Atom and Energy

Catalog description

E=mc2: One simple equation encapsulates the power to grant life and death in equal measure - life associated with fusion in the sun, radiation therapy, and nuclear energy; death via nuclear bombs and nuclear disasters. This course uses nuclear physics as a prism for exploring science as a human endeavor, focusing on the physics of the atomic nucleus and its technological applications. Arguments for and against nuclear power plants are analyzed, while the power and threat of nuclear weapons are assessed. The international treaties designed to limit the spread of nuclear weapons are scrutinized, emphasizing the challenges that lawmakers and citizens face in determining and guiding the uses of nuclear power and grappling with the moral responsibility that all of us - scientists, politicians, and citizens - must bear for ourselves, our nations, and ultimately, for humanity.