ESP Biography



PETR JOHANES, Entrepreneur. Technologist. Seeker.



Major: Materials Science & Engineering

College/Employer: Stanford

Year of Graduation: 2012

Picture of Petr Johanes

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I am from the Czech Republic in Europe, and am currently studying Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford. I have done research at a nanotechnology startup, analyzed development data at the World Bank, and now I am working at a venture capital company finding new technologies to change the world and helping Stanford improve the experience of its students living outside of dorms. I also founded a company with my brother, which we are running together right now. I love teaching and learning just about anything that is interesting and I can't ever get enough of playing around with pencils, paints, and paper. I have traveled with my family to more than one fifth of the countries in the world and want to keep going, so that I can see and experience as much of it as possible.

I have been studying everything from spiritual philosophies to engineering techniques to improve as a teacher and student. I have been a teacher, tutor, and teaching assistant for as much of my time as possible ever since my junior year in high school, always testing out new ideas with my students. Most of the time, the students actually help me set up the teaching method, and I look forward to doing it again!



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

L2000: Introduction to Structure Thinking in Splash! Spring 2012 (Apr. 21 - 22, 2012)
Imagine a building. It has a foundation, frame, and roof. Now imagine a number. Are you imagining less than with the building? What if you try to imagine an idea? There is structure everywhere around us. The difference between the building and the number is that the building is much less abstract than the number, but they still share the existence of structure. In this class, we are going to learn how to find the structure behind ideas and apply it to activities like solving real-world problems, learning faster, constructing a building, and even improving overall quality of life. The goal of this class is to demonstrate and then teach how to use this way of thinking...and have fun while doing it, which is why the class will use a variety of small and fun activities to test different ways of thinking.


L1918: Introduction to Structure Thinking in Splash! Fall 2011 (Oct. 29 - 30, 2011)
How does a building stand on its own? How do you break down large or complicated problems? Can you do this the same way in math as in literature? Can you then apply these techniques to your life? The answer is absolutely yes! In this course, you learn about structure thinking, or reducing any given topic to its basic components. Of course, you also learn how to use that in every area of your life. We are going to look at structure thinking in math, art, politics, economics, spirituality, design, engineering, and your own life. If you want to experience a new style of thinking, improve your way of thinking, or want to completely re-think your life, look no further!