Cluster Recaps

Cluster 2

The first week of COSMOS Cluster 2 began with excitement as we met our instructors, Dr. Shaowei Chen and Dr. Roger Terrill, along with our resident advisors, Maddy and Kyle, and our cluster fellow, Jason. During our first cluster meetings, we quickly got to know one another through a variety of icebreakers and team-building games. One of the biggest highlights was a human untangling challenge, where the girls' team managed to outsmart—and out-untangle—the boys after plenty of laughter and teamwork. We also created our official Cluster 2 chant, which soon became a daily tradition at the beginning of Discovery Lectures and during the end-of-day announcements.

"Cluster Two, we're better than you! Cluster Two, we're better than you! Cluster Two, we're better than you! Ask Shaowei, he knows it too!"

Our academic journey began with an introduction to the world of nanomaterials. Dr. Chen explained how materials can be classified as zero-, one-, and two-dimensional before introducing us to one of nanotechnology's most recognizable structures: the buckminsterfullerene, or "buckyball." To better understand its geometry, we split into two teams and attempted to build giant buckyball models using nothing more than marshmallows and toothpicks. While one team's structure stood proudly on its own, the other team's proved that constructing molecular architectures is harder than it looks.

As the week continued, we explored controlled assembly methods, laser ablation, nanoparticles, and fluorescence, building the foundation for our laboratory experiments. In the afternoons, Dr. Terrill connected these concepts to the underlying physics through interactive discussions and thought experiments. One especially memorable challenge asked us to estimate how deep a layer of ping pong balls would be if they covered the entire Earth. From there, we learned how partial derivatives can be used to estimate uncertainty and propagate error, showing how mathematics plays an essential role in scientific measurements. Jason also led our transferable skills sessions, sharing techniques for formatting a research paper and introducing our assignment: a 60-second elevator pitch.

Wednesday brought our first hands-on laboratory experience as we synthesized graphene quantum dots (GQDs), seeing firsthand how nanomaterials can exhibit remarkable optical properties and green fluorescence. After the lab, we took a trip to the campus greenhouse, where we explored a wide variety of plants and learned about ongoing research before stopping to snap a group photo beside the iconic UCSC sea lion statue. On Thursday, we presented our 60-second elevator pitches, which were similar to research abstracts and served as public speaking practice. The topics were diverse, ranging from honeybee jigs and the Balz-Schiemann reaction to an elevator pitch about an elevator pitch.

Thursday also happened to be Arabella's birthday. Instead of our usual chant, we surprised her by singing "Happy Birthday," and Kyle brought boxes of cupcakes for everyone to enjoy during our evening cluster meeting.

By Friday, we were back in the lab creating our own metal nanoparticles. We synthesized gold and silver nanoparticles before choosing an additional material to make, including gold-shell silver-core nanoparticles, silver-shell gold-core nanoparticles, or gold-silver alloys. Watching the solutions transform into brilliant colors was an exciting reminder that nanoscale changes can dramatically alter a material's properties. As a bonus, we even got to take home small vials of the nanoparticles we created.

By the end of the week, Cluster 2 had already become much more than a classroom. Between marshmallow buckyballs, colorful nanoparticles, friendly competition, and plenty of shared laughs, we had built both a stronger understanding of nanoscience and the beginnings of lasting friendships. We can't wait to see what the next few weeks have in store.

Written by Kathy Xu

Cluster 3

Students in Cluster 3, Making an Animal: Development and Bioinformatics, concluded their first week of learning at the University of California, Santa Cruz's California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS), spending the week exploring developmental biology through engaging lectures, guest speakers, and presentations.

Classes are split into two segments. The morning session is taught by Ph.D. candidate Nicholas Chu and focuses on the computational side of bioinformatics. The afternoon session is taught by Professor Zhu Wang and focuses on developmental biology.

