Cluster Life
Catch up with the latest labs, lectures, and field trips!
Photo by Allison Cheng
1. Number Theory
“Pure Mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” - Albert Einstein.
Professor Richard gave us this quote on the first day. And we pursued this poetry of ideas, interweaving theorems, claims, and proofs together into an anthology of number theory.
We started out with the basic language of math, reviewing prime numbers, set notation, and some unsolved questions (Is πe ∊ Q?). After a few eventful days of chalk-caked hands, rigorous worksheets, and unhinged doodles, our pages were filled with notes on Pascal’s Triangle, mod congruences, proof-writing, defining rationals/irrationals, and the Euclidean/Divisor algorithms.
Aside from the fifteen-minute walk to and from McHenry Library, most Number Theorians liked to stay indoors. In a survey done on Thursday, all of us decided to stay indoors during rec time (the outlier went to the music rooms). To sum it up in seven words (our cluster chant): 6(mod 5), we don’t go outside!
With affinity for the indoors, it only followed that students loved collaboration in the classroom. Most afternoons, our classroom is full of chatter and laughter as we get in passionate arguments over problem sets. Even lectures are interspersed with questions and new applications of theorems.
In only a few days, the raw power and versatility of number theory hooked us all in with elegant definitions, proofs, and practice problems. After all, “mathematics is the queen of sciences and number theory is the queen of mathematics.”
By Daisy Zhang
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2. Nanochemistry & Nanotechnology
From mixing citric acid with soap in the lab to taking pictures with seals, Cluster 2 has had an eventful start to our COSMOS 2023 experience. The opening day cluster orientation began with a delightful surprise as Prof. Terrill presented us with laser-cut name plaques, personalized keepsakes that also doubled as practical tools like rulers and formula references.
On the first day, Prof. Shaowei Chen introduced us to carbon nanoparticles and the various structures they can form, including one which looks like a soccer ball known as a fullerene. We also learned about C60, a fullerene which can help with anti-aging and could have other medicinal applications. We enjoyed the new concepts and gained an in-depth understanding of this broad subject. Throughout the week, we explored different nanoparticles such as those made of metal that exhibit unique properties such as color variations based on the nanoparticle size.
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3. Bugs and Bones
Cluster 3 peered into the lives of smaller organisms in and around the UCSC campus in order to get a better understanding of the identities and classifications of different bugs. Throughout the first week Cluster 3 learned how to ID squirrels in the Santa Cruz area and the different orders of bugs. Although cluster members are bug lovers, they were required to learn how to kill bugs properly in pursuit of their research. The group went on a short field trip to the meadows on the back side of campus to practice this new-found skill and begin their bug collections. Cluster 3 enjoyed another field trip at Wilder Ranch State Park where they were met with a gorgeous view right on the water. At Wilder Ranch the group learned about plants and other organisms native to the Santa Cruz area and also explored the tide pools in search of different classes of organisms. Cluster 3 ended the week with fun in the sun while kayaking on Sunday and are looking forward to another week full of bugs and plants.
By Lily Schroeder and Kinley Renger
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Video by Tony Chen |
Cluster 4 was tossed into the “basics of quantum mechanics” for the first week of COSMOS. Basics, of course, refers to multivariable calculus and slides packed with Greek letters. Our fearless leader, Prof. Jairo Velasco, launched our course with waves and the photoelectric effect. By the second day, we were tackling the infamous Schrödinger equation and solving it to analyze the wave functions of various potential wells. This allowed us to study quantum tunneling. Because our brains weren’t fried enough already, Prof. Velasco bid us a temporary farewell with quantum numbers as well as wave functions and energy spectrums in molecules. More calculus and a sprinkle of matrices made this possible. On Friday, Prof. Sergey Syzranov took over and introduced angular momentum and magnetism in quantum mechanics.
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5. Video Game Design
Cluster 5 hit the ground running on the first week of COSMOS! We started our journey by exploring the interactions between player experience and game design, more specifically understanding in-game experiences, dynamics, and aesthetics. We did this by analyzing basic games such as “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” and creating game modifications to enhance player experience.
In order to develop games, however, we must first understand what they are. We accomplished this by categorizing different games and learning more about optimizing player experience. Everyday, our Profs. Dani Wright and Tamara Duplantis introduce us to a variety of games, ranging from Tetris, which involves skilled-based play, to roleplaying games (and tabletop RPGs) such as Dungeons and Dragons.
After categorizing a multitude of games, we dove into paper prototyping our own games. We were able to give feedback during a playtesting phase, without using the word “fun” (f*n), hence learning the importance of specificity. Through this, our class was able to present the games they worked hard on, coming together as a community by collaborating with groupmates and interacting with a variety of prototypes.
Towards the end of the week, we began to learn the development process of games through programming several tasks in Processing. We were even able to make our own renditions of games like Pong!
Overall, our first week at COSMOS was a blast, giving us many of the f*ndamentals necessary to take our first step to making f*nctional games!
By Raghav Garimella
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There was a significant emphasis on microeconomics this week, after a brief crash course on the structure of the power market. Prof. Chen dove headfirst into supply and demand fundamentals. Linear optimization also was spotlighted, as students learned how to solve complex market problems using Excel.
Cluster 6 had a great time, and Prof. Chen’s enthusiasm towards the subject and breakdown of the minutiae of the market helped build the fundamental knowledge the students will need for a complete understanding of the sustainable energy industry. The unity of the cluster is strong, and they look forward to unraveling any upcoming challenges future lectures may bring.
