PHYS 485 Syllabus

Students will give powerpoint presentations on ethical issues in physics.

TEB Introductory lectures on Ethics for Physicists
TEB Energy (from Physics for Future Presidents)
TEB Radioactivity (from Physics for Future Presidents)
TEB Nukes (from Physics for Future Presidents)

First round of student presentations
Pulsars (Charles Burdick)
Cold Fusion (Matthew Stank)
Weapons (Michael Cheng)
Power-line EM fields and cancer (Dave Bartoleme)
Uri Geller (Andrew Somorjai)

Second round of student presentations
Blind Analysis (Michael Cheng) Paper by Prof. Aaron Roodman (SLAC)
Millikan Oil Drop Experiment (Clinton Burdick)
Bogdanov Affair (Andrew Somorjai)

Other possible topics (related to ethical issues) :
N-rays
LBL Heavy Elements
Hendrik Schon and Bell Labs
Molecular Transistors
Polywater
Split A_2
Missing Mass Spect
Patents/exemptions
More on weapons/war/ethics

This is a oral course (95% of the course grade) is based on oral presentations concerning ethical issues.

Last modified: 23 May 2008