“The professors seem to be interesting people, and they know what they’re talking about,” said Shourya Boblo, a rising junior and student in Cluster 3. “They seem to be very passionate about their field, and I look forward to learning more with them.”

In his morning lectures, Chu introduced students to R, a programming language used for statistical analysis, along with real-world laboratory applications of bioinformatics techniques. The morning sessions also featured guest lectures by Ph.D. students Chris Nguyen and Connor Mattingly. In their presentations, Nguyen and Mattingly discussed the research taking place in their labs as well as their experiences as students at UC Santa Cruz.

In the afternoon classes, Wang introduced students to the scientific process through interactive learning scenarios. Students also learned about embryonic development, stem cells, model organisms, and common scientific techniques. At the end of the week, students gave in-depth, 20-minute group presentations on key laboratory techniques related to cell modification and observation.

“Each group is presenting a different technique used here at UC Santa Cruz,” Boblo said. “There are techniques like polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescent staining, and inserting DNA into a plasmid.”

According to Brandon Lee, another student in Cluster 3, the presentations also allowed students to develop skills beyond science.

“While we’re making the presentation, we have to make sure we’re organized,” Lee said. “When we present it, we have to make sure we speak loudly and clearly as well.”

Reflecting on the progress made, the first week established a strong foundation for the COSMOS experience and fostered anticipation for continued exploration of R programming and the complexities of animal development over the remaining three weeks.

“I’m looking forward to working with these people for the next month and learning more about bioinformatics and development with everybody,” Boblo said.

Written by Mason Cheng and Albert Luo

Images by Mason Cheng

Cluster 4

During our first week, Professor Jairo and Professor Sergey taught us the foundations of quantum mechanics. In the mornings, Professor Jairo began by explaining the properties of light waves, covering diffraction and wave interference. He then introduced the photoelectric effect to explain the particle nature of light, building a foundation for understanding the wave-particle duality of electrons. On Wednesday, he introduced the Bohr model and used it to explain the discrete energy levels of electrons in an atom. Professor Jairo also discussed the Stern-Gerlach experiment, which demonstrated that electrons have spin. These concepts ultimately led to Schrödinger’s equation, which we used to describe wave systems.

Every day after lunch, we headed back down the hill to attend Professor Sergey’s lectures. We began by learning the equations used to describe electron waves, building a foundation for understanding standing waves. The next day, we explored the mathematics behind electrons confined to a one-dimensional box. We also talked about quantum cats and cat factories, and we were even asked to speak in the “cat language.” Finally, Professor Sergey taught us about superposition, one of the core principles of quantum mechanics.

Written by Madison Ding

Cluster 5

The first week of COSMOS started strong for Cluster 5. We began the week by diving into the fundamentals of game design, covering concepts such as playtesting, game elements, and more. We kicked things off by creating poker hands in groups. Each of us received two random poker cards and had to work together to make the best possible poker hand based on the cards we had. Later, we split into four teams and competed in a tournament to determine who had the best hand.

During our afternoon session, we discussed what makes a game and the difference between thinking like a player and thinking like a designer. To better understand players, we learned about different player archetypes, such as sweats, cozy gamers, and others. We examined the types of games these players enjoy to better understand how designers can appeal to them. To put this idea into practice, we split into different player archetypes and played Crazy Eights in groups. We then modified the game to improve its entertainment value.

In our second session, we explored Zubek's design framework to understand game progression from both the designer's and the player's perspective. We learned about the different components of games, which can be categorized as nouns and verbs. Afterward, we covered more specific game elements such as rules, objects, and players. We then practiced organizing elements from games into these categories. First, we did this as a class using Undertale. Then, we worked in groups to analyze another pre-existing game.

During our third session, we began our first coding lesson using the application Processing, which uses a modified version of Java. We were then assigned to recreate Pong in Processing.

In our fourth academic session, we participated in a mini game design workshop, where we learned about the game design process, including design, production, and playtesting. We also covered Fullerton's framework and the importance of documentation. During the afternoon session, we created paper prototypes of both an existing game and a new game we designed to learn the process of creating playable prototypes for playtesting.

