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Spring 2000 Natural and Mathematical Sciences (E105)
E105 Birth and Death of the Universe (Mufson)
This course is designed to be an introduction to cosmology, tracing ideas
describing the origin and evolution of the universe from ancient geocentric
cosmologies to the currently fashionable theory of the Big Bang. The course is
meant to be a study of one central theme, rather then a general survey of
astronomy. It will bring together ideas from observational astronomy, general
astronomy, high energy physics, and the history and philosophy of science. We
will begin by concentrating on geocentric cosmologies (earth as the center of
the universe), focusing on what can be learned from naked-eye observations of
the sky. Next we will study the Copernican Revolution and its effects on western society.
Finally we will confront modern ideas about cosmology-from the Big Bang origin
to predictions of the ultimate fate of the universe.
There will be two one hour exams and a final; a 5-7 page paper; two lab/homework
assignments: 1) to make simple naked-eyed observations of the nighttime sky
(finding conspicuous constellations and planets); and 2) to use the program
Voyager (which is on scattered campus computer clusters) to make a natal
horoscope chart (there is a great deal of astronomy here). Students will have an
opportunity to debate issues raised in the course, develop critical thinking
skills, collaborate in problem-solving, and to learn how to use electronic and
library resources to research a scientific question. Writing will be an integral
part of the course.
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E105 Sister Species: Lessons from the Chimpanzee (Hunt)
This class is a survey of the natural sciences through study of our closest
living relative, the chimpanzee. Students will learn something about each of the
fields of History and Philosophy of Science, Taxonomy, Anatomy, Functional
Morphology, Kinesiology, Physiology, Ecology, Nutrition, Ethnology, Molecular
Biology, Epidemiology, Pathology, Endocrinology, Embryology, Genetics,
Psychology, linguistics, Public Policy, and Animal Conservation. Through films,
labs and writing assignments students will get an intimate look at every aspect
of chimpanzees. Among our interests will be, why do animals use or not use
tools? Why are animals aggressive? What are the roots of war? How is chimp
anatomy designed to solve food-getting problems? How does physiology influence
what chimps can eat and what’s healthy to eat? Can chimps use language? What
does the recently discovered chimpanzee use of medicine mean for us? Just how
different are chimpanzee bones, muscles and brains form our own? A series of
labs will bring these issues home to students in the most intimate way possible.
Students will be encouraged to eat a chimp diet for a day and to write about
their cravings and what those cravings mean for our evolutionary history.
Students will keep a diary of their communication patterns and comment on the
uses and meaning of language. The similarity of human and chimp disease will be
investigated, and students will find out how they'd fare in a doctor-less chimp
world. Chimpanzees are the door through which we will enter a world of science
that will lead us to a better understanding of all of nature, and of ourselves.
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E105 Meteorites and Planets (Basu)
Rocks from the moon, Mars, asteroids, and possibly also from comets have a
common ancestry that is also the Earth's. What is our common origin? Is life
exclusive to the Earth? Have the planets evolved differently? How do the
interiors of planetary bodies, big and small, look? How do we find answers to
such questions? Samples on loan from NASA and the Smithsonian for sole use of
this class give students a hands-on experience of contemporary research
practices in extraterrestrial materials. Taught by Professor Basu, Principal
Investigator for NASA for nearly 20 years, the course is designed to make
current research material and the results of space-research accessible to
freshman students who are not science majors. The basic tenet of the course is
that common sense and simple laws of physics and chemistry are enough to enjoy
and understand a seemingly remote topic.
Two 50-minute lectures, and one 50-minute laboratory per week. Three quizzes,
two mid-terms, one comprehensive final, and weekly laboratory reports are
required. Old tests are on file in the Geology Library.
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E105 Born to be a Genius: Exploring
Theories of Language Acquisition (Connell)
Any viable theory of human mind must come to grips with how language is
learned by children. Few areas of research on human cognition have aroused such
controversy among scientists from diverse disciplines who bring their
methodologies to bear on this elemental problem. At stake is the greatest prize
of all: determining whether all of human knowledge is molded by human culture or
whether some of it is determined by innate (genetic) structures. Two distinct
traditions have emerged from the battle, but only one of them has influenced
mainstream thought. One of the foundations of modern day intellectual life is
the assumption that the human mind is a product of the social forces of culture
brought to bear during the developmental period.
