HONR 302 – The Roots of Twentieth Century Science (50568)

Spring 2002

TIME: 12:30-1:20 MWF

PLACE: Sturges 208A

INSTRUCTOR: G. Towsley, South 324 C , x5388, towsleyg@geneseo.edu

TEXTS:

Plato, Timaeus

Lucretius, The Nature of Things

Galileo, Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo

Galileo, Dialogues on the Two Chief World Systems

Shapin, The Scientific Revolution

Polkinghorne, The Quantum World

EVALUATION PROCEDURES:

The final grade for the course will be based upon writing assignments, a midterm exam, a final exam and class participation. The portions of the evaluation are weighted as follows:

Writing Assignments…………………………………..65%

Midterm Exam…………………………………………15%

Final Exam……………………………………………..15%

Class Participation………………………………………5%

The midterm exam will be given on or near Wednesday, March 20. The final exam is scheduled for Monday, May 20 at 12. The writing assignments will consist of several short writing assignemtns and two longer papers, one due near March 1 and the other at the last day of class, Friday, May 10.

CONTENT OUTLINE:

The course will cover the development of Western Cosmology from three early theorists (Aristotle, Plato, Democritus and the Atomists) through the Scientific Revolution to the discovery of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics in the early Twentieth Century. A more detailed outline will be given in class.