Splash 2018
Course Catalog

Ever wanted to take a spin in a human sized hamster wheel for fun?
Come experience the german wheel in action, and try it out yourself!
No prior experience necessary.

Hindi film dance, also known as Bollywood dance, is a style that draws from classical Indian dance, folk dance, hip hop, and Western dance. In this class, students will learn a one-minute piece to a song from an Indian movie. The moves will be simple and fun to allow students from all types of backgrounds and abilities to participate. After the class, you'll get a video of your performance, which you can continue to perfect and perform for your family and friends!

Still not sure what Bollywood dance is? Check out "Chammak Challo", a Bollywood song/dance with vocals by Akon. This dance is representative of what we'll be learning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4EZHGFK-1c.


Prerequisites
Open mind, good attitude, and ready to dance!

Modular origami is the art of making complex structures from many identical components or modules. In this class, I will show you how to make a few different common modules and then you will have time to build your own creation from these building blocks.

Come to learn and enjoy yourself dancing to popular African songs, as well as, pop songs with an Afro-beat!

No past experience required!


Prerequisites
Come in comfortable clothing, and bring water!

Learn the basics of crocheting, including how to read a pattern and the different stitches required to make scarves, headbands, blankets, and more! Experience this fun relaxing hobby that will teach you to how make personalized accessories for yourself or gifts for friends and family!

Learn some basic film terminology and then spend some time analyzing some popular movie scenes.

This course will provide a basic overview of how to use FL studio (a Digital Audio Workshop software with a free demo available from https://www.image-line.com/downloads/flstudiodownload.html) to make a Rap Instrumental. It will cover basics like drum patterns, melodic structures, mixing, and song form. If time allows, we will also discuss briefly about some advanced production topics, like EQ, compression, and stereo imaging.


Prerequisites
Interest in the topic!

Learn the basics of screenwriting and write your own short screenplay to workshop with the class.


Prerequisites
None

Robots are cool. You know that. I know that. This class will teach you what goes into controlling a robot at a low-level (i.e., how does a robot stay upright?). My hope is that by the end of this class you will be comfortable enough with the electronics and theory to build your own robot!

Tentative outline:
What is a robot?
What is a control system?
What electronics does a robot use?
Activity: assemble a robot and investigate control properties


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of physics. Not scared when people use the word "Calculus" (I'll briefly touch on some concepts of Calculus, but don't worry if you haven't taken a Calculus class: I'll do my best to explain everything intuitively)

Ever wondered if traveling to Mars could be within humanity's reach? An overview of current technologies under development for interplanetary travel will be presented. Fundamental working principles of energy sources such as solar cells, reusable propulsion (rockets) and fuel systems will be covered. By engaging in feasibility and cost-benefit analysis, students will be able to weigh in on the question presented in the course title.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of physics and chemistry concepts may be helpful, but not necessary!

In this class, you will learn how to use OnShape, a free cloud-based Computer Aided Design software. CAD is a powerful engineering tool that allows you to design and prototype by modeling 3D shapes on your computer. In this course, you will think creatively about design and take your ideas through the entire CAD process, from sketching to modeling to creating assemblies with multiple parts.


Prerequisites
Create a free student account at www.onshape.com

Luke Skywalker and RoboCop are well known for their use of prostheses that perfectly replace their own missing biological limbs. How close is this to becoming reality? Come join us to learn about the history of prosthetics, what we use now, and where prosthetics research is headed. Take a closer look at the prostheses used today, and try out some prostheses yourself!

Demonstration of cool material properties using simple lab techniques.


Prerequisites
None

From robotic burger flippers to autonomous vacuum cleaners, robots are everywhere. But how do they work?
You'll get to interact with robotics software and learn about cool robots.


Prerequisites
For anyone who is interested by technology

Introduction to Greek and Roman Mythology. We will cover the birth of the greek gods, creation of man, and the adventures of heros.

In a world that seems to be drifting towards a future that is controlled more and more by computer algorithms, it has become equally important for scientists, humanists, programmers and poets to all interact with and develop these new technologies. However, this relationship between literature and computation is almost as old as language itself. In this class, we'll explore some of the different ways in which these two radically different cultures have influenced each other throughout history, and speculate on where the future might take us.


Prerequisites
No prerequisites other than equal interests in literature and mathematics

Do we really have free will or is our future essentially determined (although we may not know it)?
How we answer this has large implications on criminal justice, our motivations, and how we perceive behavior.
We will look at examples from science, literature, ethics, and religion to try to answer this frequently debated question.

Often it seems like science is at odds with religion (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc). Faith and science are the two main lenses through which humanity has viewed the universe.
Can these two forces coexist? If so, how?

