Course guide

discussions | books | terms | a Gestalt approach | key ideas

A graduate course in Masters of Liberal Studies

The Milestones of Modern Science

Solar system A heliocentric cosmos
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Order on the cathedral floor.  
Canterbury floor The Four Elements

The weekly discussions

The first night's conversation background
   
Cosmos

Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man.

Richard Feynman, The Meaning of it All.atoms

Galileo, The Essential Galileo.

Suggested, but we do not read:

Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane.

 

Light

Feynman on doubt and the role that skepticism plays in relation to knowing.

Michio Kaku, Beyond Einstein.

monkey

 

 

Life

Ernst Mayr, One Long Argument.

Rene Dubos, The White Plague.

Evelyn Fox Keller, The Century of the Gene.

 

 
Suggested, but we no longer read:

Leo Marx, The Machine in the Garden.

Lynn Margulis, Symbiotic Planet.

barns
 

 

Meaning

 

Michael Frayn, Copenhagen.

Where the nuclear plants are:

"The nuclear war of Atoms for Peace, at home."

First book and subsequent bridge discussions in the course.

Weeks  dates           Topics & Readings                                     Assignments           
1.  Jan 12                  "Cosmos, Life, & Light"                         
2.  Jan 26                  Bronowski , The Ascent of Man                      
3.  Feb 2                   Feynman, The Meaning of it All                       
4.  Feb 9                   Freud, 1918 Essay                               A. proposed topic, outline, & 3 ¶           
5.  Feb 16                 Dubos, The White Plague                       
6.  Feb 23                 Mayr, One Long Argument                       
7.  Mar 9                  Mayr                                Worldview paper compared to five author's views is due                     
8.  Mar 16                Keller, The Century of the Gene                       
9.  Mar 23                Kaku, Beyond Einstein                         B. Annotated Bibliography due           
10. Mar 30               Shubin, The Universe Within                        
11.  Apr 6                 Finnochiarrio, The Essential Galileo       C. draft essay for research paper due                     
12.  Apr 13               Horney, Neurosis and Human Growth                    
13.  Apr 20               Frayn, Copenhagen                       
14.  Apr 27               Reports                                     Final (revised) Research Paper due                  
Final  Apr 27:    Verbal Presentations of 5 - 7 minutes, rehearsed; on what you learned doing the research.

 

 

Revolutions in science

Gardens are?

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Atoms

Biology

Complexity

Disease

Ecology

Etymology

Genes

Gestalt

Ideology

Metaphor

Method

Nature

Neurosis

Physical

Scale

Worldview

 

Key terms:

Technology

Science

chemistry

What word is older, science or technology?

Unity of natural sciences

 

More details about worldviews.

concave

Eigenwelt | Mitwelt | Umwelt

Life

James Watson

Edward O Wilson

Galileo Galilei | Albert Einstein | Jacob Bronowski | Stephen Hawking | Ernst Mayr | Ian Tattersall | Charles Darwin


Terms | Glossary | Word webs | Basic vocabulary | Advanced Vocabulary | Antonyms | Synonyms


Writing | Writing worldviews | Free Writing

Earth game

scroll

A graphic

plutonium

The Tree of Life

Geological periods in the past

science subject index, in brief alphabetical order

More Science | Galileo | Darwin | Einstein | Genes, visual

Writing | writing from texts | how to approach writing | writing papers | writing & world views

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links