Announcements: The first exam will be on Chi-Tester Feb 19 & 20
Review sessions Tuesday Feb 12 1:00
pm (yes!) in the Honors Center (2nd floor library)
and
Thursday Feb 14 7:30 am in the classroom

|Course Outline|Office Hours|Grading|
|Schedule and Reading Assignments|Final Exam|
![]()
click here for a .pdf version of the Course Outline
(To read the .pdf versions of the on-line documents,
you will need a free plug-in of Adobe Acrobat Reader)
INSTRUCTOR: |
|
OFFICE: |
SL 202 |
TELEPHONE: |
626-7921 |
E-MAIL: |
bcarroll@weber.edu |
COURSE HOME PAGE: |
http://physics.weber.edu/carroll/honors/ |
TEXTS: |
Hamlet, William Shakespeare; |
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, Tom Stoppard; |
|
Tom Stoppard: Plays Five, Tom Stoppard; |
|
Seven Ideas that Shook the Universe, Nathan Spielberg and Bryon D. Anderson |
![]()
In several of his plays, Tom Stoppard examines the paradox of free will in a deterministic Newtonian world. To what extent can individuals control their lives in a clockwork universe? We will examine the rise and fall of the Newtonian worldview in this course, and see how this provides the philosophical themes of three of Tom Stoppard's plays, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, Arcadia, and Hapgood. Classroom activities will include
discussing the ideas of the plays | |
performing selected readings from the plays | |
exploring the physics content of the plays |
There will be a two-part midterm for each of Stoppard's plays (covering the storyline of each play and the physics in it), and an optional course project of your choice (with the instructor's approval).
The topics for the small-group discussions will be distributed during the previous class. Come prepared to discuss any of the topics - your group will be assigned one of the topics to concentrate on, and then all of the groups will share their responses. The midterms on the physics content of the plays will consist of multiple-choice questions, and will be given on WEB CT over a two-day period. The other exams will be take-home and open book. Each person is responsible for his or her own work. Academic dishonesty on any exam will result in a grade of zero being given for that examination. A second violation will constitute failure of the course.
Attendance is important, and a daily roll will be taken. You may have four absences with no penalty, but you will be penalized 2 percentage points for every absence over four. At the end of the semester, if you have four absences or less, you will receive 5 extra percentage points.
Physics provides the fundamental description of physical reality, an exciting and sometimes startling view of the world that most people never get to see. Above all,
If you have questions that can't be cleared up in class, drop by my office to discuss the meaning and implications of the material. Relax and enjoy this exploration of how nature really works, and remember the words of British scientist J. B. S. Haldane:
![]()
12:00 - 1:00 Daily
and
any other time I am in my office
![]()
A |
An overall midterm average of at least 80% and an acceptable approved project for a total of at least 90% (midterms + project) and a satisfactory effort in group discussion |
B |
An overall midterm average of at least 80% and a satisfactory effort in group discussion |
C |
An overall midterm average of at least 70% and a satisfactory effort in group discussion |
D |
An overall midterm average below 70% or an unsatisfactory effort in group discussion |
E |
An overall midterm average below 70% and an unsatisfactory effort in group discussion |
The course project is worth up to 10%. It should be something original and creative, and must be at least peripherally related to the subject matter of the course. With your project you must hand in a short written paper (1 page maximum) that describes what you did and how it is connected to the course. No last-minute projects will be approved. Your project should be something we can both be proud to share with the rest of the class!
