Academic Year 2021/2022
- Docente: Nicola Arcozzi
- Credits: 6
- SSD: MAT/04
- Language: Italian
- Moduli: Nicola Arcozzi (Modulo 1) Andrea Cimatti (Modulo 2) Daniela Cavalcoli (Modulo 3) Raffaella Campaner (Modulo 4)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2) Traditional lectures (Modulo 3) Traditional lectures (Modulo 4)
- Corso: Minor "Journey through space and time"
Learning outcomes
The course will develop from an interdisciplinary point of view the notions of origin, evolution, destiny. At the end of the course the student: has developed a transversal critical approach to the course' topics; will be able to recognize the analogies between different spheres of knowledge, and the usefulness and the limitations intrinsic in these analogies; has experience of working within an interdisciplinary team and to communicate contents within his/her area to expertise to peers with different expertises.
Course contents
All three subtopics of the course will be taught from the viewpoint of different disciplines.
1) Origin:
a) of the Universe;
b) of life on Earth;
c) of humankind.
2) Evolution:
a) of the Universe;
b) of the planet Earth;
c) of biological organism, of humankind.
Keywords: periodicity, equilibrium, time invariance, evolution of a system, ontology of processes vs. ontology of entities, human history and materials.
3) Destiny:
a) possible destinies of the Universe;
b) the destini of Earth;
c) biological design.
Intentionality and its neurobiological basis.
Readings/Bibliography
Suggested readings:
Barrow, J. (2018) Il libro degli universi. Guida completa agli universi possibili. Mondadori.
A. Cimatti, "L'universo oscuro. Viaggio tra i più grandi misteri del cosmo", Carocci Editore, nuova ediz. (2020).
A. de Ricqlès e J. Gayon (2015), “Function”, in T. Heams, P. Huneman, G. Lecointre, M. Silberstein (eds.), Handbook of Evolutionary Thinking in the Sciences, Dordrecht: Springer, ch. 6
Fieschi, R. (1994), Dalla pietra al laser. Materiali e civiltà nel corso dei secolo. Editori Riuniti.
Focardi, P. (2019), L’uomo e il cosmo. Breve saggio nella scienza che ci ha resi infinitamente piccoli. 1088 Press.
Gott J. R., "La ragnatela cosmica. La misteriosa architettura dell’universo", Bollati Boringhieri (2016).
Nicholson, D.J. e Dupré, J. (eds.) (2018), Everything Flows. Towards a Processual Philosophy of Biology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Part I; Part II, capp. 2, 4, 5
Silk, J. (1980), The Big Bang. The Creation and Evolution of the Universe. W.H. Freeman and Company
Susskind, L. Hrabovsky, V. (2019) Il minimo teorico, Raffaello Cortina Editore
Teaching methods
-Seminars and lectures;
-co-teaching;
-class discussion;
-team work
Assessment methods
A seminar on a topic to be agreed with the instructors.
Teaching tools
Online resources: lecture notes, exercises, videos.
Office hours
See the website of Nicola Arcozzi
See the website of Andrea Cimatti
See the website of Daniela Cavalcoli
See the website of Raffaella Campaner