- Docente: Marco Ciardi
- Credits: 6
- SSD: M-STO/05
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in History and Oriental Studies (cod. 8845)
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student acquires critical tools to: interpret primary and secondary sources on the history of scientific thought (contextualized in the philosophical culture, technical, socio-political, institutional of their time); perform archival research; produce various kinds of papers (reviews, critical, articles, essays).
Course contents
Start date: 18 marzo 2019
Course Location:
Via Centotrecento, Aula D: Wednesday: 1-3 pm. - Thursday: 3-5 pm. - Friday: 3-5pm.
Course Title:
Atomic bomb and peace: Marie Curie, Albert Einstein and the future of humanity.
The course will analyze the history of radioactivity, from its discovery to the first atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. A special attention will be given to the relationship between Marie Curie and Albert Einstein, to their commitment to peace and dissemination of culture. The science of radioactivity as source of inspiration for movies and comics will be also examined.
Lessons 1-3: Introduction to the course. History of Atomic Theory. Mendeleev's 1869 periodic table. Roentgen's discovery of X-rays.
Readings/Bibliography
ATTENDING STUDENTS
1) M. Ciardi, Marie Curie, Milano Hoepli, 2017.
2) Choose one of the following texts:
a) P. Greco, Einstein aveva ragione. Mezzo secolo di impegno per la pace, Milano, Scienza Express Edizioni, 2012.
b) V. Barone, Albert Einstein, Il costruttore di universi, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
1) M. Ciardi, Marie Curie, Milano Hoepli, 2017.
2) P. Greco, Einstein aveva ragione. Mezzo secolo di impegno per la pace, Milano, Scienza Express Edizioni, 2012.
3) M. Ciardi, Il segreto degli elementi. Mendeleev e l'invenzione del Sistema Periodico, Milano, Hoepli, 2019.
Teaching methods
Teaching methods may vary in relation to the number, requests and interests of students. They will include traditional lectures, open discussions, and presentation of papers by the students. Course attendance is strongly recommended.
Assessment methods
The exam will take the form of an oral discussion and the student will be assessed according to the knowledge he has acquired, his ability to provide a clear summary of the topics covered and his critical handling of the material. He will be expected to refer to both the exam bibliography and the texts read and discussed during the lectures.
The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skill displayed by the student in handling the sources and material in the exam bibliography and his ability to find and use information and examples to illustrate and correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course.
Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.
Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology. A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.
Evaluation levels:
30 cum laude: excellent performance showing soundness of knowledge, rich discursive articulation, appropriate expression, interest of critical contribution;
30: Excellent performance, complete, and appropriate knowledge, well-articulated and appropriately expressed, with interesting critical contributions;
29-27: Good performance, more than satisfactory knowledge, correct expression.
26-24: Standard performance, essential knowledge, but not comprehensive and / or not always correctly expressed;
23-21: Sufficient performance, general but superficial knowledge; often inappropriate expression and/or confused articulation of speech;
20-18: Poor performance, sufficient expression and articulation of speech with significant gaps;
< 18: Insufficient performance, knowledge absent or very incomplete, lack of orientation in the discipline, poor and seriously flawed expression.
Teaching tools
Teaching tools will include power points, web sources, movies.
Office hours
See the website of Marco Ciardi