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;
|
Course Description | |
Related Sustainable Development Goals |
| 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 | To be able to critically interpret theories, concepts, methods, instruments and ideas that form the basis of Public Relations and Advertising field. | |||||
2 | To be able to collect and use necessary data to produce content in the field of Public Relations and Advertising with scientific methods. | |||||
3 | To be able to use theoretical knowledge gained in the field of Public Relations and Advertising in practice. | |||||
4 | To be able to use analytical thinking skills in the field of Public Relations and Advertising. | |||||
5 | To be able to convey creative ideas and solution suggestions supported by scientific data in written and oral form to stakeholders. | |||||
6 | To be able to take responsibility as individual and group members to solve problems encountered in the practice of Public Relations and Advertising field. | |||||
7 | To be able to develop solutions that favor public good and raise awareness by having knowledge about regional, national and global issues and problems. | |||||
8 | To be able to relate the basic knowledge of other disciplines supporting the field of Public Relations and Advertising with his/her own field of expertise. | |||||
9 | To be able to use the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired by following regulations, innovations, changes, current developments, and occupational health and safety practices closely in the field of Public Relations and Advertising; in a lifelong manner and for individual and social purposes. | |||||
10 | To be able to collect, interpret and share data by considering social, scientific and professional ethical values in the field of Public Relations and Advertising. | |||||
11 | To be able to collect data in the areas of Public Relations and Advertising and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1) | |||||
12 | To be able to speak a second foreign at a medium level of fluency efficiently. | |||||
13 | To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to their field of expertise. |
*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest