Splash Fall 18
Course Catalog

This course takes a close look at what branding is and how it works, through the eyes of a designer. Students will learn about logos and practice creating their own designs. An Adobe Illustrator basic tutorial will also be given. Graphic Design skills are becoming increasingly valuable and prevalent in digital culture and in career demands. Utilize your creativity and come design with us!


Prerequisites
We ask that everyone bring their own laptop and have Adobe Illustrator downloaded (free trial available) before class, as we will also be giving an AI tutorial.

Want to learn how to compose a catchy tune or two? This course will supply you with the basic tools needed to compose music! This course is for beginners, so no previous experience is necessary; however, experience with a musical instrument is highly encouraged, as this will make music composition easier to grasp.

On top of learning about composing, at the end of the class we will try to perform everyone's compositions. Feel free to bring your instruments!

Course content: Music chords and basic harmony, song structure, writing melodies, arranging, and notes on the creative process.


Prerequisites
Interest in composing, experience with a musical instrument (or voice). Familiarity with music notation is recommended but not required.

Learn about the basics of aerospace engineering, then put what you've learned to the test by building an engine mount structure for a rocket! Will your structure survive a launch to orbit?


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of forces

Interested in civil engineering or curious as to what it is? Come join us and learn the basics of one of humanity's oldest engineering disciplines!

In this course we’ll be explaining how the engineering design process applies to fields like architecture and bioengineering. We’ll be using these concepts for a quick architectural challenge, and then to create prosthetic hands out of common materials such as cardboard, cups, and string. There will also be several goals for the prosthetic hands to complete, and we'll see whose can do the most!


Prerequisites
none

Bioengineering is a multidisciplinary field. In this course, we will discuss the different aspects of bioengineering and their applications to other fields. We will also be doing activities that will be related to the different concentrations available here at UC Berkeley. No prerequisites are required. We would just like you to have an open mind and an interest in bioengineering.

In this class, you will learn more about the moral foundations of the most intriguing and fascinating bond of our lives: friendship. Is it permissive to lie or to conceal the truth from a friend ? Is friendship subsumed under a more general notion of justice or does it have its own rules ? These are examples of the topics that we will cover.


Prerequisites
At least a basic knowledge of the Hellenistic world.

I aim to teach how to speak on your feet and think off the cuff in a fluid, cohesive manner. We will go over audience engagement, facial expressions, and hand gestures. We'll learn what sets apart good speaking, and what steps we can take to achieve our best version of public speaking. Of course, we'll be doing hands-on activities- get ready to try some techniques out!


Prerequisites
Shyness is okay and welcome! Just have a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and try :)

Due to the work of scholars in the 19th century we can read what the ancients wrote, and they had a lot of interesting things to say.

In the first half of class, we will be learning about the Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Chinese writing systems.

The second half of the class we will look at actual ancient inscriptions (Several Egyptian inscriptions and paintings and two ancient Chinese bronze inscriptions) and through a guided discussion, we will translate these passages and learn some techniques to read simple formulaic inscriptions.

It may look like pictures but it is a language, and you can't learn a language in a few hours, but you will learn about some of the characteristics and complexities of these amazing languages.


Prerequisites
None.

What are our responsibilities as humans to the living world? This is a big question that can get very complicated very quickly. Even those who believe they have a duty to protect the environment may find themselves faced with situations where it is not so clear what kinds of actions are consistent with this duty. After grounding ourselves in some of the perspectives taken by those who've considered this question in the past, we'll work in groups on specific case studies where our principles can be put to the test, and come out with a stronger sense of what is valuable about the living environment.

In this class we will look at topographic maps (those ones with all the squiggly lines) in order to learn how to read them to understand the form of the area represented. After learning the basics of reading the maps we will do a few activities to practice applying your new knowledge.

Learn the history of political activism and how to get involved safely. We will be providing information so that you can know your rights and participate safely in political activism. We will be teaching safe protesting skills and tips on how to be a human rights observer through Amnesty International's handbook on activism. There will also be a chance to engage in an activity on how to deal effectively with conflict and confrontation of people with different viewpoints.

Interested in Norse Mythology, the Medieval Period, Viking culture, historical heroes or History Channels hit show "Vikings"? This course will focus on the history, culture, and religion of the Vikings with special emphasis on the life and legend of Ragnar Lothbrok. Come to learn about the most prominent and powerful Norsemen to terrorize Europe while further understanding how the legends of Ragnar influenced Viking society.

