Winter 2001

This information effective for Winter 2001.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.

Physics

[PHYS-080C]

80C. Cosmology and Culture

Winter 2001

Instructors:

Joel R. Primack, Professor of Physics, UCSC, joel@physics.ucsc.edu
Nancy Ellen Abrams, Lecturer, UCSC, nancy@physics.ucsc.edu

Guest lecturers:

Brant Secunda, Huichol Shaman, Dance of the Deer Foundation, Soquel

Enrollment: requires permission of instructors based on one-paragraph essay on why you want to take this course, which should be submitted by e-mail to joel@physics.ucsc.edu

Course description: Introduction to scientific cosmology. Examination of cultural roles of creation myths and cosmologies; examples include Huichol Indian and ancient, medieval, and modern Jewish and Christian cosmologies. Possible cultural and religious repercussions of Big Bang, Gaia, and other modern origin stories.

Requirements satisfied: Topical in Natural Science or Social Science (T7).

Format: Seminar course, Tuesday - Thursday, 2 - 3:45 PM, Earth and Marine Sciences Building, rm. B214. Required readings in UCSC Copy Center Reader Vol. 1 and two books. Optional readings in Copy Center Reader Vol. 2. In-class midterm examination. Several writing assignments. Take-home final examination, or (with approval of the instructors, following written student proposals) term projects based on additional readings and individual creativity.

Required Books:

Craig Hogan, The Little Book of the Big Bang: A Cosmic Primer (Copernicus Books, Springer-Verlag, 1998) $20. At Bay Tree Bookstore, UCSC.

Trinh Xuan Thuan, The Birth of the Universe: The Big Bang and Beyond, translated from the French by I. Mark Paris (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1993) $12.95. At Bay Tree Bookstore, UCSC.

Cosmology and Culture Reader, Vol. 1. At the Copy Center, Communications Building, UCSC

Optional Book:

Cosmology and Culture Reader, Vol. 2. At the Copy Center.

Preliminary Syllabus (weekly topics)

I. January 4 (Thurs): Introduction to Cosmology and Culture. Overview of Biblical, Medieval, Newtonian, and contemporary scientific cosmologies. How to picture the universe. Contemplation - two traditions: one monotheistic, one earth-centered.

II. Jan. 9 and 11: The Big Bang and expansion of the universe. Mythic dimensions of these ideas. Anthropological approaches to cosmology. Contemplation.

Readings for this week (to be completed before Jan 9):

• Hogan, Ch. 1-2
• Joel R. Primack, "Cosmological Certainty: Astrophysics in the New Millenium," California Wild (magazine of the California Academy of Sciences), Winter 2000, pp. 34-39
• Joseph Campbell, Inner Reaches of Outer Space, pp. 11-35
• Bronislaw Malinowski, "The Role of Myth in Life," "Myths of Origin," Magic, Science and Religion, and Other Essays (Doubleday Anchor, 1954), pp. 96-117
• [Optional: Edward R. Harrison, Ch.1-2, Masks of the Universe (Macmillan, 1985), pp.1-32]
• [Optional: Mircea Eliade, Myths, Dreams, and Mysteries (Harper, 1960), pp. 155-189]
• [Optional: Cosmology: A Research Briefing, National Research Council Board on Physics and Astronomy (National Academy Press, 1995), p. 1-11]
• [Optional: Virginia Trimble, "Cosmology: Where in the $?**% Universe Are You?" Beam Line, Fall 1997, pp. 52-60]

III. January 16 and 18: The concept of "truth" in science and religion. Ancient cosmologies and cultures of the Middle East. Old and new elements in the Hebrew creation myths.

Readings:

• Campbell, The Inner Reaches of Outer Space, pp. 55-62
• Albert Einstein, "Religion and Science," "Science and Religion," Ideas and Opinions (Crown, 1982), pp. 36-49
• Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack, "Einstein's View of God," in Russell Stannard, ed., God for the 21st Century (Templeton Foundation Press, 2000), pp. 153-156
• Evan Hadingham, Early Man and the Cosmos (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1985), Chronological Table, p. xi; "Ancient Astronomy and the Roots of Science," pp.10-29
• Steven Weinberg, "The Giant and the Cow," and "Epilogue: The Prospect Ahead," The First Three Minutes (Basic Books, 1977), pp. 3-10, 150-155
• Richard Elliott Friedman, "Big Bang and Kabbalah," The Disappearance of God (Little, Brown, 1995), pp. 219-237
• Genesis 1:1-3:24, 6:1-9:19, The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger (Oxford Univ. Press, 1965), pp. xxi-xxiv, 1-11
• Thorkild Jacobsen, "Enuma Elish - The Babylonian Genesis," Milton Munitz, ed., Theories of the Universe (Free Press, 1957), pp. 8-20
• Richard Elliot Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? (Harper & Row, 1987), pp. 50-61, 236-8
• "The Story of the Flood," The Epic of Gilgamesh, translation by N.K. Sandars, (Penguin Classics, 1960), pp. 105-110
• [Optional: Edward Harrison, Ch. 3-4, Masks of the Universe, pp. 33-66]
• [Optional: Michael Coogan, Stories from Ancient Canaan (Westminster, 1978), pp. 9-25, 75-115]
• [Optional: E. M. Wilmot-Buxton, "How All Things Began," The New Junior Classics, Vol. III (P.F. Collier & Son, 1952), pp. 253-260 (Icelandic creation saga)]
• [Optional: W. M. L. Hutchinson, "Prometheus the Firebringer," The New Junior Classics, Vol. III (P.F. Collier & Son, 1952), pp. 13-25]

