Physics is the fundamental set of rules by which everything in the universe plays. The constant beat of your heart, the flash and crack of a lightning strike, and even your cooling coffee are all physics. How can so many different things be described by a single topic?
The purpose of this course is to understand the most important rules of physics at a high level, instead of all of the rules of physics at a low level. We will learn simple, powerful and useful tools to explain topics like heat and energy transfer, gravity, light, electricity and the atom, without the use of any detailed mathematics. One broader, underlying goal of this course is to learn how human beings have historically figured out the rules of physics, especially thousands of years ago with limited tools. This course will rely heavily on class discussion and debate and use a myriad of physical and visual demonstrations.
Reuben Gazer is a physics enthusiast, magician, science educator and data engineer currently at AltaML here in Edmonton. Fascinated by the world around him, he believes that absolutely nothing is obvious about how things work. Reuben has a BSc in Physics from McMaster and a MSc in Astrophysics from the UofA in 2017. He has taught or tutored math and science courses for 10+ years and is passionate about scientific communication.
