The Einstein Revolution
HarvardX EMC2x
Instructor: Peter Galison
Albert Einstein has become the icon of modern science. Following his scientific, cultural, philosophical, and political trajectory, this course aims to track the changing role of physics in the 20th and 21st centuries. This history course addresses Einstein's engagement with relativity, quantum mechanics, Nazism, nuclear weapons, philosophy, the arts, and technology, and raises basic questions about what it means to understand physics in its broader history.
Participants in the course will follow eleven lessons, each of which will present a mix of science and the broader, relevant cultural surround. Some weeks will examine the physics concepts, while others will see excerpts of films or discuss modernist poetry that took off from relativity. Or we might be looking at the philosophical roots and philosophical consequences of Einstein’s works. At other times we will be fully engaged with historical and political questions: the building, dropping, and proliferation of nuclear weapons, for example.
There are no math and science prerequisites. Optional primers in both algebra and physics are available at the end of the course outline (below Lesson 11).
Typically, in a lesson (about an hour of streamed material), there will be opportunities for individual mini-essay writing, some multiple choice questions to bolster your understanding of the science, and a group activity which might one week be a debate and another a collective commentary on elements of an artwork from 1920s Weimar Germany.
Grading
In order to earn a certificate, you must complete at least 70% of the course requirements which includes watching the lecture videos, doing the readings, answering the quizzes, participating in the discussion, and completing the writing assignments. Completion of lectures, readings, and discussion participation is self-reported in the ’Self-Assessment’ component at the end of each unit. You can track your progress throughout the course in the Progress tab.
- Homework, Assignments, and Quizzes 70%
- Participation and Discussion 30%
To earn a Verified Certificate, you must upgrade by August 1, 2021.
You can complete the course requirements at any time by August 11, 2021, but for your own benefit, we encourage you to work through the material and assignments in a timely manner.
Lectures
The course material is largely presented in the course videos. Most are lectures but there are interviews as well and in addition several pre-recorded office hours.
Optional Writing Assignments, Essay
The course includes several essay prompts for students to engage further with the material. These can be used by instructors and students alike. The essays are not required to obtain a verified track certificate.
Course Schedule and Readings
Lesson 1
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Poincaré's Maps
Lesson 2
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Einstein's Clocks
Lesson 3
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Einstein's Style
Lesson 4
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Space-Time
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General Relativity
Lesson 5
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The Assassin of Relativity
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The Art of Relativity
Lesson 6
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The Philosophy of Relativity
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Cosmology
Lesson 7
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Fission, Women in Physics and the Rise of the Nazis
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The Nazi Bomb and Los Alamos
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Nuclear Bibliography and Readings
Lesson 8
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Nuclear Proliferation
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Quantum Debates
Lesson 9
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Quantum Philosophy
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Quantum Technology
Lesson 10
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Einstein, Politics and Religion
Lesson 11
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Conclusion
Primers
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Algebra Primer
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Physics Primer