John Cramer

                                                Dr. John Cramer

Course Description                                      

      This course is one of two options that fulfill the Core science requirement.  By looking at two or more “revolutions” in science, we will investigate how scientists go about developing an understanding of the natural world and how cultural, economic, and personal motivations affect that development. 

     First, we will examine the “Copernican Revolution,” the change from Greek science to Newtonian science.  As it is “ancient history,” we should be able to view dispassionately and learn from what was at times a volatile controversy. 

     We will then move on to Rare Earth hypothesis, the growing consensus that planets sustaining intelligent life are very rare.  It constitutes a sort of reversal of the Copernican revolution but is only a potential revolution at this point.  Nonetheless, it provides a good point of departure to consider questions about the status of humans in the universe.

     The scientific way of understanding our universe is distinct from other ways of knowing. The physical sciences look outward toward the external world rather than inward.  Also, a primary distinguishing characteristic of science is its reliance on experimentation both for the determination of scientific values and for the resolution of disagreements among its practitioners. 

     By nature then, science courses emphasize investigation of physical phenomena with activities and demonstrations that elucidate the phenomena and their explanations.  Pedagogy in a physical science course thus tends toward lecture and demonstration with activities and discussion of the activities and demonstrations. 

Textbooks and Class Materials

Texts for this course will be Arthur Koestler’s The Sleepwalkers and The Copernican Revolution by Thomas Kuhn. Material from other sources will be supplied to the class as needed.  In addition, we will use materials I have prepared in A Brief History of Physical Science and How Alien Would Aliens Be?  All these materials are available in the University Bookstore.

Attendance Policy

Poor class attendance naturally affects learning. Because classes will be activity oriented, attendance will be taken. The fifth absence from class will incur a (+/-) letter grade penalty on the course grade.  Absences beyond that point will incur a quarter (+/-) letter grade penalty each.

Contact    

I am best contacted by email (address above).  Voice mail is second best.  This syllabus is posted on my website at www.facstaff.oglethorpe.edu/jcramer/.

Quizzes, Writing Assignments, and the Final Examination

There will be 13 weekly reading quizzes on Thursdays beginning on September 2.  You will be graded on the best 10 of the 13.  The Final Exam on Dec. 9 at 8:00 AM will be cumulative. You will have 2 papers assigned on Copernican Revolution topics and 1 paper on the Rare Earth Hypothesis.  Papers will be 4 to 6 pages long.  You will be given the questions for the papers well before the due dates (see below).  Due dates for the papers will be Sept. 21, Oct. 21, and Nov. 23.

Grading

The final grade will be composed of 20% for each of three papers, 20% final exam grade, and 20% for the quizzes.  The letter grade will be assigned from the grading scale in the Oglethorpe University Bulletin.

Extra Credit

You may earn as much as 10 points of extra credit in one of three ways.  You may write an additional paper on a topic of your choice, you may do a project, or you may do a class presentation.  All choices must be approved by the instructor by Nov. 4 and must be completed by Nov. 30.

University Policies

We will follow standard university policies as detailed in the Academic Regulations and Policies section of the current university bulletin with respect to course withdrawal, satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading options, incompletes and the honor code.             

Weekly Lecture and Reading Schedule 

Key:  TSW = Koestler’s The  Sleepwalkers, TCR = Kuhn’s The Copernican Revolution,  BHS = A Brief History of Physical Science, HAW = How Alien Would Aliens Be?

Bibliography

Classic Histories of Science                                        

The Origins of Modern Science by Herbert Butterfield  

Science since 1500 by H. T. Pledge, New York, Harper Torchbooks Science Library, 1959

A History of Western Science by Anthony Alioto, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 1987

The Evolution of Physical Science by Cecil J. Schneer, New York, Grove Press, 1960

Foundations of Modern Physical Science by Gerald Holton and Duane Roller, Reading, Mass.,Addison-Wesley,1958

The Fabric of the Universe by Stephen Toulmin and Jane Goodfield

The Beginnings of Western Science by David C. Lindberg

Science and the Makings of the Modern World by John Marks

                        Books on Greek Science:

The Physical World of the Greeks by S. Sambursky (trans. Merton Dagert), Princeton, Princeton Univ. Press, 19871

Physics of the Stoics by S. Sambursky (trans. Merton Dagert), Princeton, Princeton Univ. Press, 1987

The Physical World of Late Antiquity by S. Sambursky (trans. Merton Dagert), Princeton, Princeton Univ. Press, 1987

                        Readings in the history of physical science:

Source Book in Physics by William Francis Magie, McGraw-Hill, 1935

                        Major statements of the importance of the personal element in science:      Personal Knowledge by Michael Polanyi

Creativity and Intuition by Hideki Yakawa

                        For an indication of Newton's impact on experimental science:

Benjamin Franklin's Science by I. Bernard Cohen, Cambridge, Harvard Univ. Press, 1990

                        More information on Galileo:         

Galileo: Pioneer Scientist by Stillman Drake, Toronto, Univ. of Toronto Press, 1990

Galileo: Heretic by Pietro Redondi, Princeton, Princeton Univ. Press, 1987

                        More information on Einstein:

 "Subtle is the Lord...",the Science and Life of Albert

 Einstein by Abraham Pais, Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press, 1982

                        Some popular books on the big bang theory:

 God and the Astronomers by Robert Jastrow, New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 1978

  A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

Writing Assignments

Fall 2004

In all writing assignments, use subheadings in bold print.  Using them has two functions: it forces the writer to consider the structure of the material of the essay and it helps the reader to see that structure.  Write a 4 to 6 page essay on the following:

Writing Assignment 1

In his The Origin of Science and the Science of Its Origin, Stanley L. Jaki  contends that Greek science “proved to be a miscarriage or stillbirth of time.”  In what sense is this true?  What prevented Greek science from becoming real science? 

You will need to look into works on the history of science listed in the Bibliography of the syllabus.  Other sources:

The Origin of Science and the Science of Its Origin by Stanley L. Jaki

Science and the Making of the Modern World by John Marks

A History of Western Science by Anthony Alioto

The Beginnings of Western Science by David C. Lindberg

Writing Assignment 2

Consider the history of science from the Greeks through the Reformation beginnings of modern science.  Modern science rose and has progressed since that time.  From this background, argue either that 1) science and technology arose inevitably or 2) science and technology might never have arisen.  I don’t care which you choose but I want you to argue it well with good, well-chosen examples and thoughtful well-made points.

Writing Assignment 3

Suppose that, at least in our galaxy and the nearby galaxies, there really are no intelligent aliens.  We are alone in the “local group” of galaxies.  From what we know of scientific revolutions and change, discuss how the scientific community is likely to react to that “fact.” What control beliefs will be operative and what changes in control beliefs will be necessary?  In what way is the change likely to be controversial and emotional?  What responses are available to ameliorate the force or impact of the change?  Note: this question requires you to speculate.  Nonetheless, try to be realistic about it.