PHYS 280 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Course Description

Physics/Global Studies 280 is a non-technical course about the development of nuclear weapons and attempts to control them. The course will enable you, whatever your background, (1) to gain a basic understanding of the nature of nuclear weapons, the threat they pose to humankind, and possible ways to reduce and eventually eliminate this threat and (2) to improve your writing skills.

Learning Objectives

Subject Matter: You will learn how to

conduct a non-technical analysis of the physics of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon effects, delivery systems, and defenses against nuclear attack,
use this kind of analysis as a basis for making informed judgments about nuclear armaments and arms control, while taking into account, and
take into account current political and technical developments of concern around the world.

Writing: You will use writing to

learn about the course’s subject matter and
develop writing skills for producing technical writing at a professional level in academia, government, the non-profit sector, and business.

Identity: You will foster a professional identity in the field of nuclear weapons and arms control by

developing attention to detail with regard to both technical content and writing requirements,
recognizing the diversity of professional genres and developing the ability to adapting your communication to new professional genres,
learning nuclear physics and security policy concepts by writing about them, and
appreciating that writing is a process and gaining general approaches and specific techniques for managing that process.

Course Origins

Motivated by their concern about the dangers of nuclear weapons and the threat of nuclear war, a group of Illinois astronomy, nuclear engineering, and physics faculty volunteered to create this course in the spring of 1982 as a public service. The faculty involved were Larry L. Smarr (Astronomy and Physics), Arthur B. Chilton (Nuclear Engineering), and Gordon A. Baym, Gary E. Gladding, John B. Kogut, Frederick K. Lamb, Christopher J. Pethick, Michael Stone, Jeremiah D. Sullivan, Jon J. Thaler, Albert Wattenberg, and Michael Wortis (Physics). The course was approved as a regular Physics course the next year and has been taught by Physics faculty every year since.

Course Topics

Foundations: history of the early Cold War, development and basic physics of fission and thermonuclear bombs, overview of nuclear weapon effects
Nuclear weapons: nuclear physics, design, and operation, production of nuclear-explosive materials, implications for nuclear proliferation and terrorism
Nuclear explosions: effects of a single nuclear explosion; probable consequences of a nuclear war; comparison of nuclear, radiological, chemical, and biological weapons
Nuclear terrorism: origins and characteristics of terrorism, the threat of nuclear terrorism, approaches to reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism
Delivery methods: conventional methods (aircraft, cruise missiles, land- based and submarine- based long-range missiles), unconventional methods (backpacks, boats, trucks, cargo containers, short-range missiles, etc.), how to counter them.
Nuclear arsenals: nuclear programs, weapons, and delivery systems of nuclear-weapon states and other states of concern
Missile defense: past, present, and possible future approaches to defending against ballistic missiles; anti-satellite and other space weapons and their implications
Nuclear arms control: individual and cooperative approaches, the current nonproliferation regime, preventing further spread and use (treaties and other approaches, verification regimes and technologies), loose nukes, eventual elimination of nuclear weapons
Conclusion: imperative of addressing the threat posed by nuclear weapons, possible approaches to reducing the threat, what citizens can do

Course Organization

Writing Labs (Mondays): Once each week, you will meet for a writing lab in which your TA will return the previous week’s writing assignment and explain the next writing assignment. During writing lab, you will (1) review course concepts and the current events presented during lecture-discussion, (2) practice reasoning and writing about these, and (3) discuss the writing process and specific techniques for improving your writing. Writing lab attendance is required.Your active contributions will count toward your course participation grade.

Lecture-Discussions (Tuesdays and Thursdays): Twice each week, you will attend course lectures that introduce and explore essential topics. Although course slides will be available on the course website, lecture attendance is strongly encouraged.

In lecture/discussion, you will

hear about current events (required course knowledge, included on quizzes and exams),
learn which topics and points the professor thinks are most important,
receive explanations of and more details about course concepts,
be polled about your experiences and opinions (via app),
have an opportunity to ask questions and participate in discussion, and
take random quizzes (via app) that give you immediate feedback on your understanding of the material and help the professor to determine whether the material is being successfully communicated.

You will get the most from lectures when you come prepared, having done any readings for the day and reviewed your notes from previous sessions. We will use TopHat for lecture slides and clicker questions (TopHat will prompt you with a request to register for PHYS/GLBL 280).

Graded Work: Your course progress will be assessed through an exam component and a writing component, tracked in a secure, online gradebook (scores will be posted as soon as they are available—those in the gradebook are considered “official”). If you have any questions about how your work has been assessed, please make an appointment to visit with your assigned teaching assistant soon after your work has been returned. The professor regularly confers with the instructional staff about course grading practices and standards, as well as particular assignment responses. See the Course Grading page for more information.

Course Community

Physics Illinois is committed to a culture of open collaboration that embraces the principles of professionalism, academic freedom, equity, and inclusion. Through our interactions with one another this term, we ask you to join us in creating a positive learning community.