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Splash Spring 2016 is April 9-10

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For Splash Students

  • Registration opens on 3/16 at 7:30pm.
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  • Student Guide

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ESP Biography



AMY LIU, Adventurer and Collector of Interesting Things




Major: Computer Science

College/Employer: Stanford

Year of Graduation: 2018

Picture of Amy Liu

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Salutations, dear friends! My name is Amy, and I like stuff! Especially triangles, Doctor Who, anglerfish, and consuming large quantities of tea. I get very excited about ideas that allow me to understand the world in a new way, and I delight in sharing with others whatever fascinating things I stumble upon. To that end, I study some combination of computer science, biology, and math, though I'm curious about nearly everything, from philosophy to maps to graphic design. I also like to make stuff, such as arrangements of sounds (I play piano) and investigations in my body's spatial location (I like to dance). I am so excited to meet you all and engage in a mutual exploration of what happens when we poke at the universe in a certain way.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

B4536: DNA Origami: Exploring the Art and Science of the Double-Helix in Splash Fall 2015
Most people know about DNA and its double-helix shape. They know the distinctive shape allows DNA to do cool things to organisms' genetic characteristics. DNA is not just all around us; it IS us. You probably already know how important DNA is. In this class, however, you and I will delve deeper and learn how DNA's unique shape influences the world we live in today. We'll travel through different topics, like genetics, mathematics, arts, architecture, and design. We'll answer cool questions like, where can we see the unique double-helix shape in our society today? Is it true that scientists are exploring the existence of three-stranded DNA?? How about four???? Join our class if you want to answer these questions.... AAAAAAND you get to fold your own DNA origami! We'll also include a 15-minute long Q&A session for you to ask us, the nerdy instructors, about our lives as Stanford students.


E4591: Squishy Circuits in Splash Fall 2015
Explore electronics and create circuits using Play-Doh! We'll investigate the difference between a conductor and an insulator and try our hand at crafting series and parallel circuits. Everyone will get the chance to build their own Play-Doh sculpture and figure out how to light it up with LEDs and a battery. The class will be a playful and creative investigation of electricity and the mechanisms that power our homes and the devices we use in our day-to-day lives.


M4109: Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities in Splash Spring 2015
Have you ever wondered how to cut a strip of paper in half into a single piece? Do you spend your evenings pondering how to add up an infinite number of things and arrive at a finite number? Do you aspire to build a bicycle that rolls on square wheels? Behold, the Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities! In this class, we will take a brief stroll through recreational mathematics, exploring fractals and infinity, "proofs" that 1=0 and other paradoxes, clever new ways of adding and multiplying numbers, and more!


M3772: Optimal Bubbleology in Splash Fall 2014
Everyone knows that soap bubbles are spherical, but have you ever wondered why? Come explore the exciting and beautiful connections between soap bubbles and mathematical optimization! Turns out, bubbles assume the shape of least surface area possible to contain a given volume. We will take advantage of this property and apply it to ideas such as the traveling salesman problem and finding the minimal surface area required to span vertices of polyhedra. Come ready to get your hands wet as we build a variety of 3D shapes and observe the surprising results when we dip them in bubble solution.