PHYS-1301 Physics and Modern Humanity

This course is a critical survey of the role that physics has played in the intellectual and material development of modern society. As a source of knowledge, science has modified our intellectual outlook and, as a source of technology, it has shaped our material circumstances. Major achievements in physics will be situated in their historical context from the Scientific Revolution, to the Industrial Revolution, and into the post-World-War-II era. In Physics and Modern Humanity, lab exercises will demonstrate the essential elements of scientific thought, while readings and discussions will explore the human experience of scientific discoveries and technological developments.