Fun in the Sun

Tufts Summer Study offers dozens of courses through the College for Juniors program (where high school students can take classes alongside college students in a variety of disciplines), the Health Science Honors Program, the Writing Program, and finally, the Ethics & Global Citizenship Program. For more information on each of these offerings, please visit the Summer Study Site here.

Want another reason to come study at Tufts for the summer? In light of the recent burst of sunshine, The Boston Globe released a guide to picnicking in Boston, with a countdown of 15 of the city's best spots. And what better time than summer to break out the cheese and crackers, chem book, and "study" with your friends outdoors?! The list, complete with photos, can be found here.

Banksy Fesses Up

According to an article in the UK's Telegraph, British street artist Banksy "stole" the name of his new film, "Exit Through the Gift Shop," from a lesser-known band. In order to compensate for his act (or at least avoid being sued), Banksy granted the band with an original painting, valued at £200,000. The band, who has since changed their name to "Brand Yourself," accepted the gift gratefully.

For full coverage of this story, check out the article here.

Did you know that one of Banksy's first exhibitions was called "existencilism"?
The exhibition showed in 2002 in Los Angeles.

Did you know that Tufts Summer Session offters a course called "existentialism"?
It's offered through the College For Juniors pre-college program.

Physics Phacts

"Light may seem to travel a straight line, but sometimes it gets twisted into knots. In January 2010 researchers reported using a computer-controlled hologram to twist beams of laser light into pretzel shapes. The holograms, which direct the flow of light, were specially created to send light in certain directions and shapes.

The researchers used a field of mathematics known as knot theory to study the resulting loops. These swirls of light, called optical vortices, could have implications for future laser devices, the physicists said."

Apparently, physics isn't always so straightforward. www.livescience.com recently released a countdown of seven mind-blowing physics facts. Number six is listed above, but for the remaining six, check out the link here.

Interested in physics? Tufts Summer Study offers two introductory Physics courses through the College For Juniors. Check out the course descriptions here: http://ase.tufts.edu/tuftssummerstudy/juniors.asp

Women Walk Their Way into Better Health

Dr. Miriam Nelson, the Director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention at Tufts' Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, was recently quoted in an article on www.newarkadvocate.com, where she said "Many women do less exercise as they age when they need to be doing as much or more."

Not only is Nelson " one of the country's leading researchers on exercise for women, and she co-chaired the committee that created the government's 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," according to the article, but she also has a new book coming out, "The Strong Women's Guide to Total Health," which she co-authored with Jennifer Ackerman.

The whole article, where Nelson details how women can stay healthy as they age, can be accessed here.

Interested in nutrition and health? Tufts Summer Study has made the course "Introduction to Nutrition" open to rising high school seniors (as well as current university students), through the College for Juniors program. For more information on this and other classes avaliable to high school students, please visit our Tufts Summer Study Site!

In the Wake of the Digital Age, Print Rights Remain Murky

In an era where Google books, Kindles, and iPads are increasingly becoming the go-to sources for accessing fiction and non-fiction content, many publishing companies have found themselves at a loss when it comes to discerning the legality behind making their content available online. For example, Random House recently found themselves amid a quandary, eventually resulting in the turnover of digital rights to the heirs to the author himself. The New York Times article concerning this instance, where Random House will be granting the Styron family (related to Pulitzer-Prize winning author, William Styron), can be accessed here.

Although the nature of reading has changed drastically in recent years, the nature of good writing has remained relatively consistent for decades. Interested in writing fiction or non fiction, or at least bettering the skills you already have? Tufts University Summer Session offers two classes through the College for Juniors (a program where rising high school seniors have the opportunity to enroll in actual Tufts classes), "Creative Writing: Fiction," and "Non-Fiction Writing," both in the English Department. for more information on these and other classes avaliable to high school students, please visit our Tufts Summer Study Site!

Tufts Medical Center to be Recognized by MBTA

Although the New England Medical Center was re-branded as the Tufts Medical Center in 2008, the MBTA rail and bus maps have yet to see the name change come into effect. However, after the TMC signed an agreement with the MBTA last fall, the systems maps will be updated shortly with the new name. The full article, accessed form the Tufts Daily, can be found below:

"T map updated for medical name change"

Check out Tufts Summer Study's Health Science Honors program for more information on medical-related studies at Tufts.

Professor Chow Mentors Tufts Students Vying to win Microsoft’s ‘Imagine Cup’

According to an article in today's Tufts Daily, computer science lecturer Ming Chow will be mentoring a group of Tufts students in their quest to create a video game, as part of The Microsoft U.S. Imagine Cup. The article stated that the Imagine Cup is "a biannual competition and has categories in software design, game design, digital media, information technology (IT) and embedded design."

The full article can be accessed below:

"Tufts group hopes to win Microsoft’s ‘Imagine Cup’ with innovative video game"

For more information about Ming Chow, and the Summer Session course he teaches, check out the blog post here.