ESP Biography

Calling all math speedsters! This activity simulates one of the most exciting parts of the MathCounts competition: the countdown round. In each game, two players compete head to head, attempting to answer tricky questions in under 45 seconds each.

As the classic topology joke goes, "a topologist can't tell the difference between a donut and a coffee mug." Imagine I gave you a ball of clay, and you could stretch the clay to make whatever shape you wanted? What sort of shapes could you make? (Yes, an XBox controller counts.) In this introduction to topology, we'll talk about what when we can "deform" one shape to look like another. We'll discuss shapes such as spheres, torii (i.e. donuts that may or may not be edible), and Mobius strips, and we'll investigate properties such as Euler characteristic and orientability. By the end, we'll grasp a geometric intuition that we typically don't get to see in the physical world (basically we'll become mathematical wizards).

Calling all math speedsters! This activity simulates one of the most exciting parts of the MathCounts competition: the countdown round. In each game, two players compete head to head, attempting to answer tricky questions in under 45 seconds each.

Calling all math speedsters! This activity simulates one of the most exciting parts of the MathCounts competition: the countdown round. In each game, two players compete head to head, attempting to answer tricky questions in under 45 seconds each.

Calling all math speedsters! This activity simulates one of the most exciting parts of the MathCounts competition: the countdown round. In each game, two players compete head to head, attempting to answer tricky questions in under 45 seconds each.

Calling all math speedsters! This activity simulates one of the most exciting parts of the MathCounts competition: the countdown round. In each game, two players compete head to head, attempting to answer tricky questions in under 45 seconds each.

One of the central tenets of cryptography and more broadly, secure negotiations, is being able to prove to someone you know the solution to a problem that they desire without actually revealing the solution. This idea is prevalent through all of modern cryptography as well as confidential and critical decisionmaking processes. This class will provide an introduction to zero knowledge proofs and their roles in modern voting protocols, cryptography, and secure processes in businesses, the government, and science.

Calling all math speedsters! This activity simulates one of the most exciting parts of the MathCounts competition: the countdown round. In each game, two players compete head to head, attempting to answer tricky questions in under 45 seconds each.

Ever wondered how Facebook lets you into your account with your password? Or maybe what happened in Bletchley Park back in World War II? (Ever watched Imitation Game?) Cryptography is the art (or science) of securely sending information; no eavesdropper should figure out what your message is! In this class, we'll discuss two main topics in cryptography. We'll start with classical ciphers, like the cryptograms in the newspaper. Then, we'll discuss password hashing and show you how to HACK a real website (our own website, of course).

Calling all math speedsters! This activity simulates one of the most exciting parts of the MathCounts competition: the countdown round. In each game, two players compete head to head, attempting to answer tricky questions in under 45 seconds each.

What exactly is a puzzle? It's a mass of data from which you need to extract a word or phrase. The data can be a crossword with some hidden twists, an innocent-looking photograph, or a modified version of 2048. We will go over some tools to solve these puzzles, such as Morse, Braille, flag semaphore, or binary codes. Then, we will discuss some general strategies for solving puzzles. Lastly, we'll delve into tackling some fun challenges originating from various puzzlehunts.

How do we make sure that our messages stay safe from prying eyes? The field of cryptography has its roots in a plethora of classical ciphers, such as Caesar, letter substitution, and Vigenere ciphers. In this class, we will first introduce the concepts behind code-breaking. Then, we will explore some fascinating ciphers and break examples of them.

One of the central tenets of cryptography and more broadly, secure negotiations, is being able to prove to someone you know the solution to a problem that they desire without actually revealing the solution. This idea is prevalent through all of modern cryptography as well as confidential and critical decisionmaking processes. This class will provide an introduction to zero knowledge proofs and their roles in modern voting protocols, cryptography, and secure processes in businesses, the government, and science.