We will talk about the Big Bang and evolution, the meaning of life, and the history of different faith traditions with science.

Consciousness is arguably the fabric of the universe - at the least the universe you perceive and interact with on a daily basis. Despite the rich history of philosophical contemplation and scientific inquiry, we still do not have a satisfactory explanation for the origin/nature of conscious experience.

In addition to exploring these concepts and paradigms, this course will guide participants in the self-examination of visual and tactile perception using illusions.

Come engage in conversation and activities aimed at releasing the power of your youth and how it can be used to effect change in your neighborhoods. Come hear stories about how youth around the world are doing the same. Do you think our world, nation, city, neighborhoods, or culture need to change, but not sure what you can do? Did you find middle school a particularly challenging time and wish someone slightly older could have helped you negotiate this period? Do you want to help others in this way? Looking for a sense of purpose? Come explore a program inspired by the Baha'i writings (but is not religious or religious education) that does just this and is changing neighborhoods around the world.


Prerequisites
Being a human who cares for and wants to serve others and help make the world a better place.

This class will provide a brief introduction into understanding the complexity of conflicts in the Middle East Region. We will explore the history of different ethnic and religious groups and how the past affects the present. Instead of determining who is right and wrong, we will focus on the circumstances that cause conflicts to arise and the perspective of either side.

A introudction to the making and breaking of codes. We will learn a few simple cyphers and ways to break these cyphers to learn the encoded message. No prior experience is required.


Prerequisites
Algebra 1 is encouraged but not required

Have you read about artificial intelligence in the news? Curious about how Facebook, Google, and Amazon use data to predict what you will like and buy? I will teach the core concepts of data science before leading a short exercise on using data to predict pizza consumption.


Prerequisites
Know your height and weight. Know basic Excel or at least enroll with a friend who knows it.

How long is the coast of Great Britain? It depends on the scale you measure! Fractals are both interesting in challenging ideas of scale and often quite beautiful to look at. Learn the basics about fractals and the dimensions in between 1D, 2D, and 3D.


Prerequisites
Basic algebra

We will learn the basics of computer programming using an existing graphic interface designed for kids: Scratch.

https://scratch.mit.edu/

The main goal of the course will be to build a basic intuition for how to approach computer programming. By the end of the class, students will have created some simple programs in python.

For students who already have experience programming, the actual coding will likely be on the easier side. These students are still welcome to attend, and the programming material can be adjusted for their level.

In the competitive capital markets, millions of people have made a great deal of money in their own but different ways. Some of those used their splendid mathematical skills to build model and algorithms and stood out from others. In my course, I will teach you some really awesome strategies that are used in Quantitative Finance. However you don't need any financial knowledge because all models is abstracted into pure math problems. Instead of directly teaching, I will motivate you to think of the problem by yourself and give you hints. This will help you formulate your own strategy of breaking the seemingly difficult problems.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge in probability and discrete mathematics is preferred

How did past scientific research contribute to the world's current problems? Will today's computing lead to a society ruled by artificial intelligence? To answer such questions, we'll explore how cutting-edge research will impact our world in the years ahead--and might just save us.

Quantum mechanics is at the heart of the cutting edge technology that we are seeking to build today. From QLED TVs to Quantum computers, learn the basic principles that govern and help in designing these hi-tech gadgets.

A hands-on journey to understand the fundamental unit of life: the cell; and the set of instructions that govern all living things: our DNA. In this one-day course we will extract and look at cells from our own bodies and compare them to other living organisms such as plants and bacteria to understand and marvel at the complexity and diversity of the basic unit of life. We will then dive deeper into the cell to learn about the secret code that controls all life by extracting DNA from a range of living organisms including ourselves, and discussing how our understanding of the genetic code can be used to change the world!

We'll be learning about materials science principles in extreme temperatures. There may or may not be liquid nitrogen and fire!

You'll perform a variety of hands-on demonstrations to discover the effects of different temperatures on materials.

Demonstrations and discussions will take place in small groups (approx. 5 students/group)


Prerequisites
Basic chemistry, physics preferred but not required

When it comes to science and everyday life, size matters. For centuries, civilizations have pushed to build larger/taller infrastructures and grow bigger plants for advances in the quality of life. Yet, what about building smaller? What would happen? Why should we attempt to do so? Such a simple concept has become one of the hottest scientific field for the past few decades and remains equally exciting for the years to come.

This course will explore various nanoscience phenomena and engineering approaches in the fields of biology, chemistry, materials science, energy, and electronics. Current nanoscience research conducted by institutions such as Northwestern University and UC San Diego will also be discussed.

