Physics - Fall 1998

is a 2-unit mini-course we designed to tell students who might be considering a major in physics to tell students what the subject is about--and what it's like to major in physics, and the career opportunities in physics. That's something a lot of people interested in physics don't understand well. Students not considering a physics major--just curious--are also welcome. I include below a flier we put out advertising the course for Fall 1997. It will be much the same in Fall 1998. The course will meet once a week, Tuesday, 4:00 - 5:30 pm.

For more information: Bruce Rosenblum, 459-2326, brucero@cats.ucsc.edu

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To anyone possibly considering a major in Physics

Any science major should be started early in your college career. Some are difficult or impossible to start late: physics, for example. Fortunately, the early courses of the physics major also meet requirements for the other science majors, so starting as if you were a physics major is the way to keep your options open.

The physics major must be started early because physics courses must be taken in sequence. Start calculus in the first quarter of your first year, and start physics the next quarter. Otherwise it's hard to complete the major gracefully in just four years. If, for example, you start after the beginning of your sophomore year, you can't finish in four years.

Many students who might be interested in a physics career don't realize early enough what physics is, what physicists actually do, and the wide range of career opportunities open to them. To address this and to help you keep your options open, we have a 2-unit mini-course: Physics 10. You take it as a fourth course--it is not burdensome.

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• 10 lectures, 10 faculty, at 4 pm Tuesdays
• (No final, no prerequisites, meets no breadth requirements)

• Dark Matter in the Cosmos
• The Nature of the Solid State
• Looking at The Fundamental Particles
• Explaining The Fundamental Particles
• Transistors and Integrated Circuits
• Polymer Physics
• Synchrotron Radiation Physics
• Waves in the Ocean and the Earth
• The Physics of Flat Panel Displays
• Particles from the Unquiet Sky: searches for exploding black holes
• Optional Extra Lecture/Discussion: Careers in Physics (Time to be arranged)

Revised 7/19/04.