AST 102 Black Holes, Time Warps and the Large Scale Structure of the Universe

Semester: Fall (even years only)
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite: none

We present a physical and astronomical (but non-mathematical) picture of the workings of Einstein's theory of relativity, and its application to cosmology and to black holes and wormholes, the most exotic and energetic objects known to scientists. Our aim is twofold: (1) to demystify black holes, big-bang cosmology, and the nature of space and time for non-science majors, to enable them to evaluate critically the frequent references to these exoteric concepts in the press and in popular science and science-fiction literature; and (2) to provide non-science majors with a glimpse of the processes by which scientific theories are conceived and advanced. In the course we make heavy use of computer-generated graphics and simulations during lectures

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