Required Reading List
Required reading list. When a chapter is indicated, it refers to a
chapter in the class textbook "Black holes and time warps: Einstein's
outrageous legacy" by Kip Thorne. For a given date (e.g., Feb 1), you
are to have read the material before that class; an exception is for
the Jan 25 class, where no report on that reading is needed as it was
the first class.
- Jan 25: Introduction, and ancient conceptions
Link
- Feb 1: The Renaissance and the scientific revolution
Link
- Feb 8: Galileo and Kepler: breaking away from the ancients
Link 1,
Link 2,
Link 3
- Feb 15: Newton and the concept of mathematical modeling of physics
Link 1,
Link 2
- Feb 22: Between Newton and Einstein
Link 1,
Link 2,
Link 3
- Mar 1: Special relativity: the union of space and time
Link 1,
Link 2,
and Chapter 1 in Thorne
- Mar 8: Midterm; no extra reading
- Mar 15: Spring break; enjoy yourself!
- Mar 22: General relativity and its tests
Link
and Chapter 2 in Thorne
- Mar 29: Implications and rejection: black holes and the expanding universe
Link 1,
Link 2,
and Chapter 3 in Thorne
- Apr 5: Do black holes exist? Observations of black holes; how can
we rule out alternatives?
Link 1,
Link 2,
and Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in Thorne
- Apr 12: The mathematical golden age: acceptance, proofs, and evaporation
Link 1,
Link 2,
and Chapters 7 and 12 in Thorne
- Apr 19: The influence of black holes on their surroundings
Link
and Chapters 8 and 9 in Thorne
- Apr 26: Gravitational waves
Link
and Chapter 10 in Thorne
- May 3: The far-out future: wormholes and time machines
Link 1,
Link 2,
and Chapters 13 and 14 in Thorne
- May 10: Presentation of term projects; no extra reading
- May 17, 1:30-3:30 PM: final exam; no extra reading
Send me to:
astro home page
Cole's home page