Splash Fall 2023
Course Catalog

Have you ever played a game and wondered how the developer(s) created it? From the smooth move-and-jump physics of Cuphead to the animated slam of a card onto a table in Hearthstone—this class aims to demystify the gaming process that players (like you and I) typically take for granted.

Throughout this course, we will explore the Unity Engine, which has played a part in many signature titles (in addition to those mentioned above!), like Among Us, Hollow Knight, Genshin Impact, Pokemon Go, Beat Saber, and many more. We will break down Unity’s seemingly complicated user interface and get a taste of scripting in the C# programming language to interact with objects in our game. We will also work with pixel art, utilizing the Piskel website to create digital assets to import into these games!

Enrolled students are encouraged to download the Unity Hub (https://unity.com/download) and install a version of the Unity Engine within the Hub before class to speed the process up.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Students should have a computer that can download software (specifically, the Unity Hub and Unity Engine) and have around 2GB of free storage to accommodate this. Previous background in any programming language (Scratch, Python, Lua, Java, C, etc.) is helpful but not required.

A hot dog bun moves slightly, causing a robot chef to deliver an unfinished meal to a customer. A dolphin trainer wears boots with a different color, and suddenly all of his dolphins refuse to listen to him. These failures are actually two sides of the same coin: situations with unexpected circumstances. This is one example of how the core problems in robot-learning are more than technical challenges--they poke at something deeper in how we learn as humans and animals. If we want to make machines that learn like us, we must understand our own mechanisms.
In this interactive class, you will become the trainer and try to train your classmates (and the instructor)! We will use these exercises, as well as stories from the wet n’ wild world of orca trainers, to formulate the key challenges of robot learning and how we might solve them. Some examples include exploitation vs. exploration, distribution shift, and causality. These challenges continue to influence cutting-edge robotics research at Stanford.
Ultimately, after this class, my hope is that you will have a newfound appreciation for the bidirectionality of engineering. Nature inspires new designs, but these new designs can also lead to a better understanding of nature.


Class Style
Lecture

Embark on a journey with us into the world of coding with our 'Thinking like a Programmer' course, where learning is an adventure! Through a hands-on and interactive approach, you'll not only discover the magic of coding but also uncover the art of problem-solving. Dive into the fundamentals of C++, explore variables and their types, master conditional statements, harness the power of loops, and conquer the realm of arrays—all using simple online compilers. This course is your ticket to becoming a self-reliant programmer, ready to tackle real-world coding challenges with confidence and creativity, even if you've never written a line of code before. Get ready to unlock your coding potential and explore the endless possibilities of the programming universe!


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
No prior experience required! In fact, we're absolutely thrilled to welcome and support students who are brand new to programming. If you've never written a line of code before, this course is the perfect starting point for you!

Fashion and engineering may seem like two different worlds, but they are closely connected in many ways. Engineers use their knowledge to help fashion designers create new fabrics and clothing that are both functional and fashionable, while fashion can inspire engineers to create new technologies and devices that enhance the functionality and aesthetics of clothing. By exploring the intersection of these two fields, we can discover exciting new ways to create sustainable and innovative clothing that meets the needs of people and the planet. No previous knowledge of either fashion or engineering is assumed.


Class Style
Activity

Come see the "tubeless siphon" and watch fluids flow uphill! Join us in a workshop where we'll explore why polymers (large molecules) are so important in everyday life and how materials made from polymers can defy our expectations. Learn about viscosity, elasticity, and viscoelasticity, and how polymer interactions give rise to fascinating material behavior through a hands-on experiment.


Class Style
Activity

Do you have an interest in STEM and want to use it to help others? Are you interested in creating a world where healthcare is more personalized? Join us to learn about the basics of biosensor design, a field that is revolutionizing healthcare. We will start from the basics of biosensing and work up to the point where students will be able to propose their own biosensor designs to solve a health problem that they are interested in!

No prerequisites are necessary, but a basic understanding of biology (e.g. antibodies, DNA, etc.) will benefit students.


Class Style
Lecture

In this class, you will learn about electricity and sound! We will discuss how electric signals get magically converted into sound waves in a speaker. And the best part, we will build our own speaker!


Class Style
Activity

This course will explore Materials Science Engineering and Nanotechnology concepts using one of the coolest chemicals on campus- liquid nitrogen! Students should come prepared for several interactive science demos as we explore what it means to be a Materials Scientist, how engineers design and create new materials atom by atom, and what happens when you freeze materials to very, very, very cold temperatures.


Class Style
Activity

Come learn some basic origami!


Class Style
Activity

Want to take photos like NASA? You've come to the right place! In this class, you will learn the basics of astrophotography – the art of taking pictures of space objects like galaxies, nebulae, and planets.

We will discuss the entire process, from picking a target to processing the final image. Topics covered include telescopes, general astronomy, manual camera settings, tips for taking night-time photos, image processing, and more!


Class Style
Lecture

An exploration of how capitalism manifests itself around the world—in the past and present—through evocative photographs. Students will understand the context behind each picture, explore how it relates to larger (invisible) structures of global capitalism, and discuss their thoughts with peers. All opinions are encouraged.


Class Style
Seminar

100 years ago, English-speakers spoke a little differently from how they do today. 1000 years ago, they spoke so differently that we wouldn't be able to understand them. 4000 years ago, the English language shared a common ancestor with most of the modern languages of Europe and northern India. How does that happen?

In this class, you'll learn a few things about historical linguistics, the field that studies how and why languages change over time. I'll explain the basics of sound change and some grammatical changes, and I'll talk about the ways that people can tell whether different languages are related to each other and what languages were like thousands of years ago, even when they weren't written down.


Class Style
Lecture

A survey of the coolest fashion of the Western European gothic period, with a focus on the upper classes!


Class Style
Seminar

We'll explore the rich history of Stanford University through the lens of archaeology. Students will be briefly introduced to the history of the land that Stanford occupies, with an emphasis on indigenous presence. We'll delve into the artifacts and material remains left behind, including objects displayed at Stanford Cantor’s Art Museum. This class offers a unique perspective on Stanford's past and introduces students to the exciting world of historical archaeology.


Class Style
Seminar

If you know a language well, great! If you know two or more languages, even better! Explore how translation goes beyond throwing words in Google Translate. How do we preserve meaning, length, style and even rhythm and culture in the original language? What are the different school of thoughts and techniques people use regards to translation?
I will give some lectures at the beginning to give some context, then we would do some activities together in class! Examples and demos will be given in languages I know the best: English, Mandarin, Vietnamese and a tiny bit of Japanese. Therefore, I'm excited to hear how you apply and incorporate different translation techniques for different languages too!


Class Style
Lecture

This course will cover a brief history of Southeast Asian immigration. What circumstances causes Southeast Asians to immigrate? What does it mean to be an immigrant?


Class Style
Seminar

What happens in your mouth when you speak? Why is it hard to pronounce words in a new language? What does it mean to "have an accent"? In this class, we'll explore phonetics, the study of speech sounds in languages around the world!


Class Style
Lecture

Are you curious about the intersections of love, revolution, and the power of collective action? Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking journey into the world of "Love and Social Change," where you will discover that revolutionary love is far more than just a concept—it's a tangible, common, and deeply embodied experience among activists worldwide. This radical solidarity transcends boundaries and manifests as political direct action, long-term processes of resistance, and a new set of ethics hat challenges established norms.


Class Style
Seminar

All across Europe and the Mediterranean, archaeologists have found small metal tablets with curses inscribed on them. These tablets, listing wishes for horrible things to happen to a particular person, were made by ancient Greeks, Romans, and their contemporaries.

Why did people make these? What can they tell us about ancient societies, religious practices, and everyday life? Why are there words on them that nobody understands? In this class I'll teach you about all this and more, you'll practice looking at evidence and thinking about it like a historian, and we'll all make our own model curse tablets.


Class Style
Seminar

Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.


Class Style
Lecture

Enjoy a break for lunch with your friends! Please register for at least one lunch period on each day of the program.

Lunchtime


Class Style
Lecture

We live in the information age in which it is often said that information is power. But what is information?

Information theory, pioneered by Claude Shannon nearly 80 years ago, answers this question and much more - it is the mathematical foundation underlying how computers store and communicate information. It has only become more relevant over time, finding applications in areas including artificial intelligence, physics, and biology.

