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Class number:
3304
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Title: Physics in Science Fiction |
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Department: First Year Sem & Colloq |
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Career: Undergraduate |
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Component: Seminar |
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Session: Regular |
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Instructor's Permission Required: Yes |
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Grading Basis: Graded |
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Units: 1.00 |
| Enrollment limited to 15 |
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Current enrollment: 15 |
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Available seats: 0 |
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Start date: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 |
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End date: Thursday, December 21, 2023 |
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Mode of Instruction: In Person |
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Schedule: TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM, UNASSIGNED - |
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Instructor(s): Branning, David |
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Prerequisite(s): Only first-year students are eligible to enroll in this class. |
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Distribution Requirement: Meets FirstYr Seminar Requirement |
Course Description:
Science fiction has a long history of presenting speculations on the physical laws of the universe and the consequences of these laws for our lives and our civilization. Many of these speculations have turned out to be correct, others have proved spectacularly wrong, and some are so forward-looking that the verdict may not be known for centuries. We will read stories mostly in the "hard SF" tradition of Tom Godwin's "The Cold Equations" and Poul Anderson's "Tau Zero." Along with classic masters such as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Larry Niven, we will explore modern award-winning authors such as Greg Egan, David Marusek, and Ted Chiang. We will discuss how their stories explore scientific concepts, and we will incorporate these concepts into original written works. |