Small adjustments to schedule may be made, and additional readings may be suggested, as the course progresses.
| In 'readings': | |||
| B |
means |
Bohm | Causality and Chance in Modern Physics |
| C | Cushing | Philosophical Concepts in Physics | |
| E | Einstein | Relativity: The Special and General Theory | |
| F | Feynman | The Character of Physical Law | |
| Ha | Hawking | A Brief History of Time | |
| K | Kuhn | The Copernican Revolution | |
| K2 | Kuhn | The Structure of Scientific Revolutions | |
| R | Rohrlich | From Paradox to Reality | |
| S | Sklar | Philosophy of Physics | |
| Sq | Squires | The Mystery of the Quantum World | |
| Dates | Topics | Readings | Milestones |
| #1 Jan. 19 |
Overview; a taste of upcoming surprises | R: ch 1-3 S: pp. 1-18 C: ch 1-3 |
|
|
|||
| #2
Jan. 21 |
Ptolemy vs Copernicus; how do you decide basic scientific questions? Simplicity, common sense, hard evidence... |
K: ch 3, pp. 123-144,181-184 F: ch 2 R: ch 4 C: ch 4 |
Homework 1 due! We know this is short notice, but it's needed to get you started thinking AHEAD of lectures. |
| #3 Jan. 26 |
Kepler & Galileo; physics & cosmology; the role of mathematics A new world view |
K: pp. 200-237 C: ch 5,6 |
|
| #4 Jan. 28 |
Kepler to Newton The meaning (& ambiguities) of Newton's laws |
R: ch 5 C: ch 7,8 |
|
| #5 Feb. 2 |
Newtonian space & time; symmetries; metaphysical assumptions | S: pp. 19-25 C: ch 11,12 |
Homework 2 due |
|
|||
| #6 Feb. 4 |
Conservation laws & energy |
B: pp. 1-10 S: pp. 79-82, 202-204 F: ch 4 |
|
| #7 Feb. 9 |
Waves, fields; electromagnetism & the ether |
S: pp. 94-117, 121-132, 142-155 B: pp. 10-33 F: ch 5 C: ch 13 |
|
| #8 Feb. 11 |
Searches for the luminiferous ether; why is it so elusive? | E: ch 1-8 | Homework 3 due |
|
|||
| #9 Feb. 16 |
Einstein's motivation & postulates; spacetime | E: ch 9-17 R: pp. 54-72 S: pp. 25-40 K2: Ch X C: Ch 16 |
|
| #10 Feb. 18 |
Unification of electricity & magnetism; E = mc2 and speed limits; locality & conservation laws | R: pp. 73-88 C: ch 17 |
QUIZ 1! |
| #11 Feb. 23 |
Invariants |
||
| #12 Feb. 25 |
How do you feel gravity? What does the answer tell you about the structure of the Universe? |
R: ch 7 S: pp. 40-69 C: ch 18 |
Homework 4 due |
| #13 Mar. 1 |
Non-Euclidean Geometry | S: pp. 69-90 Ha: ch 3 |
Term paper consultations |
| #14 Mar. 3 |
More cosmology; philosophical implications BTW, does the Earth go around the Sun or vice-versa? |
Term paper consultations | |
|
|||
| #15 Mar. 8 |
Thermodynamics, probability, & the arrow of time Causality & chance |
R: pp. 49-54 | Term paper consultations |
| #16 Mar. 10 |
Experimental basis of QM; lacunae & anomalies of classical physics Light is a particle & electrons are waves (sort of) |
R: ch 9 S: pp. 157-164 C: ch 19 |
Homework 5 due |
| #17 Mar. 15 |
De Broglie's hypothesis; probability & uncertainty Interference, Copenhagen interpretation(s) |
R: ch 10 S: pp. 164-172 F: ch 6 Sq: ch 1.3-2.6 |
Term paper topic due |
| #18 Mar. 17 |
More quantum, hidden variables | R: pp. 169-180 S: pp. 213-225 Sq: ch 5 C: ch 22 |
Term paper consultations |
| Spring break | |||
| #19 Mar. 29 |
The EPR thought experiment, Bell's theorem | S: pp 172-191 Sq: ch 3 |
Term paper consultations QUIZ 2! |
| #20 Mar. 31 |
Measurement Interpretation | S: pp 202-212 Sq: ch 4, 6 C: ch 21 |
Term paper outline/ partial draft due |
| #21 Apr. 5 |
More measurement, Quantum Computing | R: pp. 180-184 S: pp. 191-202 Sq: ch. 7 C: ch 23,24 |
|
|
|||
| #22 Apr. 7 |
QM+SR: field theory; empty space isn't; problems with GR+QM and with QM-GR What happens when forces are unified? |
||
| #23 Apr. 12 |
continue 22 |
Homework 6 due | |
| #24 Apr. 14 |
|
Ha: ch 8 | |
| #25 Apr. 19 |
cosmology; inflation | Ha: ch 3,9 | First complete draft of term paper due |
| #26 Apr. 21 |
the anthropic principle, the multiverse |
||
| #27 Apr. 26 |
Why are we here? | ||
| #28 Apr. 28 |
Philosophy and Physics, Kuhn |
||
| #29 May 3 |
Course summary | ||
|
|||