| Aug. 26 | Introduction The Scientific Method | Harrison: pp17-19; p. 157 & 523 | - | |
| Aug. 28 |
Gods & Creation myths Human and Geological timeline |
Handout: Egypt & Babylon Hetherington: Chapters 1, 2, 3 Harrison: Chapters 1, 25 | - | |
| Sep. 2 |
Theistic and Anthropic Principles |
Hetherington: Chapters 1, 2, 3 Harrison: Chapters 1, 25 |
Short paper due: Theistic and Anthropic Principles | |
| Sep. 4 | Planetarium Visit | - | - | |
| Sep. 9 | The Ancient Philosophers |
Stenudd: All
see also
Hetherington: Chapters 4, 6; see also p. 69 & 177 | - | |
| Sep. 11 | The Ancient Philosophers Aristotelean, Epicurean, & Stoic World Models | - | - | |
| Sep. 16 | Revolutions Ptolemey to Copernicus Making a Claim |
Hetherington: Chapters 7, 8 Harrison: Chapter 2 Explore Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, Galileo, Kepler Read Galileo: Starry Messenger Abbreviated Dialogue | Full Dialogue | - | |
| Sep. 18 |
Kepler & Galileo Supporting a Claim |
Hetherington: Chapters 12, 13 Historical sketches: Kepler | Galileo | - | |
| Sep. 23 | Peer Review | - |
Distribute drafts to peers by 9pm Sep. 22 | |
| Sep. 25 | The Clockwork Universe Newton, Descartes |
Harrison: Chapters 3 & 4, esp. Bentley-Newton correspondence, pp60-61 Hetherington: Chapter 14 |
Modest paper due: Geocentric & Heliocentric Cosmologies | |
| Sep. 30 | Nebulae |
Harrison: Chapters 3 & 4, esp. Bentley-Newton correspondence, pp60-61 Hetherington: Chapter 14 Hetherington p. 321-327, Chapter 18 | - | |
| Oct. 2 | The Great Debate | Hetherington p. 321-327, Chapter 18 | - | |
| Oct. 7 | An Expanding Reality Einstein & Hubble |
Hetherington: Chapter 19 Harrison: Chapters 7, 8 & 14 especially pp. 147-154 and 275-285 See also this AIP website | - | |
| Oct. 9 | Model Universes |
Harrison: Chapters 15, 16, 18 especially pp. 307-309 and 359-367 | - | |
| Oct. 14 | The Hot Big Bang |
Hetherington: Chapter 20 Harrison: Chapters 19, 20 | - | |
| Oct. 16 | Inflation |
Hetherington: Chapter 22 Harrison: Chapters 21, 22 What is the Inflation Theory? (very brief) The Inflationary Universe by Guth & Steinhardt (in Scientific American 1984) The Inflation Debate by Steinhardt (in Scientific American 2011, in which Steinhardt has second thoughts) Class Handout. See also Ned Wright's cosmology tutorial, especially Flatness & Horizon & Inflation | - | - |
| Oct. 21 | Peer Review | - |
Distribute drafts to peers by 9pm Oct. 20 | |
| Oct. 23 | Writing & Research Workshop | - |
Modest paper due: Cosmic Inflation | |
| Oct. 28 | FALL BREAK | No class | - | |
| Oct. 30 | The Dark Side |
Dark Matter: A brief primer | A modest primer | Physics Teacher article Hetherington: Chapter 23 | - | |
| Nov. 4 | The Dark Side Strikes Again |
Other Perspectives: The Case Against Cosmology | Sociology of Modern Cosmology Humans and Cosmology: Epicycles, Tenacious Beliefs and Test Particles in Motion |
Nov. 3 - 7: Individual meetings with Prof. McGaugh to discuss topic for final paper | |
| Nov. 6 |
Modified Gravity |
The Missing Universe (Astronomy Magazine April 2014) Does dark matter exist? | Dark matter is dead | - | |
| Nov. 11 |
Multiverses Life in the Universe |
Hetherington: Chapter 28 |
Class Handout (Tegmark) Harrison: Chapter 26 | Drake's Equation | - | |
| Nov. 13 |
Presentation Instruction | - | Annotated Bibliography | |
| Nov. 18 | Student Presentations | your talk | - | |
| Nov. 20 | Student Presentations | your talk | - | |
| Nov. 25 | Student Presentations | your talk | - | |
| Nov. 27 | THANKSGIVING | No class | - | |
| Dec. 2 | Peer Review | - |
Distribute drafts to peers by 9pm Dec. 1 | |
| Dec. 4 | No class | Individual meetings with Dr. Higgins | Final paper due via e-mail by midnight Friday Dec. 5 (last day of classes) | |