Instructor: Vladimir (“Vladi”) Chaloupka
Professor of Physics
Adjunct Professor, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
Adjunct Professor, School of Music
vladi@u.washington.edu
www.phys.washington.edu/users/vladi/phys216
An informed, educated citizen ought to know enough about science to be able to appreciate the breathtaking potential benefits, intellectual and practical, as well as the possible dangers which science presents. In this course, we explore the current status and developments in Physics, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology and Computer Science, and we discuss the implications for society at the local, national and international (global) level.
In the first part of the course, nuclear physics and molecular biology will serve as concrete examples of fields with significant impact on society. This will include some calculations and reasoning, but no previous knowledge is assumed. We will go to considerable detail in our treatment of these two fields – we will use Einstein’s E=mc2 to shed new light on the question “Why is there Something rather than Nothing?” and you will learn how to find a gene hidden in the sequence CCATTCATCTAATCGGAGAACATTTACGGAACG.
In the discussion part of the course, we will have formal debates on the Basic Problem in Science, Technology and Society, and on Intelligent Design vs. Evolution, as well as informal discussions of many other topics. In connection with the UW Common Book for 2011/2012, we will dedicate significant time to the work and life of Richard Feynman. Examples of contemporary issues discussed will include the prospects for the proposed Brain Activity Map research, the Twitter/Facebook phenomenon, Science (and Culture) in the Sultanate of Oman, and nuclear weapons in Pakistan, North Korea and elsewhere, including, eventually, Iran?
Recent work by the Instructor on “Freedom of Will in the Quantum Universe” will be discussed, and we will not hesitate to address also the general issues of Science and Religion. There will be both exuberance and humility in our treatment of the issues, and both feelings will often be illustrated using the playground of Music. Class will go on two “field trips”: to hear J.S.Bach’s fugues played on the UW pipe organ, and to see the Universe in the new UW digital Planetarium.
This course is offered jointly by the Physics Department and by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and either of the two identical options (PHYS216 or SIS216) can be taken to satisfy either the NW or the I&S requirement. The two options are considered completely equivalent by the University, so for example PHYS 216 can be taken to satisfy the SIS core course requirement, etc. In the past, Honors students were able, for additional work, to take this class as an ad-hoc Honors course (again: either science or humanities requirement).
The enrollment is not limited to the students of the two sponsoring Departments – the goal is to achieve a truly transdisciplinary mix of science- and non-science students with diverse backgrounds, so that students learn not just from the Instructor but also from each other. There are no pre-requisites on previous math or science knowledge. In the past, the English/Drama/political science/… majors were not lost, and the physics/chemistry/biology/… majors were not bored (and the grades of both groups were remarkably similar).
There will be two 2-hour lectures weekly, and a 1-hour section on Fridays. The grade will be based on participation in class and in the Friday section, several short response papers, term project/paper on a topic of student’s choice, and a final exam.
