Discuss some questions and results in modern-day physics research within the broader context of the field.

The culminating project in this class is a 1000 word (4 page) research paper applying the concepts of physics covered in this course. This paper is meant to be a crystallizing reflection on how the themes and topics outlined in this course fit into the broader context of physics and also the world in general. If any external sources are used, be sure to cite or reference them.Topics outlined in this class:1. Classical Mechanics2. Electromagnetism and Optics3. Special Relativity4. General Relativity5. Thermodynamics and Fluids6. Astrophysics7. Cosmology8. Quantum Mechanics9. Quantum Information10. Particle PhysicsGuiding questions:1. Explore the science in a specific literary or cinematic work and whether or not it is self-consistent. (Don’t just fixate on accuracy, we want to see a discussion!)2. How is a specific area of physics described in popular media, and to what extent does such work accurately describe the physics?3. Discuss a unifying theme/concept in physics and how it emerges in different areas of physics.4. How have various developments in physics confirmed, challenged, and shaped our everyday intuitions/preconceptions about the world (and vice versa)?5. Discuss some questions and results in modern-day physics research within the broader context of the field.6. How/where can physics be seen in a non-scientific setting (e.g., artwork)?7. How does knowledge of basic physics inform phenomena that occur in everyday life and connect it to the physics of unintuitively large and/or small scales in our universe?8. Discuss some ethical implications of results and/or process of doing physics. In what sense are these implications positive? Negative?9. How have technological advances enabled new discoveries in physics, and how have such discoveriesenabled new advances in technology?10. Though not presented this way, physics research in practice often proceeds in a nonlinear and mean-dering fashion, with many false starts and dead ends. Describe one such mishap, and explain how it fits into the broader context of the development of physics.11. Describe and contextualize unexpected breakthroughs in the history of physics.

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