Droplet Winter 2020
Course Catalog

Everybody's seen movies in theaters, but have you ever wondered how the image actually makes it onto the big screen? Now you get to try it yourself! You will learn to project both 16mm and 35mm film as well as digital formats with a projectionist at the University theater and film society, Doc Films.

This class will be a series of musical "close listenings" in which we'll examine various excerpts of music in detail. How can we deepen the connection to the music we listen to every day? How can we engage with unfamiliar music that we've never heard before?

This is a fast-paced (but non-technical) class geared towards anyone who is curious about music. No prior knowledge is necessary. A wide range of genres will be covered.

We will be looking at the ideologies of several western thinkers (such as Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, and others) while considering how they would analyze certain moral and ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas will be taken from scenes from popular Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network shows, or common situations students might find themselves in.

Ever wonder how the hours you spend scrolling through Instagram influence the way your brain works? Or what other people can tell about what you are really thinking or feeling from what you post? This class will answer these questions and more, looking deep into how Instagram affects us and our social interactions. We will also analyze posts from top influencers and learn how influencers use the app to make money.

Can your twin somehow become 10 years older than you? What happens when you fall into a black hole? This is one of a two part course, either one or both can be taken. Here, we will learn the mind blowing features of our universe discovered by Einstein. We will discuss time travel, gravity, and black holes both conceptually and mathematically using geometry learned in middle school.


Prerequisites
Know Pythagorean theorem: (a^2+b^2=c^2)

Do you like graphs and theory? Then take graph theory. We'll go over the mathematical theory of connections and nodes, and we also might figure out how to find love! Something like that at least.


Prerequisites
Basic interest in math

You will get a hands-on introduction to assembling and programming circuits with the Arduino microcontroller. Learn the basics with fun LED circuits and control them with uploadable code. This lesson will provide the foundation for designing your own electronics projects and implementing others from the Arduino community.

Can you walk through walls or randomly pop in and out of existence? Unfortunately, the likelihood is too small, but the particles you're made of do this all the time. In the second part of this course (which can be taken without the first), we will learn about quantum mechanics and quantum field theory using the mathematical tools one would find in a college level class.


Prerequisites

How many numbers are there? The answer "an infinite amount" seems reasonable. But if we start prodding a bit more, the answer gets a little murkier. For instance, there are infinitely integers, and there are infinitely many even integers; but are there "fewer" even integers? Are there more rational numbers than integers? What is "infinity" anyway? We'll answer all these questions and more.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with the concept of sets, functions, and rational/real/natural numbers is helpful, but we will review these concepts briefly.

We will go over the Tom Lehrer song "New Math," where he laments about the "new" (circa 1965) math curriculum and how parents are unable to do their children's math homework. This includes a historical overview of mathematical pedagogy and an introduction to arithmetic in bases different than 10.

If there is time remaining, we will find out what day of the week you were born given only your birthday without looking at a calendar.

Why does music provoke our emotions? Does everyone respond to music similarly? How can music cause chills down our spines? The first part of this course will explore the neuroscience and psychology of listening to music. We will use principles of neuroscience to explain emotional responses to various genres of music.

In the second part we will investigate how our brain produces the illusion of the "self.” To what extent does our brain define our personality? What role does memory play in shaping our beliefs? Is our consciousness more than a product of our physical brain? We will take a neuroscientific approach to exploring philosophical questions and psychological experiences.

Understanding how to tell a story can help you achieve all sort of goals. In this class you will learn about the transformative process that can help turn data into meaningful outcomes for you and others. Think Spotify's Year in Review, or all the cool graphics and visuals you encounter when watching sports. The class will touch on data visualization and processing, as well as storytelling principles to help you communicate your ideas more effectively.

Do you like to be bored in class but also have no idea how to doodle? This is the class for you!

We'll start off with some basic doodles and things to try out, and then in the second half, we'll roleplay a boring lecture so you can really get into the mindset of doodling.

Also I guess if you really really want to actually listen to the boring lecture it'll be about the matching algorithm and graph theory.


Prerequisites
Being bored in class

Learn about Consulting! Over 80% of the world's largest companies hire consultants to help them solve their toughest problems. Members of Eckhart Consulting will be giving an overview about what consultants do and some problems businesses commonly face!

Eckhart Consulting is a student-run Consulting Organization at the University of Chicago that helps Multinational Organizations, Civic Institutions, and Non-Profits solve their toughest problems. Some of our past clients include Uber, the Red Cross, and McDonald's.


Prerequisites
NA

Have you ever wondered what it takes to start your own organization from scratch? Do you have an idea that you believe will succeed in the world of nonprofits? Well now is the time to find out! I'll walk you through every step that is required toward starting your own 501-c3 nonprofit in the State of Illinois from the idea-making process to the actual incorporation of your organization. And do not worry; you don't have to be an adult to start your business. I started mine in high school!


Prerequisites
Passion for entrepreneurship and desire to make a change.