Why would anyone ever take the square root of -1? That can't be possibly useful?! In this course, we'll look at some cool properties of complex numbers, you'll try your hand at solving some problems that use complex numbers, and we'll talk briefly about real world use of them.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with trigonometric functions.

Pattern popularity! Catalan numbers! Bijections! The Left-Subtree-Switching Lemma! Come on a whirlwind tour of combinatorics and learn all about the concepts in this paper:
http://www.combinatorics.org/ojs/index.php/eljc/article/view/v20i1p8


Prerequisites
You've heard of a factorial

How can you encrypt a message so that only the intended recipient can read it? Starting from the secret codes we all used to send each other in elementary school, we'll build up to the foundations of modern cryptography, and learn the math behind how it's possible to keep secrets over the internet.

We will learn conceptually about basic data structures: arrays, heaps, trees, linked lists, sets, and dictionaries. We'll explore why they're so important, how they apply to daily life, as well as hands-on activities.


Prerequisites
No coding experience necessary- this is a conceptual overview. Bring a willingness to learn!

Edge detection is a fundamental problem in computer vision which provides a good opportunity to learn some basics of image processing. In this course, we will talk about some of these basic tools (convolution, Gaussian smoothing, and spatial differentiation), then use this foundation to study the Canny Edge Detection algorithm and some of its optimizations. It is my goal for everyone in the class to understand the Canny edge detector well enough to implement it on their own, although we will not do this during the class. If time permits, we will also take a brief high level look at some more modern approaches to edge detection, including an overview of machine learning.


Prerequisites
I will use a tiny bit of calculus. If you know what a derivative is, you will be fine. If you don't, you may still be able to follow most of the talk with some difficulty. This could be an interesting way to learn what a derivative is!

Dive into the world of virtual reality! Try out various headsets and the latest games and apps. Learn how VR came to be, why it's worth being excited about, and how you can get involved today.

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? How can physics prove the Pythagorean Theorem? And most importantly, how many of these kinds of things can we answer in under an hour?

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.

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%. In this class we will explore alternative voting systems that become possible if voters rank all the candidates instead of just their top choice.


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

Machine learning is rapidly changing the world around us and some people fear the rise of sentient machines. Fortunately, even state of the art systems aren't that hard to trick.

This class will serve as an introduction to machine learning classifiers, how they work, and how to fool them.

Calculus and linear algebra will be useful but not necessary. No prior exposure to computer science required.

Have you ever wanted to get your hands dirty with machine learning? How about doing public analysis from a data science perspective? If you answered yes to either question or if you want to learn how to understand data science a little better, learning the ins and outs of linear regression is a great place to start! We'll be doing just that over the course of 2 hours, and we would love to have you along for the ride!


Prerequisites
pre-algebra, calculus

What's the shortest distance between two points? A straight line, right? Well... what if it wasn't?

Taxicab Geometry is a very simple non-Euclidean geometry, in which we replace the usual distance metric with one using the sum of the vertical and horizontal distances-- i.e., the way a taxicab moves through city blocks. It turns out that this small change has a big impact, and the natures of all sorts of fundamental geometric objects are radically different. (For one thing, in Taxicab World, circles have corners!) We'll explore the rules of this new world, see what's different, and (time permitting) look at some applications.


Prerequisites
You should have taken, or at least currently be taking, Geometry. If you're familiar with some more advanced topics (particularly conics) you'll get to make some cool connections, but this is not necessary.

Okay, well, maybe not *arguing*, exactly... more like a "structured disagreement." But it turns out that research suggests argument can actually be a powerful tool for learning mathematical concepts. In this class, you'll get a chance to work on some interesting math problems, and to discuss your ideas with other students, and argue about your approaches. You'll learn how to make your mathematical arguments more productive, and you'll come away as an expert collaborative problem-solver. Anyone who loves math, puzzles, and working and learning collaboratively will enjoy this class!

How many different arrangements of a Rubik's cube are there? How many tic-tac-toe boards are there? In this class we answer these questions and more, while learning some Group Theory along the way.


