Spring 2008 Advance Course Information

This information effective for spring 2008. Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.

Physics

[ PHYS-2 ] [ PHYS-11 ]

2. The Quantum Enigma.

Instructor: Fred Kuttner
Phone: 459-2061 (office)
E-mail: fkuttner@ucsc.edu

MWF 12:30–1:40 p.m., Thimann Lecture 3

Presenting the Enigma

Though what you're saying is correct, presenting this material to nonscientists is the intellectual equivalent of allowing children to play with loaded guns.
   -A colleague's objection to our physics course, "The Quantum Enigma"

Course Description

This is a controversial course. But nothing we say about quantum mechanics is controversial. The experimental results we report and our explanation of them with quantum theory are completely undisputed. It is the mystery these results imply beyond physics that is hotly disputed. For many physicists, this mystery, the quantum enigma, is best not talked about. It displays physics' encounter with consciousness. It's the skeleton in our closet.

In Physics 2, The Quantum Enigma, we explore the bizarre nature of physical reality and the spooky connectedness revealed by quantum mechanics. It’s the theory basic to all of physics and on which modern technology depends. 

Physics 2 satisfies Q and IN requirements. It has no prerequisites. It is designed to appeal to philosophically inclined non-science majors. (But some science majors also take the course because it covers material too philosophical—and too strange and controversial—to be included in a regular physics curriculum.)

All of science is ultimately based on quantum mechanics. It is our most securely established theory. But it presents us with an enigma, a mystery related to our human existence. Laboratory demonstrations reveal aspects of physical reality and human consciousness that, at first sight, seem ridiculous. On further examination they become profoundly strange. 

The text for the course will be Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness, by Rosenblum and Kuttner, published in 2006 by Oxford University Press, supplemented by printed lecture notes.

There are about 29 lectures. There is weekly homework, a midterm, and a final exam. The title of each lecture follows with a few words of description.

For more info: Fred Kuttner, fkuttner@ucsc.edu or 459-2061

Physics 2,    “The Quantum Enigma”

Spring 2008, MWF, 12:30 – 1:40, Thimann Lct 3

Part One:      Classical Physics: Our Intuitive Worldview

Setting the Scene for Science:
Ancient Greek science, which became the science of the Renaissance. This is what Galileo’s method for science overturned. 

A Method for Science:
Galileo’s new approach to science. It became the foundation of all modern science and technology. Where does consciousness fit in?

Motion:
We start science (as Aristotle taught us to) with the simplest aspect of Nature, the motion of matter.

The Newtonian Synthesis:
Newton’s F = Ma, the “universal equation of motion,” and his law of universal gravitation. Putting the heavens and the earth together.

Our Newtonian Legacy:
The philosophical (and the psychological and social) impact of Newton’s physics. It ignited the intellectual movement called “The Enlightenment.” Determinism vs. Free Will.

Energy and The Electric Force:
What energy is, and the forms it can take.
The electric force with which we see, hear, taste, and—perhaps?—the force with which we think. Is “psychic energy” energy?

Waves:
Waves of water, sound, electric field, and—we’ll eventually see—waves of matter.

Part Two     

Einstein’s Relativity:  Psychological Preparation
            For Accepting  Something "Impossible"

Relativity I:
Einstein’s postulate, the universal speed limit, E = Mc2.    

Relativity II:
The slowing of time in moving systems (why you can become older than your mother).

      Part Three      

Quantum Mechanics: Confronting the Enigma

A Logical Parable; Quantum Mechanics Overview
A science fiction story and an overview of what’s to come.

Light: Wave or Particle?                                 
The first (gentle) exposure to the quantum enigma. Physics’ first encounter with consciousness (but physics didn’t yet know it).

The Real Nature of Atoms:
A double entendre: what atoms are really like, and a demonstration that they are physically real things.  (We’ll later doubt it.)

A Quantum Atom:             
Bohr’s early quantum description of the atom. Spectra “explained”! But a strange problem arises.

Matter: Wave or Particle?
Our second (a bit less gentle) exposure to the enigma.

Schrödinger’s Equation:
The new fundamental law of Nature.

The Skeleton in the Closet:
The enigma: what happened to physical reality? What’s going on?!

The Uncertainty Principle and Complementarity:
The craziness has protection and organization.

Schrödinger's Cat:
The story Schrödinger told to show that the quantum mechanics he invented is absurd.

The Copenhagen Interpretation:
The standard defense of the “absurdity,” the “official dogma,” and a new philosophical stance for science. It’s not about the real world any more.

Quantum Mechanics Applications:
Too much philosophy! Quantum mechanics is also practical—it makes big money: lasers, superconductivity, transistors. 

Objections to the Copenhagen Interpretation:
The Einstein-Bohr debate, Einstein’s concession.

The EPR Paradox:
Einstein’s demand for physical reality.

Introduction to Bell's Theorem:
What must be true in any “reasonable world.”

Bell's Inequality, its Tests, and Implications:
The proof that our world is surely “unreasonable”--whether or not quantum mechanics is correct!

Alternative Interpretations Of Quantum Mechanics :
Interpretations even more bizarre than Copenhagen: parallel worlds and super-determinism.

Quantum mechanics and Consciousness
Every interpretation of quantum mechanics forces us to say something about consciousness--and it’s always something strange.

Epilog: Where does this leave us?
Nature seems to be telling us something: something about the nature of reality, a universal connectedness, and consciousness. It’s definitely there, but it’s a strange something we still do not understand.

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11. The Physicist in Industry.

Instructor: Fred Kuttner
Phone: 459-2061 (office)
E-mail: fkuttner@ucsc.edu

Course Description

This course is designed for applied physics majors who wish to explore careers in industry, but it is open to other interested students. It is only two units, and should be taken as a fourth course. 

A highlight of the course is visits from former UCSC physics majors who work in industry or government. Students will have opportunity for further contact with these visitors.

The textbook is Landing Your First Job: A Guide for Physics Students,  John Rigden, American Institute of Physics, 2002. This is an excellent book "written to guide students who are looking ahead to seek employment. It is a practical book that identifies the important steps to the first job."
 
In addition to the speakers, the instructors will give brief lectures on getting a job and advancing in your career. These lectures will focus on the practical and business aspects not usually addressed in any other undergraduate courses. In the current and future economic climate, some understanding of these aspects will be crucial to the success of your career.

Topics

        The business environment in a technical company.
        Economic considerations. 
        Reading financial statements. Profit and loss.
        Cash flow.  Investment.
        Researching industries.
        Resume writing.
        Networking.  "Informational interviewing."
        The job interview
        Giving technical presentations.
        Advancing your career.

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