Physics Writing & Communicatio

Catalog description

We are living during an exciting moment when engaging forms of physics writing and communication are widely accessible to popular audiences. Examples (to name just a few) include Brian Greene’s lucid writings on relativity, quantum mechanics, and string theory; Carlo Rovelli’s poetic reflections on time; and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s lively podcast Startalk Radio. Such communication has the power to disseminate intricate physics theories and concepts in a digestible way, spark newfound understandings, philosophical reflection, and critical thinking among diverse audiences, and promote young people’s entry into science-related fields. In this course, we will both rhetorically analyze and engage in physics writing and communication. We will study a wide range of physics-related communications designed for popular audiences (including books, articles, podcasts, and short videos), analyze their rhetorical workings, and compose and circulate our own writing and communication about physics.