketball skills!


Prerequisites
n/a

Why is a Brontosaurus simply wrong? What's so special about the La Brea Tar Pits? Are organisms that have been dead for millions of years really that interesting?

The real question: Who hasn't always wanted to know more about dinosaurs and fossils? Come and fulfill your childhood dream of learning the basics of paleontology, mistakes Steven Spielberg made in Jurassic Park, and more!

Why? Because dinosaurs are cool.


Prerequisites
None - you don't even need to have seen Jurassic Park; this is just a basic paleontology class!

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a fluorescent and incandescent light bulb? Want to learn about how luminol (used in CSI to find blood), glow sticks and a firefly’s glow work? If you have taken one year of chemistry and you’d like to know, this is the class for you. We will explain incadenscence (incadenscent light bulb), fluorescence (fluorescent light bulb) and chemiluminescence (firefly, glowstick, luminol) and do a hands on activity with glow sticks.


Prerequisites
High school chemistry (1 year)

Hydrophobic “magic” sand is special sand that has been coated with a silicon compound, making it able to repel water. Because the silicon is only one nanometer thick, hydrophobic sand looks and feels like regular sand. However, it behaves very differently.

Have you heard about polymers? Do you know their applications in our society? And can you imagine how closely they are connected with our daily life?

In this class, we'll talk about the secrets of polymers including the history, structures, properties, and especially applications in our daily life. We will also introduce the advanced polymer mateirals that contribute greatly to new technologies. You will understand how important and magic polymers are.


Prerequisites
A basic background of chemistry is helpful but not required.

Learn how geophysics combines principles from physics and geology to explore and understand the Earth. This class will look at different geophysical techniques and how they can be used to find oil and gas, mineral resources, groundwater, caves, and even buried treasure!

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.

Cavemen! Egyptians! Romans! Forgeries! Learn about all of these and more by studying the science of paint. Paintings are more than pretty objects hanging from the wall; they are historically-linked results of the study of a complex chemical interaction between various pigments and binders. This class will give a brief introduction to the history and science behind making paints and pigments, and how you can use information about the historical use of pigments to catch forgers.

We’re surrounded by chemistry each and every day but some instances are more obvious than others. Most people recognize that their medicine is the product of chemistry; far fewer would say the same about their lunch. But they should. The flavor of their grilled chicken is the result of complex browning reactions, their salad dressing an emulsion of immiscible liquids, and the texture of their ice cream governed by thermodynamic principles. In this class, you’ll learn how to view food and cooking from the standpoint of a chemist and hopefully you come to see why chemistry is useful (and pretty cool!)


Prerequisites
High school chemistry

Have you seen fluorescent minerals before? What about a mineral reacting with acid? This hands-on class will show you those things and more! Learn how geologists identify minerals out in the field to understand a rocks history. Group challenges will teach you the different techniques used to tell minerals apart and why they are important when looking at different rocks. Fool's gold, also known as iron sulfide (pyrite), has led to many a "gold" rush. Learn about mineral properties and don't get fooled.