ScienceofModernTechnologyandPublicPolicy,APHYS100,ENASS100,PHYSS100DanielProber,Prof.ofAppliedPhysicsandPhysics203432-4280;BectonCenter417Seminarthatexaminesthesciencebehindselectedmajoradvancesinmoderntechnology.Thefocusisonthescientificbasisofeachadvance,aswellasthetechnology'sresultingimpactonsociety.Studentgroupspresentcasestudies,withtopicsdevelopedbytheparticipantsincollaborationwiththeinstructor.Intendedfornon-sciencemajors..

Yalepowerplant–treatedinthecourse

Weaddressmajorquestions inpresentations givenbytheinstructor, studentsandguestlecturers:whatisthesciencebaseofthetechnological advance,whatleaduptothetechnologydevelopment,andhowdoestheadvanceaffectsocietyandpublicpolicy. Thegoalistounderstandhowwehavegottentowhereweare,andtherebyprovideinsightintothefuture.Theformatwillbeaseminarwithcasestudies.Topicswillbedevelopedbytheparticipantswiththeinstructorandwithguestlecturers.Possibletopicsincludenanotechnology;advancedmaterials;aircraft;spaceflight;nuclearpower,weapons,medicaluses;opticalsystemsforcommunication andmedicaldiagnostics; transistors;self-drivingcars,cleanenergyandYaleinitiatives;renewableenergytechnologies,andapplicationsinthedevelopingworld, newtechnologyforsatelliteimagingandGlobalPositioningsystems; large-scale immunization;DNAmade-to-order; cleanpublicwatertechnology;andlighting–fromtungstenfilamentstoLEDs.Hands-ondemonstrationsbytheinstructorinclassandbystudentgroups,andfieldtripswithinYaleandNewHavenwillbeundertaken.Eachweekwilltreatadifferentmajortopic.Thefirstweekwillbepresented fullybytheinstructor.Subsequentweekswillhavestudentandfacultypresentations. Eachstudentwillalsoprepareafinalpaperonhisorhertopic.Thereisnofinalexam.WEPLANTOHAVEAMIDTERMEXAM.Texts:ACenturyofInnovation:Twentyengineeringachievements thattransformedourlives,GeorgeConstableandBobSomerville,publishedbytheNationalResearchCouncil.PhysicsforFuturePresidents,byRichardA.MullerTheinstructorwillhavecopiestoloan.Wewillalsomakeextensiveuseofwebresources,andpostedlecturenotesfromtheinstructorandguestlecturers.

Yalesubjectscoveredinthecourse:

(clockwise)–Yale’sNewColleges,underconstruction–theirsustainabilitydesignisakeyfeature;KroonHall-homeoftheYaleSchoolofForestryandEnvironmentalStudies-themostenergyefficientbuildingoncampus;theYalePowerplant,amajorcontributortoYalecarbonreductionplans,andthelargesolarphotovoltaicfacilityonYale’snewWestcampusourgreenestrenewablepowersource.Thesearecoveredinthecourse.Yale’sextensivesustainabilityandpreservationeffortsareanimportantcurrenttopic,andoneinwhichYalehasleadership.

Discussion of the Yale Carbon-charge project, and the Yale-owned wind farm in Maine will also be included, for both renewable energy and carbon-reduction issues.