“Energy is the only universal currency.”
–Vaclav Smil
“Energy is a very subtle concept… very, very difficult to get right… we have no knowledge of what energy is.”
–Richard Feynman
2024 ITP Class
The 2024 ITP week-by-week syllabus contains information for this year’s graduate class, including a weekly schedule of assignments and topics.
Overview
[ITPG-GT2466] Official course description:
From the most ephemeral thought to the rise and fall of civilizations, every aspect of your life, and indeed the universe, involves energy. Energy has been called the “universal currency” by prolific science author Vaclav Smil, but also “a very subtle concept… very, very difficult to get right” by Noble physicist Richard Feynman. It is precisely this combination of importance and subtlety that motivates the Energy class at ITP. Maybe you fear the existential threat of anthropogenic climate change, or maybe you just want your pcomp projects to work better. Either way, the class will help you understand energy quantitatively and intuitively, and incorporate that knowledge in your projects (and perhaps your life).
How? Building on skills introduced in Physical Computing and Creative Computing, we will generate and measure electricity in order to see and feel energy in its various forms. We will turn kinetic and solar energy into electrical energy, store that in batteries and capacitors, and use it to power projects. We will develop knowledge useful in a variety of areas, from citizen-science to art installations, and address topics such as climate change and infrastructure access through the lens of energy. Students will build a final project using skills learned in the class.
Prior Physical Computing or equivalent experience required.
Contact
jfeddersen [at] gmail [dot] com or jeff.feddersen [at] nyu [dot] edu
Goals
- Incorporate energy-literate thinking into your professional and personal life, to help you have a positive impact on global energy challenges such as climate change.
- Develop a broad perspective and nuanced understanding of energy sources and flows.
- Become well-versed in the current state of the art in energy conversion and storage, as well as relevant near- and far-term technologies.
- Gain the technical skills necessary to create projects utilizing ambient energy supplies, and to measure and monitor the energy use in those projects. These will include:
- Understanding energy units
- Researching and estimating power and energy
- Measuring power and energy (especially electrical)
- Circuits for conditioning and storing electrical energy
- Sourcing energy-related components
- Execute thoughtful projects that demonstrate a grasp of energy concepts.
Resources
The Resources page contains extensive information on texts, blogs, podcast and videos related to the class in the “Information” section. It also has details on materials, tools, parts and supplies useful in this class, as well as methods for measuring and analyzing.
Gallery
The Gallery contains examples of past student work and energy related projects.
Past Sessions
Spring 2023 ITP, Spring 2023 IMA, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010, Spring 2008, Spring 2007 and Fall 2004.
NYU Policy Statements
STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY (*Required*)
Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as though it were your own. More specifically, plagiarism is to present as your own: A sequence of words quoted without quotation marks from another writer or a paraphrased passage from another writer’s work or facts, ideas or images composed by someone else.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLE (*Required*)
The core of the educational experience at the Tisch School of the Arts is the creation of original academic and artistic work by students for the critical review of faculty members. It is therefore of the utmost importance that students at all times provide their instructors with an accurate sense of their current abilities and knowledge in order to receive appropriate constructive criticism and advice. Any attempt to evade that essential, transparent transaction between instructor and student through plagiarism or cheating is educationally self-defeating and a grave violation of Tisch School of the Arts community standards. For all the details on plagiarism, please refer to page 10 of the Tisch School of the Arts, Policies and Procedures Handbook, which can be found online at: http://students.tisch.nyu.edu/page/home.html
STATEMENT ON ACCESSIBILITY (*Required*)
Please feel free to make suggestions to your instructor about ways in which this class could become more accessible to you. Academic accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities. Please contact the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at 212 998-4980 for further information.
STATEMENT ON COUNSELING AND WELLNESS (*Required*)
Your health and safety are a priority at NYU. If you experience any health or mental health issues during this course, we encourage you to utilize the support services of the 24/7 NYU Wellness Exchange 212-443-9999. Also, all students who may require an academic accommodation due to a qualified disability, physical or mental, please register with the Moses Center 212-998-4980. Please let your instructor know if you need help connecting to these resources.
STATEMENT ON USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES (*Required*)
Laptops will be an essential part of the course and may be used in class during workshops and for taking notes in lecture. Laptops must be closed during class discussions and student presentations. Phone use in class is strictly prohibited unless directly related to a presentation of your own work or if you are asked to do so as part of the curriculum. Remote classes will be conducted via electronics. While circumstances will vary, the best practice is to join class from a quiet, distraction-free environment, with camera on, as this aids class participation. Students should remain focused on course materials during meetings and avoid distractions such as social media or non-class web material.