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ESG's video initiatives include student-driven educational video, community profiles, and documentary footage.

Quadcopters: An Inside Look

Through this video I hope to inspire viewers to learn more about the control theory concepts that are fundamental to how a wide variety of robotics function.

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Produced by David Mayo; created May, 2014

When I first tried to build my own quadcopter I found it difficult to learn about what exactly is going on inside the "black box" that is the flight control board or brain of the quadcopter.  I created this video in order to explain the underlying concepts behind how quadcopters work and also provide a general introduction to quadcopters. Through this video I hope to inspire viewers to learn more about the control theory concepts that are fundamental to how a wide variety of robotics function.

This video was produced for the course ES.333/CMS.333, "Production of Educational Videos", at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is intended for both quadcopter enthusiasts and the general public.

Special thanks to Graham Ramsay, Dave Custer, Andy Barry, and Marshall Wentworth for their assistance in the production of this video.

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Documentary Footage

Educational Videos

  • Understanding Shock Waves in Aerospace Applications

    The purpose of this video is to provide an exciting and interesting introduction to shock waves and their applications in supersonic flight for individuals at the undergraduate level.

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    Produced by David Sherwood; created 5/3/15

    This educational video is a student production of MIT’s Experimental Study Group with assistance from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The purpose is to provide an exciting and interesting introduction to shock waves and their applications in supersonic flight for individuals at the undergraduate level.

    With assistance from Professor David Darmofal, I introduce the concepts behind shock wave formation and delve into the difference between the three main types of shocks. Placing this analysis in the context of aircraft design helps students draw conclusions and hopefully sparks their interest about this crucial
    topic.

    For Additional information visit MIT OCW Aerodynamics:
    http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-100-aerodynamicsfall-2005/index.htm

    Soundtrack – Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com/wordpress/author/kevin/)
    SR-71 Animation – TechLaboratories (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChkSPFAHPvHrphVLIqXhxWA)
    Traffic Animation – Andrew Marr (https://www.youtube.com/channe/UCn2lgfSgIyfmhXNVYvNTCuQ)
    Aircraft footage courtesy of Tails22 (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvyk84Poe3L3fnTunmF1YXQ)

    Special Thanks to Dave Custer, Graham Ramsay, and David Darmofal

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  • Professor Beaker’s Totally Awesome Math and Science Show Episode 1: ‘Probably Improbable’

    “Professor Beaker’s Totally Awesome Math and Science Show” has been created for 5th-7th grade students searching for a fun and exciting look into the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

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    Produced by Elan Ness-Cohn; created May 2015

    Episode Synopsis: In this probability themed episode, Dr. Vex finds himself trapped in a game of chance after acquiring an ancient, golden triangle from the pyramids of Pythagoras. Dr. Vex’s only possibility for escape lies in the hands of his twin brother (Professor Beaker) and a super computer (X-B.I.T: X-tremely Brainy Intelligent Tutor).

    Will Professor Beaker and X-B.I.T use the powers of probability correctly and save Dr. Vex? Only time, and maybe a little chance, will tell.

    Topics Covered: Independence, Conditional Probability, Probability Trees, and the Monty Hall Problem

    Additional References:
    Monty Hall Problem – http://bit.ly/1Qg93WI
    Probability – http://bit.ly/1E1yPGt

    Series Overview
    Audience: “Professor Beaker’s Totally Awesome Math and Science Show” has been created for 5th-7th grade students searching for a fun and exciting look into the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
    Created by: Elan Ness-Cohn
    Voice Acted: Ethan Goldstein
    Music: “Talent Show Theme” – Jonathan Rich
    Images: HitToon Via ShutterStock

    Special Thanks:
    Dave Custer and Graham Ramsay – Project Consultants, Course Instructors
    Jerry Orloff – Technical Script Review
    MIT’s Experimental Study Group and the ES.333 Class

    Date: May 4, 2015
    *This video was created for educational use

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  • Creating Infinite Worlds

    Loren Sherman gives a broad overview of procedural generation, then applies it to creating environments.

