Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description
Imagination, Innovation, and the "Impossible"
Instructor(s): Kendrah Murphy, Physics
What does "impossible" really mean? Is progress limited by our laws of nature or by
the imagination of those who dare to dream? How well defined is the line between
fact and fiction? In this course, we will consider the transient nature of what we
have historically thought to be impossible or, at the very least, improbable. By
examining the works of notable scientists and science fiction writers, we will observe
how many well-known facts have been proven untrue and how much of yesterday's fiction
has become today's reality. We will also investigate science fiction ideas that have
not come to fruition. Are these ideas actual possibilities for the future? How close
has science come to realizing these possibilities? This course will challenge students
to question "facts," as well as to become open-minded about what we are told is "impossible."
Throughout the course, we will explore various works of science fiction**, globally
accepted concepts in physics ranging from Newtonian Mechanics to Einstein's General
Relativity, and results of cutting-edge scientific research to aid us in distinguishing
between the possible, the impossible, and the improbable.
Course Offered