We are committed to providing fun and inspiring educational experiences for high school students. In light of the cancellation of our Spring 2020 Splash event, we worked with our teachers to digitize class content. Digital content varies from class to class, and includes videos, PowerPoints, websites, and reading suggestions. Though the impressive classes our teachers put together each semester cannot be fully replicated online, we hope this digital content gives students an introduction to some of the many subjects our teachers are passionate about.

Browse our catalog of Digital Classes below and click on any title to learn more!!!

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Introduction to Sound Laura Calderon In this class well be exploring how a speaker works, converting electric energy into acoustic waves. We'll also learn about include what speakers are made of, why they work, and the different methods of producing sound with the technology.
	Mechanical Engineering of the Catapult Tyler Gogal, Nithin Chintala Learn about the engineering behind the catapult a medieval siege weapon. In this class we will be learning about the history behind these mechanical monsters and use physics to understand them. In addition we will review the basics of trebuchet design and will build one in class!
The Fermi Paradox Felix Moisand The Milky Way Galaxy alone has billions of stars and makes up just a fraction of the observable universe. And yet, in the entirety of human history, we have never had a confirmed encounter with an alien civilization. Over lunch one day, famous physicist Enrico Fermi asked the question: “Where is everybody?” In this course, we will examine the basis for Fermi’s question and look at some proposed answers to the question, then open it up to discussion about what you think!
	Kaiserreich Felix Moisand The First World War, and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles set the stage for much of modern European and World history. In this course, we will examine some of the key turning points in the war that turned the tide against the Central Powers, look at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and other German plans for the post-war world, and hypothesize about what a Central Powers victory may have looked like.
Two Truths One Lie Felix Moisand, David Zheng In this course, we will present three wacky, hard-to-believe stories from the world’s history. The catch is: one of them is a lie. Can you separate out the true stories from the fake? After all, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction...
	Surviving the Slow Apocalypse Jack Edelman What are the next fifty years going to look like? In a nutshell, hot. The bad news: climate change is going to happen. It already is happening, as you're probably aware. It's too late to stop it. So, if we can't prevent it, the question becomes "how do we survive it"? The good news: We can survive it, and we do have enough time to transition to ways of living that are adapted to a post-climate change world. Come and learn how to continue to enjoy things like electric lighting, hot water, a car that runs, and eating food, in a world where climate change has destroyed the global logistics network that used to supply them!
Gaming Explained Zachary Maizes Due to (the lack of) popular demand, Gaming: Explained is coming back for another go! After a grand total of >0 people showed up in Fall 2019 I figured everyone must want to learn some more about games. In this new and (maybe) improved version, I will be discussing various genres of games with a focus on more popular and more complicated games, along with a how-to for constructing a meta-game for a game night and some escape room tips and tricks.
	Philosophical BS Zachary Maizes Do you ever feel like big tech is watching your every move? Ever wonder about the ethical ramifications of various inventions? Confused as to why some people do/don’t contribute to environmental causes? Want to learn some philosophy from someone who took a single philosophy course and now feels that he is an expert? If so, look no further than this class! I took a super interesting course about ethics in relation to modern technology last semester and love discussing philosophy with others.
Egg Drop Challenge Tatiana Ediger Do you want to design an apparatus that'll let you drop an egg from 2-stories up without breaking it?? In this class you'll learn about the important science of resisting the force of gravity in a slow descent, AND you'll get to compete with one another to make the best design!
	Playing with Perception Leannah Newman Has your brain been tricking you? Seeing movement in images which are perfectly still? Hearing different words from the ones actually being said? Our brains are supposed to reliably tell us about the external environment, so how can this happen? Sensory illusions are not only fun to engage with, but essential tools to understand the way the brain works to understand our environment. In this course, we will demonstrate and discuss both popular and lesser-known optical, auditory, and tactile illusions with the goal of understanding more about brain processing. You will also have the opportunity to get your own burning questions about perception answered and leave knowing illusions, and your brain, a little better.
The Apotheosis Hypothesis Evan Mun Have you ever wanted something so badly only to be told it was impossible? A researcher’s job is to prove those people wrong! Apotheosis refers to the ascent of something to a divine status. This course explores the ways bio-engineering can create a brighter future in ways once believed only accessible to gods. Students will be guided through a brief history of the advancements that led to humans taking control of evolution, followed by a deeper dive into some current achievements within the field of synthetic biology (CRISPR, Optogenetics, Stem Cells, and beyond!). The course aims to illuminate the ways in which impossible problems can be overcome by the science of controlling biological systems. This includes a spotlight on the embryonic engineering which inspired my research career and an interactive period where students will workshop hypothetical solutions to their own “impossible” problems.
	How (not) to Die in a Chemistry Lab Salvatore LaRussa Ah, yes, chemistry labs. One of the only places in the world where people hand you-- no, make you handle-- substances that you otherwise aren't supposed to touch with a ten-foot-long pole. Of course, high school chemistry labs are only mildly very dangerous, so for this class we're going to kick things up a notch, and give a brief, sometimes ridiculous introduction to some chemicals that ought to be kept in a fume hood behind several locked doors, and some other that you may come across if you study chemistry in the future-- even though they too probably ought to be locked up as well.
Weebs: A Lifestyle Guide Zachary Maizes, David Zheng Have you ever experienced the wondrous world of Japanese culture? We haven’t either! However, we do love manga and anime, and would love to discuss these topics with you! Whether you consider yourself a proud weeb, an uncultured normie, or just someone who wants to learn a bit more about a form of entertainment they don’t know that much about, this is the class for you! We will be discussing various anime and manga along with the surrounding culture and community, along with recommending a few high-quality ones to you all!.
	This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Take one Pill a Day and Cry Salvatore LaRussa The FDA is in A LOT of hot water lately; honestly more than I was expecting making this class with the major concerns over Big Pharma's drug pricing in mind. Here are some resources for better understanding this situation.
Philosophy of Anarchy Jaiden Cruger When you think of anarchy, what do you think of? Loud English punk music and V for Vendetta? In actuality, anarchism is a diverse political philosophy that has challenged the way we engage with one another since its invention. In this class, we will discuss central tenents of and challenges to anarchism. We will also explore sub-branches of anarchism including anarcho-socialism, anarcho-feminism, anarcho-primitivism, and, yes, anarcho-capitalism.