Explore the fascinating world of gamma-ray bursts, shocks, and relativistic jets in this comprehensive lecture by Tim Giblin, Space Flight Instructor at Johnson Space Center. Delve into the discovery and classification of gamma-ray bursts, examining their spectral properties and sky distribution. Learn about X-ray and optical afterglows, including their light curves and the rapid response systems used to detect them. Investigate robotic telescope systems deployed globally and discover how to extract physics from observational data. Analyze GRB energetics, early high-energy afterglows, and the transition from GRB to afterglow. Examine ROTSE-III optical counterpart detection and explore the concept of a canonical GRB afterglow. Conclude by analyzing Swift BAT and XRT data to gain a deeper understanding of these powerful cosmic phenomena.