Physics

Open, Seminar—Fall

In this course, we will attempt to answer the question, “What is matter made of?” This seemingly simple question starts a search that will take us through the centuries and across the universe. We will begin with the inquiries and speculations of the Ancient Greek natural philosophers and then follow a path of discoveries that led to the modern understanding of the physical universe. As we progress, we will learn more and more about the different chemical elements and how they combine to create the diversity of substances around us. By considering the nature of light and electricity, we will learn about the structure of atoms, the tiny building blocks of chemical substances. But our journey won’t stop there as atoms are made up of much smaller particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Then the protons and neutrons are made up of quarks. The study of these subatomic particles has led to the discovery of even stranger pieces of matter whose behavior will challenge our perceptions of space and time.

Faculty

• Colin Abernethy

Intermediate, Seminar—Spring

Physicists and philosophers have been trying to understand the strangeness of the subatomic world as revealed by quantum theory since its inception back in the 1920s, but it was not until the 1980s—over half a century after the development of the theory—that computer scientists first began to suspect that quantum physics might hold profound implications for computing, as well, and that its inherent weirdness might possibly be transformed into a source of immense computational power. This dawning realization was followed soon afterward by key theoretical and practical advances, including the discovery of several important algorithms for quantum computers that could potentially revolutionize (and disrupt) the cryptographic systems protecting practically all of our society's electronic banking, commerce, telecommunications, and national security systems. Around the same time, researchers succeeded in building the first working quantum computers, albeit on a very small scale. Today, the multidisciplinary field of quantum computing lies at the intersection of computer science, mathematics, physics, and engineering, and is one of the most active and fascinating areas in science, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the future. This course will introduce students to the theory and applications of quantum computing, from the perspective of computer science. Topics to be covered will include bits and qubits, quantum logic gates and reversible computing, Deutsch's algorithm, the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, Grover's search algorithm, Shor's factoring algorithm, quantum teleportation, and applications to cryptography. We will study the quantitative, mathematical theory of quantum computing in detail, but will also consider broader philosophical questions about the nature of physical reality, as well as the future of computing technologies.

Faculty

• James Marshall

Open, Lecture—Fall

The Earth’s climate has changed dramatically throughout its approximately 4.5 billion-year history, but the recent warming caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases poses a unique threat to humanity and many natural ecosystems. This course will cover the basic climate and earth system science needed to understand human-caused global warming. We will learn about the history of Earth’s climate and the diverse methods that scientists use to understand how and why it is changing. We will also explore current issues in climate-change science and how they are commonly miscommunicated or misrepresented in popular media.

Faculty

• Bernice Rosenzweig

Open, Small Lecture—Spring

Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge currently facing humanity. If allowed to continue unabated, its future impacts will be catastrophic for both natural ecosystems and human society. But while some climate change is “locked in” due to past greenhouse gas emissions, there is still time to develop infrastructure systems and environmental management policies to avoid many of the worst potential impacts. In this course, we will explore the concept of “ecological resilience” and how it can be applied to environmental management challenges such as climate change. We will then focus on the science underlying climate change mitigation strategies, covering topics such as decarbonized energy systems, smart growth and green building, along with the ways that climate change mitigation and adaptation together can influence resilience. We will also learn about how natural and social scientists collaborate to develop projections of climate-changed futures and study resilience. This course will meet as a weekly lecture with a weekly seminar. During seminar, students will have the opportunity to work together on a “visioning” project to develop a plausible scenario of a hopeful, climate resilient future.

Faculty

• Bernice Rosenzweig

Open, Small Lecture—Fall

Our existence lies in a perpetual state of change. An apple falls from a tree, clouds move across expansive farmland blocking out the sun for days, meanwhile satellites zip around the Earth transmitting and receiving signals to our cell phones. The calculus was invented to develop a language to accurately describe the motion and change happening all around us. The ancient Greeks began a detailed study of change but they were hesitant to wrestle with the infinite and so it was not until the 17th century that Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz, among others, tamed the infinite and gave birth to this extremely successful branch of mathematics. Though just a few hundred years old, the calculus has become an indispensable research tool in both the natural and social sciences. Our study will begin with the central concept of the limit and proceed to explore the dual processes of differentiation and integration. Numerous applications of the theory will be examined. Weekly group conferences will be conducted in hands-on workshop mode. This small lecture is intended for students interested in advanced study in mathematics or sciences, students preparing for careers in the health sciences or engineering, and any student wishing to broaden and enrich the life of the mind.

Faculty

• Daniel King

Open, Lecture—Fall

Variance, correlation coefficient, regression analysis, statistical significance, and margin of error. You’ve heard these terms and other statistical phrases bantered about before, and you’ve seen them interspersed in news reports and research articles. But what do they mean? How are they used? And why are they so important? Serving as an introduction to the concepts, techniques, and reasoning central to the understanding of data, this lecture course will focus on the fundamental methods of statistical analysis used to gain insight into diverse areas of human interest. The use, misuse, and abuse of statistics will be the central focus of the course, and specific topics of exploration will be drawn from experimental design theory, sampling theory, data analysis, and statistical inference. Applications will be considered in current events, business, psychology, politics, medicine, and many other areas of the natural and social sciences. Calculator and spreadsheet software will be used extensively in this course, but no prior experience with these technologies is assumed. Group conferences, conducted in workshop mode, will serve to reinforce student understanding of the course material. This lecture is recommended for anybody wishing to be a better-informed consumer of data and strongly recommended for those planning to pursue advanced undergraduate or graduate research in the natural sciences or social sciences.

