Week 1: How Einstein Changed Physics
Albert Einstein’s name is synonymous with both great accomplishment and significant insight. But what exactly did he do, and why was he so important to the development of modern physics? We will examine his annus mirabilis, 1905, and situate his work in the context of early 20th-century physics.
Week 2: The Universe: Where It’s Been and Where We Think It’s Going
The nature of the universe and our place in it has fascinated humanity. By examining some key developments, including the Big Bang theory, in the history of cosmology from a physics perspective we will focus on how our understanding of the universe changed.
Week 3: Quantum Physics: Small Things Come in Weird Packages
When we move from the very big to the very small, physics gets even stranger. Beginning with an examination of the debate about the nature of light and other forms of radiation, we will discuss some of the major developments in quantum physics over the past century.
Week 4: Particle Physics: Leptons, Tau Neutrinos, and Bosons
We will examine the development of the standard model of particle physics in light of recent developments regarding the Higgs boson. The debate around this will shed light on the politics of “big” science and help explain why the term “The God Particle” might not mean what you think.
Week 5: Much Ado about Gravity
We will begin by examining Newton’s theory of gravity before moving on to consider the consequences of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. We conclude by exploring the call to unify relativity theory with quantum mechanics, which takes us to the realms of string theory and quantum gravity.
Week 6: Physics and Popular Science Fiction
Multiple universes? Teleportation? Faster-than-light travel? Exotic particles such as gravitons and tachyons? Time travel? Science fiction or science theory? In light of current scientific thinking about physics we will explore and assess some ideas about physics made popular by television and movies.
