Campers rose bright and early for morning exercise before a hearty breakfast. They then headed to their first Semilab I of the summer, meeting their instructors and diving into subjects ranging from brand-new territory to long-standing favorites. Options included "Viruses and Phytoplankton: A Microbial Arms Race," which explored the microscopic battles shaping our oceans, and "Drone Swarming," which got campers hands-on with the mechanics of coordinated flight, along with reinforcement learning and the hunt for the elusive Higgs Boson, among many other choices.
After SigmaBreak, campers attended lectures covering an impressive range of topics. Julia Kempe asked "AI: Brains or Big Data? How Smart AI Really Gets," diving into the science behind artificial intelligence. Olga Komargodski tackled the psychology of habit and dependency in "Are You Addicted?" Ori Heffetz took campers on a tour of global economics in "The Global Economy: Where Is It and What Is It Up To?" And Alexander Brook explored the art and science of visual storytelling in "What Makes It Great: Data Visualization Gems."
Today also marked the first day of SigmaTournament, with math and physics taking center stage. The competition was fierce, filled with exciting battles, hard-fought wins, tough losses, and nail-biting ties. The action continues tomorrow as the tournament moves on to biology and chemistry.
After dinner, campers dove into a variety of workshops, including glassblowing, cyanotype printing, DIY pneumatic robots, and vital signs, among other options.
The day wound down with evening clubs, offering campers a chance to relax and have fun with activities like dancing and GeoGuessr, among others.
Before bed, teams gathered for team time, continuing to solidify their new friendships over some yummy milk and cookies.
We are excited to see how Day 2 will go!