Faculty

• Daniel King

Intermediate, Seminar—Year

Rarely is a quantity of interest—tomorrow’s temperature, unemployment rates across Europe, the cost of a spring break flight to Fort Lauderdale—a simple function of just one primary variable. Reality, for better or worse, is multivariable. This course will introduce an array of topics and tools used in the mathematical analysis of multivariable functions. The intertwined theories of vectors, matrices, and differential equations and their applications will be the central themes of exploration. Specific topics to be covered will include the algebra and geometry of vectors in two, three, and higher dimensions; dot and cross products and their applications; equations of lines and planes in higher dimensions; solutions to systems of linear equations using Gaussian elimination; theory and applications of determinants, inverses and eigenvectors; volumes of three-dimensional solids via integration; spherical and cylindrical coordinate systems; and methods of visualizing and constructing solutions to differential equations of various types. Conference work will involve an investigation of some mathematically-themed subject of the student’s choosing.

Faculty

• Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi

Open, Small Lecture—Spring

Calculus is the mathematical gift that keeps on giving—thank you, Newton and company! In this course, students will expand their knowledge of limits, derivatives, and integrals with concepts and techniques that will enable them to solve many important problems in mathematics and the sciences. Topics will include differentiation review, integration review, integration with non-polynomial functions, applications of integration (finding area, volume, length, center of mass, moment of inertia, probability), advanced techniques for integration (substitution, integration-by-parts, partial fractions), infinite sequences, infinite series, convergent and divergent sums, power series, differential equations and modeling dynamical systems, and, time permitting, parametric equations of a curve and polar coordinates. Weekly group conferences will be conducted in hands-on workshop mode. This course is intended for students interested in advanced study in mathematics or sciences, students preparing for careers in the health sciences or engineering, and any student wishing to broaden and enrich the life of the mind.

Faculty

• Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi

Open, Lecture—Spring

We will begin in Babel itself, the ancient site of Babylon, where archaeologists have discovered many tablets about music. Nearby sites have the earliest examples of musical notation, some dating as far back as 1400 BCE. We will learn some aspects of how their music worked and begin building a vocabulary for talking about and notating music in general. Across the course of the semester, we will learn many different musical languages, such as the music of Ancient Greece, the old court music of Japan, drum ensembles of central Africa, and the world of European classical music. We will also delve into many different modern musics, including the rise of sampling and turntablism in hip-hop, the theory of so-called “atonal” music, and the development of electronic sound. In short, the course will be devoted to learning a sampling of crucial aspects of the multitudinous vocabularies and grammars that pervade music across the world and across time. No prior study of nor the ability to read music is required. By the end of the semester, students will be able to read basic musical ideas in a few different notation systems and will have some understanding of important aspects of not only standard European music theories but also many others that are too-often learned only by specialists.

Faculty

• Patrick Muchmore

Open, Small Lecture—Spring

If philosophy had a Dream Team, its starting line-up would feature Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the three great philosophers of Greek antiquity. Representing three consecutive generations (Socrates was Plato’s mentor and Plato was Aristotle’s teacher), these three thinkers were the first to use the term “philosophy” as we do today, as a distinct form of practice with its own history, subject matter, and methods. The schools that Plato and Aristotle established in Athens (the Academy and the Lyceum, respectively) form not only the foundation of philosophy but also of the modern university and science, and much of the vocabulary and methods we still use. Reading a variety of texts by these authors, we will get to know some of their most enduring contributions to the history of ideas. These include, among others, the Socratic method of education; Plato’s “theory of forms” and his ideas on love and beauty; Aristotle’s virtue ethics and his theories of nature and God. We will consider both how these theories continue to inform and influence how we think and learn, and the ways they might still challenge us to live and think differently. This course can serve as an introduction to philosophy, as well as an opportunity for students with experience in philosophy to broaden and strengthen their philosophical education. Certainly, no philosophical education is complete without studying these classics.

Faculty

• Roy Ben-Shai

Open, Concept—Spring

This course will explore the principles of color theory through the material and conceptual practice of quilt making. Through hands-on textile projects, foundational quilt making techniques, including fabric selection, cutting, piecing, hand and machine sewing, will be introduced alongside investigations into color interaction, perception, composition, and meaning. Drawing on writings and theories of Isaac Newton, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johannes Itten, and Josef Albers, the course will examine color as both a physical phenomenon and a visual language. Readings and discussions will connect historical color theory to the work of textile artists and quiltmakers, including Anni Albers, the Gee's Bend Quilters, Nancy Crow, Rosie Lee Tompkins, Faith Ringgold, Bisa Butler, Yvonne Wells, and Sheila Hicks. Particular attention will be given to the ways color operates within textile traditions, contemporary fiber art, abstraction, improvisation, and visual storytelling. Studio exercises will focus on value, contrast, color harmony, color relativity, optical effects, and spatial relationships. Quilt making will serve as a framework for exploring how color functions across disciplines and cultures, while encouraging experimentation with pattern, structure, and materiality. Critiques, readings, and artist case studies will support the development of a deeper understanding of color as an expressive and communicative element in visual art. By the end of the semester, students will have a working knowledge of fundamental color theory and basic patchwork techniques, as well as a series of textile studies that integrate technical skill, visual inquiry, and creative experimentation.

Faculty

• Amy Pryor