Life revolves around reproduction. From birds to bees, all organisms are on a mission to spread their genes from one generation to the next. But how does it work? Did you know some sperm are the shape of fish hooks? Did you know fertilization occurs in the fallopian tubes? How is human reproduction similar to fruit flies? What can we learn from studying how fish mate? In this course you will learn how biologists use different organisms to advance our understanding of human reproduction. [click to learn more]

Genomes are thrilling. Genomic data and its interpertion spans many fields: a fusion of biology, history, geography, mathematics, religion, cultural anthropolgy - and more. Genomes are surprising: our world and in particular humans have had a profound effect on genomes, a product of what we have done in the past. They are immensely informative and provide a mirror to life, describing: you as an individual, you as part of your family, your populations, and you as the latest result of dynamic evolution, as well as for every creature of every species. [click to learn more]

This is a Course-based Research Experience (CRE) class that will provide students with the chance to propose, design, and conduct their own research projects, working on topics and seeking answers to questions that are currently unknown to science.

Ever hear of nanotechnology? The science of small things? Think of designing and making materials a billion times smaller than the diameter of one piece of the hair on your head ! [click to learn more]

One of the most influential and fastest growing fields of research is artificial intelligence. This technology has dramatically changed the job market, communication, search engines, and entertainment. The goal of this course is to take an interdisciplinary approach to introduce students to artificial intelligence. The structure of this course will be to look at how neuroscience has inspired artificial intelligence models and then translate these ideas into mathematical models that can be programmed into a computer.

As an introduction to the course, we’ll learn about the connectome project which has been ongoing project to map the structural connectivity of the neurons in the brain. [click to learn more]

The field of data science will continue to impact every industry in the 21st century: health, government, transportation, energy, technology, weather, politics, and many more. A hands-on, gentle introduction to data science is critical for today's students to impact tomorrow's workforce. While data science is an important skill, it's complexity will soon lead to the modification of the phrase "Well, it's not rocket science" to "Well, at least it's not data science".

This course will focus on the nation's capitol, Washington DC, to highlight the importance of data science skills as they relate to every sector in the government: weather and environment, energy, defense, transportation, health, economy, and others. [click to learn more]

Bots, trolls, fake news, privacy, freedom of information, government transparency, liberty, autonomy, artificial intelligence, big data, data analytics, encryption, human rights, intellectual property, open source, corporate social responsibility, business ethics, averting cyberwar, humanitarian law, white, gray, and black hat hacking, fair information practices, behavioral economics, emerging issues, and international and global concerns.

This timely, topical course offers a comprehensive examination of ethical questions in cybersecurity. [click to learn more]

Since the ancient world, humans have been captivated with the idea of "hidden writing". From decoding the Enigma during World War II to the World Wide Web, cryptography has shaped the world as we know it today. We see a wide range of "secure" applications everyday, from one-time passwords and two-factor authentication to the encrypted hard disks and even WhatsApp messages. However, security breaches continue to occur, compromising our private data. [click to learn more]

This course is designed to introduce future STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students to computational mathematics, parallel computing techniques commonly used in scientific computing along with large-scale 3D data analysis methods, and software for numerical simulation.

This course is project-oriented and aims to develop students' interest in STEM, understand the basic concepts of numerical analysis, parallel computing, and data visualization, and develop students' ability to apply computational mathematics to analyze and solve practical scientific and engineering problems arising in CDS&E (Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering). [click to learn more]

We will use the statistical programming language R to solve problems and analyze and graphically represent data. R is a popular programming language for statistics and data mining, and is a great first language to learn.

Advances in computing power have enabled scientists to amass huge amounts of data on everything from genetics to climate science, but there is a need for someone to make sense of this data. In this class we will learn how to perform basic statistical analysis and visualize data using the statistical software R. [click to learn more]

An Introduction to Game Theory is a course in behavioral economics. Game theory is the systematic study of strategic interactions that are present everywhere, not only in economics but in politics, sociology, law, computer science, and sports.

The main goal of the course is to introduce students to the basic concepts and tools of game theory and to apply these tools to real-life situations. Students will learn the fundamentals of game theory starting with basic terms such as strategies, payoffs, and information, and then will progress from the analysis of simple to more complex games. [click to learn more]

We are exposed to economic data and statistical analysis wherever we go: at the supermarket through prices and quantities of goods, at school through relative performance and GPAs, and in advertising through comparisons between the new iPhone 6 and a competitor’s model. Understanding the message is not an issue, but being a critical user of that information requires a deeper understanding of statistical methods.