Prerequisites
Algebra

Through simulations and activities, students will learn about current issues in education research, teaching, policy, and reform. Students will also learn about cutting-edge research on adaptive equity-oriented practices conducted by the Design for Equity Lab. We will discuss how to address achievement gaps, opportunity gaps, access, and equity. 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, teaching practices, organizations, and current ‘solutions’ through different viewpoints. Students will then work with the class to build upon the strengths and limitations of these approaches to reimagine public policy and improve the prospects for social change.

Tired of putting band-aids on dire social problems? Ever wondered how to solve society's greatest problems? Homelessness, child literacy, poverty? Learning the collective impact model will be one step closer to better understanding how to leverage community organizations, non-profits, government systems, and the private sector to tackle these social problems. In this course you will learn about a model of change, that will guide your planning and organizing to find solutions to these dire problems. We will be diving into examples of social change using the collective impact model.


Prerequisites
- Love for change!

This course surveys the illustrious history and traditions of the University of California, Berkeley, from its inception in 1868 to the present day. If you are a Bay Area native (or just a student interested in university history and the California Spirit), then this is the lecture for you! We will talk about the movers and shakers of Berkeley, famous Cal athletes, our beloved mascot Oski, Berkeley's numerous scientific achievements, how we got our name and earned our reputation as a top tier public university. Come join us for a laid-back lecture on all things Cal. Go Bears!

The course will explore how social and psychological influences create health disparities, while gaining knowledge of key concepts in social medicine. After creating a platform based on the fundamental ideas of social medicine, we will direct our attention to a social complication called “chronic emergencies.” Through case studies, we will examine and dissect the mechanisms in which a society isolates and outcasts individuals from access to proper healthcare. Our examples will be drawn from across the globe. Lectures and course material will delve into many aspects of social medicine, such as psychological stigmas of HIV/AIDS, and health care policies. We will focus on how to identify, analyze, and potentially ameliorate global healthcare problems.

“I’ll celebrate after I ____.”
Popular belief holds that if we fill that blank with our personal or career goal and aim for success in achieving it, happiness will follow. Once we succeed, however, we form new goals and happiness gets pushed farther and farther into the future. Inspired by recent groundbreaking research in the field of positive psychology, Harvard alumnus and professor Shawn Achor posits a theory that happiness fuels success, not the other way around. He has performed numerous experiments to gather evidence to support his belief and compiled his findings in a book called The Happiness Advantage.
Achor has found that priming a person’s brain for happiness will always increase their performance.
The objective of this course is to socialize strategies that are proven to improve one’s outlook (and happiness), have you try them for a period of 21 consecutive days, and then measure the tangible as well as intangible (perceived) benefits to test Achor’s hypothesis. Working under the umbrella of happiness, we will delve deeper into the practices of mindfulness (meditation), gratitude, and kindness. The hope is that with continuous practice over the course of 21 days, these practices will develop into habits that manifest more naturally and regularly.

This course introduces students to what it's really like to be an archaeologist in the 21st century. We will look at popular media representations of archaeology and how these misrepresent the discipline, and the instructor will share practical insights from her experience conducting archaeological fieldwork in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and New Mexico. We will also look at how new technology, such as LiDAR, and new theoretical approaches, such as community-engaged archaeology, continue to expand our understandings through archaeology of the past and present.

This interactive and discussion-based course aims to introduce students to public health and how it impacts everyday lives. We’ll explore the different areas of public health and look at how medicine, the environment, and social-structural forces play a role in health. Learn how you can make a difference in public health!

Learn about the archaeology and anthropology of warfare, including raids, captive taking, and ritualized warfare, with an emphasis on hunter gatherer societies, through a series of group activities.

As we all already knew that the scientist Frances Arnold was awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry this year! Scientists now have the ability to harness the power of evolution and use it for purposes that bring the greatest benefit to humankind. But how does this work?Let's have a brief and overall understanding of its principles.
In this class, we are going to talk about enzyme related topics. The whole class will include: what is an enzyme, what is its three-dimensional structure, how to obtain and analyze its structure, what is the active site of an enzyme, how enzymes catalyze different type of chemical reactions with huge rate acceleration, how to engineer enzymes for a certain purpose using the concept of directed evolution, how to beat nature by learning from it?
Also, as a postdoc in UC Berkeley working with enzymes, I welcome all the students with curiosity to raise any related questions you feel curious about. This is a great chance for you to know how science works if you are about to pursue STEM majors and to let yourself be exposed to fascinating research realm!