To conclude our first week at COSMOS, we spent our fifth session focusing on playtesting. We learned about procedural narrative generation, in which stories are generated based on rules and mechanics rather than a predetermined narrative. To simulate the playtesting process, we each added our own twist to a simple role-playing game. We then tested other groups' creations while taking notes on their experiences with our own mechanics. It was exciting to see how others reacted to our rules and to experience the creative mechanics developed by other groups.

This concluded our first week at COSMOS for Cluster 5! It was an informative and enjoyable experience exploring game design while meeting new people.

Written by Yisi Liu

Cluster 6


Welcome to the weekly recap from Cluster 6 – Introduction to Smart and Sustainable Power!

Our cluster kicked off the first day of COSMOS by learning about the concept of energy optimization. Optimization simply means finding the best solution out of many possible solutions. This usually involves minimizing or maximizing variables. You might be wondering how this connects to sustainable power. Modern power systems have millions of possible ways to supply electricity. Luckily, organizations like ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas)—one of the organizations we learned about—use optimization algorithms that automatically choose the best solution to keep electricity affordable, reliable, and efficient while satisfying all physical constraints. In other words, optimization is a mathematical tool that helps the electrical grid operate in the best possible way by balancing cost, reliability, and sustainability all at once.

After exploring how optimization helps use energy more efficiently, we turned to a fundamental question: Where does that energy come from, and is it possible to create an endless supply of it?

One of the questions posed in a TED-Ed video was: What if we could make a light bulb that recharges itself using solar panels? This system is an example of a perpetual motion machine, which aims to provide unlimited energy without relying on external energy sources. This idea has fascinated scientists for centuries and would be truly revolutionary if it were possible. Logically, it may seem like it should work. Unfortunately, physics doesn't reward wishful thinking! Professor Yu Zhang explained that the first and second laws of thermodynamics prevent perpetual motion machines from being feasible. This is mainly due to the second law, which states that energy spreads out (entropy increases) as a system runs, resulting in energy—such as heat—that is no longer available to do useful work. Eventually, the system would shut down because it cannot sustain itself. As it turns out, Mother Nature is the FIFA referee of thermodynamics, and perpetual motion machines ended up with red cards.

This means we have to rely on what our world does provide: renewable energy. Harnessing energy from the wind, tides, and the sun can help generate the electricity needed to power our cities. The class began by learning the basics of each of these energy sources, as well as nuclear energy. A fun fact we learned is that nuclear energy is considered clean energy but not renewable because it relies on uranium, which is a finite resource.

As the week went on, Cluster 6 dove deeper into electricity through circuit labs. Elena Vindrola, a TA for Cluster 6, taught us about a major concept in electricity: Ohm's law. Ohm's law states that the current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance (V = I × R). Students also learned about series and parallel circuits. A series circuit has only one path for electricity to flow, meaning the same current passes through every component. In contrast, a parallel circuit has multiple paths, allowing the current to split so that each component receives the same voltage and can operate independently. One limitation of a series circuit is that if a single component fails, the entire circuit stops working because everything is connected along the same path.

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One especially interesting lab involved building a DC motor. The video shows a red copper coil continuously spinning when a magnet is placed in front of it. The science behind this movement is actually quite simple. The battery sends current through the copper coil, turning it into an electromagnet with its own north and south poles. These poles interact with the permanent magnet's magnetic field: the coil's south pole is attracted to the magnet's north pole, while the coil's north pole is repelled by the magnet's north pole. This combination of attraction and repulsion creates torque, causing the coil to spin continuously.

That wraps up the first week at COSMOS for Cluster 6! Watt's next (get it?!)? You'll have to find out in the next issue!

