A New Resource for Physics TeachersThis non-technical physics book evolved from a course that I am teaching
at Cornell, entitled The Physics of Heaven and Earth - A First Synthesis. The course is designed for non-science students in the genre of a "Conceptual Physics" or a "Physics for Poets"
course. A free CD is available (hsp3@cornell.edu) for those who wish to
teach this course. It has the syllabus, numerical sections, quizzes, solutions and the semester lectures in powerpoint. There are also many suggestions for teaching.
Physics of Heaven and Earth - A First SynthesisA Liberating Course for Non-Science Students I Background Universities offer a variety of conceptual
courses in physics and astronomy for non-science students. Many are traditional survey courses with minimal mathematics to quell student apprehension. After exposure to a broad spectrum of topics, many students
tend to perceive of physics as a collection of laws that must be painfully memorized, or astronomy as fascinating but disconnected facts about our universe. They treat crucial concepts as declared facts without
profound comprehension. Another trend [for example, based on Hobson 1999] connects physics surveys with technological outgrowths to discuss applications in medical science, radioactive dating, environment, nuclear
reactors and weapons. Courses entitled How Things Work
have gained popularity [Bloomfield 2001]. These introduce students to physics concepts in the context of everyday objects such as microwave ovens and toasters, and familiar natural phenomena such rainbows. Applications oriented courses help to reduce students' fear of science, and convey a better understanding of our technological world.
But survey courses and technology connections offer little opportunity to face fundamental issues in scientific thought, nor do these provide a sense of the profound ideas that form the modern views of
our world. There is little opportunity for a dialog between the arts and sciences. How can we help our young people to develop a curiosity about the world and a desire to understand our place in it? A ground-breaking approach (Holton 1952) that emerged in the early 1950's was to enhance physics teaching with historical and philosophical content. Holton has published a number of editions of his
treasured classic, the latest with Brush (Holton 2001). This landmark in science education examines the nature of the scientific enterprise to show "how the basic principles of physics were established" and "that
science is a true part of our developing cultural heritage." Integrating modern physics, the text opens and closes with grand cosmological questions. The related Harvard Project Physics Course
(Holton 1975) for high schools was popular during the 1970's and showed that a historically-oriented approach enhances understanding of the nature of science. Similarly, Physics for Poets
[March, 2002] presents the human face of science by making connections to personal and cultural aspects. II. Objectives for a New Course Building upon Holton's pioneering
approach, I designed a combined physics/astronomy course where the main goal is to open minds to different ways of looking at the world, by crossing boundaries between disciplines. In an incisive opinion piece,
Baierlein [1995] argues why science teachers who wish to broaden their approach to reach liberal art students should try to meet students on their own grounds, rather than treating topics purely from a scientists'
perspective. To reach a general audience, I attempt to integrate science with humanities through historical, cultural, creative, and aesthetic aspects. Styer [2002] stresses the meaning of "liberal" in the
sense of an education that liberates students from thinking within the confines of a particular discipline, hence the subtitle of this piece. Teaching this course over the last six years, I found
student reception to be overwhelmingly positive. Students who take the course form a diverse group with ambitions to become business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians, human ecologists, journalists, lawyers,
writers, and architects. Most students have had high school math and physics, but many claimed to have forgotten much, and remain apprehensive of mathematical topics. Rather than provide a
watered-down survey treatment of a variety of topics, the strategy is to develop an in-depth treatment of one coherent topic, in this case: The Physics of Motion. There are three main parts, Earth, Heaven
and Synthesis. The union of terrestrial and celestial motion was the first arena of science where physicists and astronomers successfully reached a deep understanding. Ever since Newton's synthesis, unification
became the goal for future scientific inquiry, the model to emulate throughout the development of science. The course has four main features designed to increase the appeal of science to a general audience. (1) An evolutionary perspective At the foundation is the core philosophy of Holton and Arons [1990] to provide insights into the conceptual development of physics and astronomy.
