SEMINARS FALL 2009
HONR 228K: Great Ideas in Physics and Their Implications in
Other Disciplines
Monday/Wednesday 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Prof. Ted Einstein, Department of Physics
This seminar will explore some great advances in physics, what they meant, how they came about, and how they influenced other fields. Examples include Newton's laws and their influence on philosophy, kinetic theory and classical physics in the late 1800's and their reflection in Freudian psychology, and quantum mechanics and modern psychology. We will also consider continuum vs. atomistic descriptions of matter and modeling of social behavior and explore how relativity changes our worldview.
Discussion of the relevant physics will be at a popular level, using only high school math. There will be regular demonstrations from the world-class collection in the physics department. Discussions will assume that students have some familiarity with the scientific meaning of terms like energy, momentum, velocity, speed, acceleration, force, light/electromagnetic radiation, atom, electron, etc. from a high school physics course. We will read biographical material about the relevant physicists and the times in which they lived, occasional excerpts from classical sources, as well as synopses of ideas and other fields. Ideally the class will have students interested in a broad range of social sciences and humanities, so that many perspectives can be brought to bear on the discussions. We will also consider some noteworthy explanations of experimental phenomena with theories that turn out to work well but be fundamentally wrong. We will compare what constitutes fraud in physics and compare with other fields.
Students will be asked to submit very short (1-2 pages) papers every couple weeks, giving reactions to class discussions. Students will be asked to investigate a topic on their own, similar to the class themes; a list of suggestions will be provided, but students may pick their own after consultation with the instructor. Students will submit an extended, detailed outline half way through the class for feedback, then make a presentation to the group to share their findings and finally write a formal paper for the course. The grade will be based on these assignments, with some extra points for active class participation.
Required Reading:
Great Physicists: The Life and Times of Leading Physicists from Galileo
to Hawking (Paperback) by William H. Cropper
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 16, 2004)
ISBN-10: 0195173244
ISBN-13: 978-0195173246
Seven Ideas that Shook the World by Nathan Spielberg and B. D. Anderson. The second edition is fine, and is available online for under $10 inc. postage
AND EITHER:
The Cartoon Guide to Physics (Paperback) by Larry Gonick
Publisher: Collins (February 1, 1992)
ISBN-10: 0062731009
ISBN-13: 978-0062731005
OR
Physics for Poets (Paperback) by Robert March
Students should get the 4th edition (or earlier)
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies; 4th edition (September 1, 1995)
ISBN-10: 0070402485
ISBN-13: 978-0070402485
The current version is outrageously priced for a paperback of a vintage
text:
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math; 5th edition (April 22,
2002)
ISBN-10: 0072472170
ISBN-13: 978-0072472172
Various handouts will be scanned and posted on a password-secured class website. The website will also list URLs of readings and applets available online.
CORE: Physical Sciences, non-lab [PS]
