Course Essay
Thanks to Prof. Carlsmith for the content of this and linked pages relating to the essay.
You are required to turn in an original, 500-750 word typed essay on
a topic from the following list, or explicitly approved by the
instructor. You must read an original article written for consumption
by a physicist and attach a copy of the article to your essay. The
article must be from a scientific journal (many available online), not
a news magnazine or web page digest.
The essay is due in class on Monday, December 5th .
Grading criteria:
The essay will be graded on Structure, Analysis, Style, and Originality.
A detailed explanation of the grading criteria is given here.
HELP!
Help with writing is available at http://www.wisc.edu/writing/index.html
On-line journal articles available through the physics library at http://physics.library.wisc.edu/ejournal.htm
Web site links for topics listed below available here.
Topics:
- Describe an example of bogus or contentious physical science
such as cold fusion. Read and summarize at least one original published
paper or conference proceeding on the subject. Describe ways the
process or contention is supported by science or not. Why has science
not resolved the issue? Ref: Topics may be found in archives of What's New or Robert Park's book Voodoo Science and articles such as this.
- Describe
the mission and success of a big physics project: CDF at Fermilab,
CERN, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Hipparcos satellite, the WMAP
satellite, the Chandra satellite, GLAST, the ICE CUBE neutrino
detector, or LIGO. Describe how the project was or is funded and the
construction and/or operating budget. Alternate projects may be
approved by the instructors. Read and summarize at least one original
published referreed journal paper (not a digest from the project
homepage) pertaining to results of the project if data has been
collected. Check project web sites for references to publications.
- Select
one of the following subjects: cosmology, astrophysics, global warming,
quantum computing, nanotechnology, fusion, or elementary particle
physics. What are the major achievements of the last 50 years? What is
likely to be discovered in the next 50 years? Read and summarize one
original published journal paper (e.g. Journal of Astrophysics)
pertaining to to the subject. What associated technologies might affect
our daily lives? How much money per year has the US Federal government
dedicated to research in this area? (Check DOE and NSF websites.)
Ref: Annual Reviews, Reviews of Modern Physics, IoP)
- Choose
one winner of the Nobel Prize in physics excluding Einstein. Describe
the work and importance recognized by the award. Read and summarize at
least one original published journal paper (not the Nobel lecture) by
the physicist. Ref: Nobel Prize.com, Nobel museum