Stem cells play a huge role in modern cancer treatment for their ability to regenerate any type of cells through differentiation. In addition, all types of cells, such as skin cells, liver cells, muscle cells, etc., are differentiated/originated from stem cells. It is the most potent cell type, but how does it know who to become? Why doesn't your liver cell grow on your skin? Let's get together and find out their magic!


Prerequisites
High school Biology recommended!

In order to discover how our brain works, we first need to understand how neurons communicate with each other. Drosophila melanogaster, better known as fruit flies, are a great animal model to study Neursocience. If you want to know why, come on over!


Prerequisites
Genetics

The course aims to analyze the mind of criminals, particularly of those who commit heinous crimes, which include murder, sexual assault/rape, and arson. We begin with evolution of crime and seek to “explain” what factors influence these criminals, such as environment, mental illnesses, and personality. We will examine real cases of past criminals to learn what shaped them. We will learn what discoveries researchers found, and how these discoveries are used to create profiles. And to top it all off, we will see how law enforcement has handled these cases, and the efficacy of forensic psychologists when used in law and order (i.e. how police and courts use forensic psychologists).

Although many chemists need goggles and glassware for their work, a growing number of chemists just need a computer. In this course I will introduce students to the field of computational chemistry. I will first give an overview of the different fields of computational chemistry and the kinds of problems they address. I will then focus specifically on molecular dynamics simulation, showing how we can compute the motion of atoms and molecules from their interactions, as encoded in a potential energy surface. Students will then view and interact with a molecular dynamics simulation of liquid water. I will emphasize how the behavior of water they observe in these simulations emerges from water's molecular properties. Time permitting, I will show recent applications of molecular dynamics to real research problems.


Prerequisites
A previous or concurrent high school chemistry course is recommended.

We will be doing an overview of macronutrients and non-energy yielding nutrients in order to evaluate popular "diet" trends. There will also be an activity (with snacks) to learn how to read Nutrition Facts labels and understand serving sizes, in order to make healthier choices!

Do you like animals? Come learn about ethology, or "the study of animal behavior". We will learn to identify distinct behaviors by studying videos, GIFs, and images of various species (ex. Fiddler Crabs, Whooping Cranes, and Sticklebacks).

Finally, we will go outdoors for a mini walking tour, then visit the Valley Life Science Building.

A crash course in research: the basics of reading papers, conducting literature reviews, and designing experiments. The course will focus on psychology and neuroscience, but the lessons can be broadly applied to many research fields.

Quantum mechanics, along with rocket science and brain surgery, has been canonized as the exclusive domain of nerdy math-abled people who spend their free time solving integrals under a dim desklamp.

While there is a tinge of truth to this, the questions posed by quantum mechanics has philosophical relevance to anyone, regardless of background. By posing straightforward questions about seemingly simple systems, we can paradoxically understand the well-stated adage by Richard Feynman: "If you think you understand quantum mechanics then you don't understand quantum mechanics."

This course requires no mathematical knowledge and only requires a mild dose of curiosity. Very limited mathematical notation may be utilized, but no prior knowledge is required.

Albert Einstein is well-known for myriads of achievements, with his magnum opus probably being the theories of special and general relativity, which was a fundamental paradigm shift in the way we think about the universe.

Relativity is an extremely elegant geometric theory which can be linked to a variety of physical phenomena, including muon decay and microlensing. General relativity ultimately stems from a seemingly mundane fundamental question: why does everything at the Earth's surface, regardless of mass, fall at the same rate?

Some knowledge of electromagnetism and linear algebra is somewhat advised, though this should not prevent a curious student from exploring this beautiful subject.

Albert Einstein's theory of relativity is a bold hypothesis about the way our universe works when things move very quickly. It predicts that we live in a bizarre universe where objects shrink and expand and even age at different rates depending on how fast they're moving. And, as it turns out, these strange predictions are 100% correct!

While most of the theory is conceptually deep and mathematically complicated, one can readily build a surface-level understanding which is tractable (even for students who haven't studied calculus), but still meaningful, counterintuitive, and inspiring. In the course, we will briefly review the history of physics leading up to Einstein, then introduce the basic concepts that allow us to discuss special relativity (observers, relative motion, reference frames), present the postulates that special relativity is based on, develop some fundamental equations (time dilation, length contraction), and finally use this machinery to treat some problems of interest, hopefully including classics such as the "twin paradox" and how to fit a 1.0m pole into a 0.9m long barn.


