ESP Biography



JOHN PEDERSON, Columbia University senior in MechE.



Major: Mechanical Engineering

College/Employer: Columbia University

Year of Graduation: 2019

Picture of John Pederson

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Hi! I'm John Pederson, a senior MechE at Columbia. I grew up in Houston, and have always loved building things like solar cookers and celestial navigation instruments.
I got into stargazing and star navigation in high school, and I've continued the hobby into college - contrary to popular belief, you CAN see the stars in New York City, and I can show you how. (Telescope not required.)



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

S758: Navigating by the Stars in Splash Fall 2018 (Oct. 28, 2018)
Feeling lost and adrift? Or maybe you're actually lost and adrift - either way, this class is for you! Navigating by the stars is a tradition both ancient and modern, and can help you find your way anywhere on Earth. In this class, you'll learn the surprisingly simple theory behind star navigation, and explore historical and modern techniques of wayfinding – from the Age of Exploration to the modern castaway. You'll come out of this class able to find your latitude and longitude with nothing but a watch, a calculator, and a protractor!