Splash Fall 15
Course Catalog

Be like Taylor; be like Bey. Queen Bey.

Learn the harmonic and melodic structures underlying lots of pop music, and flex your songwriting muscles by using an online composition tool called Hookpad.


Prerequisites
No experience necessary - just a love of music and an open mind! And bring a pair of headphones if you can.

Rounds are songs where multiple people or groups sing the same thing at different times. "Row, Row, Row, your Boat" is an example-- you can sing it in four parts, each starting one measure after the last.

Round singing is a easy way to create beautiful music, and is also a good first step to learning to sing harmonies. We will learn and practice singing some easy rounds and show you where to look to learn more.


Prerequisites
You should be able to read music well enough to follow along on the sheet music while singing. Fabulous sight-singing skills not necessary.

Okay, we're going to take turns writing this class description, each person says one word on their turn:

"In every life experience there will be three random lessons: why not write songs parodying all characters, unless one of them ate your shoes."

Come unleash the spontaneous, quick-thinking improv artist inside. Gain confidence and problem-solving skills while having a ton of fun!

This class will be a brief introduction into the world of magic! You will learn some history, some theory, and even learn a few tricks for yourself!


Prerequisites
None

A 50 minute introduction to the basics of improvisational theater that can be used on stage and in everyday life. Learn how to make gifts out of mistakes by building off of what you're given! Take expressive risks with us and learn how to say "Yes, and"!

Why does some modern jazz sound so jarring and cacophonous? Why do jazz musicians choose to play certain notes and not others? In this crash course, we will explore the theory of modern jazz harmony. We will emphasize ideas from canonical modern jazz musicians, including Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Keith Jarrett.


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of music theory (e.g. major and minor scales). Ability to read music is recommended. Proficiency in a musical instrument is NOT required.

This class is really fun! Learn some hip hop basics (grooving, housing, hitting, ticking, etc) and then learn a segment of choreography.

Poetry is something we all know and have heard but what exactly is it? In this course we will briefly cover a widespread of poetry from various periods, stretching from Medieval , Victorian, and contemporary poets to hip hop, pop, internet memes and more!

Enter the world of electronics and make a cool circuit to take home with you! We will be learning about the basic circuit components (operational amplifiers, resistors, capacitors, etc. ), and doing some hands on work to create an astable multivibrator!


Prerequisites
Some background in physics (specifically electricity and magnetism) is reccomended but not required. We only require an interest to learn!

Laughter yoga, meditation, and yoga for healthy eyes.


Prerequisites
NONE

An introduction to the philosophical problems of space and time and the philosophical implications of space-time theories, such as those of Newton and Einstein.

We will mostly look at topics presented in Tim Maudlin's book: "Philosophy of Physics: Space and Time" but prior reading is not required and neither is math!

Regular elections are prone to vote splitting - a candidate that most people hate could win with just 10% of the vote as long as 10 other candidates split the remaining 90%. If voters supply a ranking of all the candidates instead of just their top choice, a whole world of better voting systems become possible. In this class we will come up with those systems and discuss their pros and cons.


Prerequisites
None. This class may have little to offer if you are already familiar with the common systems and criteria in this table: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_system#Compliance_of_selected_systems_.28table.29

For too long have we submitted to the tyranny of unifying themes. How many bears can you run away from forever? How can electrons prove inequalities for us? Why is traffic so bad on your favorite roads? Are there theorems that are true but can't be proven? How can physics prove the Pythagorean Theorem? And most importantly, how many of these kinds of things can I answer in under an hour?

Same idea as Unrelated Math I (M58) except the topics will be - you guessed it - totally unrelated! So sign up for either or both of these; there will be no overlap between the two.

Some problems aren't just difficult for computers, they're impossible! Starting only with simple assumptions about what computer programs can do, we'll show that you can't reliably detect when a program has an infinite loop. Using that we'll prove Rice's Theorem, a shockingly powerful statement about the impossibility of many problems we might like to solve.

Learn about animations, drawings, games, etc. in the web browser! We will talk about how to "draw" on the canvas using a variety of shapes and effects.