Prerequisites
High school physics including basic trigonometry (sin/cos/tan) and algebra. I may use a tiny bit of calculus. If you know what a derivative is, you will be fine. If you don't, you may still be able to follow most of the talk with some minor difficulty.

Photosynthesis provides all of the Earth’s oxygen, plays a pivotal role in the global climate, and serves as the energy source for essentially all living things on Earth. Specifically, it enables plants and other organisms to capture sunlight and convert it to usable chemical energy. In this course, we will first discuss the underlying principles behind photosynthesis with an emphasis on the structure of the photosynthetic apparatus. We will then examine the properties of light and the physical processes of absorption and fluorescence before learning how we can make use of specialized laser systems to study these processes in intact photosynthetic organisms.

Psychoactive drugs – stimulants, sedatives, psychedelics, analgesics, antidepressant and antipsychotic pharmaceuticals, and others – powerfully impact the human brain and mind. Understanding these substances and their effects vividly illustrates connections between botany, chemistry, cell biology, physiology, psychology, sociology, public policy, and constitutional law. This class will explore this territory, emphasizing the complex nature of drugs as both medicines and poisons emanating from plants and fungi that have enjoyed deep historical relationships with humankind.

New and improved for Fall 2018 Splash! Through demonstrations and entertaining activities you will gain an essential understanding of statistics and probabilities.
Weather forecasts, marketing, medicine, the Lottery, Vegas, Google search autocomplete, biological systems, and even the curve on your last exam- we will explore unbelievable, fascinating, amazing, factual, and improbable examples from everyday life that provide statistical insights and the tools you need to make logical predictions. Topics include combinatorics, statisticulation (statistical manipulation), Pareto’s 80/20 rule, as well as causation, correlation and coincidence and their connection to science, pseudoscience and superstition.

Are you profoundly curious and have a desire to explore the mysteries of our world more deeply?

Join us for mind-expanding demonstrations of the bizarre and perplexing phenomena described by the Schrödinger equation. We will examine quantum effects such as the wave-particle duality of light, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, quantum tunneling, the four dimensions of spacetime, and entanglement (aka, “spooky action at a distance”) through brief demonstrations of Young’s double slit experiment, the photoelectric effect, the Stern-Gerlach experiment, and others.

Some calculus and physics knowledge is helpful, but definitely not required.

Just a few decades ago, the idea of there being planets around stars outside of our Solar System was the stuff of science fiction. But no more. In the last two decades, astrophysicist have discovered thousands of these extrasolar planets (or exoplanets, for short). A large part of this effort has been devoted to determining how many habitable planets - planets that humans, or some other form of life, can live on - exist in the Milky Way Galaxy.

In this class, we'll talk about how astrophysicists find and characterize exoplanets. We'll begin by discussing the famous Drake equation, which can be used to estimate the number of active extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy, and how astrophysicists are working to solve it. We'll then discuss the science behind the different exoplanet detection techniques and how we use them to learn about what planets are made of. Last, we'll discuss how we gather information about exoplanet atmospheres and how that information is used to determine if a planet is habitable - or is already inhabited.


Prerequisites
Knowledge of introductory-level physics and astronomy would be helpful (i.e., Doppler effect; electromagnetic spectrum; Kepler's laws; difference between planets, stars, and galaxies).

Do electrons actually orbit the nucleus? Where does mass come from? What’s so exciting about relativity? And what’s up with dark matter?

The universe is a mysterious place and physics brings us closer to understanding it. In this course, we will explore mind-bending concepts of particle physics, Einstein’s relativity, quantum mechanics, and thermal physics. We will introduce some of the most shocking and exciting physics findings, as well as today’s biggest unsolved problems. Expect to leave with more questions than answers!

Physics and math knowledge NOT necessary; just bring your insatiable curiosity!

Do you cook meals, bake cookies, boil pasta, or just microwave some frozen burritos? Then you’re a scientist and your kitchen is your laboratory!

What physical processes are going on? How can we use physics to bake the perfect cake or cook the perfect steak? Why do textures, colors, temperatures, and tastes change? What are the molecules actually doing?

In this course, we will zoom into the molecular level to observe what happens when we heat and mix our food. We will look at how physical concepts such as energy transfer, phase transitions, heat diffusion, molecular structure apply to the yummy food we put in our bellies!

Physics knowledge NOT necessary!

