Dr Bryan Roberts

This course is available on the BSc in Philosophy and Economics, BSc in Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, BSc in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and BSc in Politics and Philosophy. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

There are no prerequisites for this course; it is accessible to students of all backgrounds.

Does the universe have an edge? Is time travel possible? What is a black hole, and in what sense are space and time described by "geometry"? The modern theory of spacetime introduced by Einstein provides a precise framework in which to ask these questions. This course makes their analysis accessible to everyone.

Students will have the opportunity to engage with Einstein's theories of relativity, to use them to analyse philosophical problems, and to examine their philosophical and practical implications. The topics of the course will include: 1) Relativity: Slowing clocks, shrinking rods, and the relativity of simultaneity; 2) Spacetime: Thinking in higher dimensions, faster-than-light travel, and other philosophical issues; 3) Non-Euclidean thinking: Beyond the geometry of Euclid, measuring curvature, gravity as curved spacetime; 4) Cosmology: Our place in the universe, big bang cosmology, time travel; 5) Limits of space and time: Geometry, black holes, singularities.

Students will learn to apply these conceptual tools to the analysis of space, time and gravity, as well as to formulate and argue for their own perspectives on the philosophical implications of relativity theory. One is often faced with unsubstantiated declarations about the implications of Einstein's theories, by both scientists and non-scientists. This course will equip non-scientists with the conceptual tools needed to critically analyse these claims for themselves. It will also provide students with the tools needed to discuss the philosophy of space and time from a modern perspective.

Einstein for Everyone requires absolutely no background in physics or maths. Students are only required to learn two equations, which really cannot be omitted: E=mc2, and Einstein's equation!

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the MT.

Weekly problem sets and short discussion questions submitted through Moodle and for review in classes.

- Norton, John D. (2015) Einstein for Everyone.

- Hugget, Nick. (2010) Everywhere and Everywhen: Adventures in Physics and Philosophy.

- Einstein, Albert (1920) Relativity: The special and general theory.

- Euclid (1908) The Thirteen Books of Euclid's Elements, Vol I.

- Poincaré, Henri (1905) Science and Hypothesis.

Weekly essential readings will be provided on Moodle, selected individually from various book chapters and journal articles.

Essay (50%, 1500 words) in the MT.
Essay (50%, 1500 words) in January.