Download Physics 206, Spring, 2009 Syllabus Professor Marshall Onellion

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Physics 206, Spring, 2009 Syllabus
Professor Marshall Onellion ([email protected], 877-2345, office: 5104 Chamberlin)
Office Hours: 9-11am, Tu/Th or by appointment.
This course has two foci. One is to learn the rudiments of three topics- case studiesspecial relativity, quantum mechanics and cosmology. The other is to examine how these topics
have affected ideas in various larger societies. The three topics were selected for two reasons.
First, orthodox ideas in science at the time were impediments to the key new ideas in each topic.
Also, scientists and laymen considering these topics had to invent ideas that were counterintuitive and that had repercussions in the larger society. Students will be evaluated on the basis
of three examinations on quantitative topics and on three writing assignments.
Further, students taking this course will be taught how to improve their writing, a skill
that will benefit them in many areas. The students will have a wide choice of topics on which to
write three papers discussing either (a) how these science ideas have affected one or another
society, or (b) the impact of these ideas on other areas of knowledge. Since some of the writing
choices are potentially controversial, the students will be offered a range of writing choices, so
an individual student can choose for themselves whether to engage or not with the more
controversial consequences of these physics topics. For each of the many possible topics,
references will be provided so that the student has a starting point to library research. The
students will have the option to work with the Writing Center on his/her draft before the final
version is due. One simple example, for instance, might be to examine the frequently occurring
argument in the “New Age” movement that the Heisenberg uncertainty principle means we
cannot know anything. A trivial calculation of the location and speed of a baseball during a
baseball game would suffice to rebut this misapplication.
The integration of intuition and reason part will start with the case study examples,
selected because the new idea was both counter-intuitive and flew directly in the face of
orthodox thinking. The physics and society part builds on the fact that several of the case study
topics have led to physics ideas having an impact on the larger society. The challenging of
orthodoxy shown in the case studies will also allow us to emphasize that ideologies are
inherently limiting as far as getting at the truth. Specific examples from science, such as the
eugenics movement in the U.S.A. and the Lysenko episode in the Soviet Union, will be
discussed to illustrate how ideology impedes getting at the truth. Finally, the changes that the
case studies illustrate were both changes in physics and led to changes in other scientific and
humanities disciplines, and these latter changes will be touched on.
The case studies include: special relativity, quantum mechanics, and cosmology. All are
areas developed primarily by physicists and mathematicians. All have had large impacts on
various overall societies. All are still having impacts. As time permits, we will cover the specific
points below within each case study.
Special Relativity (3 weeks) (quantitative 15% of grade, writing 10% of grade):
Michelson- Morley experiment, Lorentz transformation and consequences
Science and Society: Themes of getting at the truth in science; reproducible
experiment; testability; logical consistency. The role of credit in scientific research. Comparison
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of criteria for getting at the truth in science and in non-scientific areas of study. Impediments to
getting at the truth: ideologies.
Writing Assignment One: Part of the first three weeks will be spent discussing,
with examples, the difference between good and poor writing. We will start with a single
paragraph, and end with a complete paper. Final version due beginning of week four. The list of
possible topics (not complete) includes: Nuclear power, pro or con; Should the U.S. have
initiated the Manhattan Project, pro or con?; Should the U.S. have dropped nuclear bombs on
Japan in World War II, pro or con?; Medical radiation therapies (e.g. cancer treatment); Role of
Albert Einstein in Manhattan Project; Impact of relativity theory on philosophy. Examination on
special relativity will be during week five.
Quantum mechanics (8 weeks) (quantitative 30% of grade, writing 15% of grade):
Photoelectric effect, Blackbody radiation, Atomic spectral lines- series of line,
Heat capacity versus temperature, Rutherford model of atom, Isotopes, Radioisotope decay
processes, Old quantum theory, Wave-particle duality, Heisenberg uncertainty principle, Spin
angular momentum, Probability wave, Mixed state, Collapse of wavefunction, Pauli exclusion
principle
Science and Society: The role of doubt in getting at the truth in science and nonscientific areas of study. The concept of ‘negative capability’ in science and art. The effects of
the ‘wasteland’ diktat in science and non-scientific areas. What does ‘freedom’ mean in science
and other areas of society? The example of Srinivasa Ramanujan and his implications in science
and society. The difference between open and hidden knowledge in various areas of study.
Writing Assignment Two: Final version due at beginning of week 11. The list of
possible topics (not complete) includes: Heisenberg uncertainty principle and moral relativism;
Is radioisotope dating an accurate way to determine the age of objects, including the Earth, pro or
con?; Young Earth model of the planet [the idea that the Earth is approximately 6,000 years old],
pro or con?; Impact of quantum mechanics on philosophy; What is the basic idea of the BohmAharonov paradox? Schrodinger’s cat. Examination on quantum mechanics part will be during
week 13.
Cosmology (4 weeks) (quantitative 15% of grade, writing 15% of grade):
Doppler effect; Hubble red shift; Cosmic microwave background (CMB); General
relativity; Entropic principle; Inflation ideas.
Science and Society: Cosmology from Sumeria to today. Our place in the
universe. Genesis versus Big Bang. The role cosmology plays today in science and society.
Writing Assignment Three: Final version due at end of week 14. The list of
topics (not complete) includes: A qualitative guide to the very early universe; What is this
cosmological constant anyway?; If the universe is a blackbody, what does the CMB signify?;
How does physics estimate the age of the universe?; What is this word ‘inflation’ in cosmology?;
How does physics determine the changes in the universe over time?; What is this ‘dark matter’
and what is the evidence for it?; What evidence is there for the idea of ‘dark energy’?; Is the big
bang idea an argument for the existence of God, pro or con? Is the universe fine-tuned for human
existence (anthropic coincidences), pro or con?. Examination on cosmology part will be at the
day & time that the Registrar assigns for our course final examination.
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Students completing this course will be given Quantitative Reasoning B credit. The proposed
course advances parts of all four of the essential learning outcomes of the L.E.A.P. (Liberal
Education and America’s Promise) program (see: http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/LEAP/default.htm).
We will discuss the interrelation between the physical world and human cultures. We will help
the student develop critical and creative thinking skills, improve their writing ability, and
become more literate about both quantitative thinking and using information. We will teach the
student skills useful for their lifelong learning. Finally, we will combine learning in physics and
some larger societal questions.