| Course Name | History and Philosophy of Astronomy |
| Code | Semester | Theory (hour/week) | Application/Lab (hour/week) | Local Credits | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GENS 212 | Fall/Spring | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Prerequisites | None | |||||
| Course Language | English | |||||
| Course Type | Service Course | |||||
| Course Level | First Cycle | |||||
| Mode of Delivery | - | |||||
| Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course | ||||||
| Course Coordinator | ||||||
| Course Lecturer(s) | ||||||
| Assistant(s) | - | |||||
| Course Objectives | This course will examine the history and philosophy of astronomy in a way accessible to students of all majors and levels. Commencing from prehistory, emphasis will be placed both on lessons learned from past scientific developments and on open issues to stress the dynamics of discovery, including dark matter and cosmological questions about the Big Bang and the “multiverse.” Analysis of the impact of astronomical research will consider industrial benefits, mention of the novel phenomenon of commercial space and societal change from the artistic, literary, and philosophical standpoints, including also science straying into metaphysics. The contribution given by women throughout history will be explicitly showcased to provide a balanced view. Finally we shall consider the colonization of Mars, the dream of interstellar exploration, and the history and philosophical implications of the possible discovery of alien life in the universe, including intelligent civilizations. |
| Learning Outcomes | The students who succeeded in this course;
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| Course Description | |
| Related Sustainable Development Goals |  |
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| Core Courses | |
| Major Area Courses | ||
| Supportive Courses | ||
| Media and Managment Skills Courses | ||
| Transferable Skill Courses |
| Week | Subjects | Required Materials |
| 1 | Introduction, the Solar System, our Universe | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: NASAS: Planets, Moons, Asteroids, Comets and Meteors. BSF: Part I; BSFWB: Ch. 1; PINLN |
| 2 | Prehistory, archeoastronomy, ancient Egypt | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: RMPI: pp 3-47; TESA: Ch. 4 PINLN |
| 3 | Basic naked-eye astronomy, observing the sky | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: PINLN |
| 4 | Babylonian mathematics and astronomy | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: TESA: Ch. 1-3, 5 PINLN |
| 5 | Greek philosophy and astronomy I | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: TESA: Ch. 6 HWP: Part I–The Presocratics PSC: Prologue PINLN |
| 6 | Greek philosophy and astronomy II | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: HWP: Part II–Socrates, Plato, Aristotle GINPTO PINLN |
| 7 | The Middle Ages and Astronomy in Islam | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: PSC: Ch. 2 (Historical Perspectives) PINLN |
| 8 | The Copernican Revolution, Tycho, and Kepler | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: HWP: Bk 3, Pt. VI–The Rise of Science PINLN |
| 9 | Galileo, the telescope, Newton, and mechanics | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: PINGT; PSC: Ch. 3, 5 (gravitation) PINLN |
| 10 | Midterm I | |
| 11 | Triumphs and failures. Einstein and relativity | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: PSC: Ch. 8, 9, 26 SGT: Part II PINLN |
| 12 | Space exploration. The race to the Moon | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: NASARS: 1-26; BSFWB: Ch. 4; BSF: Ch. 9 PINLN |
| 13 | Project I | |
| 14 | Exploring Mars. Interstellar space. Alien life | No-advanced-math based concept summary and essential concepts from: BSFWB: Ch. 9; BSF: Ch. 13; NASAINS; ESAEXB: II.3; PINLN |
| 15 | Project II | |
| 16 | Final exam |
| Course Notes/Textbooks | NASA Science, Our Solar System, https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/ : NASAS. A. B. Chace, The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus (Vol. I) (Mathematical Association of America, Oberlin, Ohio, 1927): RMPI. O. Neugebauer, The Exact Sciences in Antiquity (Dover Publications, New York, 1969): TESA. B. Russel, History of Western Philosophy (George Allen and Unwin Ltd., Great Britain, 1947): HWP. T. S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (The University of Chicago, Chicago, 1970): SOSR. K. Popper, The Logic of Scientific Discovery (Routledge, London, 2005): LOSD. P. Feyerabend, “How to defend society against science,” in Scientific Revolutions, Ian Hacking, Ed. (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1981): FEYDS. O. Gingerich, “Was Ptolemy a fraud?” Q. Jl. R. astr. Soc., 21, 253-266 (1980): GINPTO. F. Pinto, “Giants’ Talk,” The Griffith Observer, 2-18, 9, 1992: PINGT. A. Einstein, Relativity: The special and general theory (Methuen & Co Ltd, 1920): SGT. G. W. Mason, Physical Science Concepts (BYU Univ. Press, 1997): PSC. NASA, Adventures in Rocket Science (NASA, 2008): NASARS. D. Doody and G. Stephan, Basics of Spaceflight: Learners’ Workbook (JPL, 1995): BSFWB. D. Doody, Basics of Spaceflight (JPL, 2011): BSF. NASA, Mars InSight Launch Press Kit (2018): NASAINS. F. Pinto, “Engines powered by the forces between atoms,” Am. Sci., 102, 280-289 (2014): PINEFBA. ESA, Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars (1999): ESAEXB. F. Pinto, Lecture Notes: PINLN. |
| Suggested Readings/Materials | - |
| Semester Activities | Number | Weigthing |
| Participation | ||
| Laboratory / Application | ||
| Field Work | ||
| Quizzes / Studio Critiques | ||
| Portfolio | ||
| Homework / Assignments | ||
| Presentation / Jury | ||
| Project | 2 | 40 |
| Seminar / Workshop | ||
| Oral Exam | ||
| Midterm | 1 | 20 |
| Final Exam | 1 | 40 |
| Total |
| Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade | 3 | 60 |
| Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade | 1 | 40 |
| Total |
| Semester Activities | Number | Duration (Hours) | Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | 3 | 48 |
| Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | ||
| Study Hours Out of Class | 16 | 4 | 64 |
| Field Work | |||
| Quizzes / Studio Critiques | |||
| Portfolio | |||
| Homework / Assignments | |||
| Presentation / Jury | |||
| Project | 2 | 14 | |
| Seminar / Workshop | |||
| Oral Exam | |||
| Midterms | 1 | 5 | |
| Final Exams | 1 | 5 | |
| Total | 150 |
| # | Program Competencies/Outcomes | * Contribution Level | ||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1 | Understands and applies the foundational theories of Computer Engineering in a high level. | |||||
| 2 | Possesses a great depth and breadth of knowledge about Computer Engineering including the latest developments. | |||||
| 3 | Can reach the latest information in Computer Engineering and possesses a high level of proficiency in the methods and abilities necessary to comprehend it and conduct research with it. | |||||
| 4 | Conducts a comprehensive study that introduces innovation to science and technology, develops a new scientific procedure or a technological product/process, or applies a known method in a new field. | |||||
| 5 | Independently understands, designs, implements and concludes a unique research process in addition to managing it. | |||||
| 6 | Contributes to science and technology literature by publishing the output of his/her academic studies in respectable academic outlets. | |||||
| 7 | Interprets scientific, technological, social and cultural developments and relates them to the general public with a commitment to scientific objectivity and ethical responsibility. | |||||
| 8 | Performs critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of ideas and developments in Computer Engineering. | |||||
| 9 | Performs verbal and written communications with professionals as well as broader scientific and social communities in Computer Engineering, by using English at least at the European Language Portfolio C1 General level, performs written, oral and visual communications and discussions in a high level. | |||||
| 10 | Develops strategies, policies and plans about systems and topics that Computer Engineering uses, and interprets the outcomes. | |||||
*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest
