The Universal Timekeepers: Reconstructing History Atom by Atom.
Tuesdays: Jan. 16, 23, 30; Feb. 6, 2024
Reduced tuition of $50 for members, $60 for non-members
These four classes explore how physicists and astronomers use stable and radioactive isotopes as cosmic clocks. They are key tool in all sciences including cosmology, even back to the Big Bang!
Our instructor is Dr. David Helfand, former Chair of Astronomy at Columbia University. As an observational astronomer he has researched and published on neutron stars, X-ray background, radio surveys. He is the former President of the American Astronomical Society, current Chair of the American Institute of Physics, and a well-known lecturer and author. This course is an elaboration of an AAA lecture Dr. Helfand gave in 2019. The title, “Universal Timekeepers“, is from his just-released book available from Columbia University Press or Amazon.
This is Part 2 of a two-part course. Part 1 was a single class preview/review of atoms and radioactivity Dr. Helfand gave recently. It can be viewed once you register for this course.
Topic Outline:
Jan. 16- Art and Archeology
Jan. 23- Diet and Climate
Jan. 30- The Solar System and Life
Feb. 6 – Stars to the Big Bang
This is an intermediate course that includes some mathematics. A calculator is advised.
Register for these four classes at TICKETS window below.
Confirmation will be sent with the link to the Google Classroom (GC).
The preview/review talk is posted there.