HPS 0410 Einstein for Everyone Spring 2013

This is an archived copy of the course material. Some links may not work.

Lectures

Stable, Archived version of chapters, January 1, 2013.

Assignments

 

Course Description

Schedule

Term paper

Clock

Sign in sheet

Title page, Preface and Table of Contents for Einstein for Everyone

Introduction: the Questions

     Special Relativity

Special Relativity: the Principles

Special Relativity: Clocks and Rods

Special Relativity: Adding Velocities

Special Relativity: the Relativity of Simultaneity

Is Special Relativity Paradoxical?

E=mc2

Origins of Special Relativity

Einstein's Pathway to Special Relativity

     Spacetime

Spacetime

Spacetime and the Relativity of Simultaneity

Spacetime, Tachyons, Twins and Clocks

What is a four dimensional space like?

     Philosophical Significance of the
       Special Theory of Relativity.

Skeptical Morals.

Morals About Theory and Evidence.

Morals About Time.

     Non-Euclidean Geometry

Euclidean Geometry: The First Great Science

Euclid's Fifth Postulate

Non-Euclidean Geometry: A Sample Construction

Non-Euclidean Geometry and Curved Spaces

Spaces of Constant Curvature

Spaces of Variable Curvature

     General Relativity

General Relativity

Gravity Near a Massive Body

Einstein's Pathway to General Relativity

     Cosmology and Black Holes

Relativistic Cosmology

Our Universe: What We See

Big Bang Cosmology

Must There Have Been a Big Bang?

Black Holes

A Better Picture of Black Holes

     Philosophical Significance of the
       General Theory of Relativity.

Geometric Morals and a few more

     Quantum Theory

Atoms and the Quantum

Origins of Quantum Theory

Quantum Theory of Waves and Particles

The Measurement Problem

Einstein on the Completeness of Quantum Theory

Retrospect

Einstein as the Greatest of the Nineteenth Century Physicists

0. Warm Up

1. Principle of Relativity

2. Relativity of Simultaneity

3. E=mc2

4. Origins of Special Relativity

5. Spacetime

6. Philosophical Significance

7. Curvature

8. General Relativity

9. Relativistic Cosmology

10. Big Bang Cosmology

11. Black Holes

12. Origins of Quantum Theory

13. Problems of Quantum Theory

For documents relating to the Spring 2012 offering of this class, click here.
For documents relating to the Spring 2010 offering of this class, click here.
For documents relating to the Fall 2008 offering of this class, click here.
For documents relating to the Spring 2008 offering of this class, click here.
For documents related to the Spring 2007 offering of this class, click here.