By Kyan Wang
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Since the start of the week, we have covered environmental justice, counted our colony-forming units of E. coli, and performed a titration lab related to ocean acidification. Our field trip to the Seymour Center was definitely a highlight; we got to interact with sharks, starfish, and urchins in touch tanks. We also spotted a humpback whale and watched dolphins play in the research facility.
Team bonding has been a core part of the COSMOS experience so far. We demonstrated our impressive math skills by numbering off in alphabetical order to keep track of all 25 members! Take that, Cluster 1. We also crafted our Cluster chant: “pH7 cause we’re not basic, in this cluster cause we’re all aces!”
We can’t wait to see where next week takes us.
By Ana Cabrera
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8. Wonders of the Ocean
After Dr. Noren’s exciting lecture about marine mammal identification and taxonomy on Monday, Cluster 8 embarked on our first field trip: whale watching on Monterey Bay! Equipped with food, cameras, and seasickness medicine, we left bright and early on Tuesday morning for the bus ride to Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Out on the boat, the freezing cold soon became worth it as the marine mammals we learned about the day before came to life. From Risso’s and Pacific white-sided dolphins to California sea lions, a sea otter mom and pup, and a mother humpback whale and her 6-month-old calf, we were enchanted by the magical waters. On the way back to campus, Dr. Noren treated us to a 7/11 slurpee run to celebrate Free Slurpee Day, since our field trip happened to fall on July 11th (AKA 7/11)! We managed to pack all 26 COSMOS students inside the 7/11 to fill up with blue raspberry, cherry, and pina colada goodness.
When we weren’t out at sea, Cluster 8 took on the microbiology lab with Dr. Artun, who taught us lab safety and essential lab skills, including how to micropipette and how to not set oneself on fire. (Tip: Don’t put your hair over the Bunsen burner!) Using serial dilutions and the spread, tilt-and-track, and spot-plating methods, we grew E. coli cultures and created LB agar plates to feed them. From our tiny E. coli friends to the massive humpback whales, and singing Baby Shark at Karaoke Night, Cluster 8 had an unf-orca-tible first week
By Allison Cheng
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9. Building Blocks of Life: Molecular and Cell Biology
During the first week of COSMOS, Cluster 9 participated in morning labs and afternoon lectures. Through labs, cluster members have been exploring bacteriophages and how they are applied to the medical world. The lab project that will be conducted throughout this program is looking at specific genes in the genome of the bacteriophage Aminay. The first part is collecting and isolating phages from a local environment, the compost bins here at UCSC. Once the soil was collected from a compost area this was placed in a tube with excess bacteria and then shaken. The bacteria allows for sufficient replication of the phage. 48 hours later, the solution in the tubes went through filtration to test for the presence of phages. During separate lab work cluster members have used PCR to generate billions of copies of specific genes/segments of DNA using their correlating primers through the process of amplification. Finally, to test the sufficiency of the PCR process, each cluster member carried out gel electrophoresis and found the average base pair length of the gene samples amplified and compared this to estimated lengths. Afternoon lectures for this cluster shifted focus to developmental biology and explore topics such as stem cells, embryology, and morphology, while diving deeper into higher-level research topics like multipotency, gastrulation, and organogenesis.
By Carly Ackerman
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10. Semiconductor Materials and Device Engineering
Cluster 10’s journey started with some bumps when we accidentally took an extra long scenic route that landed us thirty minutes late to the lecture. Professors Nobby Kobayashi and Mike Oye dove straight into the concepts that they had refrained from leaking in the introduction – besides the promise that we would be taking many quizzes (a promise that they kept for every single day so far). P–n junctions and MOSFET (standing for metal oxide semiconductor) became essential as they are both primary examples of semiconductors and the background of technological devices. We became immersed in the atomic world as silicon and hydrogen became best friends and MVPs in class discussions. Professor Kobayashi left us racking our brains when he asked for a way to avoid physical limitations but shrink the length of a semiconductor to shorten gate delay. Every answer was rejected as they were all unoriginal and unsuccessful. Things started picking up on Wednesday when Professor Kobayashi launched into attractive/repulsive forces that left heads spinning. (Hint: Thursday was even worse when we had a variable that is undefined and pure guess work…)
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12. Exploring the Structure of Quantum MaterialsCluster 12 delved into the world of quantum mechanics as we look at the wave–particle duality of light and matter. From Planck to Einstein, we have been learning about the famous scientists that created and defined the realm of quantum mechanics. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle is integral to our cluster’s topic, especially when it comes to understanding the lectures. Cluster 12 is eager to understand everything to do with quantum materials, but learning about phonons and Schrodinger’s equation all in one day is no easy feat. Much harder than any subject in quantum mechanics, however, is learning how to pronounce “De Broglie.” Dr. Wolcott had us diligently practice saying the name of the famed French scientist to make sure we sound as dramatic and French as possible. Before walking to class (or getting a ride if you’re a student with a broken foot like Ani), role call is a necessity. Cluster 12 has been practicing our counting in English, Spanish and German so cluster fellow Jorge doesn’t get too bored with the regular role call. After those quick language lessons, we have made a habit of hiking through the redwoods to the Science and Engineering Quad where we continue with our lessons and labs. On Friday, we had a lab using liquid gold to see how light interacts with different materials. Though the boiling of the gold definitely heated us up, we looked pretty darn cool in our lab safety equipment. All in all, the first week was a success and we are preparing to pick the topics of our final projects by the end of next week.
By Lily Schroeder
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