Written by Vibha Hari and Tanisha Chatterjee

Cluster 7


From listening to fascinating lectures to trekking the 15-minute walk from the dorms to our lecture halls, the first week of COSMOS was quite eventful for Cluster 7. We started the week by learning about waves and optics. Topics like Snell’s law, total internal reflection, and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) appeared throughout our lectures. Our instructors, Professor Ahmet Ali Yanik and Reefat Inum, covered everything from optics to optoelectronics, explaining concepts such as how reflection is used in antireflective coatings and how liquid crystal displays (LCDs) rely on the properties of polarizers.

However, the highlight of the week had to be our labs. On Tuesday, we modeled LSPR and familiarized ourselves with Ansys. On Friday, we attempted to model surface plasmon resonance but encountered technical difficulties, resulting in inconsistent results across the board. Luckily, our teaching assistant, Gamze Onkur, and our cluster fellow, Dalong Zhang, helped us debug the problem through multiple iterations and adjustments to many variables—a process that made us all feel like true researchers by the end. In the weeks to come, we will continue learning about how optics and optical principles are applied to modern technologies and the real impact photonics can have on the future of our world.

While the long, uphill walks to our classrooms weren't exactly the most pleasant part of the week at first, many of us have grown to enjoy them. Along the way, we've spotted plenty of the wildlife that inhabits the UC Santa Cruz campus, gotten our steps in for the day, and even started taking turns leading the walk each morning.

In the end, we can all say we learned a lot this week—about optoelectronics, working together, and, most importantly, what many Greek letters (like λ for wavelength) mean.

Written by Isha Malhotra

Cluster 8


On Friday, Cluster 8 got to tour our professors' labs. In Professor Johnstone’s lab, we were able to get a close-up look at his work with crystals—literally. We saw individual crystals, each measuring less than half a nanometer, under a microscope. Even cooler, though, was the X-ray diffractometer, which the lab uses to determine the structure of different molecules. To do this, the machine shines a powerful X-ray beam at one of the aforementioned crystals and measures the intensity of the light diffracted onto a sensor as it rotates the crystal. Then, as Professor Johnstone explained, researchers use mathematics and the diffraction data to determine the coordinates of each individual atom. In addition, we toured the lab space where inorganic molecules are synthesized, peering into the different fume hoods and seeing the variety of work taking place.

We also attended a lecture by Maria, a chemistry major with a biochemistry emphasis. She shared her fascinating research on fog and its impact on humans, as well as humans' impact on fog. She also showed us a variety of graphs representing the data she collected throughout her research. In addition, she shared interesting insights about college life, her experience working in research labs, and her role as a tutor on campus.

We also had the opportunity to tour Professor Ayzner’s lab. He showed us the different areas of the lab, from where compounds are synthesized to where their emission spectra are tested. As we learned in lecture, photons with the right amount of energy can "excite" the electrons in a molecule, causing them to jump to a higher energy level. When the electrons fall back down, they release energy. In his lab, Professor Ayzner and his research team are studying which molecules are best at absorbing different wavelengths of light. As Professor Ayzner explained, a molecule that absorbs a wide range of wavelengths could make a highly efficient solar cell. To test this, his team shines powerful lasers at the molecules and records which wavelengths are absorbed.

To end our fun Friday, Professor Johnstone showed us the many paths we could take in the future and the extent to which we could pursue our education. Seeing those possibilities laid out—even though the journey can be challenging—was comforting. At many points along the way, we have the opportunity to enter the workforce; it simply depends on how much we want to learn and what roles we hope to pursue in research. Throughout the day, we gained a glimpse into the lives of people who have followed a path that many of us hope to take ourselves.

Written by Harshika Thamizhselvan, Ari Perttula, and Cambria Hu

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Cluster 8 hit the ground running on Monday. After a short lecture covering basic terminology, such as the difference between solutes and solvents and homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures, we got our hands dirty in the lab. We were asked to recrystallize some benzoic acid powder. After each group had accomplished this, Dr. Johnstone "ruined" the crystals by adding coal to each group's sample. The next day, we had to purify our benzoic acid. To do this, we dissolved the crystals, filtered out the coal, and then recrystallized them.

