Geology 211 - Uranium

From the A-bomb to zircon, uranium has revolutionized humanity's destructive potential and wisdom about time. Uranium is the planet's heaviest naturally occurring element, and it transforms by both radioactive decay and nuclear fission. This course uses computer modeling to explore these two transformations and what we make of them, specifically: the age of the earth, high-precision dating of recent geologic and climate events, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and radiation and health. Writing and reading assignments focus on science communication for a general audience.

Prereq: One course in Chemistry, Geology, Math, or Statistics.