Econometrics: Statistical Tools to Understand Economic Data is a four-week core course that introduces students to crucial statistical concepts and methods to analyze and interpret data. [click to learn more]

Have you ever made a regrettable purchase and then found yourself rationalizing your decision? Have you witnessed family members spending money in ways that don’t seem to be in their best financial interest? Behavioral finance combines behavioral and cognitive psychological theory with traditional economics to provide explanations for why people make irrational financial decisions.

The main goal of the course is to provide students with a broad idea of the ways in which cognitive errors such as psychological bias, influence our financial decisions. [click to learn more]

One of the most pressing issues of modern times is how we will satisfy our future energy needs and what influence this might have on global warming. This course pursues developing intuitive insights into the benefits and limitations of various approaches to energy generation, and how to differentiate between hype, scientific analysis, and political interference. This course will provide a strong foundation for anyone interested in pursuing energy studies and their connection to environmental impact and human nature.

The course will examine the advances made since the advent of the steam engine by people who increasingly exploited energy sources to do work for them, especially in manufacturing and transportation. [click to learn more]

Are you passionate about innovative approaches to improving human health? Biomedical engineers apply principles of biology, medicine, and science, along with problem-solving skills and critical thinking, to a broad spectrum of problems, from designing regenerative medicine and new methods of drug delivery to micro-devices and gene therapy.

In this course students will explore how the field of biomedical engineering applies math and science fundamentals to the development of replacement tissues, organs, and devices. [click to learn more]

Have you ever wondered how pacemakers are made, or how cartilage is grown for joint repair? In this course, you will learn how biomedical engineers, specialists in combining the principles of human biology and engineering, develop devices and tissue-engineered technologies that improve, rehabilitate, and even save lives!

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to biomedical engineering analysis, specifically relating to device design and tissue engineering approaches. [click to learn more]

This course introduces students to the wide world of fluid mechanics, an area that covers vast scientific fields such as aerospace engineering, bacteria locomotion, and combustion dynamics, and which is fundamental for flight, rocketry, swimming, bio-locomotion, and countless other topics in engineering. We will focus on the physics and engineering of fluids and visualize core concepts such as pressure and vortexes through hands-on experiments and demonstrations. [click to learn more]

This course is a two-week long introduction to the basics of Computer Aided Design (CAD). CAD software will be used to help you create solutions for engineering design challenges presented in this course.

Engineering has changed tremendously in the past few decades. Some of the most notable changes can be found in how computers are used by engineers to quickly develop and communicate ideas. Recent advances in the technology of computers and software have made using Computer Aided Design (CAD) central to the art of Engineering. [click to learn more]

Are you considering a career in engineering? Are you fascinated by what engineers do? In this course, high school students will be given the opportunity to experience engineering and design first hand. Students will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of the engineering design process, a grasp of the various fields of engineering, and an appreciation of the far-reaching impacts of engineering.

A major focus of this class will be the engineering design process. [click to learn more]

Matlab is a widely used computer programming system. This course will provide you with the opportunity to learn Matlab programming as applied to a 2-dimensional game that incorporates the principles of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Namely, you will simulate a robot game called Last Rover Roving (LRR). You will learn about the Matlab editor, and its single step debugging features. The difference between Matlab scripts and functions will be explained. [click to learn more]

What do you think will be the greatest, coolest invention of this century? Many of the greatest scientists and technologists believe that this will be in the field of Materials research: "of new materials that have amazing properties,” and what’s more, “are capable of changing themselves to suit their requirements.” Though we know of an amazing array of materials, there are only four basic ones--Polymers, Ceramics, Metals, and Composites. [click to learn more]

Are you interested in learning more about the materials that surround our everyday lives? How might newly developed, advanced materials positively impact society?

In this course, you will explore the mathematical and scientific fundamentals behind the field of materials science and engineering. You will explore the current state of the art in engineering design as you test and formulate biomaterials, nanomaterials, and other advanced materials for a wide range of materials science applications.

