Great Issues in Science

7 Big Ideas That Shaped Science

HSP 124   CRN 2311

1:10 – 2:00pm

Monday, Wednesday, Friday in the Observatory

Tuesdays in Palenske 231

This course will examine seven major scientific ideas, each one of which has had a revolutionary impact on a particular area of science.

Astronomy: Big Bang theory

Biology: Evolution

Biology: DNA structure

Chemistry: Periodic Law

Geology: Plate tectonics

Mathematics: Non-Euclidean geometry

Physics: Atomic structure

In several cases, students will read the original papers that reported the discovery. Laboratory work with Geometer’s Sketchpad will be used to explore the world of hyperbolic geometry.  Evaluation will be based on a sequence of short papers, a collection of laboratory reports from Sketchpad, and a substantial final project.

Texts will be chosen from a list including the following:

         The Discoveries, Lightman

        The Sciences: An Integrated Approach, Trefil & Hazen

        The Non-Euclidean Revolution, Trudeau

        The Double Helix, Watson

        The Origin Of Species, Darwin

        Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe, Singh