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SigmaCamp 2017: Semilabs

The main part of SigmaCamp academic program are the Semilabs that combine theoretical (Seminar) and practical (Lab) parts in 90-minute session. Each semilab is a course, running for the five “regular” days of camp. Each student can attend 2 semilabs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon

Semilabs come in three difficulty lеvels. 
Please consider the following guidelines when selecting semilabs you would like to attend at SigmaCamp:

Introductory level semilabs do not assume any prior knowledge on the topic

Intermediate level semilabs do not require any prior knowledge on the topic, but will generally be more challenging

Advanced level semilabs are the most challenging ones. They have prerequisites - a set of concepts you are expected to be familiar with prior to attending the semilab

SigmaPeople-with-telescope-and-sigma-star

Introductory

codes
Math
Codes and Ciphers

Sometimes people want to keep their communications secret. Others, on the other hand, always want to break into other people's secrecy. This...

by Tatiana Yurchenko
combinatorics
Math
Introduction to Combinatorics

Combinatorics is at the foundation of current research in computer science, cryptography, and bioinformatics. Even though in school introductory...

by Natasha Zayfman
viruses
Biology
Viruses: Bad, Good, and Great

In this introductory semilab we'll learn about the simplest nature-optimized machines for self-reproduction in other organisms: viruses. We'll try...

by Ioulia Rouzina
blue
Chemistry
The Quest For Blue

You will learn the chemical concepts and reactions through a rich web of science, history and the arts (painting and photography). You will...

by Anya Cartwright and Tatiana Pyatina and Nikita Nekrasov
robotics intro
Computer Science
Introduction to Robotics

In this semilab, we introduce students to robotics. Students will be divided into teams of 2-3; each team will be given a small Arduino-based...

by Natasha Zayfman

Intermediate

Electromagnetism
Physics
Electromagnetism

Think for a moment how much electric lights, computers, the internet, and cell phones matter to us today. These and the many other inventions...

by Boris Podobedov
archimedes
Math
Math and Discoveries of Archimedes

Archimedes was arguably the greatest mathematician that ever lived on Earth. After he was killed by Romans, who conquered his native Syracuse,...

by Igor Zaliznyak
dna
Biology
DNA Barcoding

How do we identify all the living species around us? These days scientists can use short fragments of DNA (so called barcodes) as unique and...

by Vyacheslav (Slava) Yurchenko
sound
Physics
Electricity and Sound

Electrical engineering has been used to make musical instruments for over half a century. Instruments by such makers as Moog, Korg, and Roland...

by Alex Treyer
cosmology-waves
Physics
Gravitational Waves and Cosmology (int)

In February 2016 for the first time a gravitational wave signal from a merger of two black holes has been observed by the Advanced LIGO...

by Sergei Dubovsky
cooking
Physics
Science of Cooking

"How to grill a perfect steak? What is the secret of soufflé that no cookbook will tell? What makes a gel jelly? Science may help you to become an...

by Tatiana Zaliznyak and Alexei Tkachenko
sequences
Math
Sequences and Patterns

What is the subject of mathematics? One of classical answers was used as the title of a book: ``Numbers and figures''. But there is another answer...

by Alexander Kirillov Sr.
smell-color
Chemistry
Perception of Smell and Color

You will find out how different chemical compounds will confer scents and colors that human eye and nose can detect. You will learn about natural...

by Eugenia Poliakov

Advanced

Probabilistic Programming
Math Computer Science
Probabilistic Programming

In many areas of science, engineering and economy, we are dealing with processes that are partially stochastic (or probabilistic). Probabilistic...

by Helmut H. Strey
comp-biology
Biology
Computational and Evolutionary Biology

An enormously large series of complex and chaotic events (including chromosome and whole genome duplications) have shaped the genomes (master...

by Igor Rogozin
cyborg
Creation of a Cyborg

Record and manipulate live neurons, control machines with your nervous system, and vice-versa. In this semilab we will explore how computers and...

by Lilianne Mujica-Parodi
knots
Math
Braids, Knots, and Quantum Dots

Lord Kelvin proposed in 1867 that the atoms are the knotted tubes of ether. This theory proved to be wrong but the study of knots and their...

by Nikita Nekrasov
adv-arduino
Computer Science
Advanced Microcontroller Projects

In this Semilab, we will develop advanced microcontroller projects. We will first introduce advanced programming and interfacing strategies for...

by Helmut H. Strey
adv_robotics
Computer Science
Advanced Robotics

We will use a tank chassis, ESP8266 microcontroller, and Blynk app to construct a rover that can be controlled via cellphone or navigate...

by Alexander Kirillov
entropy
Physics
Entropy

The notion of entropy is very important in statistical physics and thermodynamics. We discuss some basic properties of entropy and why some...

cosmology-waves
Physics
Gravitational Waves and Cosmology (adv)

In February 2016 for the first time a gravitational wave signal from a merger of two black holes has been observed by the Advanced LIGO...

by Sergei Dubovsky
gene-5days
Biology
From Gene to Protein in 5 Days

What is genetic engineering? Simply put, you take a gene of some protein, introduce it into a new organism, and this organism starts to produce...

by Lena Yakubovskaya