Our world is only 3D, so how can there be higher dimensions? Isn't the 4th dimension time? What about the 11 dimensions in string theory? We'll talk about how mathematicians can think about thousands of dimensions, try to visualize 4 spatial dimensions, and maybe think aboug some cool higher-dimensional math problems

An introduction to mathematical foundations of Computer Science. Course will first introduce logic and lambda calculus. And then it will continue with halting problem, computability and O notation. Church-Turing thesis and Turing Machines will be explained. "Is P equal to NP?"

Then, we will discuss some discrete mathematics, such as graphs and the pigeonhole principle. At last we will start from Set Theory, develop it to Category Theory and talk about Type Theory. At this point we will use a functional programming language (such as Haskell or Idris) to demonstrate key ideas. If instructor finds time (and students are motivated) additional advanced materials such as Godel's incompleteness theorem, various non-persistent and persistent data structures or information theory might be introduced.


Prerequisites
No prerequisite. The course will assume no prior knowledge; but a Set Theory, logic or programming background will help students to understand the material better.

Learn to program and control a remote control car with coding! Throughout the lesson, we will be learning how to wire an Arduino to a circuit board, and how to code instructions for the car to work through an obstacle course! (This course is taught by Berkeley Engineers and Mentors.)

Ever read those fascinating mystery novels - the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy series, the Agatha Christies, the Dan Browns - and wonder, "Wow...how can they crack the code so easily?"

(Well, they don't do it so quickly - the process is accelerated because of creative license)

If you're interested in learning about cryptography and its history, this is the class for you! We'll dive into the fascinating world of intrigue and types of cryptograms, and even use Python to implement our own code makers and breakers!

A group is an algebraic structure that consists of a set of elements combined with a group operation and satisfying some group axioms. We'll build an intuition for what a group is, through exploring symmetry groups and then prove some of its basic properties.

Crash course on number theory! Topics will include fundamental theorem of arithmetic, a proof that there are infinitely many primes, modular congruences, Fermat's little theorem, Euler's theorem, Wilson's theorem. The "lecture" will hopefully be followed by a group problem solving session (given that there is enough time)

As residents of the Technological Age, we see our world becoming closer and links appearing rapidly, and the key tool to studying these linkages is Graph Theory. Come to this class to understand the fundamentals of a tool that sees applications in a broad variety of fields whilst having fun!

How many natural numbers are there? An infinite number. How about integers? Also an infinite number. But are there more integers than naturals, or more rationals than naturals? To answer these questions, we'll need formal definitions of size that still work when we have infinitely many objects.

This course will cover results proved by Georg Cantor, often called the father of set theory. These proofs will build to a surprising result: not only are some infinities bigger than other ones, but there are infinitely many different sizes of infinity.


Prerequisites
Some experience with functions recommended. If you know what uncountable means, this course will probably offer you very little.

Hey there! Have you seen a computer before? Perhaps you've even used one to connect to the Internet? Of course you have! These days, computers are everywhere!

You may have heard terms like "RAM" and "OS" and "boot" before. When you use a web browser, you may have seen words like "http" or "server". What do these all mean? You may have tried to look these up using a dictionary, on Wikipedia, or perhaps by asking your parents. Sometimes these kinds of resources don't end up helping with your confusion.

That's what this class is for! We will explain how computers work and go over weird terms in a way everyone can understand! This class will be a discussion -- feel free to stop us anytime to ask questions along the way.

Also a final note: Please don't feel discouraged to attend this class because you think computers are hard. The point of this class is to you show you that it's not as hard as it looks!


Prerequisites
Not much, just an open mind! And if you can, please have in mind some general (non-programming) questions about computers and we'll try to answer each in 3 sentences or less!

Statistics is widely used in the world. Especially when you are analyzing data, you need to know how to work with numbers and probability. We will look at some probability theories and statistics and how to use them to analyze data


Prerequisites
Passion to learn :)

Differential Equations are the most powerful mathematical tools ever created to understand the world. They are essential to understanding economics, biology, chemistry, geology, physics, meteorology, sociology, and tons more. Also differential equations are interesting in a purely mathematical context, and have an extensive theory of existence and uniqueness of solutions. Come to embrace differential equations from both a computational and theoretical perspective; covering topics like separation of variables, homogeneous and non-homogeneous linear equations, Laplace transforms and systems of linear equations. Also, I will cover some cool qualitative methods (linearization of non-linear systems, phase diagrams) if time permits.


Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with basic calculus (at the AP Calculus AB level).

What is cryptography? Who is a cryptographer? Do you know what do modern cryptographers do?

In this course we will talk about the many exciting branches of research in cryptography and you will be introduced to what modern and future cryptography is all about in very simple terms.

I will explain in very simple terms and using analogies that a middle schooler would understand what the following hot topics in cryptography are about:
I secret-sharing
I commitments
I multi-party protocols
I oblivious transfer
I zero-knowledge proofs
I payment systems
I voting systems
I homomorphic encryption
I private information retrieval


Prerequisites
algebra

Rational choice theory (RCT) underpins almost all of economics and political science, and is quickly becoming the only framework of thought for our nation's top economic and political leaders. Come for a rousing debate about what drives human nature and its moral and social implications.

Through simulations and activities, students will learn about current issues in education research, policy, and reform. We will discuss how to address the achievement gap, equity, and access. Students will also learn about research conducted in the Education department by faculty and students.

By exposing students to multiple perspectives surrounding these issues, we hope students learn more about the root causes, institutions, and policies that perpetuate the current problems. We will further introduce and ask students to analyze various policies and proposed solutions through different viewpoints and theories. Students will then work with the class to build upon the strengths and limitations of these approaches to reimagine education/ public policy and improve the prospects for social change!

One of the most inspirational yet alarming ideas in recent research is the idea that our brain has the ability to change itself. With this developing idea, the greatest minds of our modern times have been scientifically exploring ideas that have been spiritually accepted in cultures for thousands of years. Using what we now know about how our brain works, we have a better chance than ever to pursue life with authentic love, courage, and ultimately happiness.

The aim of this brief class is to provide you with a basic understanding of Positive Psychology, to provide clear answers to many common misconceptions of the topic, and to offer perspectives gathered from the greatest minds that have walked this Earth. This is a course on learning and adapting into your life fundamental principles of nature that when implemented lead to success, happiness, and positive growth.

Using research from the leading minds in the field of positive psychology, philosophy, self-development, and spirituality, we will explore various paths that ultimately guide you to develop your own successful, happy, conscious, and internally-fulfilled life-style. From Buddha to Plato to Shakespeare to Pressfield to Covey to Robbins to Haidt to Seligman (and many more), you will be exposed to a myriad of ideas; the ultimate goal being to find what works for YOU.


Prerequisites
Deep curiosity for human behavior and an incredibly open mind.

How did our nation justify the dark portions of our medical history such as Tuskegee Syphilis experiments, the death of civil rights leader Walter White, or the use of electroconvulsive shock therapy as a 'treatment' for homosexuality?

Sociologist Emile Durkheim claims that all knowledge is socially determined; many of the medical and scientific facts we consider absolute were 20 years ago improbable and absurd. Our cultural biases continue to affect medical ethics today, and addressing them is a pivotal part in the fight for equitable healthcare nationally and globally. Come and learn about this important public health principle.


Prerequisites
None

Learn about what Black Holes are and some of their weirdest features.

The Standard Model of Particle Physics is the most complete theory we have for the fundamental constituents and forces of nature. We will discuss the Standard Model in the most nontechnical manner possible while still trying to understand its mathematical structure and simplicity. It is so simple it can be written on a t-shirt! Towards the end we will discuss the various hints the universe gives us that there must be physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM), and we will talk about some of these possibilities.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with Newton's laws, some Electromagnetism. Calculus not required, but would serve useful.

What are waves? How do they behave? What mathematical tools are available to learn about waves? How can we apply this to music? Learn the answer to all these questions and more!


Prerequisites
None. Some parts of the course may seem familiar for people who have taken high school physics already.

Learn how to do cool things with everyday chemicals, and why they do what they do.

We'll go over a lot of fascinating chemical reactions that take place in your everyday life that are often overlooked.

Learn about the surprisingly dangerous process of soap making (ever watch Fight Club?), and how every time you clean your drain out, you are actually... making soap!

We will learn how nitroglycerin (dynamite) is made and why it is so explosive, and how Alfred Nobel made a fortune out of tweaking the process.

