ESP Biography

Come learn about ideas that keep the Internet working and then have a wild discussion about ways to break the internet. We'll first learn about packet switching, end-to-end communication, DNS, routing. Then we'll talk about recent incidents/ situations where large parts of the Internet were disrupted e.g., in 2008 all the world's YouTube traffic was accidentally routed to Pakistan (and YouTube was down for a full two hours!)

Isn't it funny how after you learn a new word, it begins to show up everywhere? What's the chance that two people in your class were born on the same day? How about three people on the same day? We'll talk about how we can understand coincidences in everyday life using tools from probability (e.g., balls and bins model, poisson processes) and some ideas from psychology.

How many jelly beans fill a one-liter jar? When is a biker carrying a stack of DVDs faster than your internet connection? How much money do Americans spend on soft drinks in a year? How much time would you have to wait for a table at Starbucks on a busy evening? Answer all these questions and more in a few minutes. Bring a pen or pencil. We'll supply the envelopes :)