Course
syllabus
Physics of the Mundane
Honors 1500
Fall, 2004
COURSE PHILOSOPHY:
I discovered the secret of the sea in meditation upon the
dewdrop.
Kahlil Gibran
Too often the world of science is seen or portrayed as an
endeavor in which one has to travel at speeds close to that of light, carry a
truckload of highly technical and expensive equipment, enter a black hole at
the center of the galaxy and emerge again in a neighbor’s backyard. While
such a pursuit may be very exciting, this impression of science is
misleading. Much of the most fascinating phenomena of this Universe exists
right before our eyes, ears, noses and fingers. The problem is that it is not
obvious how we should go about looking for the answers to all of our
questions, or even what questions we should begin to ask.
Primarily, this course is
about science and how it works. This course will attempt to open our eyes to
the physical world around us; yet, instead of addressing science as a book
filled with facts, we will interact with our physical world and attempt to
extract from it as much “truth” as is possible. That is, we will try to
inductively discover how our world functions by actually tinkering with it;
so, this class will be driven mostly by hands-on, interactive laboratories.
This lab setting will extend beyond the classroom to the grocery store, to the
great outdoors and to the sky overhead.
In addition to actually
“doing” science (specifically physics), this course should provide insight and
discussion regarding the “nature of science.” Why do we do science? Does
science provide us with all of “the answers”? What makes science what it is,
and not something different? The answers to these questions are debatable,
even within the scientific community, so it is expected that a wide variety of
points of view will be presented and evaluated.
THE DETAILS:
Instructor:
Adam Johnston
·
Office: SL 207
·
Phone: 626-7711
(Ext. 7711 on campus)
·
E-mail:
ajohnston@weber.edu
·
Office Hours:
M,W,F: 10:00 – 10:50;
Tue: 9:00 – 12:00; Thurs: 9:00 – 9:50. As a general rule, if I’m in my office,
you’re welcome to drop by; and I’m happy to schedule additional appointments.
Many of my afternoons are generally open, and I’m usually available as early
as 7:00 AM.
Meeting time: MWF,
9:00 - 9:50 AM
Meeting place: LL
221 (Arrangements will be made to meet in other places as necessary.)
Scheduled Final Exam Period:
Tuesday, December 14th;
9:30 – 11:30 AM. You will be presenting your final project during this
time, so it is a course requirement that you attend.
Course Web Page:
http://departments.weber.edu/physics/johnston/mundane
TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
·
Feynman, R. (1994/1963) Six Easy Pieces. Helix Books (ISBN 0201408252).
This collection of lectures is taken from a larger volume created by Richard
Feynman in the early sixties. Although these do not cover nearly the entire
discipline of physics or even all the concepts that we will address in this
course, it does give a flavor and essence for physics and science in general.
·
Hatton, J. & Plouffe, P.B. (1997) Science and Its Ways of Knowing.
Prentice Hall (ISBN 0132055767).
This is a compilation of essays on science and how it is conducted. We will
base most of our discussions on essays from this text. It’s a very thin text
to cost as much as $30, but the collection of essays is very unique and well
compiled and edited – something that you’ll likely want to read more than
once.
·
Lab Notebook.
This notebook should be some
dedicated, self-contained journal of everything that you do in this course.
In essence, this will be your scientific diary. Every experiment in this
course (and there will be many) should be documented in this notebook. It
will not be graded for format or style, and does not need to fit any “notebook
standard,” since there is no such thing. However, the notebook must fill two
purposes. First, it must be a kind of reference to the user, so that she may
be able to find and make sense of recording information in it. (Think of it
as a scrapbook or journal of a trip to a strange land that you will always
want to remember.) Second, much of the data and analyses contained in your
notebook will be graded by the instructor, so you will have to be
comprehensible and thorough. For many, the best way to create your notebook
is to actually have two notebooks – one for all the work you do in
class, and one that is your “final product” that you will turn in (and also be
able to refer to). This allows you to be creative and free in your note
taking and assimilation of data and thoughts, but then gives you the
opportunity to synthesize the information into a typewritten portfolio. You
may also document your notebook as a webpage if you’d like. This is handy for
your instructor to grade and for you to make modifications as you deem
necessary.
