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History 181B Modern Physics: From The Atom to Big Science

02:00-3:00 PM | 3 Le Conte
Instructor Cathryn Carson

History 181B - Spring 2008 - Establishment of the ideas and institutions of modern physics. Undoing the classical world picture: radioactivity, Einstein, quantum mechanics, philosophical disputes. The evolving structure of the discipline, links with industry and government, World War II and the atomic bomb. Postwar conceptual consolidation and the emergence of big science.


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Lecture Archive
Wed 1/23 Introduction and overview
Fri 1/25 Natural philosophy and mechanical explanation
Mon 1/28 New mechanical principles
Wed 1/30 Thermodynamics
Fri 2/1 Electricity and magnetism
Mon 2/4 Electromagnetism
Wed 2/6 Making sense of Maxwell
Fri 2/8 Classical world pictures 1
Mon 2/11 Classical world pictures 2
Wed 2/13 Kinetic theory and statistical mechanics
Fri 2/15 Empires of science
Mon 2/18 Presidents Day
Wed 2/20 New radiations, new phenomena 1
Fri 2/22 New radiations, new phenomena 2
Mon 2/25 Radiation problems
Wed 2/27 The quantum
Fri 2/29 Einstein and relativity 1
Mon 3/3 Einstein and relativity 2
Wed 3/5 Einstein and relativity 3
Fri 3/7 General relativity and beyond
Mon 3/10 Midterm
Wed 3/12 Atomic physics
Fri 3/14 The old quantum theory of atomic structure
Mon 3/17 Making quantum mechanics 1
Wed 3/19 Making quantum mechanics 2
Fri 3/21 Making sense of quantum mechanics
Mon 3/24 Spring Break
Wed 3/26 Spring Break
Fri 3/28 Spring Break
Mon 3/31 Making use of quantum mechanics
Wed 4/2 The solid state
Fri 4/4 No Lecture
Mon 4/7 Quantum Fields
Wed 4/9 Quantum particles
Fri 4/11 Advancing physics at home
Mon 4/14 Nuclear physics
Wed 4/16 The threats of the 30s
Fri 4/18 Physics under National Socialism
Mon 4/21 The physicists war
Wed 4/23 Fission as a weapon
Fri 4/25 Physics, politics, and the state
Mon 4/28 Rethinking quantum field theory
Wed 4/30 Renormalization
Fri 5/2 The Standard Model
Mon 5/5 And beyond
Wed 5/7 Astrophysics and cosmology
Fri 5/9 Simplicity and complexity
Mon 5/12 Possible worlds and alternate histories