Splash Winter 2022
Course Catalog

In this course, students will learn about famous pieces of art that have shaped the way we think about civilisation and culture.
It will be a brief and fun introduction to art history as we explore famous art from around the globe.

In this seminar we will ask students to discuss what is a just government, and we will read abstracts from Hobbes’s Leviathan, Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, Rousseau’s First and Second Discourse, Mill’s On Liberty, and John Rawls' Justice as fairness. (We might cover some but not all of the material due to time restriction.) We will consider the differing views of these philosophers on issues such as the aims and limits of politics, the role of morality in the harsh world of political necessity, the proper place of religion and reason in political life, and the nature and basis of justice.

Have you ever wanted to speak another language? Have you tried before and given up, or took a language for years in school but still don't speak it well? If you have any interest in learning a new language, this course is for you. Drawing on numerous case studies of successful language learners, polyglots, and the latest research on language acquisition, this session will teach you how to actually acquire a new language, and to have fun doing it! These methods are proven to be effective, and are likely very different from the traditional ways of learning languages in school. This course will show you why anyone, anywhere can acquire a new language and even become a polyglot, and exactly how they can do it.

Did you know that some languages featured on TV shows and movies are created by people and have actual rules? In this class, we'll briefly learn about the different parts that make up a language, and what makes languages unique, in the process learning the basics for making our own constructed languages.

Ever wondered how prosthetics worked? Or how we are able to simulate a human brain through neural networks & Artificial Intelligence? How can your brain convey actions to enhance our physical motions?
If you're interested to learn more about the computational neuroscience behind prosthetics and neural networks, join us!

Have you ever wondered what exactly your eye doctor is doing when they test your vision? How do they go from having you look at an eye chart and asking “Which is better, one or two?” to giving you glasses that perfectly correct your vision? In this one-hour virtual course you’ll learn the principles of optics, the physics of light that eye doctors and lens makers use to correct your vision, through interactive online demos. Basic geometry knowledge is required.


Prerequisites
Basic geometry

What role does neuroscience play in our mental health? How does it contribute to enhancing or reducing emotions? What is the resilience of our brain when we experience such struggles? If you're interested in learning more about neuroscience in the context of our society and Gen Z matters, join us!

Dark Matter and Dark Energy collectively make up roughly 95% of "stuff" in our Universe, but we still have a relatively poor understanding of what they actually are, since we cannot actually 'see' either. In this class, I will walk through the evidence that we have for the existence of both, and discuss how they shape the universe as we know it. Expect to see many cool videos/animations!


Prerequisites
Knowledge of algebra would be useful. No prior knowledge of physics and astronomy needed.

We will go over aquaculture farming (what it is) and how it can help reduce carbon emissions. This course will cover oyster and kelp farming, how it is done and how it reduces carbon emissions. We will also introduce organisations that are currently working with the goal of increasing aquaculture.

Have you ever wanted to travel at Star Trek-level "warp speed"? Enter the "hyperspace" of Star Wars? Explore a black hole like in Interstellar? In this course, we'll discover how scientific our favorite sci-fi movies really are, as well as experience an introduction to space travel in our own world.


Prerequisites
Algebra

How do we see things? Does our vision directly represent the things we see? Do colors exist in the physical world, or just in our minds?

In this fast-paced one-hour class, we'll use illusions and virtual demonstrations to learn about the processes of vision in our eyes and brains, the ways in which our brain "constructs" what we see, and why our sight isn't always as reliable as we'd like to think it is.


Prerequisites
Students must be able to grasp a few basic life science ideas: they must know the cell theory of biology, be able to quickly pick up very simple anatomy of the eye and brain, and be able to understand the idea that sensations arise from the electrochemical activity of cells in the sensory organs and brain.

Join UChicago Emergency Medical Service (UCEMS) to learn more about what to do in emergency medical situations! Students will gain an introduction to taking vitals, administering CPR, and responding to emergencies such as allergic reactions, asthmatic attacks, traumatic injuries, and drug and alcohol emergencies. This will be taught in two parts: a lecture-style presentation followed by interactive discussions in which students go through scenarios with a responder. Responders will also demonstrate how to properly perform these emergency responses and how to use tools and administer medication.

Have you ever wondered how conjoined twins come to be? Or whether the accounts of babies with tails or gills are really true? Can you be born with all of your organs in different places inside your body? The answer to these, and many other, fascinating questions lies in embryology, the study of how organisms develop as embryos. In this class, we’ll discuss fringe embryological cases, like the famous dipygus Myrtle Corbin, and what they reveal to us about the biological processes behind how we go from being a fertilized egg to a fully formed person.

You've seen the periodic table, and you've (probably) seen a really cool crystal before. But have you ever wondered exactly what makes that crystal look like that? This brief and hands-on course builds the basics of mineral science through the lens of its most basic building blocks: the elements.


Prerequisites
1 semester of any kind of chemistry course

How does one cell become a whole organism? How do different cells perform different jobs? How do they know which job to do?

Developmental biology is the process by which an organism grows from a zygote to an adult. In this course, we will cover the basic concepts of development at the level of a single cell; understanding how a cell learns to differentiate, and how its DNA is involved in this process.

How do animals regenerate parts of their bodies that they have lost? What are the different ways we understand and study processes of regeneration? These questions and more will be answered in this course, which will provide a broad overview of regeneration and how it is currently being researched. This course is meant to provide a basic understanding of the different types of biology involved in processes of regeneration as well as familiarity with different types of research and experimental techniques. Topics covered include embryonic development, gene regulatory networks, cell signaling pathways, and epigenetics. More than anything, however, this course hopes to make biology more accessible and to encourage students to ask questions.


Prerequisites
Previous coursework or exposure to biology would be useful for understanding concepts presented in this course, but the only thing you need is curiosity and a desire to learn!

Did you know that half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture? This important industry contributes 17% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural practices have changed drastically since humans began growing crops, which has resulted in negative environmental effects. In this class, we will discuss what it means for agriculture to be sustainable and what agriculture professionals can do to reduce environmental degradation. We will learn about various agriculture methods that are replacing industrial agriculture, such as agroforestry, high-tech practices like hybrid lighting and hydroponics, and urban farming.