In this course, we will examine the bold attack that has been made against
this firmly established position, an attack that has signaled a revolution in
cognitive science. Our examination of the central issues of language acquisition
will question our understanding of the modularity of mind, genetics vs.
environment, human uniqueness, and the relation between language and thought.
Students will learn how to evaluate data that are used to support or refute
theoretical positions in discussions and in written assignments, thereby
deepening their understanding of the issues and fostering critical thinking.
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E105 Complex Adaptive Systems (Goldstone)
This course deals with systems that evolve and adapt over time. Psychology,
computer science, economics, biology, and neuroscience depend upon a deeper
understanding of the mechanisms that govern adaptive systems. A common feature
of these systems is that organized behavior emerges from the interactions of
many simple parts. Ants organize to build colonies, neurons organize to produce
adaptive human behavior, and businesses organize to create economies. To address
the essential question of "What are the properties of complex adaptive
systems?," case studies of several systems will be explored: chaotic growth
in animal populations, human learning, cooperation and competition within social
groups, and the evolution of artificial life. The central thesis is that widely
different systems (businesses, ant colonies, brains) share fundamental commonalities.
These topics will be explored by extensive hands-on use of interactive
computer simulations (no programming experience is required). Students will be
evaluated by their performance on weekly laboratory assignments and two exams.
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E105 The Quantum Universe (Wissink)
This course will provide an overview of the concepts of "modern
physics," and show how our discovery of these new ideas led to the
development of many of the devices and technologies we often take for granted
today. We will start by discussing the theories of relativity and quantum
physics, theories which revolutionized our understanding of the physical
universe in the early part of this century. We will compare the predictions of
these theories to those of classical physics, and examine the experimental
evidence which could not be explained using older models. Finally, we will spend
much of the semester seeing how these same ideas, once considered purely
abstract and mathematical, are now being applied in areas
such as medical imaging, carbon dating, lasers, communications devices, and the
whole "technology revolution" of computers and the microchip.
The course assumes knowledge of high school algebra, but does not require
trigonometry or calculus. Extensive use will be made of the World Wide Web.
There will be three exams and two 5-page papers in the course, and short
weekly homework sets emphasizing concepts and short-answer problems.
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E105 Earthquakes and Volcanoes (Hamburger)
This course, intended primarily for non-science majors, offers an
introduction to the most exciting—and terrifying—manifestations of the
dynamic processes that are continually reshaping our planet: earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions. The class will present a general overview of these violent
natural catastrophes, examining their fundamental causes, documentation of
earthquake and volcanic phenomena, the wide range of secondary effects—such as
landslides, mudflows, and tsunamis (tidal waves)—that are triggered by quakes
and eruptions, and the societal response to these natural disasters. The class
will also focus on aspects of earthquakes and volcanic activity that are related
to critical public policy issues of our time: energy and mineral resources,
global climate change, nuclear arms control, and natural hazard reduction.
The course has no prerequisites and requires no previous background in earth
sciences. It consists of two 50-minute lectures and one 2-hour laboratory per
week. The laboratory exercises have purposefully been designed with an eye
toward variety and include several "in-class" written problems, one or
more computer exercises, a two-hour field trip to local rock outcrops, and two
"experimental" exercises in which students collect and analyze their
own experimental data. The laboratory portion of the course finishes with a
two-week volcanic and seismic hazards assessment of one or more population
centers in the Pacific northwest. Grading in the course will be based on a
midterm and final examination (50%), problem sets (10%), laboratory exercises
(30%), and a laboratory final (10%).
