CLUSTER 1: AIRPLANES AND ROCKETS: The Engineering of Flight
PREREQUISITES: Geometry, Algebra II, Physics
FIELD TRIP: Wind Energy in Action, Sailing the UCI Shields Boats in Newport Harbor
INSTRUCTORS: Professors Kenneth Mease (Lead Faculty), Derek Dunn-Rankin, Manuel Gamero-Castano, Faryar Jabbari, Benjamin Villac, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• How does a 747 weighing nearly a million pounds stay aloft? What makes a fighter jet so maneuverable? How do we get satellites into space and planetary rovers to arrive safely on distant planets? In this course, students learn the basic principles of atmospheric and space flight, including flight mechanics and control, aerodynamics, jet and rocket propulsion, physics of rocket launch, and the mathematics of orbital mechanics and interplanetary transfer. Takeoff and landing of heavyweight airplanes and altitude targeting for rockets are examples of design challenges presented and tested in class. UCI School of Engineering research labs will be used for experimentation and hands-on projects. Students design, build and fly a remote-controlled airplane. Students experience wind energy and the aerodynamics of sailing by sailing the UCI Shields Sailboats in Newport Harbor, in collaboration with the UCI Sailing Association. Instruction will be provided by expert sailors who will captain the boats. A strong background in mathematics and physics is required. Please note the prerequisites.

CLUSTER 2: ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
PREREQUISITEs: Algebra and Geometry
FIELD TRIP: The Palomar Observatory, and nightly visits to UCI Observatory
INSTRUCTORS: Professors Tammy Smecker-Hane, Elizabeth Barton, James Bullock, Physics and Astronomy

• Astronomy: This course presents fundamental observational techniques which answer the question: “How do astronomers measure the properties of celestial bodies such as mass, distance, or chemistry?” Lectures cover topics of instrumentation such as telescopes, Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) cameras, and spectrographs. Students will not only learn how each of these works, but also how to use these sophisticated tools to collect original data and to analyze that date to extract precise information. Late night sky watching and data gathering at the UCI Observatory are central features. Computer-simulated telescopes and a 24-inch, computer-controlled telescope, located at our observatory present unique opportunities to explore the heavens.
• Astrophysics: Students will apply the physics and theories that astronomers use to unlock secrets in space. Topics stem from the make up of the solar system, to star formations, to even more distant stellar lifetimes. Students explore the structure and evolution of stars. Included in the discussion is the characteristics of white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, other galaxies, and the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. Students will take a field trip to the Palomar Observatory, north of San Diego County. The Palomar is a world-class center of astronomical research that is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology. It is the home of the 200-inch Hale Telescope.

CLUSTER 3: CRYSTAL GROWTH: Experimental and mathematical/computer modeling in beauty, symmetry and complexity
PREREQUISITE: An interest in mathematics and materials science (crystal growth) and a willingness to use computers and perform experiments. The courses will be appropriate for high school students at all levels.
FIELD TRIPS: Ziess Center of Excellence, Calit2 at UCI (multiple materials characterization demonstrations)
INSTRUCTORS: Professor John Lowengrub, Chair, Department of Mathematics; Professor Daniel Mumm, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science

• Concepts and characterization of crystal growth at the micro and nano scales: Physical Theory and Experiments: Is it really true that no two snowflakes are exactly alike? Are snowflakes always symmetric? What causes them to take their beautiful form? In this course, you will learn the basics of crystal growth and the answers to these questions. Moreover, you will grow various forms of solid crystals (like snowflakes) in the laboratory. Solid materials, often in a crystalline form, are the things that mankind uses to make articles of necessity and utility. Besides the natural beauty of snowflakes, examples of crystalline materials that play an important role in technologically important systems include advanced metal systems for lightweight vehicles, thin film devices for communication systems, and ionic conductors for emerging energy systems. The manner in which the crystalline structure develops during processing, and evolves when these materials are put into service, dictates their properties and overall utility. In this course, we will discuss the underlying science of why crystals take their shape. We will discuss the basics of thermodynamics, the role of atomic structure and how, together with environmental conditions, these determine the symmetry and shape of crystals.
• Modeling and simulation of crystal growth at the micro and nano scales: Have you ever wondered how snowflakes in animated movies can be made to look so realistic? Do people just draw them by hand? Nowadays, with powerful computers and clever computer models, it is possible to create virtual snowflakes, and other complicated crystals, that are hard to distinguish from the real thing. More generally, mathematical and computer models are playing an increasingly important and critical role in the design and characterization of new crystals that have a desirable set of properties—the industrial diamond is one example. In this course, we will present computer models of the growth of snowflakes and other crystalline materials. We will start with very basic models and provide prescriptions as to how to increase the level of sophistication, and thus describe more and more realistic crystalline features, leading to a complete description of snowflakes and other complex crystals. This course will be taught in tandem with the Experimental course 1 described above. As the mechanisms of growth are introduced and discussed in course 1, we will present, in a self-contained manner, computer models of those processes. Throughout the course, students will use, adapt and apply the computer models to develop their own virtual snowflakes (and other crystals) with remarkable shapes and symmetries.

CLUSTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE FROM A BIOLOGICAL & CHEMICAL PERSPECTIVE
PREREQUISITES: Biology and Chemistry
FIELD TRIPS: Students will take field trips to local ecological reserves, including the San Joaquin Marsh and environments of the coastal areas; visits to UCI research labs
INSTRUCTORS: Professor Peter Bryant, Developmental and Cell Biology; Dr. Stanley Tyler, Earth System Science

• The Living Planet: The biological resources of our planet will be explored at a global level by examination of recent data from remote sensing as well as ground-based analysis. Changes occurring through human domination of the planet will be investigated and the future consequences of these activities projected. The course will include studies of forests, deserts, oceans, freshwater systems and other ecosystems, as well as the over-exploitation of biological resources, always with a global perspective. The course will cover the basic drivers of environmental degradation, including population growth, commercial enterprise, and lack of appreciation for wildlife and natural habitats. Ways that people can act to slow or reverse the decline of our environment will be discussed as an integrated and high-priority topic.
• Atmospheric Chemistry and Biogeochemistry: Atmospheric Chemistry and Biogeochemistry are two of the newer disciplines which comprise the ever expanding field of Environmental Science. Environmental Science traditionally has focused on pollution and degradation of the environment related to human activities. In its newest form, Earth System Science, the Earth is studied as a whole and is viewed as a system of many separate but interacting parts. To do this, interactions among the physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment must be considered, resulting in new and exciting interdisciplinary fields which combined individual disciplines such as chemistry, physics, biology, geology, oceanography, and meteorology. In this course, we will focus on Atmospheric Chemistry and Biogeochemistry, two of the newer disciplines which comprise the ever expanding fields of Environmental and Earth System Science. You will learn about some of the exciting frontiers in chemistry as they apply to earth system science through lectures, hands-on laboratory experiments, and web-based modules and other instructional computer software. Some of the topics to be covered include the Earth-Sun energy balance, acid rain and urban air pollution, atmospheric composition and biospheric-atmospheric interactions, the greenhouse effect and global warming, and ozone depletion.

CLUSTER 5: MATHEMATICAL PUZZLES AND GAMES
PREREQUISITE: Algebra II
INSTRUCTORS: Professor James Arvo, Computer Science - Computing; Professor Sarah Frey, Department of Mathematics

• This course will explore applications of mathematics and computer science to a variety of puzzles and multi-player board games. We will look at popular puzzles such as Sudoku, the 15-puzzle, Rubik's cube, the Soma cube, and pentominoes, and develop mathematical representations for them. We will then explore a variety of solutions techniques, such as backtracking and constraint-propagation. We'll discover that most puzzles can be solved rather easily with short programs. We will also explore games of strategy that pit one player against another, such as checkers, Monopoly, and Risk, and develop simple programs that embody heuristic strategies. At the end of the course there will be a playoff among student-written programs. We will use the programming language "Lisp" to implement the algorithms we develop. This language has been popular in the field of artificial intelligence, and is an excellent vehicle for exploring puzzles and games of all types. A significant amount of time will be devoted to learning how to program in Lisp.