The evolutionary context helps students tackle concepts and laws at their most fundamental level and provides an opportunity to relive the intellectual experience. Scientific breakthroughs are brilliant insights
by fascinating people. The details of failure and success that accompany their remarkable achievements provide valuable lessons. Making connections to personal aspects humanizes science. Besides aiding
in retention, these techniques show how science works in general to develop a long-range interest [Arons 1990]. (2) Humanities Connections The paramount feature is to keep in mind the interests of
the non-science student, by relating to realms of their academic experience that fall outside physics. We explore how advances in science take place within broad cultural advances. In turn, scientific ideas
and discoveries have a profound impact on our culture. For example,
- Debating rational ideas for natural behavior developed in Greece along with discourse on political systems, such as democracy and
aristocracy. Doubting and testing prevailing world views has become an integral part of scientific progress. - Architects who
designed the Parthenon were as interested in geometry, number and proportion as were Thales and Pythagoras. - With cultural transformations
sweeping Medieval Europe came serious challenges to established doctrines and entrenched patterns of thought. Luther challenged the authority of the Church, declaring that the path to salvation need not pass
through Holy Office. He launched the Reformation of religion. Copernicus challenged the centrality and the immovability of the earth. He launched a revolution in scientific thought.
The course connects to literature through inspiring poetic reflections upon our efforts to understand nature. Developing views of the world are expressed eloquently by epic bards from Homer and Plato to
Dante, Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare and Blake, as well as some of the later literary figures, such as Tennyson and Noyes. For example, the lectures connect frequently to Torch Bearers, (Noyes 1966) a
literary epic account of the first synthesis from Babylonian beginnings to Newton's triumph, and beyond. Physics is a form of art and beauty. Using specific works of art from various eras, I
draw explicit connections between scientific developments and artistic movements. For example,
- The ideas of symmetry and ideal forms that evolved with the Greek intellectuals link to corresponding aspects in Greek sculptures and vase
paintings. - Scientists of Alexandria were absorbed in details, such as the length of shadows - which led Eratosthenes to determine the
size of the earth. There are fascinating parallels to the artistic works of Praxiteles and to the later art of the Hellenistic era when the archaic Greek's focus on abstract idealism broadened to include detail
features of the real world. -
Galileo's breakthroughs emerge from the time of the Renaissance, when the masters - daVinci, Durer, Michelangelo, and Raphael – described nature in live infinitesimal detail by observing nature in all its glory. They made precise measurements to implement techniques of linear perspective. In the same spirit, Galileo unveiled a new heaven with his telescope, while on earth he measured and calculated aspects about parabolic motion of projectiles.
- Standing at the point of departure from the Renaissance period, Galileo and Kepler transcended the revival of classical ideas. They were
part of the rebel community of Baroque artists - Tintoretto, Rubens, and El Greco - who captured a vivacious sense of movement with new techniques. - The Age of Enlightenment is full of fascinating parallels between the scientific and the artistic treatments of light through the works of Descartes, Huygens,
Newton, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
With cultural connections to literature and art we see how scientific concepts are tied to the intellectual climate of the time from which they arise. Artistic and scientific thinking are products of a
shared culture, with different manifestations, like different fruits from a common soil. (3) Creativity in Science The process of developing ideas is science is a very human
endeavor. It does not always proceed along purely logical lines. Creative and intuitive aspects play crucial roles. The scientific method has many prongs to probe and understand nature. Speculation,
insight, and aesthetic guiding principles lead to the formation of hypotheses. We search for underlying simplicity in the behavior of nature. We look for order and symmetry
as aspects of nature's beauty. The quest for unity
is a major driving force. Reason and logic help cut through the forest of creative possibilities. Observation yields hard evidence to test hypotheses. Devising experiments to probe nature demands creativity. We invent new tools to probe deeper, explore farther, and increase the precision of measurements. The ability to observe something new does not naturally lead to an understanding of its significance. The creative and insightful mind interprets new observations. Separating out complications, we arrive at the ideal. Creative models help to form comprehensive, overarching pictures. Mathematics plays a crucial role. Recognizing patterns in nature leads to new mathematical tools to capture those patterns.