We will provide a very brief introduction to information theory, focusing on its applications in digital communication, and build up to at least stating one of the most remarkable theorems of the past century: Shannon's noisy-channel coding theorem.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Know what a probability distribution is (e.g., flipping a coin or rolling a die). Know what a logarithm is.

Have you ever wondered how people take their academic and professional backgrounds and weave them into coherent stories? Do you have a unique set of experiences but don't always know how to frame them? If so, then this is the class for you! There are many times in your professional and academic careers when you will have to explain your interests, influences, accomplishments, and goals to strangers evaluating you for a position. Although you are only high schoolers, it is never too early to start practicing those skills. In this course, we will go over the fundamentals of interviewing, do some mock interviews, eat some candy, and have lots of fun!


Class Style
Seminar

In the U.S., we pay a lot for healthcare: in fact, we have the highest healthcare spending in the world, but arguably worse outcomes than our developed partners. Given resource constraints, governments must decide what sicknesses and populations to prioritize when designing their healthcare systems. In this class, we’ll dive into the mechanics of creating a healthcare system and investigate who pays for healthcare, where money is invested, and how health policy intersects with innovation in the medtech space.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
None! Recommended: basic understanding of economics (like supply and demand), but it's not necessary.

Have you ever wished you could be a better friend to the members of your chosen family? Have you wanted to develop deeper friendships, but been unsure on how to proceed? Do you struggle with balancing your own needs and the needs of your friends? This class will focus on what it means to be a good friend, taking cues from literary friendships as well as the stories you bring to class, and provide concrete steps to being a more thoughtful friend to those you love.


Class Style
Discussion

For all skill levels: an explanation of basic portrait drawing techniques followed by a workshop with one-on-one assistance from instructor. You'll create your own self portrait to take home at the end of the class! You can bring your own sketchpad and drawing pencils (number two is good too!), or use provided.


Class Style
Activity

Text message exchanges, phone calls and Instagram posts between fictional characters? In this class, we'll examine how numerous television shows in the last decade have utilized so-called "transmedia" techniques in real time to bring new dimensions to their storytelling and reflect the mediums of communication we use everyday in the 21st century.


Class Style
Seminar

How does the next photo, video, or ad get chosen in your social media feed? Is your phone really listening to you? Bring your phone* and be prepared to learn the secrets of social media! In this interactive course, we'll cover topics like the psychology and strategies driving advertising, how algorithms capture and keep your attention, and how to spot misinformation. Demystify how social media works and leave this course with the skills to critically evaluate the messages you see on these platforms every day. *If you do not have a phone and/or social media accounts, you can still participate and learn a lot in this class!


Class Style
Seminar

Everyday on the evening news, you hear about rising crime. How do we approach this issue? Should we increase police controls citywide or should we explore alternative justice models? Work with your peers to design policies to address rising crime locally.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
None; Content warning: we will be talking about violence and drugs.

Outreach students who are coming Saturday only need to choose this for Sunday.


Class Style
Panel

"Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature." (Hamlet III.ii.19.)

William Shakespeare wrote life in ten-syllable lines. However, reading the Bard's words can be daunting. This class will help any actor of any experience to understand and act a monologue and scene of choice.

Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Choose a monologue for memorization, act in a short scene, recognize scansion, change inflection, learn how to project/enunciate, and warm up for presentations.


Class Style
Activity

Uncover how nanoscale materials and devices are revolutionizing energy challenges. From solar cells to batteries, delve into cutting-edge research and applications, offering a glimpse into a sustainable and innovative future.


Class Style
Lecture

This course will cover concepts in synthetic biology focusing on mammalian cells. In addition, we will talk about tissue engineering and biomaterial-based approaches to deliver engineered cells.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Intro to biology would be ideal, but not required.

Semiconductors have taken over the modern world in the past 30 years - in everything from your computers, lights, solar cells, and more. That being said, you often don't get a chance to think about how these materials actually have the properties they do. We will walk through basic concepts in solid materials to understand this, with hands-on demos to illustrate them.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Introductory physics/chemistry preferred, not required

How can we use light to analyze the chemical makeup of the ground layer of Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa'? Why do some yellow pigments degrade faster than others despite both being on Picasso's Époques des 'Demoiselles d'Avignon'? These are some of the questions we will be examining in this course, which focuses on how microscopy and spectroscopy (scientific measurement methods that take advantage of how light and matter interact) is used to analyze paintings, sculptures, and other works of art.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
Some knowledge of the physics and chemistry can be helpful but is not required!