The lecture that day went into more specific chemistry topics. We learned more about crystal structure and how factors such as temperature affect crystal nucleation and growth rates. The ratio of these rates determines both the number of crystals that form and their size. We observed this in the two labs we completed. In the first lab, the crystal solution had plenty of time to cool, resulting in fewer but larger crystals because of a higher growth-to-nucleation ratio. In contrast, during the second lab, the crystal solution was cooled much more quickly. This resulted in a lower growth-to-nucleation ratio and much smaller crystals. Expanding on our understanding of crystal structure, we also learned about the Boltzmann distribution factor and how it can be used to calculate the ratio of high-energy to low-energy crystal cells. These first two days set the tone for Cluster 8, where we learned the theory in lecture and then directly observed it in the lab.

Our other professor, Alex Ayzner, started Wednesday with physics-based chemistry topics. In lecture, we discussed the Bohr atomic model and learned why it does not fully explain how atoms behave because of the interactions between electrons and the nucleus. We also took a dive into quantum mechanics, where we learned about wave functions and atomic orbitals to better understand electron behavior. Additionally, we explored hybridization and how molecular orbitals are formed. We also learned about the directionality of chemical bonds and how they affect the properties of materials. In fact, we saw how these ideas apply to lightweight, flexible, and efficient optoelectronic devices such as solar cells.

We also had a very exciting lab in which we made solutions of different oligothiophene molecules and measured how they absorbed light using a UV-Vis spectrometer. We compared increasing conjugation length and its impact on the HOMO–LUMO energy gap and electron movement. In other words, we tested how the length of an oligomer affected its color.

Written by Harshika Thamizhselvan and Ari Perttula

Cluster 9

This week, Cluster 9 kicked off our month-long journey by reviewing several important aspects of molecular biology, including the central dogma, the life cycle of bacteriophages, and restriction enzymes. We were then able to apply this knowledge in our wet labs, where we extracted DNA from M. smegmatis bacteria and isolated plasmids.

Before beginning our lab work, we had the opportunity to brush up on our micropipetting skills (thankfully!) and were reminded of the importance of lab safety. Another notable experience was learning about serial dilutions. After growing our phages on agar plates, we used the individual plaques to purify the bacteriophages.

Toward the end of the week, we learned how to read research papers by dissecting studies on life-saving phages and CRISPR, with an emphasis on the Cas9 enzyme, which seeks out and cuts specific DNA sequences. We also gained a newfound appreciation for the dilution equation, C₁V₁ = C₂V₂, a formula that plays a major role in the purification of bacteriophages!

So far, Cluster 9 has been a blast!

Written by Keira Eisenbud

Cluster 10

True to its name, Cluster 10 spent its first week grappling with the mathematics and engineering behind the semiconductor technology that powers the modern world. The first half of class explored the complex physics and mathematics, down to the quantum scale, that cause semiconductors to form and function the way they do. The second half was dedicated to a more hands-on, application-based scientific exploration as we reconciled the underlying principles with the macroscopic, everyday reality of how semiconductors are used.

A typical day consisted of a morning Discovery Lecture followed by morning and afternoon cluster classes. Our morning class is taught by the very knowledgeable and humorous Professor Nobby (his nickname), while our afternoon class is taught by Professor Oye, an energetic and lighthearted instructor. After brief introductions, both professors quickly delved into the fundamentals of semiconductor technology and the MOSFET fabrication process. Nobby primarily focuses on the chemistry and molecular physics of semiconductor materials, while Oye emphasizes real-world applications and device engineering. The introductory lectures were quite nuanced and in-depth, so we recommend reviewing electron configurations, atomic structure, and periodic trends beforehand. To our surprise, we were assigned homework and daily quizzes. Don't worry! The scores don't affect your progression through COSMOS—they simply serve as an indicator of your understanding. Although the material was initially challenging, we worked through the assignments together as a group and made significant breakthroughs in understanding the course content. Here, you can see an image of us trying to visualize the Deal-Grove model, a fundamental model describing the oxidation of silicon wafers.

