This course is the fifth of a six-quarter sequence of
courses that are exploring the essential theoretical foundations of modern
physics. The topics covered in this course sequence include classical mechanics,
quantum mechanics, the general and special theories of relativity,
electromagnetism, cosmology, and black holes. While these courses build upon one
another, each course also stands on its own, and both individually and
collectively they let students attain the "theoretical minimum" for thinking
intelligently about modern physics.
This course of the Modern Physics series will
concentrate on cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the
universe. Along the way, students will take a close look at the Big Bang, the
geometry of space-time, inflationary cosmology, cosmic microwave background,
dark matter, dark energy, the anthropic principle, and the string theory
landscape.
Leonard Susskind, Felix Bloch Professor of Physics
Leonard Susskind received a PhD from Cornell University and has taught at Stanford since 1979. He has won both the Pregel Award from the New York Academy of Science and the J.J. Sakurai Prize in theoretical particle physics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
