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STS.042J / 8.225J Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century, Fall 2002

Collage of Feynman, Einstein, Oppenheimer, Lawrence, and Seaborg. (Clockwise from top left.)

Clockwise from top left is a collage of Richard Feynman, Albert Einstein, Ernest Lawrence, Glen Seaborg, and J. Robert Oppenheimer. (Images courtesy of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the Library of Congress, the LBNL Image Library.)

Highlights of this Course

An extensive bibliography of readings is available for this course. In addition, all assignments may be downloaded.

» View this course en Español or em Portugues courtesy of Universia.

» View this course in Simplified Chinese courtesy of China Open Resources for Education (CORE).

Course Description

This class will study some of the changing ideas within modern physics, ranging from relativity theory and quantum mechanics to solid-state physics, nuclear and elementary particles, and cosmology. These ideas will be situated within shifting institutional, cultural, and political contexts. The overall aim is to understand the changing roles of physics and of physicists over the course of the twentieth century.

Staff

Instructor:
Prof. David Kaiser

Course Meeting Times

Lectures:
Two sessions / week
1.5 hours / session

Level

Undergraduate

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