(4) Links to Contemporary Physics The main thrust here is that exciting ideas of contemporary science become much more meaningful when viewed in the context of the grand traditions they
continue. With a stimulating background in the evolution of physical ideas, students gain a better position to understand the modern world view through updates provided at suitable junctures. These include
Einstein's special and general relativity. Updates on astronomy sections discuss the nature and origin of comets, or the story of the birth and death of stars. Advances in telescopes after Galileo scale the cosmic
distance ladder. In the context of the synthesis of heaven and earth, it becomes natural to talk about other unifications. Electricity, magnetism and light come together under Faraday and Maxwell;
space and time unify under Einstein, the micro-cosmos and the macro-cosmos meld together in the Big Bang, closing in finally on the origin of the universe. Student curiosity peaks with recent discoveries showing
that we do not yet understand what constitutes 95% of the universe's mass. III Teaching Methods The main reading resource is
Unifying the Universe [Padamsee, 2002], a book which evolved from the course (Click button : Where to Buy). Students also choose one general science book from an extensive selection.
This helps to inspire ideas for paper topics. Examples are:
Galileo's Daughter – Dava Sobel Coming of Age in the Milky Way – Timothy Ferris The Three Big Bangs - Dauber and Muller Discoverers (Parts 1 - 9)- Daniel Boorstein
Blind Watchers of the Sky - Rocky Kolb The God Particle – If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question? - Leon Lederman Newton's Clock – Chaos in the Solar System, Ivars Peterson
The Sun in the Church J. J. Heilbron The Supernova Story – Marschal1 Einstein in Love – Dennis Overbye The Star of Bethlehem - Mark Kidger
Lectures have many demonstration experiments. An astronomy simulation program (Starry Night
2003) provides excellent "demonstrations" of the celestial drama. I intersperse lectures and demonstrations with multiple choice quiz questions, which track student appreciation of physics concepts and cultural connections using the
H-ITT Electronic Audience Response system. The interactive approach makes attendance more regular and proves a strong incentive for students to read the text before lecture. Section
leaders are physics graduate students who spend half the time on simple numerical aspects of physics to refresh high school capabilities, and to emphasize the importance of quantitative treatment in physics.
The other half is for discussion topics mostly via student debates (see inset 1 below). Half-hour debates are an immensely successful venue for student participation. For example, a heated topic
is the argument between Plato's views on the importance of reason versus Aristotle's views on the primacy of observation for the best path to expanding knowledge. Student teams prepare debating points with advance
guidance from section leaders who serve as moderators and emphasize the importance of giving specific examples. The audience assigns grades based on whether the debater covered sufficient and valid arguments. Each
student receives a weighted average of grades given by the audience, section leader and professor. Lecture quizzes, section discussions, homework assignments, and a final paper (8 -10 pages)
make up equal portions of the total grade. Homework assignments come in five categories:
- concept-based questions requiring short paragraph answers-
simple numerical problems - reports on special interactive assignments in place of laboratory work (see inset 2, below),
- reports on explorations connecting science and culture (inset 3, below).
Written answers and reports are graded on the basis of student comprehension of physics concepts, and the depth of exploration of a physics experiment or astronomic observation. For reports involving art,
literature or movies, the grade depends on the strength of specific connections drawn between the development of scientific thought and cultural aspects. For their final paper, students choose a
relevant topic that sparks their interest. By mid-semester they submit a proposal defining a coherent topic, rationale, and plans for supporting theses statements. Book reports or regurgitation of course
material are discouraged. Paper grades depend on the coherence of the theme, how well they argue claims, how successfully they make connections to various course themes or to their own experience, and how strongly they
make cross-connections between fields. Topics have spanned a wide range (inset 4, below). For a list of other teaching resources available see inset 5, below.
Inset 1 : Section Discussion or Debate Examples Students form teams of 4-5 students on each side and debate the following topics.
