Light and the nature of vision have been subjects of considerable interest from antiquity on. Also known in the ancient world were a few curious examples of electrical and magnetic phenomena. This course will trace the development of optics, electricity, and magnetism from their rudimentary beginnings as unrelated areas of study all the way up to their surprising integration in the work of James Clerk Maxwell.
As in “Foundations of Physical Science I: Motion and Gravitation,” we will proceed hierarchically. Our focus will be on understanding how our knowledge of light and electromagnetism was built up step by step, with each new development growing out of the context set by previous discoveries and grounded at every stage in perceptual observation.
Prerequisite: Foundations of Physical Science I
Course Faculty
Dr. Lockitch is ARI vice president of education and a senior fellow. Dr. Lockitch trains students in how to communicate philosophic ideas and uses his background as a physicist to apply Ayn Rand’s ideas to crucial issues in science and technology. Dr. Lockitch received his PhD in physics from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and has conducted postdoctoral research in relativistic astrophysics.
