ESP Biography



JOHN SZYMANSKI, ESP Teacher




Major: Integrated Program in CMBS

College/Employer: Columbia University

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of John Szymanski

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Not Available.



Past Classes

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

X146: Approaches to Complexity in Splash Fall 2013 (Nov. 16, 2013)
From the study of energy - thermodynamics - we know that within an isolated system, entropy can only increase: things fall apart, and energy is dispersed. This being true, where does organization come from in the first place? Why is the universe composed of innumerable diverse and differentiated systems- of stormy planets, rushing waters, vibrant life, and fascinating humans rather than a homogenous grey goo? The answer lies in the fact that no natural system is, in fact, isolated. The influx of energy spurs the formation of organized systems that utilize it to maintain their structure, yielding phenomena like whirlpools, hurricanes, and living things. In this class, we will explore the complexity that results from this process, aiming to both 1) understand where it came from and 2) build an understanding of the ways that humans can interface with the complexity, using tools to expand our understanding of the world