Despite their constant presence in sci-fi, black holes remain enigmatic to most people. What are they? What do they do? Do they even really exist? In this class, I will debunk the movie tropes and discuss what exactly a black hole is, why they are so hard to find, and how we can circumvent that difficulty and find them anyways. From detecting gravitational waves created by two black holes smashing into each other, to watching stars orbit the supermassive blackhole at the center of our own galaxy, we will go through the insight and innovation that has led to our modern understanding of blackholes.

Time dilation, black holes, gravitational waves -- we've all heard about the sci-fi that Einstein's theory of relativity seems to be. In this course we will look at the math and physics behind one of the most monumental ideas in modern physics. While the full theory is considered beyond even the undergraduate level, that can't stop us from exploring what it says (and why) about space, time, and Lisa's birthday card that was "lost in an event horizon". From the fact that gravity is just another weird geometry problem to the expansion of the Universe that threatens to leave us even more alone, we will explore the implications of relativity, concluding with the advances we've made in and with the theory, along with its problems that continue to make physicists throw chalk at their walls.


Prerequisites
Algebra and Geometry (Pre-Calculus and/or Calculus preferred) recommended, but definitely not necessary.

As our planet hurtles through space, it doesn’t travel alone. It is part of the solar system that scientists have thoroughly explored during last century through the use of space missions. The Sun, together with its planets, orbits our galaxy, the Milky Way; and this last one moves with other galaxies across the Universe. In this talk I will briefly show some basic concepts of astronomy while discussing "our place in the Cosmos".


Prerequisites
None.

Biomedical science has advanced incredibly far in the last few decades. If you lose a leg, you can get a new one; if your heart fails, you can get a new one. But what about your brain?

The World Health Organization predicts that neurodegenerative diseases, or diseases caused by the death of neurons, will be the leading cause of human mortality by 2040. Yet most neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, still have no cure or truly effective treatments. Come learn about cutting-edge strategies researchers are coming up with now to try to change that, using tools like stem cells and gene editing!


Prerequisites
One biology class.

In this crash course on molecular biology, students will take a fast-paced journey, learning all about DNA with a particular emphasis on how DNA structure is a direct product of its function. Starting from the macromolecule's chirality, the class will build on itself, elucidating on why DNA is the way it is, and what implications this has in the modern day.


Prerequisites
Some basic chemistry intuition and an interest in DNA and molecular biology is the only thing needed for this course!

Can objects exist in multiple places at once? How do we perform spooky actions at a distance--apparent faster-than-lightspeed travel?
Quantum Mechanics seems weird on the surface, but a closer look reveals the real weirdness may not be where you expected.


Prerequisites
Willingness to interrupt me to ask for clarification or questions.

All humans are locked-in to a superficial world: we have limited means of communicating and exploring beyond the surface on which we trod. In this class, find out how it is that scientists triumph over nature's limitations and transcend into the world of Quantum Mechanics.


Prerequisites
Willingness to interrupt and ask questions

A participation-intensive course on everything you need to know to make a real impact with your voice and your words, anywhere from your home to your work space.

West coast, best coast. Come and learn this super chill, super fun style of social dance with us! We will work on basic steps and figures in WCS, with emphasis on technique that will improve your partnering and dancing, even for beginners.

For an idea of what actual pros look like, see: https://youtu.be/JZtUX36MrI4?t=3


Prerequisites
No experience necessary, but a certain maturity is required for partner dancing. No need to take this class with a partner, as we'll be rotating through class. Please bring/wear socks, and be mindful of personal hygiene.

Come check out all the super rad ways you can make your life more efficient with technology! Our two student teachers currently co-faciitate a course about technology at UC Berkeley and want to share their favorite tech life hacks with high school students. They will introduce a variety of tools, apps, resources, and more that involve tech and can improve your day-to-day lives and increase productivity. (Fruit snacks may or may not be thrown at students).


Prerequisites
N/A

This course will give a brief overview of some queer and feminist perspectives on biology, the social sciences, literature, and other aspects of academia! This course is just an introduction to new ways to view and interact with the sciences, humanities, and arts, and will also dispel some common myths.

This course will provide a brief overview of what museum studies is. Recommended for anyone interested in the sciences, humanities, or arts in addition to those who love museums. Will provide perspectives on the future of museums and potential career avenues.

What does Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google all have in common? A really efficient team of designers...