1) Plato and Aristotle : on the merits of reason vs. observation to advance our understanding of nature 2) Modern vs Ancient Physicists
The theories of the ancient Greek thinkers have been overthrown and supplanted by modern ones. Does this mean that the ancients contributed nothing to science? Debate specifically in terms of changing
views on the elements of nature, mathematical patterns in nature, and aesthetic guiding principles for science. 3) Art influences science vs. Science influences art
4 Fundamental vs Practical Advances of Science 5) Classical vs Relativistic (Einsteinian) Nature of space and time 6) Copernicus and Ptolemy: On the systems of the world
7) Precision in observation vs Rigor in math 8) Galileo vs The Inquisition (Staged as a trial of Galileo) 9) Hubble vs Einstein on the expanding universe 10) Symmetries vs Asymmetries in Nature
Inset 2 : Interactive Assignments Make two visits to the Ithaca Science Center with class colleagues: one in week five and one in week ten. On the first visit, interact with experiments relating
to motion on earth, examples: swinging pendula, inclined plane and cycloid comparison, potential and kinetic energy. Carry out suggested experiments. Make measurements where possible, discuss results, draw
conclusions. Write a half page report on your experiments. On your second visit, find activities relating to motion in the heavens, for example, Carl Sagan's Planet Walk. Describe the relative sizes
and relative distances of the planets from the sun. Carry out suggested experiments with the black hole conical model.
Several assignments follow the model below. The first stage includes simulated observations on the apparent motion of sun, moon, planets, and constellations followed by real observations of the heavens.
Lunar Simulation: Follow the lunar phases for one complete cycle, and correlate the location of the moon with respect to the setting or rising sun. Examine the path of the moon relative to
the ecliptic. Lunar Observations Make your own observations to check the phase and location of the moon in the sky for two interesting phases. Print out relevant charts, and make corresponding
sketches for your observations. Make notes of the dates and times of your real and program-based results. Draw conclusions.
Comets, eclipses, and nebulae provide excellent opportunities for simulated discovery.
Go to the Hubble Space Telescope web site. http://www.seds.org/hst/ Explore three categories of images: solar system, galactic and extra-galactic. Look through interesting
images and read the text. Print out your favorite image and explain your choice. Write a news bulletin for the Cornell Daily Sun
on interesting astronomical events, such as the appearance of comet Hyakutake, a dust storm on Mars, the impact of comets with planets, or supernova remnants. Write a star trek journal for a journey from earth to Andromeda galaxy.
Inset 3: Cultural Connections * After seeing the movie The Name of the Rose, starring Sean Connery or "Inherit the Wind" starring George C. Scott,
students identify and discuss topics that connect the development of scientific thought to the cultural milieu. Using the art sites suggested (Web Museum, Web Gallery of Art) explore one
artist each from the following periods
(a) Greek (b) Medieval (c) Renaissance (d) Baroque (e) Modern
* Make sure the work you chose is not referred to in the text and one that we did not see in class lectures. The work should relate to the themes we developed in this course about the
connections between science and art. Give the name of the artist and the time period. Print out the art work. In a short essay (half page each) explain the connections of the art to the themes of this
course. Be sure to explore the commonalities between the factors that influenced the artists as well as the scientists of the same approximate period. Be specific, give examples. * The
lectures and text quote many literary figures: Homer, Plato, Chaucer, Dante, Shakespeare and Blake. Pick three of these figures. Find your own two passages from their works. Give the passages.
Write a one-page essay (each) discussing the meaning of the passages you picked in the context of the themes we discussed in this course that relate to the development of scientific thought. Make sure you don't
pick the same passages as in the main text or quotes shown in Lectures. Be specific, give examples. Inset 4: Typical Student Paper Topics The Sun Eating Dragon
Antikytheria, Searching the Solar System Symmetry, A History of Artistic and Scientific Implications Sociology of Science and the Image of Science
Human Psychology and Physics Error and Discovery Aristotle and Galileo in the Eyes of Piaget Development of Science and Technology in China
From Science Fiction to Science The Moon and Fact, The Moon and Myth Tales of the Tails Paradigms Persistence of Counter Science
Comets vs. Dinosaurs, Lessons for Humans Creation of Earth About Time The Search for Omega Comparison of Unification Models in Biology and Physics A Physics Bedtime Story for the Young, Impatient and Right-Brained The Idealist and the Realist Dogmas of Scientific Progress
From the Universe to the Atom, Patterns and Symmetry in Nature Inset 5: Free Resources Available on a CD Semester Lectures in Power-Point Syllabus, Homeworks, Quizzes,
Discussion Topics, Literary connections, Art Connections, Special Assignments, Paper-writing guidelines, Sample Reports from Students, Sample Papers, Student Evaluations, VNOS Diagnostic responses, Web-Resource Lists.
