HSEM2528H: The Quantum Century

This seminar has a STEM and a humanities component. The STEM component consists of a rigorous but algebra-based introduction to the basic formalism of quantum mechanics. This formalism is much easier to learn than most of its applications in physics (which typically require a fair amount of calculus). And mastering this basic formalism suffices to understand some of the key ideas behind such exciting recent applications as quantum computing and quantum cryptography (which will also be addressed in this seminar). The humanities component consists of a critical review of the history of the debates over the foundations of quantum mechanics from the late 1920s to the present. The seminar thus has two main objectives. The first is to introduce students with a wide variety of backgrounds to an exciting area at the intersection of physics, mathematics, and computer science challenging our understanding of the physical world but at the same time suggesting new ways of harnessing nature for our purposes. The second is to combat simplistic views of "The Scientific Method" by tracing in a concrete and engaging example how science is actually done—warts and all.

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