CLUSTER 6: MATHEMATICS OF MUSIC: Rhythm, Tones, and Self-Expression
PREREQUISITES: Students must have a basic understanding of music notation. Singing and performance will be an integral component of the course.
FIELD TRIPS: Visit to a recording/sound studio, music school, or concert hall
INSTRUCTORS: Mr. Jim Simmons, MFA, Jazz Studies, Instructor, Music Department, Cerritos College; Mr. John Crooks, bassist, composer and band leader, Graduate Student UCI School of Music; Professor Michael Dessen, Advisor

• Music is created using audible vibration and rhythm. These phenomena create an emotional response in performers and listeners while reflecting core principles of science. Music also engages the brain in unique ways. In this course students will study and perform rhythms from various music traditions and recreate them using computers. Scales, chords, and their vibrational principles will be discussed and constructed using monochords (Pythagoras' tool for studying vibration), singing, instruments, and computers. The harmonic series used to construct musical intervals and harmony is an arithmetic sequence. This sequence will be studied in its natural state and as it is modified for use in music. Using ear training games, computer programs, and music theory concepts, students will learn to identify musical intervals and correlate them with mathematical principles. The cyclical patterns and subtle inflections used in Brazilian, Caribbean, and African rhythms also use sequences. The study and performance of these rhythms enhances overall musicianship. Syncopation and rhythmic cycles will be used to illustrate ratios and compose songs. Using Digital Audio Workstation computer programs students will participate in small group collaborative composition/ recording projects. Incorporating concepts discussed in the lecture component, utilizing music technology, and fostering creative development, students will also be able to take home their projects for future development and as a record of their work in Cosmos. The role of music as cultural and personal expression is directly connected to its scientific principles. Examination of these principles improves logical thinking, music performance skills, and augments basic physics and math ability.

CLUSTER 7: NEUROSCIENCE: Neurons to Disorders
PREREQUISITE: One year of high school biology required
FIELD TRIP: UCI Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, Brain Bank
INSTRUCTORS: Assistant Professor Christie Engesser-Cesar, Chapman University; Professor Michael Leon, Neurobiology & Behavior, Associate Dean, Biological Sciences, Guest Speaker

• From the simple: sleep, hunger and body temperature, to the complicated: emotions, learning and memory, your brain controls and records everything that you do. Neuroscience is a rapidly expanding research field exploring basic mechanisms of everyday function to complex mechanisms of disease. In this class you will investigate some of the basic principles of neuroscience and learn about disorders which affect brain function. Through lecture and laboratory exercises you will discover how the brain controls your body. Labs will provide an in depth exploration of the brain, the spinal cord, and the mechanisms underlying their funding. Hands-on exercises include neuroanatomy of the sheep brain (dissection), investigating cranial nerves and their functions; EEG (Electroencephalography), collecting data for somatosensory analysis; and neurophysiology (determining electrical properties of the frog sciatic nerve). You will learn methods for recording the electrical activity of neurons. Guest presentations include topics such as drug addiction, learning and memory, biological psychology, stem cells, and memory and emotion. Case studies will also be discussed. Students may have the opportunity to visit the UCI Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia and see patients with neurological disorders, such as Alzheimier’s Disease.

CLUSTER 8: THE WORLD OF MOLECULES: Chemistry at the Nano-scale
PREREQUISITE: Chemistry required; Physics recommended
FIELD TRIP: UCI’s Ultrafast Spectroscopy Lab, Electron Microscopy facility
INSTRUCTORS: Professor Eric Potma, Lead Faculty; Professors Ara Apkarian, Shaul Mukamel, Wilson Ho, Phil Collins, Douglas Mills and Nien-Hui Ge

• This is an innovative offering designed by the Chemical Bonding Center. We tend to conceptualize molecules as rigid structures - solid balls, symbolizing atoms, connected by sticks. In reality, of course, molecules are much more complex. Their structures are ephemeral and intricate, and exhibit many dimensions of motion. It is this dynamic behavior of molecules that helps us understand and predict the essentials of chemical reactions. This course delves into the heart of chemistry; What is our current understanding of what molecules look like? How do they move and how they interact with one another? Instead of focusing merely on the outcome of chemical reactions, this course looks literally inside molecules, and paints a detailed picture of their fascinating properties. Experts from UCI will reveal the latest insights into the world of molecules, acquired with some of the world’s most advanced experimental and theoretical techniques, enabling us to explore the very limits of what can be known. Through lectures, hands-on experiments, and lab tours, students will gain knowledge of the structure of molecules, and insights into all the facets of their interactions. Students will be introduced to state-of-the-art methods such as scanning tunneling microscopy, electron microscopy, and ultrafast spectroscopy. Please note prerequisite, one year of high school chemistry. After completing this course, molecules will never look the same!