Ever wonder how things fly? You'll learn some basic knowledge in aerodynamics and later apply it to flying a frisbee disc. You'll explore how a frisbee flies, what makes different trajectories, and what influence the wind has by throwing a frisbee disc with a partner.


Prerequisites
Experience of tossing/ throwing a frisbee disc would be great but not really required.

This course will discuss about the types of sex hormones and how did they affect our body.


Prerequisites
Students already get basic knowledge of biology

Have you heard of a 1$ pocket microscope that can magnify samples 200 times? Sounds super cool! In this course you will build a microscope from a kit I will provide and learn to use it and take pictures!
Note : This microscope was invented by a Stanford University biophysicist, Manu Prakash, and his team. I have reserved Foldscopes through their Kickstarter campaign to show this microscope to everyone I can!


Prerequisites
Curiosity

Explore how neuroscience affects students lives in college, from sleep to decision making to social situations and more!

Just how realistic was Jurassic Park's depiction of dinosaurs? Did they spew poison from their mouths? Did T-Rex only see you when you move? Was that Velociraptor really a clever girl? How do we know how dinosaurs behaved and what they looked like? Come learn how paleontologist speculate the life of dinosaurs and what Jurassic Park got right and wrong.


Prerequisites
Watch the original Jurassic Park movie!

If you eat contaminated food, Escherichia coli (E. coli) can give you food poisoning. However, most forms of this bacteria are actually safe. In fact, some types have played important roles in countless scientific discoveries. How are E. coli used in these discoveries? In this class, we will discuss the differences between the harmful and safe types, as well as how we can control E. coli by changing their DNA.

The economist Jeffery Goldstein defined emergence as "the arising of novel and coherent structures, patterns and properties during the process of self-organization in complex systems".

In this class, we shall look at examples of complex behavior arising from a collection of simple entities, and a glance at the tools we can use to study this behavior. Some particular examples of interest will be:

- collections of atoms at extremely low temperatures.
- colonies of plants and animals.
- crowds of people.
- consciousness?

Learn how to isolate, purify and visualize DNA.
We’ll learn the fundamentals of some very common molecular biology techniques (used in forensic sciences, archeology, medicine, etc.) and we’ll use them to obtain our own bacterial DNA.

Once thought to be mere messengers of genetic information, today we understand that RNA holds a prominent place in the history of all life on earth. Together, we will explore RNA's rich history, from life's beginnings in the primordial ooze to the forefront of genome editing technologies that could revolutionize how we treat disease.

They say a true magician never reveals his secrets... but a science major will.
In this class you will witness some interesting science demos and then learn about the principles behind how they work.


Prerequisites
none

Sign up to play the most popular trading card game in the world, Magic: the gathering (AKA Magic).

We will begin by first introducing the basics of how to play and how to build a deck. Afterwards, students will get to pick out their own decks (cards will be provided) and play other students.

As a gift, students will get to take home the deck they've built and a 20-sided die!

Learn a rad new party trick that will 100% impress your parents, your classmates, and your fellow party-goers. We'll be starting from scratch, so no experience required.

Increasingly, video game companies have been incorporating small payments, or micro-transactions, into their products as a way to increase revenue. This class uses an ethical approach to analyze these systems to see if and how they can be implemented in a just way.

Sit down, be humble, and listen to me talk about Kendrick and storytelling.

We will analyze and discuss songs from each of Kendrick's 4 studio albums, observe the power of storytelling, and see what lessons we can apply to our own stories that we tell.

Quick! You find yourself 100 feet away from a hungry Grizzly. You have 15 seconds to act. What do you do?

In Survival Basics, We'll cover how to think on your feet when you find yourself in dangerous territory. Grizzly bears, shark attacks, snake bites, tornados, not having a prom date? Not to fear, Survival Basics will equip you with the confidence and know-how to act decisively when it matters most.

Learn how to make Kimchi hands-on.

Kimchi is the traditional food of Korea. It’s a powerful probiotic lacto-fermented side dish now with entire restaurants dedicated to it as their single main ingredient. Most varieties (there are hundreds), use fish sauce and other seafood to boost flavor and nutrition. However, we will learn to create a clean and refreshing version without any seafood (it just so happens to be my favorite). To fit the entire process into an hour, expect to move quickly from the beginning.

Ingredients:
Nappa cabbage
Red pepper flakes
Salt
Garlic
Onion
Apple/pear
Red bell pepper
Ginger
Green onion

Ever wanted to be the very best, like no one ever was? This class will go through the intricacies of the Pokemon video game and give students an overview of strategies for both single and double battles. There will be time at the end to put what you've learned to the test in a class-wide tournament using the Pokemon Showdown battle simulator!


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of the Pokemon video game.