USNA 287A Class Meetings

Readings are to be completed before the meeting for which they are assigned: come prepared to discuss them.
Weekly Written Responses (WR) are due in class on Tuesdays. Bring two copies to turn in; you may wish to retain a third copy for your own reference.

Date
Topic
Reading
Writing
Work Due
Jan. 15 Introduction
The Scientific Method
Articulate personal world view - -
Jan. 17 Gods & Myths
Creation myths
Handout: Egypt & Babylon
Harrison: Chapters 1, 25
Hetherington: Chapters 1, 2, 3
CR 9-15 -
Jan. 22 Human and Geological timeline
Harrison: Chapters 1, 25
Hetherington: Chapters 1, 2, 3
Close Reading WR*
Jan. 24 Planetarium Visit - - -
Jan. 29 The Ancient Philosophers Stenudd: All
Harrison: Chapter 2, 8 (beginnings: pp28-34, 147-152)
Hetherington: Chapters 4, 6; see also p. 69 & 177
Quick links: Epicurus, Stoicism from the IEP
- WR
Jan. 31 Making a Claim - CR 120-129 -
Feb. 5 Revolutions
Ptolemey to Copernicus
Harrison: Chapter 2
Hetherington: Chapters 7, 8
Explore Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, Galileo, Kepler
Read Galileo: Starry Messenger
Abbreviated Dialogue | Full Dialogue
- WR
Feb. 7 Kepler & Galileo
Hetherington: Chapters 12, 13
CR 187-195 -
Feb. 12 Supporting a Claim - Strategies WR
Feb. 14 The Clockwork Universe
Newton, Descartes
Harrison: Chapters 3 & 4, esp. pp60-61
Hetherington: Chapter 14
- -
Feb. 19 The Great Debate Hetherington p. 321-327, Chapter 18 CR 203-211 -
Feb. 21 Peer Review - Paramedic method -
Feb. 26 Library resources - Databases Midterm Paper
Feb. 28 An Expanding Reality
Einstein & Hubble
Harrison: Chapters 7, 8 & 14 especially pp. 147-154 and 275-285
Hetherington: Chapter 19
See also this AIP website
- -
Mar. 5 Model Universes Harrison: Chapters 15, 16, 18 especially pp. 307-309 and 359-367
- -
Mar. 7 The Hot Big Bang Hetherington: Chapter 20
Harrison: Chapters 19, 20
- -
Mar. 12, 14 SPRING BREAK - - -
Mar. 19 Inflation Harrison: Chapters 21, 22
Hetherington: Chapter 22
Class Handout. See also
Ned Wright's cosmology tutorial, especially
Flatness & Horizon & Inflation
- WR
Mar. 21 Writing Workshop - - -
Mar. 26 The Dark Side
Dark Matter:
A brief primer | A modest primer | Physics Teacher article (3/2013 cover article)
Hetherington: Chapter 23
Other Perspectives:
Does dark matter exist? | Dark matter is dead
- WR
Mar. 28 Research Workshop - - Topic choice
for term paper
Apr. 2 The Dark Side Strikes Again
Other Perspectives:
Does dark matter exist? | Dark matter is dead | The Case Against Cosmology | Sociology of Modern Cosmology | Humans and Cosmology: Epicycles, Tenacious Beliefs and Test Particles in Motion
- -
Apr. 4 Multiverses
Writing workshop
Hetherington: Chapter 28
Class Handout (Tegmark)
- -
Apr. 9 Life in the Universe Harrison: Chapter 26
Drake's Equation
- Annotated
Bibliography
Apr. 11 Peer Review - - Title for talk
(submit by e-mail)
Apr. 16 Presentation Instruction - - Final Paper
Apr. 18 Student Presentations - - your talk
Apr. 23 Student Presentations - - your talk
Apr. 25 Student Presentations - - your talk

*WR = Written Response: one page written response to assigned reading or other posed question.
One page is 350 words. This is a hard limit. Do not exceed it.


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