Time commitment: Your course will open on a Monday, two days in advance of the Wednesday course start date to give you time to get to know Canvas (Brown's learning management system), review course expectations and strategies for your success, learn about your instructor, and help us to learn a bit about you. [click to learn more]

Mechatronics involves the design of mechanical devices with moving parts which require electrical components and programming for intelligence.

The class will start with Ready Rovers (RRs) that—through Arduino microprocessors--control the speed and direction of two stepping motors connected to planetary gears and then, by chain sprockets, to two wheels. A third contact with the floor is made by a ball transport at the back of each rover, allowing for “tank steering.”

Students will organize themselves into teams of three, to account for the three aspects of mechatronics: mechanical, electrical and programming.

The team programmer will learn how to modify C-like default code for improved performance, initially using a RR. [click to learn more]

In this course, you will explore some of the science, math, and technology that is used to extract energy from renewable resources.

The demand for energy is expected to grow 30% by 2040. Today, most of the energy harvested originates from non-renewable sources. What role can engineers play in developing renewable energy technology to meet the anticipated demand? What does it take to become an engineer in this field? [click to learn more]

Every day, we encounter more language that can’t be page-turned away: advertisements spring on us with hidden or disabled “close” buttons, posts on social media allure collaboration, and notifications strut unasked onto our phone screens. As this crowd of digitized texts grows thicker about our heads, we relearn to read in accordance with its idiosyncrasies. Mobile text becomes more legible than static text. And so it is urgent that literature, too, moves.

This course will teach students to code mobile texts in the form of web-based creative works. [click to learn more]

Did you know that the eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia in 1815 dropped the average global temperature by 5 degrees and led to the “year without a summer” and largest global famine of the 18th century? The forces of the Earth are not only important aspects that determine Earth's processes, but also have a strong influence on climate and environment. Large volcanic eruptions can negatively impact Earth’s climate, economy, and landscape for a long period of time. [click to learn more]

One cannot become an environmental leader without understanding the environment; and one cannot understand the environment without understanding fundamental principles of Ecology. This course allows students to take flight, getting a closer look at the beautiful and fascinating birds that fly around their hometowns. In this course students will learn about birds and birding, while exploring principles of ecology that pertain not only to birds, but to all living creatures. [click to learn more]

Estuaries, like Narragansett Bay, are considered to be one of the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Today, they are threatened by the challenges of climate change, which, scientists are discovering, are causing changes in salt marsh habitat and water quality. Do you want to know what a career as a field scientist includes? In this course, students will gain an understanding of how estuaries are the foundations of life in marine systems. [click to learn more]

Adaptive, resilient, interdependent, fecund, fractal are all traits that describe elements and patterns found within nature, but what do these words and patterns have to teach us about shaping change within the environmental movement? Nature has always had it all figured out- sustainability, healing, growth, balance, community. Using wisdom from the book “Emergent Strategy” by adrienne maree brown and works of other visionaries, organizers, and scientists, this course will position nature as our teacher, exploring phenomena and patterns within ecosystems in an effort to find inspiration and ponder how to lead and imagine a way forward in the face of intersectional global crises.

Youth are at the forefront of the environmental movement, which is a movement in the pursuit of justice and learning about relationships with one another and nature. [click to learn more]

During this two-week course, students will be introduced to many diverse habitats that together create the dynamic estuarine ecosystem of Narragansett Bay, the multiple branches of marine science, current research and methods employed in the field, and scientific peer-reviewed journal articles. Students will be introduced to real world research methods utilized by marine scientists to study biotic and abiotic aspects of Narragansett Bay and marine habitats globally.

Coursework will include viewing online presentations from science faculty, researchers, and Save the Bay staff, focusing on the methods and techniques used in their day-to-day work, data collection and analysis, and reading and interpreting peer-reviewed journal articles. [click to learn more]

Alaska’s Kachemak Bay is a special place. It is an area of diverse and surprising edges where the coastal temperate forest shifts almost imperceptibly towards boreal forest. The sea meets the land, rising and falling twice a day with the tides, and saltwater from the Pacific Ocean mixes with freshwater from rivers and glaciers. The Pacific Plate plunges beneath the North American plate, sculpting mountains, triggering earthquakes, and forming active volcanoes. [click to learn more]

The science is clear: the world is entering a period of ecological and climatic disruption. The science is, however, also incredibly complex. Data retrieval, analyses and interpretation, climate systems and the impacts of changes within those systems are all intricate. Climate change challenges us as individuals psychologically, intellectually, and practically. Climate change is also exacerbating systemic inequalities and challenging our patterns of consumerism and thus our social and economic ideals outright. [click to learn more]

How can art not just look good, but do good? How can science not just help us know, but help us act and feel? This course combines concepts in environmental studies, ecologically-based art, and leadership, with a mission to develop socially responsible and creative leaders.

