The purest goals of science are to understand more about ourselves, about the things around us, about our origins. Achieving this is perhaps not as practical as inventing a machine to do things more efficiently, or as critical as developing a drug to fight a disease. Such goals however are meaningful in shaping the way we think, and help us to find optimal solutions to coexist and connect with the world we live in.
– Dr. Lim Zhi Han (Original creator of ‘The Universe’)
“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”
– Carl Sagan
“In the fields of observation, chance favours only the prepared minds.”
– Louis Pasteur
“In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.”
– Galileo Galilei
Welcome to The Universe (Reloaded)
SP3176 one of the longest-running courses in SPS. The present version is a refreshed and reimagined version of the original SPS integrated science curriculum, adapted to meet the evolving needs of SPS students within the CHS framework.
The quotes above capture the spirit of 76: being a scientist involves much more than just mastering content; it is also about developing ways of thinking, habits of mind, and other essential skills (such as troubleshooting, preparation and communication). While you will certainly encounter new concepts in 76, however, our greater focus will be on sharpening your problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities, and on cultivating a mindset that underpins scientific thinking.
Additionally, I included the painting above to represent another aspect of 76 that I hope we can explore together: that being a scientist comes with responsibilities beyond the mere pursuit of knowledge.
I hope you find this version of 76 challenging yet enjoyable, rewarding, and worthy of your time and effort.
0.1 Topics
Here are the main topics I typically plan to cover. However, I adjust the course pace based on the class’s progress, so we may not get through everything. I won’t be too concerned about this, as it is more important to ensure you fully understand the material than to rush through topics.
- Particle Physics: A Summary
- A Whirlwind Tour of Special Relativity
- Discovering Stuff
- More About Interactions
- Centre of Mass Frame*
- Particle Interactions: Cross Sections
- Review of QM I
- Parity
- Resonances & Lifetimes
- Nuclear reactions
- Neutron Moderation
- Particle Interactions: Processes
- Getting A Feel For The Nucleus
- Modelling the Nucleus I: Fermi Model
- Nuclear Properties I: Size
- Nuclear Properties II: Binding Energy
- Review of QM II
- Nuclear Magic & The Shell Model
- Review of Quantum Mechanics III*
- Radioactivity: General Ideas
- Radioactivity: \(\alpha\)-decay
- Radioactivity: \(\gamma\)-decay
- Radioactivity: \(\beta\)-decay
- Energy: Fission
- Energy: Fusion
Notes
- I will go through almost all the chapters in the course notes.
- Chapters marked with an asterisk (*) cover crucial prerequisite knowledge.
I have included this material because I understand that not everyone may be thoroughly familiar with all these necessary topics. - Chapters bearing double asterisks** are supplementary topics. I have included them for the sake of completion or because it is a fun topic.
- I will typically release notes relevant to a discussion a week in advance.