S 2013

HC407.  The Physics and Philosophy of Time

                                   

Prof. Ken Krane                      Weniger 367                                  kranek@physics.oregonstate.edu

Text: Paul Davies, About Time (New York, Simon & Schuster, 1995)

 

Class rules:

  1. Read the assigned material from the text (Davies)
  2. Read ONE item from each week’s list of outside readings (on reserve in the Valley Library).
  3. Do either 3a or 3b (you choose which weeks you want to do 3a or 3b):

3a: Write a 2-page reaction paper based on the outside reading (about ˝ summarizing the reading, ˝ your reaction or analysis).  Papers are due at my office (hard copy please; electronic submission only in emergencies such as earthquakes or alien abductions) by 5:00 pm on the Tuesday before class.  You must do at least 5 written papers.

3b: Submit by e-mail (body text; no attachments) a brief summary of the outside reading: Tell me what you read, give the 3 most important points (one or two sentences each), and suggest at least 2 discussion questions for class.  These are also due by 5:00 pm on Tuesday.

  1. Be prepared to discuss both readings (Davies and the outside article) in class each week.
  2. Your grade will be based on the number and quality of the weekly assignments and on your contributions to the class discussions.

 

Reading List  (on reserve in Valley Library for 3-hour loan)

 

HC 407 Reading Packet {VR392}

  

David Albert, Time and Chance (Harvard, 2000) [QC173.59/T53/A43] {VR461}

 

Adolph Baker, Modern Physics and Antiphysics (Addison-Wesley, 1970) [QC25/B17] {VR459}

 

Julian Barbour, The End of Time (Oxford, 1999) {VR275}

 

Sean Carroll, From Eternity to Here (Dutton, 2010) {VR275}

 

Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch, The Golem: What You Should Know About Science (Cambridge, 1998) [Q125/C5521/1998] {VR414}

 

Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield, The Arrow of Time (Fawcett Columbine, 1990) [QB208/C64] {VR474}

  

Raymond Flood and Michael Lockwood, eds., The Nature of Time (Blackwell, 1986) [BD638/N37] {VR280}

  

J. Richard Gott, Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe (Houghton Mifflin, 2001) [QC173.59/S65/G67] {VR462}

  

Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time (Bantam, 1988) [QB981/H377] {VR481}

  

Paul Horwich, Asymmetries in Time (MIT Press, 1987) [Q175/H796 1987] {VR471}

  

Remy Lestienne, The Children of Time (University of Illinois Press, 1990) [BD638/L38 1995] {VR465}

  

Richard Morris, Time's Arrow (Simon & Schuster, 1986) [QB209/M67 1986] {VR472}

  

Paul Nahin, Time Machines (American Institute of Physics, 1993) [PS374/S35] {VR466}

 

Igor D. Novikov, The River of Time (Cambridge University Press, 1998) [VR28] {VR276}

 

David Park, The Image of Eternity (University of Massachusetts Press, 1980) [BD638/P37] {VR469}

  

Barry Parker, Cosmic Time Travel (Plenum, 1991) [QB209/P35 1991] {VR413}

   

Huw Price, Time’s Arrow and Archimedes’ Point (Oxford, 1996) [BD638/P73/1996] {VR278}

   

Wesley C. Salmon, Space, Time, and Motion (U. of Minnesota Press, 1980) [QC173.59/S65/S24] {VR406}

  

Steven Savitt, Time’s Arrows Today (Cambridge University Press, 1995) [BD638/T57 1995] {VR470}

 

Steven Weinberg, The First Three Minutes (Basic Books, 1977) [QB981/W48] {VR467}

    

A. Zee, Fearful Symmetry (Collier Books, 1986) [QC174.17/S9/Z4] {VR460}