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    Produced by Loren Sherman; created May 2015

    Are you interested in making games where the player can explore as far as they want in any direction? Do you just want to know how your favorite open-world games work under the hood? Well there’s no way to cram all that information into eight minutes, but this video should still give you some excellent starting points and help you avoid common beginners’ errors.
    More specifically, this video gives a broad overview of procedural generation, then applies it to creating environments. Viewers will learn about the benefits of dividing the game world into chunks and how to load them such that they connect seamlessly, then be introduced to fractal noise and its various applications in two and three dimensions. These topics don’t cover even the basics of procedural generation, but they are ubiquitous and versatile techniques.
    For further explanation and a more complete overview, here are some helpful resources:
    PCG Book: http://pcgbook.com/
    PCG Wiki: http://pcg.wikidot.com/
    Marching Cubes Algorithm: http://http.developer.nvidia.com/GPUGems3/gpugems3_ch01.html
    This video was created for MIT’s course ES.333, Production of Educational Videos. Thanks to Dave Custer and Graham Ramsay for being fantastic instructors, and thanks to Gillian Smith (http://sokath.com/main/) for proofreading my script.

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  • An Introduction to NMR

    NMR helps identify the compound(s) present in a chemical sample. This video is created to help undergraduates in to understand NMR for use in laboratories and in their studies.

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    Made by Austin Clark (’18, MIT)
    Created May 3, 2015, for ES/CMS.333 (MIT ESG)

    Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR for short) is a technique employed in the laboratory setting.

    NMR involves the use of magnetic fields and energy to excite nuclei out of an equilibrium state; from the excited state, nuclei relax back to the equilibrium state. Data obtained from this relaxation provides information about the electron environments surrounding the nuclei. Since electron environments can describe bonding, data from the NMR spectrometer ultimately describe the bonding within a sample. Identifying the bonds within in a chemical species helps identify the species itself. Thus, NMR helps identify the compound(s) present in a chemical sample. I intend for this video to help undergraduates in laboratories and in their studies.
    Note: The type of NMR spectroscopy described in this video is the Pulsed-FFT spectroscopy–the most common application of NMR. An older but still used technique in NMR spectrometers is the Continuous wave (CW) spectroscopy. See the wikipedia page on NMR for more details:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_magnetic_resonance#Fourier_transform_spectroscopy
    Additional Note: The number of spin states available for a nucleus = 2I+1 (where I = the net-spin)

    For nuclei with a net-spin greater than 1/2, more than 2 spin states exist. However, both hydrogen (1H) and carbon (13C) have net-spins of 1/2. Since hydrogen and carbon are the most abundant elements in organic compounds, 1H and 13C NMR spectrums are the most helpful and the most common NMR spectrums run. Know that this “Up” and “Down” spin-state (m=1/2, m=-1/2) situation is unique to 1/2 spin nuclei.

    Helpful additional links:
    NMR Spectroscopy
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_magnetic_resonance_spectroscopy
    Principles of NMR
    http://www.chem.hope.edu/~krieg/Chem348_2002/NMR/Principles_of_NMR_Spectroscopy.html
    NMR
    http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/nmr.html
    Larmor Precession
    http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/magnetic/larmor.html

    Special Thanks to:
    Patricia D Christie
    Jeffrey H Simpson
    Ceri Riley
    Tyler Moore, MD
    Dave Custer, Graham Ramsay

    Music Contributers:
    “Red Sorrow” — Audiomachine
    “Hyperfun” — Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    “The King of the Highlands” — Antti Martikainen
    Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/AJMartikainen/
    Bandcamp http://anttimartikainen.bandcamp.com/

    Image Contributers:
    Pringles  https://www.flickr.com/photos/theimpulsivebuy/86!
    Bar Code  https://www.clker.com/clipart-2815.html
    Coil   https://openclipart.org/detail/216435/spring
    Menthol Spectrum NCI at Frederick
    FID   http://en.wikipedia.org/qiki/Free_induction_decay
    T1, T2 Visualization Steren Giannini  (http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AProton_spin_MRI.webm)

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  • Fourier Series: Modeling Nature

    MIT student Clare Zhang does a non-technical, qualitative exploration into applications of Fourier Series.

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    Produced by Clare Zhang; created May 2015

    Clare Zhang produces a video about Fourier Series: an intuitive means of understanding the power of Fourier series in modeling nature, to place Fourier series in a physical context for students being introduced to the material. A non-technical, qualitative exploration into applications of Fourier Series.

    0:17 Ancient Greek theory of celestial motion
    3:27 How the brain processes sound

    This video was created by Clare Zhang (MIT Class of 2016) as part of MIT’s CMS/ES.333 Production of Educational Videos course.
    ——-
    Acknowledgements:
    Music: “Vivacity,” Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

    http://www.quora.com/What-is-an-intuitive-way-of-explaining-how-the-Fourier-transform-works
    ——-
    Special thanks to Jeremy Orloff, Dave Custer, and Graham Ramsay

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  • Cosmology for the Science Enthusiast

    This video takes the viewer through the story of the cosmos, from the first instant of time to today, in an accessible, concise manner.

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    Produced by Christian Cardozo; created May 2014

    This project comes as a fusion of three age-old interests of mine: the universe, teaching, and video production. It was first conceived as a paper for a science writing class I took my fall semester at MIT, then as a lecture I delivered to high school students sampling classes at the Institute, and, in February of 2014, as a stand-alone video introduction to cosmology. It is intended for audiences with some interest or experience in the sciences, though those less experienced but keenly interested may also find it valuable. The video serves to take the viewer through the story of the cosmos, from the first instant of time to today, in an accessible, concise manner.

    Thanks to Graham Ramsay and Dave Custer, who aided me in conceiving and obtaining equipment required for several sequences and, perhaps most essentially, narrowing the focus of my project to one most suitable for a ten-minute video.
    Another thanks to my old friend Michael Castaño, without whom finding someone to follow me around with a camera may have proven a much more tricky endeavor.  Thanks as well to John Copeland, who provided the rights to several essential animations seen in the video. And last, but certainly not least, thanks to Paola Rebusco, whose technical support steered the finalization of the project’s script.

    Universe zooms, pan-throughs, and images were obtained from NASA’s HubbleSite.
    Stock footage composited into the animations in the project was obtained from FootageIsland, a YouTube channel offering royalty-free, high quality footage for download.
    Animation of Earth’s formation (8:20-9:00) was provided by the American Geosciences Institute (AGI).

    Music and sound effects used in the project source from Apple’s loop and jingle library, included with Final Cut Pro X.

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  • So You Want to Be a Rocketeer: Design and Construction

    This video is for teaching new model rocketeers about some of the design decisions they will have to make and construction techniques they can use to make larger, more advanced rockets.

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    Produced by Jim Clark; created 2014 May 04

    Table of contents:
    Beginning: 00:00
    Motors and Motor Mounts: 2:21
    Fins: 4:06
    Body Tube: 6:04
    Parachutes and Recovery: 7:30
    Payload: 8:55
    Conclusion: 9:54

    This video is for teaching new model rocketeers about some of the design decisions they will have to make and construction techniques they can use to make larger, more advanced rockets.  I specifically had middle-school students in mind when I made it — there is a rocket club at the middle school I attended, and I would like to leave them a resource that is available at all times of the year — but it is suitable for new model rocketeers of all ages — young, old, or in between.

    This video was created as part of MIT’s CMS.333 “Production of Educational Videos” class.  I chose this topic for several reasons.  First, it’s one that I know very well — I’ve been a model rocketeer for many years, and as of June 2014, I’ll have a degree in aerospace engineering.  Secondly, there is that middle school club I mentioned earlier.  Finally, I’ve been writing a book about model rocketry, called “So You Want to Be a Rocketeer” (still to be released — I’ll link to it here when it’s done), and with a video, I can teach construction techniques far more effectively than I could just by writing about them.  I’ve got a couple more videos in the “So You Want to Be a Rocketeer” series: “How (Not) to Fly” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhxYjBZf070), which is all about using checklists and datasheets to be scientific and effective when flying, and “Stability” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYaqJ3YSipA), which is an introduction to stability, and building rockets so that they fly high and safely.

    I’m generating all of this material about model rocketry as part of a master plan to get people more familiar with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, especially aerospace engineering.  Model rocketry (and real rocketry) is spectacular and grabs attention, and the process of designing, building, and flying a rocket provides a clear connection between the theoretical scientific and mathematical work and the engineering and technology outcome.

    For more information about model rocketry, check out G. Harry Stine’s Handbook of Model Rocketry from your local library (or buy it from your bookstore of choice).  The National Association of Rocketry’s website (http://nar.org/) has links to model rocket clubs and contests and maps to find the ones closest to you.  The Team America Rocketry Challenge homepage (http://rocketcontest.org/) has contest rules, registration forms, and lists of mentors and model rocket vendors.

    Also, check out this newsletter from Apogee Components about where the body tube numbers used by Estes come from: http://www.apogeerockets.com/downloads/Newsletter09.pdf

    Credits and Thanks:
    Creator, Actor, Voice: Jim Clark
    Course instructors: Graham Ramsay and Dave Custer
    Technical advice from Aaron Clark, Youssef Marzouk, and Bill Litant
    Historical images and video from NASA.
    Soundtrack: “Americana” Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com/)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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  • Circuits in Practice: The Wheatstone Bridge, What It Does, and Why It Matters

    This video was designed and produced for the benefit of students studying electricity and magnetism from a physics perspective.

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    Producer: Joe Griffin; created: May 4, 2014

    This video was designed and produced for the benefit of students studying electricity and magnetism from a physics perspective.  The intent is to give physics students interested in applying their knowledge of circuits an awareness of how error can affect circuitry and how to address it.  The video was produced as the final project for the MIT class ES.333, Production of Educational Videos, and to fill a gap in the space of educational material regarding entry-level circuitry in engineering.  Students in MIT’s 8.02 and 8.022 classes, equivalent classes at other colleges, and high school physics students studying circuitry are encouraged to watch this video to gain an understanding of the engineering mindset as it pertains to circuitry.

    Thanks to Dave Custer, Graham Ramsay, and John Copeland for advice regarding the production of the video and to Dr. Paola Rebusco for content supervision.

    Credit for the music used in the video, which was edited for the purposes of the video, goes to basematic on dig.ccmixter.org.

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  • Quadcopters: An Inside Look

    Through this video I hope to inspire viewers to learn more about the control theory concepts that are fundamental to how a wide variety of robotics function.

    Show More

    Produced by David Mayo; created May, 2014

    When I first tried to build my own quadcopter I found it difficult to learn about what exactly is going on inside the “black box” that is the flight control board or brain of the quadcopter.  I created this video in order to explain the underlying concepts behind how quadcopters work and also provide a general introduction to quadcopters. Through this video I hope to inspire viewers to learn more about the control theory concepts that are fundamental to how a wide variety of robotics function.

    This video was produced for the course ES.333/CMS.333, “Production of Educational Videos”, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is intended for both quadcopter enthusiasts and the general public.

    Special thanks to Graham Ramsay, Dave Custer, Andy Barry, and Marshall Wentworth for their assistance in the production of this video.

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  • Chemistry of Breadmaking: An Introduction to the Science of Baking

    This video is intended to help people interested in chemistry learn something about baking, and those interested in baking learn a little bit about the science behind baking.

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    Produced by Skylar Goldman; created 5/4/14

    This video is intended to help people interested in chemistry learn something about baking, and those interested in baking learn a little bit about the science behind baking. The target audience is students in either chemistry or baking courses at the middle or high school level, as well as adult hobbyists in either area.

    This video was produced for the course CMS.333, Producing Educational Videos, at MIT in Spring 2014. As both a chemical engineering student and amateur baker, I was excited to produce a video at this intersection.

    If you are interested in learning more on this topic, check out these links:
    http://www.rsc.org/images/BreadChemistry_tcm18-163980.pdf
    http://nzic.org.nz/ChemProcesses/food/6D.pdf
    http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/bread_science.html

    The recipe used to make the bread shown in the video can be found at: http://cfh.scripts.mit.edu/documents/cfhRecipe.pdf

    Special thanks to Dave Custer, Graham Ramsay, and Patti Christie for their assistance with this video.

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ESG Community Profiles