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E105 Energy Issues in Our Future:
The Application of the Physics of Energy to our Uses of Energy and their
Environmental Consequences (Schwandt)
As we prepare to enter the twenty-first century, it is appropriate to examine
how our energy-intensive society chooses to meet its energy needs. We take our
present level of energy use for granted and have grown accustomed to lifestyles
that depend on the availability of plentiful and inexpensive energy sources. Yet
one dramatic view of our Planet Earth from the space program has created a
lasting visual image that the world we inhabit is beautiful, but fragile and
finite in size. This finite size of Planet Earth places important limits on the
continued growth of our energy use. Public concern about environmental issues
will require that these issues be taken more seriously in developing plans for
our use of energy in the future.
The choices that we make to meet our energy needs in the future will have an
important impact on people's lives during the next century. In this course we
will consider our uses of energy and their environmental consequences from a
scientific point of view. Physics is a major player in the energy game and the
physics of energy will provide a basis for our considerations.
We will begin with an overview of the role of energy in our lives and an
introduction to the physics principles that will guide our study of energy
issues. Since we live in an era of fossil fuels, we will consider their use in
electric energy generation and transportation. Environmental issues, such as
acid rain and global warming, will arise naturally as we examine the measured
effects and projected impacts of our dependence on fossil fuels as our energy
source. Options for the future that we will consider include
nuclear energy (fission and fusion, effects of radiation, accidents, waste
storage), solar energy (space heating, electric energy generation), and other
renewable energy resources (hydro, wind and biomass). The last part of the
course will be devoted to developing an energy plan for the future which starts
with conservation and energy-efficiency issues and concludes with a
consideration of the technological advances that might impact the long-term
future. Since energy policy evolves in an arena where there are many other
players, we will consider the tradeoffs that occur as choices are made.
The course will consist of lectures, interactive discussions of current
energy & environmental issues, and use of the World Wide Web to access
current information and data. Grading will be based on weekly exercises, a short
research paper and several exams. While there are no formal prerequisites, the
material of the course requires a working knowledge of high school algebra and
some previous exposure to science at the high school level.
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E105 The Dark Side of Rationality (Savion)
"I'll pay you $5.- if you wash my car", your father promises your
kid sister. An hour later she's running around the house, happily waving a five
dollar bill. Do you conclude that she has washed the car? Most people do, in
explicit violation of logical rules. Human superiority over other animals is
normally summarized in one word: RATIONALITY. Our great achievements are
attributed to this unique capacity: language, arts, sciences, social order,
legal systems and survival skills. Yet, the same species that finds cure for
cancer, sends people to the moon and maintains sophisticated social
organizations also engages in pointless wars, racism, gambling, cults, biased
decision making and by and large demonstrates consistent and predictable failure
to follow simple rules of logic.
In investigating the complicated relations between logical rules and human
actual reasoning we'll cover some principle of logical theory, uncover major
human inferential failures, examine critically major theories of rationality and
explore the reasons behind the apparent human irrationality. Students are
expected to take two tests and a final exam, write 3-4 short papers, offer one
group presentation based on independent research, and develop a lively
intellectual curiosity about the ways our minds work.
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E105 Evolution: the Beauty of the Idea Understood (Hudock)
The concept of evolution is central to biology, certainly as practiced in the
Department of Biology at Indiana University. Nonetheless, it remains true that
even the word "evolution" elicits a strong and negative response from
many people who reject the concept—or at least what they have been told is the
concept— of evolution. It shall be an essential purpose of this course to
present for discussion and evaluation the actual principles of the theory of
evolution. These were stated explicitly by Charles Darwin more than a century
ago and this summary remains valid in 1998.
Students will be asked to evaluate these principles in discussions and in
writing. Every student in this course has lived about two decades, which is
longer than most organisms on this planet live. Two decades of life provide an
immense amount of experience. Students will be challenged to consider principles
of evolution and to attempt to confirm or to falsify these within the limits of
proper scientific inquiry. Arguments about politics, religion, or social policy
will not be tolerated since they can not be evaluated by the methods available
to and appropriate for science. It should also be noted that no attempt will be
made to challenge or change the religious perspective of any student. (And I
insist that no student attempt to change mine.)
There will be brief written assignments each week. These will be evaluated by
AIs and UTIs with faculty supervision. There will be three one-hour exams during
the semester and a cumulative final exam. The hour exams will include objective
questions and questions that require an essay response. Each hour exam and the
final exam will be worth 100 points. The lowest hour exam score will be dropped
for each student in determining the course score. All students will be required
to complete the final exam and the score on this exam will be included in the
final score of each student.
