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a major impact on the results. We concluded that a student questionnaire before every session would be needed to account for these important factors. With the experimental conditions set, we began recording data in the beginning of october. It was a sight to behold—twelve students and one teacher, all wearing wireless eeG headsets to record their brain activity, surrounded by a group of scientists trying to solve technical glitches on the fly. e students learned how to apply the headsets themselves, making sure that each electrode detected electrical activity just under the surface of the skull. With the headsets in place, we can detect the activity of large groups of neurons in different regions of the brain, recording 128 data points every second. is fine temporal resolution means that we can look for evidence of neural synchrony when students are engaged in normal classroom activities. Neural synchrony is thought to underlie a diverse set of behaviors and experiences, from heartbeat to sensory perception to consciousness itself. however, its role in social interaction is poorly understood, and our study could shed light on the role of synchrony in the social brain. We have been fortunate to have Trevor teacher and documentary filmmaker Micah Schaffer capturing a visual record of the experiment. is record is an important part of the process: eeG headsets are extremely sensitive, Carolyn F. '15 Discusses the Class' Impact Q: What is your planned academic trajectory? A: I want to be a biology major in college. I plan on possibly studying neuroscience or genetics, so it's really interesting to get actual experience doing this experiment. Q: Why did you choose to take Advanced Biology? A: In part, because I like Mr. McClintock a lot. And I was looking for a challenge. In 11th grade we started to work on the body, which in my mind is more relevant and more tangible, so I wanted to go further into that. Q: What was your reaction when you found out the focus for the course this year? A: I felt like it was a really good opportunity. I wanted to be a part of this experiment, a part of Trevor history, and potentially a part of neuroscience history. Q: Do you think that this research will be beneficial to you in college and beyond? A: I think that it's beneficial to actually be in an experimental setting and to see how many variables can factor into it. For example, the amount of light coming through the windows was a variable. how many people were talking outside was a variable. And it also shows me how difficult planning an experiment is and how much thought you have to put into it. It's definitely prepping me for research in college and thinking about what it takes to produce scientific results. Q: What are the benefits from learning from NYU graduate students and faculty? A: I think they bring a new teaching style and a different background into the classroom. ey teach us in a way that we are not always used to being taught, so we're getting a taste of what a lecture is actually like. I heard those exist in college somewhere [smiling]. We are learning something that's extremely difficult, and not necessarily getting it at the beginning, but that is okay. We have to work by ourselves as well as with other students and our teachers to better understand it. I think it's important to get this kind of experience. P. 16: Students learn how to apply the EEG headsets; p. 17 top: Mr. McClintock's brain is scanned as he teaches about DNA; p. 17 bottom: Dr. Suzanne Dikker makes final adjustments to a student's headset; p. 18 left: Students complete the pre-experiment questionnaire; p. 19 top: Carolyn F. '15 observes her brain activity in real time; p. 19 middle: Each of the 16 electrodes produces 128 data points per second; p. 19 bottom: Before the students begin interacting, they turn away from each other to avoid distraction and establish a baseline reading.

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