MEET THE Mentor
Brian Silverman
Brian is a computer scientist, creative technologist, pioneering researcher in cellular automata, and creator of programming environments for children.
Since the late 1970s, Brian has been designing playful learning environments for children. He has led the development of numerous versions of the Logo programming language, including LogoWriter and MicroWorlds, and contributed to landmark projects such as Scratch, LEGO robotics, TurtleArt, and the PicoCricket. A master tinkerer, he once famously built a tic-tac-toe-playing computer entirely from TinkerToys. Brian also created several influential cellular automata, including Brian’s Brain, Seeds, and Wireworld.
He is the co-founder and president of the Playful Invention Company and serves as a consultant to the LEGO Group. Brian was previously a Consulting Scientist at the MIT Media Lab.
Courses
February 2026
Astronomy
A Brief History of Calendars
The calendar most commonly used these days is the Gregorian calendar. It is closely synced to the Sun's orbit around the earth (or, if you prefer, the earth’s orbit around the sun). This solar calendar is a relatively recent invention, the current exact form being less than five centuries old. Older calendars often were lunar, i.e. based on the phases of the moon, or based on a combination of both lunar and solar cycles. The project will be a group exploration of the nature of lunar and solar calendars. We will use a combination of historic research and
computational model making.
Ready to explore new ideas?
Find the adventure right for you!
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