IV. Jan. 23 and 25: A living, earth-centered cosmology and shamanistic culture. Guest lecture by Brant Secunda. Possible relationship of such a cosmology to scientific cosmology. Modern scientific view of stars and galaxies.

Readings:

• Brant Secunda, "Dreamers of the Sun: Huichol Shamanism," Enlightenments, Oct. 1993, pp.18-19
• Brant Secunda, "Journey to the Heart" (2 pages)
• Rochelle Gordon, "Places of Power: an interview with Huichol Shaman Brant Secunda," Body Mind Spirit, July/Aug 1994, pp. 39-42
• Nancy Abrams, "A Shamanic Doorway to the Expanding Universe?"
• Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living (Dell, 1991), pp. 153-7
• Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart: the Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel (Amity House, Inc., 1986), pp. 19-20, 33-37
• Aryeh Kaplan, Jewish Meditation: a practical guide (Schocken Books, 1985), pp. 64-75
• Thuan, pp. 31-60, 79-102

V. Jan. 30 and Feb. 1: The modern creation story: cosmic evolution. Picturing the universe as a whole, from the edge of the universe to the smallest size possible according to relativity and quantum mechanics. Term Paper Proposals Due (optional)

Readings:

• Hogan, chs. 3 and 6
• Sheldon Glashow, "Life on Log Time," and excerpt from "What is an Elementary Particle?" The Charm of Physics (American Institute of Physics), pp. 42-54, 109-113
• Nancy Ellen Abrams and Joel R. Primack, "What is the Universe?" "The Wedge of Material Reality," and "The Cosmic Uroboros" (draft chapters of unpublished manuscript of a book in progress, Prayers for an Expanding Universe)
• J. B. S. Haldane, "On Being the Right Size," On Being the Right Size (Oxford University Press, 1985), pp. 1-8
• Michael LaBarbera, "The Strange Laboratory of Dr. LaBarbera," University of Chicago Magazine, October 1996, pp. 18-24
• Alan Watts, excerpt from In My Own Way (Pantheon, 1972), pp. 376-377
• [Optional: Cosmology: A Research Briefing, pp. 12 - 40]

VI. Feb. 6 (Tues): Medieval Christian and Jewish cosmologies. Cultural impacts of the Copernican-Newtonian revolution.

Readings:

• C. S. Lewis, "The Heavens," The Discarded Image (Cambridge, 1967), pp. 92- 121
• Daniel Matt, The Essential Kabbalah (Harper San Francisco, 1995), pp. 1-19
• Daniel Matt, trans., Zohar: the Book of Enlightenment (Paulist Press, 1983), pp. 43-45, 49-53, notes pp. 204-214
• Isaac Newton, "Letter to Richard Bentley," Milton Munitz, ed., Theories of the Universe (Free Press, 1957), pp. 211-214
• Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack, "Scientific Revolutions in Cosmology: Overthrowing vs. Encompassing" in Willian Stoeger, ed., Philosophy in Science (Pachart Press, 2001, forthcoming)
• [Optional: Richard S. Westfall, "Newton and the Scientific Revolution," Newton's Dream (McGill: Queen's Univ. Press, 1988), pp. 4-18]
• [Optional: Thomas S. Kuhn, "The Ancient Two-Sphere Universe" (excerpt), "The Assimilation of Copernican Astronomy," The Copernican Revolution (Vintage, 1959), pp. 1-8, 185-228]
• [Optional: Edward R. Harrison, Ch. 5-7, Masks of the Universe (Macmillan, 1985), pp. 67-117]

VII. Feb. 13 and 15: What happened before the Big Bang? Inflation and eternal inflation. Connections with medieval Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah). Midterm Exam (45 minutes, in class Feb. 13, notes and books allowed)

Readings (to be done by Feb. 15):

• Hogan, chs. 4-5, 7-8
• Joel R. Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams, "In A Beginning ... Quantum Cosmology and Kabbalah," Tikkun, Jan/Feb 1995, pp. 66-73
• "The Handwriting of God," Newsweek, May 4, 1992, p. 76

VIII. Feb. 20 and 22: Einstein's question about the creation of the universe: "Did God have a choice?" Anthropic cosmology. Dreams of a Final Theory.

Readings:

• Hogan, ch. 9, pp. 157-167
• Thuan, pp. 134-139
• Carl Sagan, "The Great Demotions," Pale Blue Dot (Random House, 1994), pp. 23, 26-39
• Ian Barbour, "Religious Responses to the Big Bang," talk at American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, Boston, Feb. 14, 1993, 15 pages
• Daniel Matt, God and the Big Bang (Jewish Lights, 1996), pp. 79-90, notes pp. 184-6
• Steven Weinberg, "Facing Finality," "What About God?" Dreams of a Final Theory (Pantheon, 1992), pp. 230-261
• [Optional: John Gribbin and Martin Rees, Cosmic Coincidences: Dark Matter, Mankind and Anthropic Cosmology (Bantam Books, 1989), pp. 241-254]

IX. Feb. 27 and Mar. 1: Modern myths of the origin of life. The discovery of geologic time. The Origin of Species. Evolution as continuous creation. The Gaia myth.

Readings:

• Thuan, ch. V, pp. 103-127
• Loyal Rue, "The Epic of Evolution" (talk at Star Island conference, 1995), 17 pages
• Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell (Bantam, 1974), pp. 1-4, 170-174
• Martin J. S. Rudwick, "The Shape and Meaning of Earth History," in David C. Lindberg and Ronald L. Numbers, God and Nature (University of California Press, 1986), pp. 296-321
• James Lovelock, The Ages of Gaia: a Biography of our Living Earth (W.W. Norton, 1988), pp. 15-41
• Lynn Margulis and Michael Dolan, "Gaia: Cosmic Beginnings and Nonhuman Ends," Cosmic Beginnings and Human Ends, ed. Clifford N. Matthews and Roy Abraham Varghese (Open Court, 1995), pp. 187-204

X. Mar. 6 and 8: Intelligent life in the Universe? Understanding the modern world in light of cosmology. Implications for 21st century life and culture. Mar. 8: Optional Term Paper Drafts Due. Take-home Final Exam distributed, due at time of scheduled Final Exam: Monday, Mar. 19, 8 - 11AM.

Readings:

• Joel E. Cohen, "Ten Myths of Population," Discover, April 1996, pp. 42-47
• Lynn White, jr., "The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis," Science, Vol. 155, pp. 1203-1207 (10 March 1967)
• Lewis Thomas, "The Iks," The Lives of a Cell (Bantam, 1974), pp. 126-129

XI. Mar. 13: Last class meeting. Term project presentations and wrap-up discussion.

Recommended Books

• David S. Ariel, The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism (Schocken, 1992) $14
• Ian G. Barbour, When Science Meets Religion (Harper San Francisco, 2000) $16
• Michael Coogan, Stories from Ancient Canaan (Westminster, 1978) $14
• Mircea Eliade, Myths, Dreams, and Mysteries (Harper, 1960)
• Richard Elliott Friedman, The Disappearance of God (HarperCollins, 1996) $14
• Richard Elliot Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? (Harper & Row, 1987) $14
• John Gribbin and Martin Rees, Cosmic Coincidences (Bantam Books, 1989)
• Evan Hadingham, Early Man and the Cosmos (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1985) $22
• Edward R. Harrison, Masks of the Universe (Macmillan, 1985)
• Thomas S. Kuhn, The Copernican Revolution (Harvard U. Press, 1957) $12.95
• C.S. Lewis, The Discarded Image (Cambridge U. Press, 1994) $9.95
• David C. Lindberg and Ronald L. Numbers, God and Nature (UC Press, 1986) $24.95
• James Lovelock, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth (Oxford UP, 1979) $11.95
• James Lovelock, The Ages of Gaia (Norton, 1988) $13
• Daniel Matt, The Essential Kabbalah (Harper San Francisco, 1995) $12.00 pap.
• Daniel Matt, trans., Zohar: the Book of Enlightenment (Paulist Press, 1983) $12.95
• Daniel Matt, God and the Big Bang (Jewish Lights, 1996) $16.95
• Jeremy Naydler, Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred (Inner Traditions, 1996) $19.95
• Dorothy L. Sayers, The Mind of the Maker (Harper San Francisco 1979) $13
• Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell (Bantam, 1974) $11.95
• Stephen Toulmin and June Goodfield, The Discovery of Time (U Chicago Press, 1982) $15