Course Description
This class explores the changing roles of physics and physicists during the 20th century. Topics range from relativity theory and quantum mechanics to high-energy physics and cosmology. We examine the development of modern physics and the role of physicists within shifting institutional, cultural, and political …
This class explores the changing roles of physics and physicists during the 20th century. Topics range from relativity theory and quantum mechanics to high-energy physics and cosmology. We examine the development of modern physics and the role of physicists within shifting institutional, cultural, and political contexts, such as Imperial Britain, Nazi Germany, and the US during World War II, and the Cold War.
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During World War II, a heavy emphasis was placed on new technology. This photograph of the receiver lab at MIT in 1941 documents a secret project to develop radar during the war. To keep the project secret, it was known as the Radiation Laboratory or “Rad Lab” for short. (Image is in the public domain.)