Grades: It is imperative that students understand that there is no curve. In
this course, as in all my courses, grading practices are defined quantitatively.
Moreover, all students will have the same requirements and all will be evaluated
in exactly the same way. No one will be given any opportunity to "do extra
work to improve my grade".
In too many courses, grades become a Zero Sum Game. (For each winner, there
is a loser. For each (A) there is an (F)). In this course, the game is non zero
sum.. One possible effect of this is that cooperative learning is encouraged
since a student does not jeopardize a personal grade by helping another student
understand an idea. Grades will be assigned according to the following absolute
scale (which will be further subdivided to accommodate (+/-) grading):
Required book: Dawkins, Richard. Climbing Mount Improbable. Norton, New York, 1996.
Score Grade
90 - 100 A
80 - 89.99 B
65 - 79.99 C
50 - 64.99 D
Below 50 F
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E105 Patterns in Sound (Gierut)
This course is a study of the sounds of spoken language. We address three questions:
- What do speakers know about the sounds of their language? To answer
this, we consider slips of the tongue, language games, and product names.
- How are sounds of language produced with the mouth, yet perceived with the
ear? The tools of phonetics, including voice print analysis, are used to
show the practical sides of language for technologies for the disabled,
trademark law, and other court decisions.
- How are sounds of language acquired? We discuss why it is easy to
learn a first language, but oftentimes difficult to learn a second language.
We also look to speech therapy for insight to the learning process. Throughout
the course, linguistic facts are integrated with hands-on demonstrations and
applications, emphasizing education, health, technology, business and law.
Course requirements include readings, exams, and essays.>
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E105 Molecular Architecture (Ewing)
An interpretation of the chemical properties of fuels, foods, plastics,
drugs, pollutants, air, water, living systems, etc. through their molecular
architecture. The lectures will be profusely illustrated by demonstrations,
displays, films and slides. Building molecular models will be taught as a means
of appreciating molecular architecture. The course begins with an interpretation
of the architecture and properties of methane, a simple tetrahedron and a
component of cooking gas, and ends at DNA, a double helix and the molecule of life.
The course is taught in lecture format but with many opportunities for
discussion. Grades are based on four exams as well as writing assignments. There
is no text, rather readings are from essays and autobiography: Atkins, Molecules,
Perutz, Is Science Necessary? and Watson, The Double Helix, and
current magazine articles. No previous science background is required.
Mathematics will seldom be used and only at the level of arithmetic.
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E105 Good Genes, Bad Genes (Hanratty)
Have you ever wondered why you have red hair and freckles or why heart
disease or cancer seem to "run" in certain families; whether we will
eventually be able to use gene therapy to cure genetic disorders such as cystic
fibrosis or sickle cell anemia, or what impact this explosion of genetic
engineering may have upon our society? These are some of the issues we will
address in the course.
The course will have a two-fold focus. First, we will introduce students to
the basic concepts of human genetics, discuss a number of human genetic
disorders and the ways in which they arise, and examine the impact that genetic
engineering and recombinant DNA technology are having on the diagnosis,
treatment and possible cure of some of these disorders. Second, we will consider
the impact of human genetics on society. We will examine some of the
misconceptions that have surrounded the inheritance of genetic traits and
disorders in other times and societies. We will at look some of the attempts
that have been made to "control" human heredity, including the
eugenics movement, mandatory sterilization and marriage laws, and the successes
and failures of genetic screening programs. We will also consider the Human
Genome project and the impact it may have upon our society, both positive and
negative. Finally, we will consider some of the legal and bio-ethical issues
being raised as a result of the rapid explosion of genetic technology.
Students will be encouraged to become active participants in the learning
process. In addition to being exposed to new concepts in lecture, they will have
an opportunity to discuss issues raised in class, interact with guest lecturers,
and express their thoughts in the form of short essays. Outside the lecture,
students will participate in a collaborative learning group once a week.
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