Physics played a central role in the history of the twentieth century, during which the discipline endured a series of major upheavals. It strongly influencied the course of World War II, the Cold War, and the birth of the Information Age. And it has dramatically impacted other sciences – especially astronomy and cosmology – utterly changing the way we perceive space, time, matter, energy and the Universe.

Physics is also an intrinsic part of the wider human culture. Its evolution has been influenced by events and intellectual currents that went on well beyond its core scientific domains. The revolutionary theories of relativity and quantum mechanics, cornerstones of modern physics, emerged from speculative European culture in the decades bracketing World War I. Pragmatic American physicists then parlayed these insights into such age-defining artifacts as the laser, transistor, and nuclear weapons.

We will explore these currents and developments, paying special attention to the practice of modern physics – how its evolution can be affected by the beliefs and cultural prejudices of individual practitioners. The course begins with a overview of relativity, quantum mechanics, and atomic physics, which were developed largely in Europe during the early decades of the century. The center of gravity then shifts across the Atlantic during the 1930s and 1940s, when Nazism and World War II drove physicists out of Continental Europe to Britain and the United States, where important applications of nuclear and solid-state physics began to occur. We finish with a discussion of the flowering of "Big Science" during the Cold War, leading to U.S. dominance in particle physics during the third quarter of the century. In the final week we examine the reaction against Big Science and evaluate the nature of scientific revolutions, trying to assess what can be learned about these upheavals from the history of twentieth-century physics.

This course will be an interactive learning experience based on lectures, reading assignments and in-class discussions. Students are strongly encouraged to go beyond the required readings and explore their own interests in the additional recommended and suggested readings, bringing their individual insights to the discussions. If elected, grades will be based on class participation, a short essay, a mid-term examination, and a term paper due at the end of the course.

Lectures: TTH 1:15 - 3:00 p.m., Building 550, Room 553R
Office hours: Th 3:15-5:15 p.m., Lane History Building (#200), Room 25

Reading List

Course Schedule

Web Sites