Overview
This course explores the big questions about the nature of science and the search for objective reality through the lens of cosmology. The learning outcomes include understanding the evolving nature of physical theories, concepts like dark matter and dark energy, and the meaningfulness of the concept of objective reality. The individual skills taught include critical thinking, reflection, and analysis of scientific concepts. The teaching method involves a lecture format with personal reflections from a leading physicist. The intended audience for this course is individuals interested in cosmology, theoretical physics, and the philosophy of science.
Syllabus
Introduction
Constructions in natural science
The objective reality of the speed of light
Is all of our physics technically wrong?
The inevitability of inventions
The expanding universe
Thermal radiation in the universe
Evidence for the evolution of the universe
Acoustic oscillations in the early universe
Exciting discoveries that haven't been discovered yet
Taught by
The Royal Institution