Question Reality: Matter

In this course, you will walk through a timeline of “the atom” from the Greeks through discoveries in the 1900s and learn how our understanding of matter and the atom affected our views on reality. You will be introduced to some of the current understandings of matter and subatomic particles and also take a trip to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN! Finally, you will explore quantum mechanics' interpretation of reality and compare quantum versus classical boundaries. This course also addresses questions such as: Where do you draw the line between the quantum and the classical worlds? What do we mean by “knowable” and “unknowable”?

• Trace the historical development of the atom concept
• Understand the impact of atomic discoveries on views of reality
• Explore quantum mechanics’ interpretation of reality
• Compare quantum and classical boundaries

• Basic computer and internet skills
• Ability to follow course instructions and activities in English