Spring 2007 Seminars

Spring 2007 Seminars at ESG

Chemistry of Sports

Dr. Patricia Christie

Thu, 3:00 - 5:00 PM, 24-619

This seminar in an exciting way for students to study and apply chemistry knowledge to the improvement of their biological systems.  In this pilot program, we will be focusing on three sports: swimming, cycling and running. There will be two components to the seminar. The classroom component will introduce the students to the chemistry of their own biological system. We will be looking at nutrition (to understand how to fuel and rebuild your body), anatomy and physiology (to better build your system) and also how the body can be improved (or hurt) through physical activities. To better understand the three sports, we will examine the chemistry of equipment and the event, including: swimming (wetsuit making, swimsuit manufacturing, how chlorine affects you), bicycling (including a field trip to a bicycle shop), and running (including a guest speaker to come and talk to us about how running shoes are manufactured). We will also look at ways your body deals with exercise through building up and repair of muscles, improvement in lung and cardiovascular capacity and the chemistry of sports drinks, gels, energy bars, supplements and their effectiveness. Since we are looking at swimming, running and cycling as our sample sports, we will apply the classroom knowledge to complete a triathlon. Students will earn physical education credit if they complete the Mooseman Triathlon in NH in early June 2007 in either the Olympic for two units or half-ironman for four units. We will be going to a physiology lab at Boston University to do pre-and post cardiovascular, BMI, and VO2 testing. With some help from some guest triathlete speakers, we will provide sample 16-week training schedules to help the students complete their PE credit.

SP.237

The Artist in the World

Graham Ramsay

Students will explore through readings and guided discussion how artists contend with issues of self-expression through a wide range of media.  Each week a different professional working artist will present his or her work to the class, discussing the process of creating work that addresses a particular set of issues—social, political, personal, environmental, etc.  Each presentation will be followed by informal discussion guided by the instructor that will explore each artist’s process from initial concept to completion.  Disciplines to be studied will include poetry, music composition, painting, sculpture, dance, photography, instrumentalists/performer, fiction writing, acting, performance art, ceramics, video/electronic media, and cyber art.

Artists will be chosen from within the MIT community (faculty) and from the greater Boston area.  Each week students will be assigned brief readings and/or viewing or listening assignments relevant to the artist who will present the following week.  A final paper comparing and contrasting the work of two of the presenting artists will be required by each student.

SP.239

Building Legal Structures in Africa

Raja Bobbili Experimental Study Group

Mon, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, 24-611, 1st Meeting: Monday, 2/12

Prereq: N/A

Note: Faculty Supervisor: Professor Shigeru Miyagawa

In this seminar we will explore legal structures, institutions and strategies that pertain to the most significant problems facing Africa. We will examine efforts to efforts to strengthen its legal systems through improved judicial administration, structured legislature development, and legal aid. Our emphasis will be on substantive law development related to human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and child-related issues.

For more information: http://web.mit.edu/esg

Raja Bobbili is a junior and an assistant researcher at the Law Development Commission of Zambia. He has taught two seminars in the past two years: HIV/AIDS and Poverty in Africa (Spring 2005) and Information and Communication Technology in Africa (Spring 2006), both of which were presented to the Zambian Law Commission for potential use in public policy.

SP.257

Developing Physics Intuition

Dimitriy Rogozhnikov

Wed, 3:00 - 5:00 PM, 24-619

Have you ever wondered why some things are the way they are? How a car engine works? Why the sky is blue and sunset is red? Why airplanes have the shape they do? Ever wanted to be able to figure out most of these things on your own?. In this seminar we focus on the ability to understand in quantitative terms real world phenomena, using principles of physics and other sciences taught in GIRs. Physics intuition and problem-solving skills are useful in related pursuits (such as mechanical engineering), as well as seemingly unrelated pursuits (such as portfolio management, or MIT Java Programming competitions). We will consider a range of real world questions around us and explore ways to go about answering them. We concentrate on the “how” and “why” – the seminar will be heavy on thinking and light on math. We will discuss how to approach problems in general, and then find answers to real world “how and why things work."

SP.262

Zen Arts

Dr. Peter Dourmashkin/Joyce Wu

Mon, 3:00 - 5:00 PM, 24-619

Prereq: N/A

This seminar, co-sponsored by the MIT/Japan program, focuses on the history and practice of the Zen Arts. We will begin with a brief history of Zen and then consider the following Zen practices: (a) tea ceremony; (b) Kyudo (archery); (c) brush painting; (d) incense game. Each art will be introduced through readings and discussion for two weeks. The third week will be a studio workshop led by a master (the MIT/Japan program will facilitate and help subsidize the master class). Students will learn the basics of the art form through practice. There will be a mid-term and final project.

For more information: http://web.mit.edu/esg

Peter Dourmashkin is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics at MIT and has a long-standing interest in the Japanese arts. He practices brush painting and Kyudo on a regular basis.

Joyce Wu is a graduate student in the MIT Electrical Engineering Department. She has worked in Japan and studies Kyudo in the Boston area.

SP.293

Lego Robotics

Adam Seering

Lauren White

Thu, 7:30 - 8:30 PM, 24-618, First meeting time only

Faculty supervisor: Professor Alex Slocum

Lego Robotics uses Legos as a fun tool to explore robotics, mechanical systems, electronics, and programming. It's a great way to try out new ideas, play with Legos, and learn some basic engineering. This seminar is primarily a lab experience which provides students with resources to design, build, and program functional robots constructed from Legos and a few other parts such as motors and sensors. As a class we will explore other topics of interest to students such as digital logic, modern robotics, and artificial intelligence. No experience with Legos, robotics, or programming is needed.