ESP Biography



HARRY THAMAN, First year grad student, life long learner!



Major: MatSci

College/Employer: Stanford

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Harry Thaman

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I do materials science for a living and spend a lot of time thinking about how chemical energy (batteries) get turned into electrical energy (electricity). Now I want to take it a step farther and talk about how energy like electricity, heat, chemical energy and even springs turn that energy into motion.

When not teaching splash classes, I enjoy ice hockey, board games, cooking and reading. I'll also debate anything with anyone - even if I don't know what I'm talking about!

I can also be found in a lab making batteries, outside reading about batteries or telling my friends and family interesting things I've learned (often about batteries)!



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

L7758: US History - mystery or mythstery? The secret lives of US presidents in Splash Fall 2022 (Dec. 03 - 04, 2022)
Featuring questions like: Which US president fought a secret duel and refused to allow discussion of it? Which president's daughter had a snake named "Emily Spinnach"? How long does your speech have to be before you're bullet proof? And other great mysteries of US history! Taught as a mix of lecture on the weirdness of US history, and "choose your own adventure style" prompts, come learn things you never expected about US history!


E7713: Stuff Matters - from Chocolate to Concrete, Materials that Changed the World in Splash Spring 2022 (May. 14 - 15, 2022)
Want to learn about some of the materials that had the biggest impacts on the world? We'll discuss chocolate, concrete, vitamin C, energy materials and more - all materials that had a huge impact on the world we live in!


E7447: Let's get moving with motors! in Splash Fall 2019 (Nov. 16 - 17, 2019)
Have you seen a Tesla and wondered what's going on under the hood? Are you curious how a jet engine works? Do you want to know how fungal spores get around? If so this class is the place for you! This class discusses a variety of engines and motors and how they convert energy of various types into motion. Lecturing will be supplemented with a variety of hands on demos and discussion.


C7282: How low can you go? The smallest thing you can see with a microscope in Splash Spring 2019 (May. 04 - 05, 2019)
A lot of modern science requires the ability to see very small things - cells, diseases, transistors to name just a few. But most of these things are far to small to see with your eye so other techniques are needed. In this class we'll discuss optical microscopes, electron microscopes, atomic force microscopes and specialty techniques for 3D imaging. No previous knowledge required.


H6061: Mob Bosses and Boss Mobs: An introduction to game theory in Splash Fall 2017 (Nov. 11 - 12, 2017)
Ever wondered what the mafia and EPA have in common? How about why big stores promise to "match prices"? And what does this have to do with competitive rock-paper-scissors competitions? All of these are problems that deal with "game theory", a branch of economics. But don't worry! It's really approachable and you'll get to participate in a bunch of activities with your classmates. Notes: This is about "game theory" which is different than "games" - sorry to disappoint! It also draws on math concepts but no math knowledge is required.