Introductory Physics I

The concepts and relations (force, energy and momentum) describing physical interactions and the changes in motion they produce, along with applications to the physical and life sciences. Lab experiments, lectures and problem-solving activities are interwoven into each class. In-class discussion sections offer additional help with mathematics, data analysis and problem solving. This course satisfies medical school and engineering requirements for an introductory physics I course with a lab. Prerequisite: PHY 115 (taken concurrently) or Physics math placement test; and MTH 111 or equivalent.

Introductory Physics I

The concepts and relations (force, energy and momentum) describing physical interactions and the changes in motion they produce, along with applications to the physical and life sciences. Lab experiments, lectures and problem-solving activities are interwoven into each class. In-class discussion sections offer additional help with mathematics, data analysis and problem solving. This course satisfies medical school and engineering requirements for an introductory physics I course with a lab. Prerequisite: PHY 115 (taken concurrently) or Physics math placement test; and MTH 111 or equivalent.

Quantitative Approaches

Science blends physical knowledge with mathematical knowledge. This blending changes the meaning attached to math and even the way mathematical equations are interpreted. Learning to think about physics with math involves a number of scientific thinking skills that are rarely taught in introductory classes. Students in this course explicitly learn and practice these skills through individual and group work in a small class setting. Students are recommended for this course on the basis of a short placement test available before registration and again at the start of classes.

Math of Living Physics I

This course is an optional supplement to PHY 111. It is designed for students requiring a calculus-based course to meet major or professional school requirements as well as anyone interested in exploring the subject in more depth mathematically. The two foci of this course are: (1) the use of calculus in mathematical modeling of the physics underlying common biological and chemical processes considered in PHY 111 and (2) the physical insights that can be gained through this analysis.

Living Physics I

First semester of an algebra-based introductory physics course with an emphasis on biological and chemical systems. Topics include: the modeling of physical interactions in terms of mechanical and electrical forces; random motion and diffusion; mechanical properties of cells; fluid flow, viscosity and surface tension; energy transfers due to mechanical movement; the formation and breaking of chemical bonds; and temperature gradients.

Living Physics I

First semester of an algebra-based introductory physics course with an emphasis on biological and chemical systems. Topics include: the modeling of physical interactions in terms of mechanical and electrical forces; random motion and diffusion; mechanical properties of cells; fluid flow, viscosity and surface tension; energy transfers due to mechanical movement; the formation and breaking of chemical bonds; and temperature gradients.

Sem: Science-T-Sustainability

An examination of the conceptual and moral underpinnings of sustainability. Questions to be discussed include: What exactly is sustainability? On what conceptions of the world (as resource, as machine, as something with functional integrity, etc.) does sustainability rely, and are these conceptions justifiable? How is sustainability related to future people? What values are affirmed by sustainability, and how can those values be endorsed? How does sustainability compare with environmental objectives of longer standing such as conservation?

T-Human Nature:Rights&Justice

This course surveys different accounts of human rights and theoretical concerns in the critical theory of human needs. In the first part of the course, the class focuses on the most important historical and philosophical theories of human rights to get a general sense of how the tradition of western philosophy has articulated this concept. Students also look at some decolonial and critical theories of this western tradition. In the second part, the class examines the tension between human rights and human needs.

Continental Philosophy

This course provides a survey of major figures and developments in continental philosophy. Topics to be addressed include human nature and the nature of morality; conceptions of human history; the character and basis of societal hierarchies; and human beings’ relationship to technology. Readings from Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Marx, Heidegger, Sartre, Beauvoir and others. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy.
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