Download PHYSICS 015

ASTR 102
Astronomy II –
The Active Universe
Dave Hanes (Prof.)
http://physics.queensu.ca/~hanes
A Short Story
Once upon a time, about 13.7 billion years
ago,…
About This Course
Science! But not mathematical…
About cause and effect, evolution and
origin, how and why…
Not merely descriptions of ‘what’s out
there’
One thing I have learned in a long life:
that all our science, measured against
reality, is primitive and childlike – and yet
it is the most precious thing we have.
Einstein
A.
Astronomy is
Physics
…and Physics Explains Everything!
…within certain limits, that is!
Pure Physics can’t explain our deepest
emotions, or our aesthetic responses to a
beautiful sunset or glorious music*.
(*but see Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks,
or This is Your Brain on Music, by Daniel Levitin)
The Beauty of Roses
Galileo Galilei


La mathematica e l'alfabeto nel quale
Dio ha scritto l'universo.
(Mathematics is the alphabet with which
God has written the universe.)
Einstein’s Field Equations
(how Einstein ‘explains the structure of the universe’)
As you can see by following the link, much of
astrophysics is intimidatingly mathematical!
http://www.mathpages.com/home/kmath655/kmath655.htm
But Not In
ASTR 102!
As Much
Me As You…
How Did We Do?
ASTR 101 Mark Distribution
Fall 2016
ASTR 101
2009
2013
2016
213
227
218
In the 90’s
11.3% (24)
9.7% (22)
7.3% (16)
Getting A’s (80+)
38.5% (82)
36.6% (83)
33.9% (74)
74%
74%
72%
Exams Written
Median mark
Some Other Courses at Queen’s
(from pre-GPA days, some years ago)
BIOL 102
CHEM 112
ENGL 110
MATH 121
PSYC 100
BIOL 103
ECON 110
CLST 101
HIST 121
POLS 110
PHYS 107
NURS 100
NURS 102
79
75
71
77
74
76
76
74
72
73
76
74
79
MICR 121
NURS 101
PHIL 157
BCHM 102
CISC 121
MATH 112
CISC 124
COGS 100
MATH 111
PHIL 158
SPAN 010
RELS 131
GRMN 052
76
77
74
69
76
78
85
79
77
70
78
72
70
For Complete Course Information
Visit my website
http://physics.queensu.ca/~hanes
for links to all course notes, PowerPoints,
news, office hours, etc.
On Wednesday Jan 11th: we’ll have a full discussion of
course structure, marking scheme, etc.