HHS 369EV: Fall 2008

A Scientific Revolution: SciRev

Wed./Thurs. – 7:45 to 9:00 PM

Pierce 120

Daniel Newsome Presiding

Office: M333 (Pierce-Morton)

Consultations before class or by appointment

Email: scirevf08@mifami.org

Class Policies              Project Pages               eLibrary

 

Last Update: 12/11/08 7:23 AM

This is not a static page and should be refreshed frequently in order to see the most recent update.

Week

Dates

Assignment Links and Other Information

0

8/27-28

Assignment 0: Intro and lead up: Ptolemy, Galen, Epicurus, Aristotle, Plato, et al.  (for Ass0 and Ass1)

Lecture on class basics and Late Medieval science.

Koestler: pp. 57-79 in paperback, or 57-75 in hardback.

1

9/3-4

Assignment 1: Ancient and Medieval background: Cross cultural contacts and exploration and Ibn Tufayl.

Promote Durer show.

Lecture on Late Medieval science: Greek, Latin, and Arabic.

Course package readings:  Ibn Tufayl

2

9/10-11

Assignment 2: Copernicus: Arab astronomy meets Pythagorean wanna-be. 

Koestler (Copernicus) pp. 122-178, 188-222

Course package readings: Rheticus and Copernicus

3

9/17-18

Assignment 3: Kepler and Coffee

Koestler (Kepler) pp. 227-304

Course package readings: Kepler and Johns

4

9/24-25

Assignment 4: Kepler part II.  Cardano

Koestler (Kepler) pp. 305-404

Bragg podcast.

Course package readings: Kepler, Cardano, and Witches

5

10/1-2

Assignment 5:  Vesalius, Servetus, Harvey and Galileo

Koestler (Galileo) pp. 431-470

Course package readings: Debus and Harvey

6

10/8-9

middle

Assignment 6: Galileo and friends

Koestler (Galileo) pp. 471-503

Course package readings: Galileo

7

10/15-16

Assignment 7: Exam I and Enter the Atom.  Microscope Primer.

Course package readings: Meinel, Descartes, Hobbes

8

10/22-23

Assignment 8: Hooke/Leewenhoek

Course package readings: Fournier, Hooke, and Hall

 

 

 

9

10/29-30

Assignment 9: Boyle, Decartes, et al.
Westfall reading: pp. 1-18

Course package readings: Descartes, Boyle, Jardine

Project Presentations: Thursday: Zoe and Naveen

10

11/5-6

Assignment 10: Early Newton

Westfall reading: pp. 19-109

Course package readings: Newton and Alchemy

Project Presentations: Thursday: Jackie

11

11/12-13

Assignment 11: Peak Newton

Westfall: pp, 110-190

Project Presentations: none

12

11/19-20

Assignment 12: Post Newton

Westfall: pp. 191-272

Course package readings: Boscovich, Kant, Scott, Hall-Boas

Project Presentations: Jean

break

11/26-27

Read Westfall: pp. 273-313 – Finish off the Newton book.

13

12/3-4

Assignment 13: Philosophy of SciRev

Course package readings: Lakatos, Popper, Kuhn, Pascal, HumeÉ etc.

Project Presentations: David and Russell and Jean

Final

Wednesday,

12/10/08- 6-8pm P120

Assignment 14 – Final Exam: IÕll be combining both of my classes for this exam.  So plan on 6:00-8:00 pm.

 

Here is a link to the Stevens Assessment Center.  It would be great if you could do this.  Sorry about all the paperwork.  www.stevens.edu/assess/

 

Fill this out for some extra credit: Text_Survey.doc Download it and email it back to me by Sunday the 14th.

 

These are the books you should have.  They were all ordered and should be in the bookstore.

 

1) Koestler, Arthur. The Sleepwalkers : A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe. New York: Arkana, 1959/89.  IÕm not sure what edition the book store got, but any will do.

 

2) Westfall, Richard S. The Life of Isaac Newton. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993 (or newer).

 

-All other class readings will be provided via this web site and/or the assignment page links. 

 

-Specific projects may require additional materials not contained in the Stevens library or from the class library. Seek my help if you are ever having trouble finding a source that you want, even if is for another class.  One of the things to learn in this class is how to find sources.