III Student Response and Diagnostics The course has been quite successful, judging by the growing popularity from 50 students in the first year (1997) to the 200 (by 2004). Student reaction has
been positive, as evident from the course evaluations (Figure 1: Student Course Evaluations. Click on Course Evaluations ) and individual comments (inset 6). Recently I administered the
Conceptual Diagnostic Test called Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire
(VNOS-B &C). These have several open-ended questions aimed to elucidate students' views on diverse aspects such as the empirical, inferential, tentative, creative, social and cultural nature of science. From the large collection of paragraph-long answers, it was extremely validating to see how this course had made learning physics a richer, more culturally enlivening experience. I found teaching it to be both intellectually rewarding and fun.
V Concluding Remarks Developing new ideas is an integral part of a student's academic experience. An important aspect of this process is to have an open mind to different ways of
looking at the world. Conventional wisdom is that science and humanities are essentially disconnected, looking at the world in their own characteristic ways. But the evolution of scientific thought shows striking
connections between seemingly diverse arenas. Bridging the gap between the sciences and the human experience holds a strong appeal to a broad spectrum students. Such a course would be useful to students for the
rest of their lives. The materials below are part of the Cornell course based on the book.
Inset 6: Comments from student evaluations "I thought your class was one of the best
I've taken at Cornell and have already encouraged my friends to take the class this spring. I especially liked how you incorporated art and interesting stories about the historical figures we studied."
- Jessica Burden "I have particularly enjoyed your class last semester…I think
it will add a lot of value to people's lives (in terms of changing their perspective) when they start to discover many laws of the universe which can be applied on a daily basis." - Yoosun Chung "I thoroughly enjoyed the material and the way it was presented. The way you tied
physics in to culture and history made the lessons more lively and fascinating." - Courtney Armbruster "There are a lot of Fine Arts students who need to fulfill Physical Science requirements. This class is great for Art students. It approaches Science and Physics in
a creative and artistic manner, revealing the exciting possibilities of science BESIDES calculations. I think students need to know the art of Physics." - Janna Reis "I really enjoyed your class; it's one of those rare classes where you actually take something away
after the semester is over. I'm also proud to say that your class stimulated me to read a handful of other various physics/popular science books." -Kenan Halabi "Over spring break I went to London with two of my friends from Cornell... We spent a few
hours at the British National Gallery. The museum is a large classical building resembling an ancient Greek building like the Parthenon...While we were going through the exhibits I found myself acting as a tour guide. I
recognized so many paintings hanging on the walls... The earlier works contained a lot of symmetry while the newer works departed from this symmetry and used different methods of expression. I have to admit that I did
not expect to receive such an extensive...education from a physics class but I am delighted that we cover such a wide spectrum of topics in this course." - Benjamin Bernstein References Arons, Arnold B, 1990, Guide to Introductory Physics Teaching
, New York: John Wiley. Baierlein, Ralph, 1995. Physics Today, p. 87, March. Bloomfield, Louis A, How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life, John Wiley and Sons, 2001.
Ellis, Art, College Level One Mission, Field-Tested Learning Assessment Guide (FLAG), http://www.flaguide.org/tools/tools_discipline.htm H-ITT, 2003. http://www.h-itt.com/ Hobson, Art,
Physics, Concepts and Connections, Second Edition (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999). Holton, Gerald James, Introduction to Concepts and Theories in Physics (Reading, Mass., Addison-Wesley Pub.
Co, 1952). Holton Gerald and Brush Stephen, Physics, the Human Adventure: From Copernicus to Einstein, (New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University Press , 2001)
Holton, Gerald, Rutherford, James and Watson, Fletcher, Harvard Project Physics (NY: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1975) March, Robert, Physics for Poets
, McGraw-Hill Science (2002) Noyes, Alfred, Collected Poems (Torch Bearers) Port Washington, N.Y.] C. McCutcheon, 1966. Padamsee, H, 2002. Unifying the Universe, IOP Publishing. Starry Night, 2003. SPACE.com Canada, Inc., 284 Richmond Street East , Toronto Ontario, CANADA, M5A 1P4Styer, D 2002, Journal of College Science Teaching
, 32(2): 139. |
