00972 - History of Physics

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will know: - the main physicists, experiments and events that characterized the development of ideas and experimental techniques in physics; - methods and tools for historical analyses. The student will be able to: - place specialized topics already addressed in their studies within a historiographic framework; - analyze the historical-scientific evolution of knowledge, with particular attention to the development of knowledge, productivity and creativity in physics; - work in a team for the search, choice and analysis of historical materials; - develop a project of historical analysis and present it.

Course contents

After a brief introduction to the major historiographical issues, the course will develop along three main parts. In the first, the major contribution of the Greek and Hellenic science are highlighted, with a particular emphasis on physics and astronomy. The second part focuses on the history of physics during the middle age and in the early modern period, with a special focus on Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton. The third part of the course will be devoted to the nineteenth and twentieth Century. The introduction of the electromagnetism and thermodynamics, of the quantum theory and the theory of relativity will be discussed.

The course foresees working-groups for each of the three parts. Visits to historical science museums will integrate the contents of the lessons.

Office hours

See the website of Eugenio Bertozzi