This upper level course examines the structure and function of ion channels at the molecular level, including the biophysics of ion permeability, voltage-sensing, and activation by neurotransmitters. Approximately half of the course is student-led discussions on research papers that detail ion channel dysfunction that lead to disease.
Philosophy
Topics and themes in philosophy related to central questions of philosophy: Is there a meaning to human life? What can we know? What is the nature of reality? And how should we live? These questions are addressed through a rigorous examination of philosophical texts, works of literature, films, and contemporary issues.
Topics and themes in philosophy related to central questions of philosophy: Is there a meaning to human life? What can we know? What is the nature of reality? And how should we live? These questions are addressed through a rigorous examination of philosophical texts, works of literature, films, and contemporary issues.
Topics and themes in philosophy related to central questions of philosophy: Is there a meaning to human life? What can we know? What is the nature of reality? And how should we live? These questions are addressed through a rigorous examination of philosophical texts, works of literature, films, and contemporary issues.
Topics and themes in philosophy related to central questions of philosophy: Is there a meaning to human life? What can we know? What is the nature of reality? And how should we live? These questions are addressed through a rigorous examination of philosophical texts, works of literature, films, and contemporary issues.
An introductory study of classical logic, symbolic logic, and informal reasoning.
An examination of ancient thought from Homer to Augustine, involving the study of major works of ancient philosophy in the context of their historical, cultural and religious setting. Special attention is given to how ancient thinkers understood human happiness, the place of human life in the order of the universe, the nature of reality, and the limits of human knowledge and reason. Primary emphasis is on the evaluation of these thinkers' views.
A survey of Indian philosophy from the Vedic period to the present day. Special focus is given to the dialogic relationship between Indian and European philosophy, and to the way in which colonialism in India shaped both traditions. Students are challenged to reflect critically on Western perspectives of philosophy and to consider how Indian thinkers can enrich our understanding of the discipline.
An examination of a wide range of moral, social and political issues on which citizens in the Modern West today are deeply divided. This course will seek to promote civil and robust intellectual dialogue and fruitful engagement on these issues. Students will be challenged to engage in open-minded and philosophically rigorous conversations on a diversity of viewpoints with a special emphasis on important contemporary progressive and conservative points of view.
An examination of the moral dimensions of business activity, especially within the context of a democratic society. Topics may include social and economic justice, the nature of corporations, corporate accountability, social responsibility, the morality of hiring and firing, employee rights and duties, advertising, product safety, obligations to the environment, and international business.
An examination of the moral dimensions of business activity, especially within the context of a democratic society. Topics may include social and economic justice, the nature of corporations, corporate accountability, social responsibility, the morality of hiring and firing, employee rights and duties, advertising, product safety, obligations to the environment, and international business.
An analysis of the philosophical problem of the nature of knowledge with specific emphasis on the problem of skepticism and solutions to that problem.
A critical reading of selected philosophical and literary works which explore the nature and significance of religious faith. This course will consider how literary narrative and philosophical analysis function distinctively in the dialogue of faith and reason. Major figures will include Pascal, Hume, Kierkegaard, Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, and C.S. Lewis. The class will be conducted as a seminar with in-class presentations and a semester-long project.
An examination of central issues in the philosophy of language, such as the nature of meaning and truth, and their bearing on broader philosophical controversies.
Physics and Astronomy
This broad study of classical and modern physics includes all major fields. The mathematical description utilizes geometry, trigonometry, algebra and calculus. Lectures: three hours; laboratory, three hours.
This broad study of classical and modern physics includes all major fields. The mathematical description utilizes geometry, trigonometry, algebra and calculus. Lectures: three hours; laboratory, three hours.
This broad study of classical and modern physics includes all major fields. The mathematical description utilizes geometry, trigonometry, algebra and calculus. Lectures: three hours; laboratory, three hours.
This broad study of classical and modern physics includes all major fields. The mathematical description utilizes geometry, trigonometry, algebra and calculus. Lectures: three hours; laboratory, three hours.
This course begins with the conservation of momentum and energy. It deals with energy and gravitational interactions, and emphasizes the atomic structure of matter, and the modeling of materials as particles connected by springs. The course is designed for engineering and science students. The main goal of this course, which is formatted with an integrated lab-lecture (studio) approach, is to have the students engage in a process central to science-the attempt to model a broad range of physical phenomena using a small set of powerful fundamental principles. The course counts in fulfillment of the general distribution requirement for a laboratory science course. The course is not open for credit to students who have earned credit for PHYS 101.
A study of the fundamental principles of geometrical and physical optics with lasers and holography used extensively in the laboratory. Lecture, three hours.