Learn emergency skills and CPR.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
None

Learning about the science behind the occurrence and prevalence of Hepatitis B


Class Style
Seminar

Lasers are one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. Their impact is felt everywhere in our daily lives, from cash registers to eye surgery to manufacturing. In this class, we'll be going over what makes a laser, the science underlying a laser and the many applications of lasers! We will also show the actual components inside of a laser. Get ready for some laser magic :).


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
None, although some knowledge of physics and light will make some portions easier.

We will be discussing hard-hitting questions at the intersection of healthcare and ethics. Delving into various case studies in media, popular culture, and biomedical research, we will explore the importance of patient advocacy and autonomy in ensuring high-quality medical care. Come and learn what we owe to each other and why ethics is a key element in any discipline.

Disclaimer: We will be discussing heavy topics in healthcare, including potentially terminal illness and death.


Class Style
Seminar

Stop by to learn about issues in Asian-Pacific Islander health ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ

Presented by members of Stanford Pre-Med APAMSA (Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association).


Class Style
Seminar

There are approximately 100 billion neurons in your brain. But how do they make you feel pain? And what happens when these neurons are damaged? In this class, you will compete in teams to diagnose neurological disorders and experiment with diagnosing pain.

PS: this will get spicy!


Class Style
Activity

Black holes are some of the most mysterious objects in the universe. Astrophysicists love to study black holes to understand their properties, but sometimes they need help from quantum scientists to build the right telescopes...
We are two undergraduates interested in astro and quantum respectively, come to our class to learn about black holes!


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
High School Algebra

In this class, we learn about the anatomy of teeth, why your dentists always tell you to brush and even have patient case studies! At the end of the session, you will get a little dental kit!


Class Style
Discussion

Is that dress blue-black or white-gold? Is the dancing Ballerina spinning left or right? Is that picture an old or young lady? Duck or rabbit? Discover the mechanisms of how we perceive color, motion, depth... etc. through famous optical illusions. Why are we so good at assessing environment information? How our brains see things, or sometimes, don't?!


Class Style
Lecture

In each one of your cells is a copy of your genome – a 3.2 billion-letter-long DNA biomolecule which serves as the blueprint of your body. These letters are the language of life and can offer valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying normal biology and disease. However, the sheer size and complexity of the genome makes it impossible for doctors and scientists to manually analyze and interpret genomic datasets. In recent decades, the field of computational biology has emerged to address this challenge. By developing methods and algorithms to analyze genomic sequencing data, computational biologists have made new biological discoveries and are advancing the dream of precision medicine. In this course, you will dive into this exciting field at the intersection of computer science and biology. You will learn about the central dogma of biology (DNA --> RNA --> protein) and modern sequencing technologies which can measure molecules in each step of this process. Then, you will learn about algorithms which can use this sequencing data to solve important tasks, from identifying disease-associated genes to predicting treatment response/resistance to designing new antibodies for next-generation therapies. You will leave the course with a foundation to build upon so that you can one day shape the future of medicine.


Class Style
Lecture

In this class we will discuss the implications of Einstein's postulates, and see how two basic assumptions created an entirely new way of looking at the world. We will also use these postulates to derive the concepts of time dilation and length contraction.


Class Style
Seminar

Prerequisites
Trigonometry

Time travel: it’s not just for the big screen anymore! From blue boxes to black holes, society is as obsessed as it's ever been with cracking the chronological code. This class will cover both the scientific theory and fictional representations of time travel throughout popular culture (yes, including Doctor Who). We’ll discuss film, debate the primary theories and tropes (is it possible to rewrite history? Could a time loop really happen?), become special relativity experts, and even attempt a little time travel of our own.


Class Style
Lecture

I will introduce the definition of quantum materials, the prototypical examples of quantum materials, and the practical applications in our daily life.


Class Style
Seminar

Are sea monsters real? Why do mysterious sea creatures continue to persist our stories and legends?

We'll address these questions as we take a dive into the science behind sea monsters!


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
None. Content warning: photos of decaying/decayed creatures