Humans, Science, the Universe

3 Credits

What is the universe and what is humanity’s place in it? This is one of the fundamental questions that people have always asked, and we are still asking it. This course will explore humanity’s view of terrestrial and celestial phenomena from ancient to modern times, and in parallel offer basic explanations for how science views these phenomena today. Topics include the solar system and how various civilizations and eras have conceived of its structure, light and relativity, and modern concepts of cosmology. This course affords students the ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.