|
|
This class has concluded.
For class recording click here. |
 |
|
Journey
into the MicroWorld:
Elementary Particles & Quantum Mechanics
Course Description:
Deep within our everyday Macro-World lurks the Micro-World of atoms,
and even smaller particles — a nether realm stranger than the most
imaginative science fiction. Yet, its bizarre nature enables our lives,
and determines the fate of the universe. Enjoy this great intellectual
adventure on a journey that requires no visas, vaccinations, or math
skills.
Key
Course Concepts
- Micro-
& Macro-Worlds seem very different, but are intimately connected.
- Diversity
decreases rapidly as size-scale shrinks.
- Everything
we see is made of atoms that have just 3 types of particles — electrons
orbiting a nucleus comprised of protons and neutrons.
- In the
Particle Zoo, some particles are composite (made of other particles)
and some are elementary (we think they have no parts). The latter are:
- 12
fermions (6 quarks & 6 leptons) — particles of matter
- 12
anti-fermions — particles of antimatter
- 5
bosons — particles that carry forces
- Atoms
are timeless, but they make the most precise clocks.
- In
Micro-World, quantum steps are large and important — staircases rule.
- In
Macro-World, quantum steps are myriad & tiny — we see only ramps.
- Duality:
everything in nature has both particle and wave properties.
- Wave
properties give atoms stability and unique fingerprints in light.
- Wave
properties make nature intrinsically uncertain.
- Particles
can simultaneously exist in incompatible states; cats can’t.
- Observation
forever changes the observed, and perhaps the observer.
|
| Optional Book: Quantum Mechanics: Strange Theory of the Micro-World |
 |
Everything you need to
enjoy this course will be explained in the lectures. For those who do
better reading, or who wish to explore further, this book is
specifically written to complement this course. It is available through
Amazon, or at a better price, through our website here. |
|
|
Newsletter