Lifelong Learning Webpage
Course Description
Meets Wednesday, 6:45-9:15PM
September 13 - November 08 (NOT October 11)
305 7th Ave, (near 27th St), 11th Floor NY,NY
From the drop of an apple to the stately dance of the galaxies, gravity is
omnipresent in the cosmos. Even with its high profile, gravity is the most
enigmatic of all the known basic forces in nature. Albert Einstein’s theory
of relativity describes the effect of gravitation on the shape of space and
the flow of time.
In this course we learn enough special relativity and other physics to study
subjects like the beginning of the universe in a “big bang,” inflationary
evolution and the expanding universe, the relationship of gravity to warped
and rippling spacetime, and finally black holes, wormholes and possible time
travel.
Students should have studied basic algebra and geometry at some time, but
no prior knowledge of physics is expected.
Major Topics:
Special relativity
Theory of gravity
Black holes
Cosmology
Ideas and philosophies of Einstein and others
Major topics:
* Special relativity
* Theory of gravity
* Black holes
* Cosmology
* Ideas and philosophies of Einstein and others
John Boccio, Professor of Physics at Swarthmore College since 1967. He is
currently finishing work on two books in theoretical physics: In Search of
Quantum Reality (which is for first-year physics students) and Quantum
Theory (for advanced students). In Lifelong Learning at Swarthmore he has
previously taught “Aristotle, Galileo, and Einstein” and “In Search of
Reality.”
Texts
It's About Time - Understanding Einstein's Relativity - N. David Mermin
ISBN: 978-0-691-14127-5
General Relativity from A to B - Robert Geroch
ISBN: 0-226-28864-1
The First Three Minutes - Steven Weinberg
ISBN: 0-465-02437-8
Boccio Notes
Syllabus
Boccio Lectures
Assignments
Solutions