Superhero Science is Finally, Shockingly Revealed--For Free!
If you've ever wondered if Superman really could fly, UC Irvine physics professor Michael Dennin has the free online course for you. (Full disclosure: That is NOT Dr. Michael Dennin shown here.)
"Science from Superheroes to Global Warming,"
which is available here, mirrors the curriculum of UCI's Department of Physics and
Astronomy undergraduate course and freshman seminar developed by Dennin, a
leading researcher in the area of non-equilibrium dynamics.
The online description: "Students will learn to define scientific terms, evaluate the use of numbers in an argument, explain simple functions and algebraic expressions, assess whether arguments follow the scientific method, prove a qualitative analysis of a physical situation in terms of fundamental scientific principles, identify if a particular question can be answered by scientific methods, as well as design and execute a 'simple' scientific experiment."
Simple, like turning me into a giant green hulking monster when the girls mock my thunder thighs at the gym? Apparently.
"The course features case studies drawn from a
wide spectrum of people's experience, for example superheroes, movies,
and real world issues such as global warming, to provide learners with
the opportunity to develop a better appreciation for science and the
scientific method," says Dennin, who is also promoting a new book he co-authored with John White, Science Appreciation: Introduction to Science Literacy.
Wonder if that will be made into a movie? By the way, for those who'd prefer to skip Dennin's coursework, there's always Chris Tolworthy's Superhero Science: The Official Truth.
UCI also announced a second new OpenCourseWare class, "White Collar Crime,' which looks at the perpetrators of medical, computer, consumer, environmental, financial and political crimes.
Yeah, like such villians exist in the real world.
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