Welcome to the  web site for...

Atoms and Stars
IST 2420 and IST 1990
Fall 2005

Last updated: 12/12/05

Final Exam is 12/19 (Monday on campus) and 12/21 (Wednesday at Lamphere).

Web site contents:

Course Documents Find all handouts here.

Online Tools

Other sites of interest

Instructor and contact information

Instructor: David Bowen, home page
d.r.bowen@wayne.edu
Work: 313-577-1498 (has voicemail), FAX 313-577-8585
2311 A/AB (5700 Cass Avenue) / Wayne State University / Detroit, MI  48202
Home: 248-549-8518 (has voicemail)
4704 Elmhurst / Royal Oak, MI  48073
Ford (during Fall semester, Fridays and some Thursdays): 313-390-2155 (has voicemail)
Cell (no voicemail, usually off): 248-224-7375
AIM Screen Name: WSU Web

Course Sections

This web site covers the following courses and sections:

  SECTION CRN CREDITS FORMAT MEETS
IST 2420, Atoms and Stars 001 13925 4 Face-to-face* Monday evenings, 309 Shapero Hall, on campus
005 16012 4 Partially online** Monday evenings, 309 Shapero Hall, on campus
981 13857 4 Face-to-face* Wednesday evenings, Lamphere High School
010 16011 4 Partially online** Wednesday evenings, Lamphere High School
IST 1990, Science and Religion (Attached Directed Study, may ONLY be taken with IST 2420, Atoms and Stars) 005 13927 2 Mostly online*** Monday evenings, 309 Shapero Hall, on campus
006 13928 4 Mostly online*** Monday evenings, 309 Shapero Hall, on campus
981 13750 2 Mostly online*** Wednesday evenings, Lamphere High School
982 13858 4 Mostly online*** Wednesday evenings, Lamphere High School

NOTES for the above table:

All All course meetings are 6 PM to 9:40 PM
* "Face-to-face"  means a traditional class, fifteen required weekly meetings
** For these courses, "partially online" means six required course meetings
· Mondays (campus): 9/12, 10/3, 10/31, 11/21, 12/5, 12/19 (Final)
· Wednesdays (Lamphere): 9/7, 9/28, 10/26, 11/16, 12/7, 12/21 (Final)
*** For these courses, "mostly online" means that some course business is handled during the IST 2420 course meetings, but that most work is outside of class time, and involves online work

Locations

Finding Shapero Hall:

Getting around inside Shapero Hall:

Lamphere High School

Online Courses and Work

Online work for these courses will NOT use the WSU BlackBoard system, but will instead use an alternate system called Moodle. You will need to establish an account on Moodle early in the semester. Establishing a Moodle account will be covered during the first class.

For the online courses especially, you will be encouraged to have an online photo so that everyone can recognize each other. The Instructor will take a photo, or if you already have one that you want to use instead, you can use that one. Come to the first class prepared to have your picture taken!

Students who do well in online courses have a strong interest in the subject material and an active, disciplined, scheduled approach to coursework. They can follow written assignments without having them explained orally, and get started early in the semester, sometimes even before the start of classes. If you do not share many of these characteristics, online courses are probably not for you; take one of the face-to-face sections. Also do not sign up for an online section if you cannot make the required face-to-face meetings.

What you should know about taking an online course:

Textbooks (all are required for the listed course):

IST 2420 Custom-printed Reader and Lab Manual, $20 for the pair.
· Campus students: purchase in person from Palmer Printing / 61 West Palmer between Woodward and Cass / 313-831-3216.
 Business hours: 8:30 - 5 Mon – Fri
· Lamphere students: purchase from Instructor at first class, cash or check only (no credit), or from Palmer Printing (see above)
NOTE: You will need either Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the online materials for this course.
IST 1990 At WSU Barnes and Noble campus bookstore (sales also at Lamphere during early semester)
1. Stephen Jay Gould, Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, Ballantine books, 1999, ISBN 0-345-45040-X (paperback).
2. Ian G. Barbour, When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners?, Harper San Francisco, 2000, ISBN 0-06-060381-X (paperback).
3. (four-credit only) Michael Ruse, Can a Darwinian Be a Christian: The Relationship Between Science and Religion, Cambridge University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-521-63144-0 (may be different if paperback).

Brief course descriptions (see Syllabi for complete descriptions):

IST 2420, Atoms and Stars
In this course, we will study selected topics in the physical sciences (there will be a more detailed list in the course Syllabus), both historical and current, and specifically in physics, astronomy and chemistry (geology is also counted among the physical sciences, but is not covered in this course). In tracing through the developments in these areas, we will also be studying how scientists use experiments and hypotheses to develop new scientific information, and what type of information this is.

Other topics include:

·         Use of mathematical models in science

·         Relationship between science and technology

·         Relationship between science and cultural beliefs and values

·         Why do scientists keep changing their minds? Does new scientific information invalidate older information? 

This course is intended for non-science majors, and does not require any scientific or mathematical background.

Most class meetings will involve several different activities and formats. Some will be hard for you to make up if you miss them. Each will contribute towards the final course grade. I will try to promote an informal atmosphere, to encourage discussion, participation and questions. If you have a question, doubtless others will have a similar concern, and appreciate your bringing up a question for discussion. Despite the informality, the course will require careful attention to detail and analysis.

IST 1990, Science and Religion
There is a wide range of views of the relationships between science and religion, ranging from disinterest in one or the other, through convictions that one (science or religion) is superior to the other, to beliefs that science and religion are compatible, or even reinforce each other. Currently, the discussion is most intense about the Theory of Evolution, although other areas of science are also involved. In this course, you will learn and write about the full range of these views, and (optionally) describe your own views and place them within the full range.

This course involves a significant amount of reading, online discussion, and writing.