ESP Biography

Maybe you've heard about how computers are just giant calculators at heart. Actually, you can build one out of tiny, simple parts. We'll download a simulator that lets you make pieces of a computer by dragging and dropping and wiring stuff together. Then you'll build little machines that can add numbers together, and finally see how we can work our way up to a computer. You'll come out understanding why binary is such a big deal, how computers work at the most fundamental level, and that this stuff isn't as complicated as you think!

Do you like maps? Do you like buses and trains? Do you like figuring out all the ways you can get from 'here' to 'there'? Have you ever played SimCity? In this class, I'll give you a fictional city, with some dense parts, some rural parts, some rich parts, some poor parts, and you'll come up with some ideas for how you might plan out a transportation network. You'll learn about some issues in real-life planning, some of the trade-offs planners have to make, and you'll get to draw out your very own transportation network.

Have you ever wondered if we're all just living in a giant computer? We'll check out some awesome programs which simulate life on your home computer. You can watch species and civilizations rise and fall right on your monitor!