Week 1
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Mon. 1/16 |
Wed. 1/18 |
Fri. 1/20 |
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Course Introduction: Logical Positivism and the Philosophy of Science. |
Science and Mathematics. Thales, Pythagoras, and the discovery of form. "All is number." Diggins Chapters 8-9, 11-12 |
The Golden Mean. Diggins Ch. 15 |
Week 2
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Mon. 1/23 |
Wed. 1/25 |
Fri. 1/27 |
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The construction of the world out of numbers. Plato's Timaeus. |
The discovery of the Irrationals. Continuity in Ancient Mathematics, Diggins Ch. 14. Ch 16. or Dantzig, “The Unuterrable.” |
Infinity in Ancient and Modern Science. "Aristotle on Zeno's paradoxes" or Dantzig, “This Flowing World,” pp. 125-134. |
Week 3
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Mon. 1/30 |
Wed. 2/1 |
Fri. 2/3 |
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The paradoxes of Infinity. Cantor's redefinition of Infinity and the concept of number Dantzig, “The Anatomy of the Infinite,” |
Cantor's redefinition of Infinity and the concept of number. The infinitesimal Calculus. |
Ancient Astronomy and the Phenomena to be dealt with. Eratosthenes measures the Globe, Diggins, Ch 17. Ptolemaic Astronomy. History of Physics Lectures, Sections 3, 4, 5, 8 required, especially 3*. |
Week 4
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Mon. 2/6 |
Wed. 2/8 |
Fri. 2/10 |
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Ptolemaic Astronomy. Assignment 1 Due |
Copernican Astronomy. Copernicus's
Commentariolus.
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Galileo and the Scientific Revolution. Galileo "Two Kinds of
Properties",
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Week 5
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Mon. 2/13 |
Wed. 2/15 |
Fri. 2/17 |
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The Principle of Relativity. |
Newton's laws of Motion. Absolute Space and Time. Selections from Newton’s "Scholium on Absolute Space" . |
PART TWO OF COURSE |
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Week 6
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Mon. 2/20 |
Wed. 2/22 |
Fri. 2/24 |
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Paradigms and Normal Science Kuhn Postscript pp. 174-197. |
Scientific Discovery. Kuhn Ch.7 and 9.
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EXAM 1 DUE. |
Feb 27-March 2 MID-SEMESTER BREAK
Week 7
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Mon. 3/5 |
Wed. 3/7 |
Fri. 3/9 |
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Contemporary Realims: Putnam’s Twin Earth and Brains in a Vat.
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The Science Wars. Daniel Dennett, “Faith in Truth” Thomas Nagel, “The Sleep of Reason”” |
Objectivity in Science: Pluto, Dinosaurs, and Global Warming. Richard Muller “Climate Change” |
Week 8
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Mon. 3/12 |
Wed. 3/14 |
Fri. 3/16 |
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Special Relativity, Albert Einstein “Relativity” Part I, Sections 1-10. |
Special Relativity. Space-Time diagrams “Relativity Tutorial”
Cosmology and alternate universes: Brian Greene, Hidden Reality, Ch. 1, Ch. 2 |
General Relativity Cosmology and alternate universes: Brian Greene, Hidden Reality, Ch. 1, Ch. 2
Assignment 2 Due |
Week 9
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Mon. 3/19 |
Wed. 3/21 |
Fri. 3/23 |
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General Relativity The Inflationary Universe: Brian Greene, Hidden Reality, Ch. 3 |
Quantum Mechanics.
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Realism and Quantum Mechanics. Bell’s Theorem. David
Harrison "Bells Theorem" |
Week 10
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Mon. 3/26 |
Wed. 3/28 |
Fri. 3/30 |
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String Theory
Brian Greene, Hidden Reality, Ch. 4, Ch. 5 |
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Dennett, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, |
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. |
Week 11
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Mon. 4/2 |
Wed. 4/4 |
Fri. 4/6 |
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Evolution as Algorithm. Dennett Ch 3 and Ch 5. (Skip 4) |
The Origin of the Universe Dennett Ch. 7 |
EASTER BREAK NO CLASS |
Week 12
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Mon. 4/9 |
Wed. 4/11 |
Fri. 4/13 |
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EASTER BREAK NO CLASS |
Assignment 3 Due. William Lane Craig |
Science and Cosmology Brian Greene, Hidden Reality, Ch. 7 |
Week 13
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Mon. 4/16 |
Wed. 4/18 |
Fri. 4/20 |
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Functionalism and consciousness. The Chinese Room: Searle: “Minds, Brains, and Programs” or “The Chinese Room Homepage” |
Information and the Holographic Universe Brian Greene, Hidden Reality, Ch. 9 |
Assignment 4 Due Gödel’s Theorem and the Mind. Dennett Ch. 15 Brian Greene, Hidden Reality, Ch. 10 |
Week 14
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Mon. 4/23 |
Wed. 4/25 |
Fri. 4/27 |
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The Game of Life and The Nature of Science. |
Science, Time, and Human Consciousness. Hoeg, Borderliners, pp. 1-138. |
Technology, Alienation, and Civilization. Hoeg, pp. 138-208. |
Week 15
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Mon. 5/2 |
Wed. 5/4 |
Fri. 5/6 |
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Technology, Alienation, and Civilization. Hoeg, pp. 208-end. |
READING DAY |
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