Introduction to the Universe
An Introduction to the Universe Our universe comprises billions of galaxies in a rapidly expanding fabric. How did it begin? Will it expand forever, or how may it end? How do the stars that compose the galaxies evolve from their births in clouds of gas, through the tranquility of middle age, to their often violent deaths? How can scientists even hope to answer such cosmic questions from our vantage point on a small planet, orbiting a very ordinary star? Are there other planets, orbiting other stars, where intelligent beings may be pondering similar issues? This introductory astronomy course, designed for nonscience majors, will explore these and other questions. Students will also become familiar with the night sky, both as part of our natural environment and as a scientific resource, through independent observations and sessions at the College Observatory. The approach requires no college-level mathematics, but students should expect to do quantitative calculations using scientific notation and occasionally to use elementary high-school algebra.
An Introduction to the Universe Our universe comprises billions of galaxies in a rapidly expanding fabric. How did it begin? Will it expand forever, or how may it end? How do the stars that compose the galaxies evolve from their births in clouds of gas, through the tranquility of middle age, to their often violent deaths? How can scientists even hope to answer such cosmic questions from our vantage point on a small planet, orbiting a very ordinary star? Are there other planets, orbiting other stars, where intelligent beings may be pondering similar issues? This introductory astronomy course, d …Read more
Professor Glikman is very enthusiastic about this class. The class is 100% lecture, with no discussion. She spends most of the class writing on the board, but we do occasional practice problems in the tutorials book. This class is pretty easy, and is definitely intended for freshmen/sophomores. As an upperclassman, this class was an easy somewhat-interesting class.
As someone who had always been interested in fun space facts, this class was incredibly interesting. Eilat is extremely passionate about the subject, and it makes the class all the more interesting. The workload is not bad at all, one problem set a week, biweekly quizzes, one incredibly easy "project", and a final. Highly recommend this class, especially to non-physic majors and non-stemy people
As someone who had always been interested in fun space facts, this class was incredibly interesting. Eilat is extremely passionate about the subject, and it makes the class all the more interesting. The workload is not bad at all, one problem set a week, biweekly quizzes, one incredibly easy "project", and a final. Highly recommend t …Read more
Professor Glikman has endless passion and enthusiasm for the universe. This is a non-major course that is not math or physics heavy, so if you are somewhat interested in anything beyond planet Earth, this (or 255 if you are in Physics) is a must-take. Basic concepts like Newton's Laws are also mentioned. You also get to take pictures on our very own, very real telescope. The weekly homework can feel tiring though and those should really be due Sunday instead of Friday.
Professor Glikman has endless passion and enthusiasm for the universe. This is a non-major course that is not math or physics heavy, so if you are somewhat interested in anything beyond planet Earth, this (or 255 if you are in Physics) is a must-take. Basic concepts like Newton's Laws are also mentioned. You also get to take pictures …Read more
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I thought it gave a very in depth insight into astronomy without overcomplicating things with the math. I enjoyed this course more than PHYS 255 intro to astrophysics. I have TAd for this course ever since I took it. It seems like the difficulty most students have is how to get started on questions rather than the math required to solve them. Glikman has 2 TA sessions / wk, so this course is very manageable and in my opinion, very worth it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I thought it gave a very in depth insight into astronomy without overcomplicating things with the math. I enjoyed this course more than PHYS 255 intro to astrophysics. I have TAd for this course ever since I took it. It seems like the difficulty most students have is how to get started on questions r …Read more
Not a very difficult course overall, occasionally the homework or bi-weekly quizzes will be a grind but they are graded pretty easily and she lets you drop the two lowest. Despite her enthusiasm, which I greatly appreciated, sometimes the lectures got boring. For anyone from the humanities looking for a DED or SCI credit, you can't do much better.