More specifically, the lectures focused on the properties of the so-called "king of semiconductors"—silicon—and its crystallization and industrial manufacturing processes. The first day's activity involved fabricating a wafer cross-section... but with Play-Doh. The following days focused on semiconductor manufacturing (which involved plenty of chemistry) and the science behind how silicon's unique structure determines its function by governing electron movement and resistance. After learning the science, analyzing the mathematics, and covering substantial theory, we had our first lab experience on Friday. Working in groups of three, we collected and plotted voltage-current data from a solar cell using a multimeter, variable resistor, and lamp. Each group was scored on a scale from 1 to 10 based on speed, data accuracy, and collaboration.

That wraps up the first week of Cluster 10: a chaotic, entertaining, and informative start to the program.

Written by Sebastian Chen, Samuel Du, Maxwell Liu

Images taken by Samuel Du and Maxwell Liu

Cluster 11

“What is a robot?” Professor Ricardo asked us on Monday morning. Throughout the week, we explored this question by diving into the mathematics and physics behind machine learning and modern robotic systems.

Our first lecture introduced us to robotics and its history. We explored one of the first industrial robots, UNIMATE, developed in 1954 to manufacture television picture tubes, and learned how robotics has since expanded into areas such as space exploration and competitions like the DARPA Challenges. We then broke down the different components of robotic systems, including power conversion units, sensors, controllers, and actuators, and connected these concepts to robotic systems we interact with in our everyday lives. In the afternoon, Dr. Himadri introduced us to the physics behind robot movement. We investigated forces that affect robots, such as gravity and wind resistance on quadcopters, and learned how torque can be used to maintain stability and control motion. Using Webots simulations, we applied these concepts to virtual robots.

On Tuesday, we shifted from physical systems to intelligent computing by exploring brain-inspired machine learning with Assistant Professor Jason. We started with a fun activity—calculating the amount of power the human brain consumes, which is around 20 watts. We then compared biological intelligence with modern machine learning systems. We discussed some of the major challenges in AI today, including high energy costs and models that act as "black boxes," making their decisions difficult to understand. We also explored potential solutions through improvements in software, data, and hardware. In the afternoon, we dove into mathematical modeling and control in robotics with Professor Ricardo. We started with simple point-mass models and progressed to continuous-time models, learning how mathematical representations can describe the behavior of physical systems.

On Wednesday, we focused on the foundations of machine learning with Dr. Jason. We explored the mathematics behind linear and logistic regression, including vectors, matrices, loss functions, optimization, and the sigmoid function used in artificial neurons. We then applied these ideas with Ms. Kimia Gholami through hands-on experiments with K-nearest neighbors and neural networks using Google Colab.

On Thursday morning, we returned to the mathematical foundations of robotics with Dr. Himadri by exploring continuous-time and discrete-time systems. We derived Euler discretization and learned how to solve linear differential equations both numerically and analytically. Building from Hooke's law, we derived Newton's equation of motion and Kirchhoff's voltage law, using these derivations to connect mass-spring-damper systems and electrical RLC circuits. In the afternoon, we revisited linear regression with Ms. Kimia. On Friday, we learned about converting second-order systems with Dr. Himadri and applied these concepts to various oscillators, which we then implemented in MATLAB. To wrap up the week, we reviewed everything we had learned so far and looked ahead to the topics and projects planned for the coming weeks with Professor Ricardo.

As always, every evening after dinner, we met with our RAs, Sri and Blue, near the Social Sciences Lawn to debrief and play games together.

Written by Delisha Manuel

Cluster 12

After entering the Earth and Marine Sciences Building, Cluster 12 was greeted by a plethora of minerals and gems from around the world before beginning their morning lecture with Professor Emeritus Dave Belanger. Professor Belanger introduced students to the physics of scattering light waves and neutrons, explaining how they interact with crystals and reveal their molecular structures. Students were given three small pieces of polarizing film to demonstrate the dual nature of light waves, showing that light consists of both electric and magnetic fields. Using the polarizing film, students observed this phenomenon by rotating one piece 90 degrees, causing it to appear dark as it blocked polarized light, such as the light emitted from laptop and phone screens. Through this demonstration, students explored the properties of light and discovered that when two pieces of polarizing film are placed perpendicular to one another, they block nearly all light.

Afterward, Professor Belanger introduced students to wave interference and explained how X-rays, together with Bragg's law, can be used to explore the internal arrangement of atoms within a crystal. Students participated in another demonstration in which differently colored laser pointers were shined through CDs and DVDs, separating the light into distinct diffraction patterns. They observed that light with longer wavelengths, such as red light, produced larger spacing between the patterns. Professor Belanger's engaging lectures and demonstrations captivated Cluster 12 as he transitioned to interactions at the atomic scale. Interactive simulations provided a clear understanding of how subatomic particles, such as electrons and neutrons, behave and how magnetism and electricity are related.

Belanger then shifted to nuclear physics and the history of nuclear science, making sure to highlight the many women and men whose contributions shaped the field and the development of the atomic bomb. Having previously worked with nuclear reactors, Professor Belanger shared his extensive knowledge through photographs and diagrams that kept students engaged and encouraged them to ask questions.

During the afternoon lectures, students had the opportunity to learn about the inorganic chemistry of crystals from Professor Scott Oliver and Neo Bao. They began the week with an introduction to materials and how materials science plays a major role in everyday life. Exploring the molecular structures of different materials, Professor Oliver taught students about the various symmetry operations and symmetry elements found in molecules, giving them the opportunity to use molecular model kits to build structures and gain a better visual understanding.

Not all of their time was spent in lectures. On the third day, Professor Oliver took students into the lab to grow their very own crystals. Students dissolved specific chemicals in hot deionized water before placing a single seed crystal of the same substance into the solution. Cluster 12 now eagerly awaits the growth of their crystals and looks forward to analyzing the results.

Written by Israel Lopez

Cluster 13

Cluster 13 began its first week of COSMOS with a strong start! First, we met our instructors: Professor Baumbach, Professor Yan, and our Cluster Fellow, Kap. In the mornings, Professor Baumbach teaches us how to create crystalline materials. This ranges from learning about their chemical compositions to understanding phase diagrams, all with the goal of creating the most efficient and stable superconductors. On Thursday, Professor Baumbach brought in many awesome samples from his lab! These included Galinstan, a metal alloy that is liquid at room temperature, as well as giant crystals created using a growth method called the Czochralski crystal-pulling process. (See image.)

In the afternoons, Professor Yan teaches us about 2D crystal structures, symmetry, and imaging. These lessons are extremely complex, but Professor Yan explains everything carefully, making even the most challenging concepts understandable. By building on our knowledge each day, by the end of the first week we were able to predict the number of atoms and electron waves that occur in a crystalline lattice.

Meanwhile, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, our Cluster Fellow, Kap, gives lectures on essential research skills. His first lesson focused on research papers, their different sections, and how to read them effectively. Later, he lectured on the responsible use of AI. Together, these lessons have given us a helpful advantage as we begin our project research.

Finally, on Friday, Professor Baumbach and his graduate student, Antonio, announced an exciting achievement. They successfully created NiV₂S₄, a possible breakthrough superconductor that can operate at relatively high temperatures. While they are just beginning the initial stages of testing, the successful creation of this crystal is already something to celebrate! We look forward to sharing more updates in the future!

Written by Ava Campbell