This course is designed for graduate students in science, engineering and math who wish to know something about the “who, how, why, when and where” of physics. It assumes they know something of the “what” of physics in order to be graduate students. I trace the developments leading to today’s physics considering when and where they happened, who took part, what they contributed to our thinking processes and how the work led to other discoveries. I also look at the impacts science had on society and conversely, how societies affected their science. I also discuss pathological science and problems arising from patent and intellectual properties issues.

Credit hours

• 1.0

Topics

1. The Copernican Revolution and the Newtonian Synthesis
2. Conservation Laws, Thermodynamics and the Arrow of Time
3. Electricity, Magnetism and Electromagnetics – Maxwell, Symmetry and Unification
4. Measurement, Relativity, Einstein and Everything Else
5. Quantum Mechanics – Part I
6. Quantum Mechanics – Part II
7. Quantum Mechanics – Part III
8. Five Experiments that Define Modern Optics
9. Time and the Past and Future Histories of the Universe
10. The Miracle of Stars and Why We Are
11. Pathological Science
12. Patents and Intellectual Property Issues
13. TBD
14. TBD

Two periods are left open for extended discussion, other topics students may identify or for guest speakers. For example, I may give a talk on the Physics of Baseball since it is interesting and fun.