''Laplacian'' is one of those buzzwords that can stop a conversation. Algebraic techniques in a distributed setting can be frightening: they feel complicated, definition-heavy, and out of reach for the ordinary distributed computing researcher. I am here to tell you that it is not so bad. In this survey, I will outline the main ideas and techniques in the field, while simplifying to the level that you do not even need to remember much from your linear algebra classes.