Quantum Mechanics

Demystifying Quantum Mechanics

January 26 - May 25, 1998

In his popular little book QED, The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, Richard Feynman reduces the rules of quantum mechanics to a simple command for the electron and the photon: Explore all paths. In 1948 Feynman proved that this command leads to the same results as the usual wave mechanics.

Our course studies the command "Explore all paths" and its consequences. Using hands-on software, you interact with animated illustrations from Feynman's book. On line, you discuss with other participants the deep paradoxes of quantum mechanics. But deep does not mean mathematical: NO EQUATIONS until one-third of the way through the course. Then the quantum wave function emerges as a natural consequence of the command "Explore all paths." It accounts for the smoothness of a friend's skin and the gold of the sunset.

Some comments from students during previous semesters:

The reading was incredible...I really get a kick out of Feynman's totally off-wall way of describing this stuff...Truly a ground-breaker!...He brings up some REALLY interesting ideas that I am excited to discuss with the rest of the class...Feynman presents the material in such a logical and understandable manner I can hardly wait for the next example...It is an easy storytelling with plenty of everyday analogies...I find it similar to a good novel. Hard to put down or out of my mind...Feynman does a great job of explaining a post graduate physics topic in nearly everyday language...I'm learning twice as much as I ever hoped to, and we have just scratched the surface...It's all so profound. I find myself understanding "physics" at a more fundamental level...I enjoy reading him because he seems so honest about what he (and everyone else) does not know...Man, it made me feel good to read that Feynman couldn't understand this stuff either...I was very pleased to have Feynman tell us that what we will learn is absurd.

This course is pretty addictive! I find myself constantly thinking of the concepts presented in the reading as well as the items brought up (in the on-line discussion)...I find it similar to a good novel. Hard to put down or out of my mind...I am learning SO MUCH from all of you. That's one of this course format's strongest features...I'm learning twice as much as I ever hoped to, and we have just scratched the surface...I got an A in my intro qm class without having even afraction of the understanding I have now...I find the power of this weekly conferencing unmatched by any course or book I have read. This medium allows us all to resonate and reflect our views of Physics.
As I breeze through Feynman, it occurs to me that the reading is easy because of the software simulations we have run...It is very nice to have these computer programs to "experiment" with...This all makes so much more sense now, and I owe a large part of that to the software.

INSTRUCTOR:

Edwin F. Taylor, Visiting Scholar at Carnegie Mellon University, is the author, with A. P. French, of the text Introduction to Quantum Physics (Norton, 1978) and with John Archibald Wheeler of texts on special relativity and general relativity. He has written and collaborated on award-winning software for teaching physics and has written the software used in this class.

ASSOCIATE INSTRUCTOR:

Nora S. Thornber, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Raritan Valley Community College, NJ. She has a PhD in physics from the California Institute of Technology and has done postdoctoral research at Stanford University and SLAC. She is the instructor of the course in General Relativity also offered this semester by the National Teachers Enhancement Network (see the description earlier in this document).

CREDIT:

Physics 580 - 3 graduate semester credits.

PREREQUISITES:

An introductory physics course and a working knowledge of elementary differential and integral calculus.

TIME COMMITMENT:

10 to 15 hours per week.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

High school science and mathematics teachers, college undergraduates, college teachers, and anyone else interested in the subject.

TEXT:

Feynman, R. QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter. Princeton University Press, 1985.

COST:

Tuition is $270 and the materials fee is $75 (includes shipping). In addition, there is a communications fee of $100 for use of our 800 number, unless you are able to access the course through a direct Internet connection (requires a SLIP or PPP connection).

Return to the list of NTEN courses.

Last Updated: 9-Dec-97
by Christian Stryker