·
Handouts.
Many course readings will
be in the form of additional handouts passed out in class or left on reserve.
These will supplement readings for discussion.
THE WORK:
There exist three major
components to your involvement in this course:
·
Class laboratories. Most class time will be spent in an interactive lab setting. However,
what we will consider a “lab” and what you may already conceive a lab to be
are probably very different things. We will make a lab out of our most
natural, mundane surroundings. Often we will be in the classroom, utilizing
common household materials, while at other times we will hike up the hill or
meet at outdoor venues. In all activities, you will be the scientist who
collects and analyzes data. You will complete small write-ups of each
activity, possibly answering specific questions, seeking a potential
“solution” to a problem, or developing a hypothesis or theory. Specific
requirements for the lab documentation will be given on a case-by-case basis,
but all will be required pieces of your notebook (see above). In addition,
you will be given a “question of the week” regarding the lab activities and
physics concepts covered within the labs. This question and your notebook
will be turned in every two weeks. These activities make up the majority of
your final grade: 60%.
·
Class discussions, readings and responses.
Approximately every other week we will discuss the “how’s”
and “why’s” of science. You will be assigned specific readings for the week.
For each set of readings, you should write a two page (approximate)
response. This response could address a specific question given by the
instructor, or it could address one of your own concerns or interests. These
papers will be turned in on the day of discussion. (Discussion papers should
be separate from the notebook.) These papers and your participation in
discussions will be worth 20% of your grade. (Note that “participation” could
mean discussing, listening, fighting, etc. You should not feel obligated to
speak during every discussion, but you should be familiar with the readings
and prepared for class.) Students who miss discussion should see the
instructor for additional work.
·
Final project.
Since you will be conducting scientific experiments that are chosen by the
instructor all semester, you will also have the opportunity to research one of
your own mundane interests in depth. You will propose such a project in the
middle of the term, and present your research (both orally and written) during
the final exam period. Your project may be an extension of something that we
do in class, or it could be a totally original idea. The instructor has many
suggestions if you are looking for ideas. The full details of this project
will be covered later in the semester. This final project is worth 20% of
your grade.
IMPORTANT MISCELLANY:
·
Although
attendance is not recorded, it is an inherent requirement of the course. A
large portion of your work will be done in class. While some make-up
activities can be done outside of class, it is not ideal nor is it often
possible. Please make arrangements with the instructor if you need to miss
class.
·
Late
assignments will be given half credit so long as they are handed in within
a week after they are due. Assignments turned in more than one week late
are generally not be accepted for credit. (Individual “dog ate it” stories
will be considered on a case-by-case basis.)
·
Note that there
are no exams in this class; however, you will be turning in answers to
specific questions as part of your lab work. The studying that you do in this
course will probably be very different than that which you do for other
courses, since many of the answers that we strive for are not explicitly
written in textbooks. Other answers are in the textbooks, but we will
try to answer them in via our own scientific experiments. In some cases, you
might show the textbooks to be wrong!
·
Any student
requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must contact Services
for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Service
Center. SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including this
syllabus) in alternative formats if necessary. You are also welcome to
discuss any special needs with me, though you are not required to do so.
·
Please do not
hesitate to visit the instructor if you have any questions, concerns or
comments about the course, or to discuss favorite x-country ski routes,
photography, music, physics, my dog, backpacking trails, etc. Often I sit in
my office, lonely and sad, during office hours that should be filled with
student interactions; so please feel free to drop in. Also, I respond
relatively quickly to email, especially when addressing student questions.
SCHEDULE (following page):
Every two weeks you will be
given a schedule of events to come, including labs, assignments, and
readings. Below is an overview of topics you should expect to see, although
this schedule is subject to change, especially as some activities are weather
dependent. (Be prepared to go outside on any given class day!)