Time allowing, we will go over a variety of other topics as well- some straight out of the movies and Breaking Bad!

There will be demonstrations of reactions that are visually interesting at the end of the class.


Prerequisites
Basic chemistry recommended but not required.

The coolest matter in the universe isn't on the dark side of the moon (a tepid 116K or -250F) or hidden in the deepest depths of space (a brisk 2.6K or -455F), but rather is right here on Earth.


Prerequisites
Interest in science and willing to ask questions.

Have you ever wondered what Special Relativity is all about? This class will provide a brief introduction to the physics of near light speed reference frames. We will discuss how time can slow, and length can contract when one observer is moving near light speed, as well as the curiosities that arise from this. Including, but not limited to, what happens to a train moving near the speed of light when it is hit by simultaneous lightening bolts (spoiler alert: they will not look simultaneous to passengers on the train!)


Prerequisites
We will be zipping quite quickly through algebra so concurrent enrollment in pre-calculus level math is not necessary but would be helpful.

Quantum computers!

This course teaches the fundamentals of quantum mechanics as an application for computation. We'll go over how information is represented in quantum states -- the fundamental postulates.

From this, we'll describe the interferometer as a device for creating superposition... giving us the quantum gates, and with it, universal computation.

We'll talk about hypersensitive bombs, unbreakable (entirely!) cryptographic channels, quantum teleportation, and a model of computation that's fully reversible.

And we'll end with my favorite algorithm ever, that lets you search a 100-element list in about 10 tries.

I am quite excited to teach this course and I hope you are too!


Prerequisites
Basic linear algebra is very very useful! - and I will probably slip into drawing a matrix at some point. But it is not necessary.

A 1-hour cosmology crash course about the universe as we know it

For those of you who like to look up into the night and wonder, we'll discuss interesting facts and stories about objects and constellations in the night sky.

Ever wonder how to easily create an interactive electronic circuit or device? With the Arduino and a bit of programming now you can. The Arduino is a small board that allows you to read data from electronic inputs like buttons and sensors and turn other electronic devices on and off ranging from LEDs, 7-segment displays, and buzzers. You can tell the Arduino what to do by programming it with an easy-to-learn programming language called C. We will demonstrate how to hook things up, teach you how to program using the Arduino, and you will have a chance to write your own program and test it out on the system we will have set up. Learn how to make smart electronics and perhaps prototype a piece of the future!


Prerequisites
Basic programming, and knowledge of how electricty works would be helpful but definitely not required

If a picture speaks 1,000 words, then photographs can tell us a lot about history. For example, I can look through my grandma's wedding photos and learn about the clothes, hairstyles, and even diets of the 1950's!

Similarly, scientists use pictures of the sky (taken by very powerful telescopes) to learn about the physics of the cosmos, and because it takes time for the light to travel from stars and galaxies to us Earthlings, these pictures are actually a blast from the past!

So, you may wonder...what's the furthest back in time that we can see? How about 14-billion lightyears!!

Come learn about how we use telescopes all over the world to look at photographs from the earliest moments of our Universe, an itty-bitty fraction of a second after the Big Bang.


Prerequisites
Though the discussion will be abstract and involve several new concepts, no math or science background is necessarily required. The only prereq is curiosity:)

A graduate student answers the following questions:

Theoretical (First Hour):
What are we sure we know about nature?
What are the necessary consequences?
What do we pretend to know?
How do we use that?

Practical (Second Hour):
What questions can you investigate at a desk or in a warehouse?
What questions do you need money from governments or industry to investigate?
Of these, what is actually being done today?
Where does the money come from, and why?

Limited by my background, I'll focus the second part of this talk mostly on particle (quarks), atomic (lasers), and statistical (plasma/hydro/bio) physics.


Prerequisites
Please do some research, bringing your own examples and questions, so we can talk about them during or after class.

Gravitational lensing is caused by massive objects bending the path of light to create bizarre, distorted images such as the one shown below. We will explore the physics and geometry behind this phenomenon to further understand radiation and space-time.

Example of gravitational lensing:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/A_Horseshoe_Einstein_Ring_from_Hubble.JPG


More reading: http://www.cfhtlens.org/public/what-gravitational-lensing


Prerequisites
Minimal basic physics knowledge

Astronomers can't directly poke and prod their experiments the way biologists and chemists can. So how do they learn anything? This class will be all about light! We'll talk about different ways that astrophysical objects can produce light as well as different ways astronomers can measure it. In order to accomplish this, we'll cover some basic atomic physics, take a whirlwind tour of the universe, and talk about different kinds of telescopes astronomers have built.

Four short equations describe most of the classical theory of electromagnetism. What do they mean and what do they tell us about nature? More importantly, how can I use them to charge my iPhone?


Prerequisites
Knowledge of calculus will make things easier, but it is not strictly necessary.

Set in a scaled-down analog of our own solar system, Kerbal Space Program is a recent simulation game focused on building and launching rockets. Students will collaborate to design spacecraft and see how they fly, while learning the basics of orbital motion, Kepler’s and Newton’s laws, stability of aircraft, the ideal rocket equation, and more.


Prerequisites
Algebra

The first part of this course cover some of the basics of modern cosmology (the study of the history and contents of the universe) including the Freedman - Robertson -Walker cosmological model and the components of the universe including dark matter and dark energy. In the second part we'll dive a bit more deeply into why we know what we do, focusing on several areas of active research including the study of Type 1a supernovae, detection of dark matter, and the cosmic microwave background.


Prerequisites
Some introductory physics and calculus will be very helpful but isn't strictly necessary

This session will serve as an introduction to science writing. We will focus on how to integrate life and scientific principles and how to describe scientific processes to a wider audience. We will also look at the reading side of science writing and how to find fact and fiction within popular science and press releases.


Prerequisites
High School English Courses. Introductory Science Courses.

Could there be life on other planets? In order to answer that question we will examine methods of detecting exoplanets, the Drake equation and much more!

This course will present an amazing journey from science fiction to science fact as we analyze how time travel could become a reality. Astrophysics, quantum physics and relativity all will be used conceptually to explain these amazing phenomenon.


Prerequisites
Love of science

Learn about what public health is, and how it affects you in an activities based class!

This course is aimed at introducing students to the benefits of public health in alignment with conventional medical practices. Students will not need to have any prior knowledge on science or health courses. All instruction and activities will be presented in an introductory and exploratory manner.

Additionally, as a case study, we will see how harm reduction affects drug usage and sexual education across the US!

Prepare to have your preconceptions debunked, and your minds enlightened!

Enter a world where a puzzle can be a list of pictures, a gibberish sound file, or just six words. What are the rules? Figure them out!


Prerequisites
None. This class is not meant for anyone who has participated in a puzzle hunt already (e.g. DASH, Shinteki Decathlon, Berkeley Mystery Hunt).

Learn how to interview for jobs and college! (If you took How to Rock Your Interviews last year, it'll be the same stuff.)

Come learn the basics of reading, writing, and "speaking" Middle Egyptian Hieroglyphs! You will be introduced to a variety of vocabulary and grammatical forms that will allow you to make simple sentences and phrases. You will also learn about papyrus, stelae, Gardiner's Sign List, and Faulkner's Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian.


Prerequisites
To get a head start (and get more out of this class), please begin memorizing/looking at the Uniliteral Alphabet which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/egyptuniliteral Another helpful resource will be hierolgyphtutor.com

I'm putting you on the spot: everyone who comes to this class will give an impromptu speech! Learn to think on your feet and come up with something coherent to say with little preparation. Get useful tips on how to be a better presenter.

Which one? Wait and see, I want to catch you unprepared:).
What about it?
- Nice pictures showing it's worth visiting.
- Short discussion of history and common misconceptions.
- An interesting fact about the language, making it one of the most romantic languages alive.

This course will provide a brief history of HIV/AIDS as when the virus first appeared up to where we stand on treatment today. The class will discuss the biology of HIV/AIDS as well as how it is transmitted with an emphasis on prevention and a debunking of common misconceptions.

Want to learn how to speak some basic Mandarin, try Chinese calligraphy, and taste special Chinese treats? Join this class to learn about the rich and ancient Chinese culture.

Come learn more about the environment, why we need to improve our current situation, and how to communicate those strategies to the community! We will talk about sustainability and what we can do to minimize our environmental footprint. Be prepared to contribute to class discussions.