ABSTRACT

College students in the United States are becoming increasingly incapable of differentiating between proven facts delivered by scientific inquiry and the speculations of pseudoscience. In an effort to help stem this disturbing trend, From Atoms to Galaxies: A Conceptual Physics Approach to Scientific Awareness teaches heightened scientific acuity a

part 1|2 pages

Part I: In the Beginning . . .

chapter 1|18 pages

Science Kindles

chapter 2|16 pages

A Dark Interlude

chapter 3|10 pages

Science Rekindles

chapter 4|16 pages

From Heaven to Earth

chapter 5|8 pages

Epilogue: Underdetermination?

part 2|2 pages

Part II: Newtonian Era

chapter 6|14 pages

Kinematics: Describing Motion

chapter 7|20 pages

Dynamics: Cause of Motion

chapter 8|24 pages

Further Topics on Motion

chapter 9|20 pages

Gravitation

chapter 10|6 pages

Epilogue: Determinism

part 3|2 pages

Part III: Waves and Electromagnetism

chapter 11|16 pages

Waves

chapter 12|18 pages

Electricity

chapter 13|16 pages

Magnetism and Electricity

chapter 14|12 pages

Electromagnetic Waves

chapter 15|6 pages

Epilogue: Mind and Matter

part 4|2 pages

Part IV: Thermodynamics

chapter 16|14 pages

Introduction to Probability

chapter 17|16 pages

Statistical Mechanics

chapter 18|16 pages

Temperature and Heat

chapter 19|6 pages

Epilogue: Whole and Parts

part 5|2 pages

Twentieth Century Physics: Quantum Theory

chapter 20|16 pages

Birth of Quantum Theory

chapter 21|12 pages

The Atoms

chapter 22|14 pages

Quantum Theory I

chapter 23|28 pages

Quantum Theory II

chapter 24|4 pages

Epilogue: No “Interpretation”

part 6|2 pages

Twentieth Century Physics: Relativity Theory

chapter 25|22 pages

Birth of Relativity

chapter 26|10 pages

Relativity of Time and Space

chapter 27|22 pages

Spacetime Geometry

chapter 28|14 pages

E = mc2

chapter 29|24 pages

General Theory of Relativity

chapter 30|4 pages

Epilogue: No “Marketplace”

part 7|2 pages

Twentieth Century Physics: Microcosmology

chapter 31|22 pages

On the Experimental Front

chapter 32|14 pages

On the Theoretical Front

chapter 33|16 pages

Classifying Particles and Forces

chapter 34|30 pages

The Standard Model

chapter 35|22 pages

New Age “Physics”

chapter 36|6 pages

Epilogue: The Eye of Physics

part 8|2 pages

Twentieth Century Physics: Macrocosmology

chapter 37|14 pages

Physics of the Cosmos

chapter 38|12 pages

Early Universe

chapter 39|16 pages

The Last Epoch

chapter 40|6 pages

Epilogue: The Closing Dialogue

part 9|2 pages

Part IX: Nature of Science

chapter 41|10 pages

Misconceptions about Science

chapter 42|12 pages

Characteristics of Science

chapter 43|20 pages

Science versus Pseudoscience