When it comes to building amazing products, design is the most important “feature” — it gives companies an edge over competitors. Whether you want to be a designer, developer, product manager, program manager, marketing manager or project manager, understanding the product development process is essential to create your best work.

Come learn about the differences between UX vs. UI vs. Graphic Design! We will be going over common principles of design and discussing the trademarks of a bad design.

Towards the end you pick one of many design-related activities: wire-framing, sketching, or a mini UX research game!

The online logic puzzle Galaxies from Simon Tatham's puzzle collection is simple to learn but harder to master. Master this computer puzzle using logical reasoning skills including ideas such as rotational symmetry, process of elimination, and contradictions.

Want to learn how to solve a Rubik's cube? Is the full 3x3 puzzle to daunting? Start small and learn to solve its little brother, the 2x2 Rubik' cube.

Want to learn how to make a concrete impact on a social issue you're passionate about? Take our class! We will be covering the actors that affect norms and the Norm Life Cycle followed by a community-organizing strategy workshop! We will then present an overview of a social issue that you are passionate or curious about. Finally, we'll give you the chance to apply your newly acquired leadership and community-organizing strategies to this issue, which you can pursue outside the classroom. This class is an exciting opportunity to learn skills that you can use in the future to make a real impact. Join us!

Being able to take a stance and articulate new ideas and perspectives has become increasingly important in today's society. Public Speaking 101 will examine different forms of effective communication and explore their applications in personal and career development.

• If you identify as a girl, this course is for you.
• If you identify as a guy, this course is for you.
• If you wear makeup this course is for you – “putting makeup on bad skin is like trying to frost a crumbly cake”
• If you don’t wear makeup this course is for you – not only is your skin on display, but more importantly, the daily environmental assaults that our skin is subjected to have an immediate impact, as well as long-term consequences.
• If you want to know skincare basics, secrets, and shortcuts, this course is for you.
• If you want to really understand the science behind skincare, this course is for you.
• If you just have questions about skincare issues, this course is for you.

• If you have skin, this course is for you!

This course will give you the knowledge and confidence to take your skills to the next level by providing you with a strong foundation of principles and professional techniques: identify the essentials, discover new products, and create your routine.

During this one hour crash course we will cover the fundamentals in depth. You will gain an understanding of how to enhance your features by learning about face shapes, eye shapes, brows, lips, highlighting/contouring, and illusion. You will acquire insight about which palettes are best for you as we review the science of color. And you will become proficient with the tools necessary to achieve a flawless look effortlessly.

* Makeup is not necessary for this course and will not be available, but you are welcome to bring your own cosmetics.
** By the way, if you really want to take this course but are thinking that you might not fit in…sign up! You belong!

Learn to solve (and maybe write) puzzles like these: primepuzzles.wordpress.com

Want to learn how to de-stress? Take this class to learn how to practice mindful meditation and healthy wellness habits.
Research shows that stress can weaken decision-making and even test-taking skills.
Learn how to reverse the effects of stress and calm the mind!

We'll talk about what puzzle hunts are, look at examples of puzzles and common solving techniques, and then try solving puzzles together!

Do you know what Marvel Comics was called in 1939? Do you know what comic book Spider-Man originated in? Avengers vs X-Men (both comics and movies)? Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire? Come learn and laugh over Marvel Comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe facts that you may have not known, and share some of your own! We will debate over certain characters and aspects of the Marvel Universe and watch clips of the movies and possibly the tv shows. You will learn about Easter Eggs in the movies and the similarities and differences between the comics and the movies. Finally, we will be having a trivia contest, and there will be prizes. Come join the Marvel Madness!


Prerequisites
Some prior knowledge of the MCU movies is highly recommended, but not completely required. Come with a nerdy thirst for superhero knowledge and a fun attitude!

Yoga for body, mind, and spirit. Includes laughter yoga and eye movements!


Prerequisites
none

Every day more than 115 people die from opioid overdose. The opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency. Understand the roots of the crisis and its impact on economics, healthcare, and the state of the U.S's population health.

This class introduces students to public health and the different branches that fall under it. We will give a brief introduction to several fields of study, including infectious diseases, environmental health, health policy and management, community health, epidemiology, and biostatistics. Students will learn about the research and work being done in each area we cover and potential career opportunities. We will close with a discussion about how students can continue to explore and get involved in public health by becoming advocates for the issues that matter to them and their communities.