Throughout history, art has reflected our relationship with nature—from cave etchings, landscape paintings, wildlife photography, and land art, to today’s climate change artwork. [click to learn more]

Does life exist anywhere else in the universe, or even in our own Solar System? If you have ever looked at the sky and wondered if habitable worlds like (or unlike) ours exist elsewhere, then this is the class for you. This two-week-long course explores possible habitats for life on Mars, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and exoplanets (planets around other stars), including the TRAPPIST 1 system. Along the way, you will learn about the latest NASA missions, like the Curiosity rover studying Mars, the Cassini spacecraft studying Saturn, the Kepler telescope that hunted for planets around other stars, and the soon-to-be launched James Webb Space Telescope.

This course focuses on the places where life might exist elsewhere in the Solar System or on exoplanets. [click to learn more]

Although the concept of infinity has been pondered since the time of the ancient Greeks, this idea was very controversial up until the mid 1900s. The beginning of the 20th century marks the beginning of some understanding of the infinite, but the next fifty years was filled with controversy, paradox, and eventual acceptance of the infinite. This course will explore both the mathematics and the rich history behind this controversial topic. [click to learn more]

Mathematical approaches in analysis of financial markets can yield fruitful results. For example, Quantitative Analysts, who are employed by investment banks and hedge funds, design and implement complex mathematical models that help institutions price financial assets. Mathematical approaches can also be used to create portfolios of assets that balance between an investment’s risk and return characteristics.

This course provides students with techniques of Probability Theory, Markov Processes and their applications in the areas of Portfolio Theory and Risk Management. [click to learn more]

Geometry is the branch of mathematics dealing with shape and measurement. Modern challenges in data analysis, the physical sciences, and many areas of social science require geometric tools entirely distinct from the classical geometry taught in high school. More importantly, they require a sophisticated mathematical point of view, since questions like "how similar are these two brain scans?" or "is this congressional district weirdly shaped?" do not immediately seem to be under the purview of mathematics.

The goal of this course will be three-fold: (1) to explore new mathematical tools at the university level, (2) to understand how these tools can, and have been, applied, and (3) to learn how to think rigorously and abstractly like mathematicians. [click to learn more]

Logic is a system of rules upon which human reasoning is based. It is a tool that we deploy routinely in our everyday lives. It pervades every academic discipline, from mathematics to the sciences to the humanities. To philosophers, however, logic is a deep and complex subject of study in its own right. This course is devoted in part to exploring this system of rules, which we will build formally from the ground up. We will eventually use our formal system both to better understand the structure of language and to model and assess real-world arguments.

Consider these two statements: 1. All ravens are black. [click to learn more]

Quantitative Analysts (Quants for short) are considered the rocket scientists of Wall Street. They design and implement complex mathematical models that allow financial firms to price and trade securities. They are employed primarily by investment banks and hedge funds, but also by insurance companies and management consultancies and others.

This course has two parts: Interest Rates and Probability Theory for Finance. [click to learn more]

"Mathematics is the queen of the sciences and number theory is the queen of mathematics." Carl Friedrich Gauss

Number theory, the study of the integers, is a vibrant area of mathematical research that many students do not have the opportunity to study in high school. The objectives for this course are to expose students to this beautiful theory, to understand what inspired this quote from Gauss, and to allow students to experience mathematics as a creative, empirical science.

We will begin by studying the axioms of the integers, and spend the next three weeks unraveling their properties: divisibility, modular arithmetic, solving linear Diophantine equations, the Chinese remainder theorem, prime factorization, the Gaussian integers, and quadratic reciprocity, to name a few. [click to learn more]

The premise of set theory is deceptively simple: it is the study of boxes ("sets") and the things they hold inside them ("elements"). Axiomatic set theory is to other areas of mathematics as an operating system is to other computer programs. While it often exists in the background, only obliquely referred to, set theory supplies a solid foundation for our castles in the sky. It gives us a language with which to develop the rest of mathematics. [click to learn more]

"For Today's Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics." Such was the title of a New York Times feature and the motivation behind this course. While the field of statistics is growing daily, the most critical aspects of the subject are accessible to high school students. This course will explain how, where, and why statistics is used to solve real world issues in every imaginable field of research. We'll examine methods of collecting, summarizing, and analyzing data, focusing on issues critical to public health, economics, human behavior, sports, and many other fields. [click to learn more]

This course is focused on teaching students how to solve Rubik's Cubes and other similar "twisty puzzles." We will work through a series of puzzles, with a focus on developing general methods that can be applied to these, as well as plenty of other puzzles not discussed in the course. By the end, we will have developed some approaches and problem solving techniques that apply far beyond the world of cubing. Along the way, we will discuss the math that goes into making these solutions work. [click to learn more]

This course will provide an overview of Newtonian Mechanics. We will be studying one and two dimensional motion, forces, momentum, energy, rotational motion, periodic motion and light. Starting with the concepts of vectors we will move on to studying Newton's laws of physics. Learning about the conservation of energy and momentum will then lead to the analysis of circular motion. We will learn about periodic motion, waves and light, which will lead to the developments of some concepts in modern physics and electromagnetic theory.

Smartphones and tablets in use today have sensors that are able to measure lengths, positions, velocities, accelerations, light and sound as well as many other physical phenomena such as vibrations and magnetic fields. [click to learn more]

Humans have explored the Earth and our moon, but the other planets are millions of miles away. How do we learn about them? Planetary scientists use data collected by spacecraft, rovers, and occasionally astronauts to understand the surfaces and interiors of far-away bodies in our solar system.

Topics of investigation will include: planetary formation and evolution, volcanism (lava and ice!), impact cratering, rock and mineral alteration, atmospheres, resurfacing, tectonics, and exoplanets. [click to learn more]

You've heard of Einstein, Marie Curie, and Newton, but who really were the men and women behind physics' most famous discoveries? What's their story? Why is their work so famous, anyway? How do we use the concepts they explored today? Together we will learn and discuss the work of some great physicists and many other famous scientists. Understanding the lives of these figures allows us to discover along with them how they were able to make the groundbreaking discoveries that led us to the current day.

This is a course for students who want to learn physics while understanding how physics got to where it is today. [click to learn more]

Introduction to Nanotechnology provides a broad overview of nanotechnology, discussing the fundamental science of nanotechnology and its applications to engineering, biomedical, and environmental fields. We will discuss the interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology and how the different basic sciences merge to create the field.

The course provides a background of the understanding, motivation, implementation, impact, future, and implications of nanotechnology. [click to learn more]

Physics with Force is a central theme that ties a lot of the major Physics concepts together. The course begins with an understanding of the current and historical concepts of Force. From a historical viewpoint, the Aristotelean and Biblical view of Physics matched, creating an unbreakable bond of stagnation in the understanding of Physics in the western world, which led to 1500 years of dark ages in the progress of Physics. [click to learn more]

Our world is composed of seemingly-invisible particles at every scale imaginable. We can look at ourselves and ask, "What are we made of?" We might answer that we're made of "cells" that have a molecular structure built upon elements such as carbon or iron. But what if we dig deeper? We find that those elements are made from protons, neutrons and electrons! While we can hold a piece of metal and claim that it's made of iron, we aren't able to do so with protons for they are too small. [click to learn more]

Quantum mechanical formalism suggests that the underlying mechanics of our universe is far divorced from our perception of reality. In this course, we will examine the conceptual fundamentals of quantum mechanics and explore their metaphysical implications.

Quantum mechanics posits that the behavior of particles in our universe is necessarily probabilistic, and that until measured, observable quantities do not have determinate values. [click to learn more]

This is a Course-based Research Experience (CRE) class that will provide students with the chance to propose, design, and conduct their own research projects, working on topics and seeking answers to questions that are currently unknown to science.

The motto of The Brown University School of Public Health is "Learn public health by doing public health." This idea extends to this course; you should learn research by doing research. [click to learn more]