Research

Over the course of the class, we studied various perspectives on the 'rules of love'. For my final presentation, I decided to make a short video. In this, I asked 17-21 year olds from 10 different countries: "What are three rules that you would have for yourself in love?" When I looked closely at these videos, the results were interesting. Answers varied across genders and cultures. There were differences and similarities.

In a hands-on experimental component of The Science of MythBusters, students work in teams to build and launch custom-modified alcohol-powered film canisters, called piezo poppers. Applying their skills in experimental design and statistical analysis, the students modify their launcher, canister, and fuel to maximize the launch distance of their canisters, culminating in a class-wide contest at the end of the quarter.

As part of THINK1: The Science of MythBusters, students built small piezoelectric devices (“piezo poppers”) in which a small spark ignites an alcohol-based fuel inside a film canister, launching the film canister into the air. After building a custom-modified launcher, students used their piezo poppers to see how variables like launch angle and fuel type affected the distance the canister traveled, applying statistical tools learned in class. Students then worked in teams to modify relevant variables and optimize their launch distances.

A fascination with the grotesque. I suppose that’s what drew me to spend a quarter researching the modern American political system. My PWR 2 course, Superfans and Scholars: The Rhetoric of Fan Culture, began by introducing students to the academic study of fandom; we were then challenged to employ this knowledge of fan cultures as a lens through which to understand our research topic. Ever the ambitious student, I settled upon what I considered to be an eminently manageable task: use fan studies to explain and suggest solutions to the gridlock paralyzing Washington. Ha.

Conventional motors use electromagnetism to exert torque – a design that works very well for large systems, but becomes increasingly inefficient as the motors become smaller. The goal of this project was to develop a new motor design that may greatly outperform conventional motors at smaller scales. After considerable background testing, the principle of electrowetting was applied to create a motor in which a rotor floating in water was turned by tiny deformations of the water’s surface.

Our group's project is from the freshmen IntroSem, The Art and Science of Engineering Design, taught by Professor Andrea Goldsmith and Dr. My Le. Our goal is to provide clean, green energy to communities without electricity or a consistent source of light.

Technologies of Civilization: Writing, Numbers, and Money (ClassGen 22N) an IntroSem taught by Professor Reviel Netz  to freshmen in the autumn, investigates the global “role of cognition in shaping history and the role of history in shaping cognition,” with special emphasis on the ancient technologies of writing, numbers, and money.

As a final project for Professor Londa Schiebinger’s IntroSem, Gendered Innovations in Science, Medicine, Engineering, and Environment (HISTORY 44Q), students were required to research and present an example of a gendered innovation.