PHYSI 173 - Cosmology

Upper Division

Prerequisites
PHYSI 003 and MATH 039 are prerequisites for all upper-division physics courses.

Using a historical approach, this course studies how humankind has come to understand the origin and structure of the universe. The course begins with studies of ancient cosmologies, such as those from Egypt, Ancient Greece, Pre-Columbian America and the Orient. This sets the stage for the revolution in understanding brought about by Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton. This fascinating journey is carried through to the present by studying modern astrophysics including topics such as relativity, black holes, stellar evolution and the Big Bang.

Course credits: 1