![]()
Click on a hyperlink for that day's handouts
|
|
|
Jan |
08 |
Course Introduction |
|
10 |
Seven Ideas, p. 1 - 13 Handouts: Scientific Method, Science Definitions, True or False, Science and Pseudoscience, Plato's Cave |
|
|
|
| Jan | 15 | Seven Ideas, p. 14 - 35 Handouts: Prague clock dial, Prague clock, Tycho's Supernova, Digges, Westward from the Pole |
|
17 |
Seven Ideas, p. 35 - 49 Handouts: Library, Shakespeare and his Contemporaries, Emerson on Shakepeare, Hamlet in Klingon, Hamlet Discussion: Act 1 |
|
|
|
Jan |
22 |
Hamlet Act 1 Handouts: Ghosts in the Renaissance, The Garden of Earthly Delights (Hell), Hamlet's Supernova, Hamlet Discussion: Act 2 through Act 3, Scene 2 |
|
24 |
Hamlet Act 2 through Act 3, Scene 2 Handouts: Hamlet Discussion: Act 3, Scene 3 through Act 4, Scene 7 |
|
|
|
Jan |
29 |
Hamlet Act 3, Scene 3 through Act 4, Scene 7 Handouts: Green Eggs and Hamlet, Green Eggs and Hamlet, the Movie, Hamlet Discussion, Act 5 |
| 31 | Hamlet Act 5 | |
|
|
|
Feb |
05 |
Seven Ideas, p. 50 - 65 |
|
07 |
Seven Ideas, p. 65 - 73 Handout: Galileo's Moon, Rene Descartes, Deductive and Inductive Logic, Review for Exam #1 (Physics) |
|
|
|
| Feb | 12 |
Seven Ideas, p. 73 - 83 Handout: R & G Discussion: Act 1 |
|
14 |
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, Act 1 Handout: Taoism, Experience, R & G
Discussion: Act 2
|
| 15 | Exam #1 (Physics) - SC 269 - postponed to Feb 19 & 20 | |
|
|
|
Feb |
19 |
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, Act 2 Handout: R & G Discussion: Act 3 |
| 21 | Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, Act 3 Handouts: R & G: The Main Themes | |
|
22 |
Movie: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead |
|
|
|
Feb |
26 |
Seven Ideas, p. 84 - 105 Handout: Newcomen
Engine, Newcomen Engine (Quicktime
movie) |
| 28 | Seven Ideas, p. 106 - 124 | |
|
|
|
March |
04 |
Seven Ideas, p. 125 - 138 |
|
06 |
Exploring Chaos: Ch. 1, p. 11 - 21 |
|
|
|
| March | 11 | SPRING |
| 13 | BREAK | |
|
|
|
| March | 18 | Arcadia, Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2, p. 7 - 52
|
| 20 | Arcadia, Act 1, Scenes 3 and 4, p. 52 - 75
Exam #3 (Physics) - SC 269 |
|
|
21 |
Exam #3 (Physics) - SC 269 |
|
|
|
March |
25 |
Arcadia, Act 2, Scenes 5 and 6, p. 76 - 102 |
| 27 | Arcadia, Act 2, Scene 7 , p. 102 - 137 | |
|
|
|
April |
01 |
Seven Ideas, p. 139 - 183 |
| 03 | Seven Ideas, p. 184 - 198 | |
|
|
|
April |
08 |
Seven Ideas, p. 199 - 220 |
| 10 | Seven Ideas, p. 220 - 224 The Character of Physical Law, Ch. 6 (to be handed out in class) |
|
|
|
|
April |
15 |
Hapgood, Act 1, Scenes 1 - 3, p. 489 - 516 |
|
17 |
Hapgood, Act 1, Scenes 4 and 5, p. 516 - 547 |
| 18 | Exam #5 (Physics) - SC 263 | |
|
|
|
April |
22 |
Hapgood, Act 2, Scenes 1 - 3, p. 548 - 575 |
|
24 |
Hapgood, Act 2, Scenes 4 - 7, p. 575 - 593 |
|
|
|
![]()
Thursday, May 1, 7:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Presentation of course projects
![]()
RETURN TO THE TOP OF THIS PAGE
Last modified: Sunday, March 02, 2008 06:19 PM
Go to the Physics Department Home page
e-mail comments to: bcarroll@weber.edu