City University of Hong Kong Information on Proposed Gateway Education Course offered by Department of Physics and Materials Science with effect from Semester A in 2014 / 2015 Part I Course Title: Course Code: Course Duration: Future SCIFI Technologies GE2312 One semester Proposed Area : (Please insert 1 for the single primary area, and 2 for the secondary area if applicable. Students will only earn credit units from the primary area.) Arts and Humanities Study of Societies, Social and Business Organizations Science and Technology No. of Credit Units: 3 Level: A1, B1 Medium of Instruction: English Medium of Assessment: English Prerequisites: Nil Precursors: Nil Equivalent Courses: Nil Exclusive Courses: Nil GE2312 1
Part II 1. Abstract Science fiction like Star Trek is not only good fun, but serves a serious purpose, that of expanding human imagination - Stephen Hawking Science and technologies are often the fascinating elements in many fictions and movies. They suggest what future technologies scientists may develop and some of these technologies turn out to become real and make an influence back on science fictions. These somehow blur the line between science fiction and science fact and it becomes interesting for us to question a variety of the technologies appearing in science fictions and get to know more about the basic physical principles behind them. 2. Course Aims This course aims to introduce students to the various future technologies appearing in science fictions. The course will focus on (i) introducing the imaginative ideas in science fictions with their technological importance and (ii) explaining the physical concepts behind those ideas. It will arouse interest of students in pursuing science subjects. 3. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs) Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: No. CILOs Weighting (if applicable) 1. Describe basic physics using scenes from science fiction as 1 illustrations. 2. Explain the scientific principles science fiction technologies 1 are based on. 3. Evaluate the feasibility of science fiction concepts on a 1 theoretical basis. 4. Distinguish science fiction from science facts. 1 5. Describe the influence of science fiction on technological developments. 1 4. Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs) (designed to facilitate students achievement of the CILOs - Some TLAs may address more than one CILO.) Please be sure to consider how the TLAs align with the desired characteristics of GE courses (c.f. explanatory note 10). TLA CILO No. Hours/week (if applicable) Lectures 1,2,3,4,5 Quizzes 1,2,4 Assignments 1,2,3 Reading task 4 Mini-project 1,2,3,4,5 Lectures are used to provide information and to clarify most important concepts. Quizzes are used to assess students level of understandings of the scientific GE2312 2
concepts and the knowledge on the science fiction technologies mentioned in classes. Questionnaires (only for collecting information but not for assessment) are also conducted at the beginning of the semester to know the level of familiarity on various popular science fictions. Individual assignments and reading tasks will be used alternatively to ensure the students have some basic understandings on the scientific principles and also to arouse the interest of the students to make connections between science fictions and the corresponding scientific principles. Mini-projects are group-based activities in which students have to research on given topics in technologies or physical concepts originated from science fictions. In the end, the students have to write a report and present their findings orally. 5. Assessment Tasks/Activities (designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs Some assessment tasks/activities may address more than one CILO.) Type of Assessment Tasks/Activities CILO No. Weighting (if applicable) Quiz 1,2,3,4 20% Individual Assignment 1,2,3,4,5 25% Reading Task 1,2,4,5 20% Mini-project 1,2,3,4,5 35% Remarks There will be no examinations for this course. Students will be assessed on a continuous basis, and graded using the scores from quizzes, individual assignments, reading tasks, and mini-projects. 6. Grading of Student Achievement: Refer to Grading of Courses in the Academic Regulations. Students will be graded based on their performance in assessment tasks/activities. Grade descriptions The following description is indicative of the grading criteria adopted for assessment purposes: Letter Grade Grade Point Grade Definitions A+ A A- 4.3 4.0 3.7 Excellent: B+ B B- 3.3 3.0 2.7 Good: with evidence of original thinking. The work demonstrates excellent understanding of the scientific principles and the working mechanisms that science fiction technologies are based on. He/she is able to clearly distinguish science fiction from scientific facts, and to clearly describe how science fiction influences the development of technologies in the real world. He/she is able to communicate ideas effectively and persuasively via written texts and/or oral presentation. and can describe and explain the scientific principles and working mechanisms. He/she is able to distinguish science fiction from scientific facts, and to describe how science fiction influences the development of technologies. He/she demonstrates an ability to integrate taught concepts, analytical techniques and GE2312 3
C+ C C- 2.3 2.0 1.7 Adequate: applications via clear oral and/or written communication. and can describe and explain some scientific principles and working mechanisms. He/she is able to distinguish some science fiction from scientific facts. He/she can communicate ideas clearly in written texts and/or in oral presentations. D 1.0 Marginal: but can only briefly describe some scientific principles. He/she can communicate simple ideas in writing and/or orally. F 0.0 Failure: The student fails to complete all assessment tasks/activities and/or cannot accurately describe and explain the scientific principles with limited/irrelevant use of literature. He/she is weak in communicating ideas and/or the student s work shows evidence of plagiarism. Part III Keyword Syllabus: Technologies and scenes in science fictions and movies Mechanics: Newton s laws of motion, momentum, energy, tractor beams, impulse drive, black holes Electricity and magnetism: electrical forces, cloaking device, force fields, electromagnetic radiation, phasers Atomic and Nuclear Physics: atoms, elementary particles, antimatter, dark matter Relativity and time: time dilation, time travel, warp drive, worm holes Waves and sound: Doppler effect, resonance, sonic weapons Quantum physics: Heisenberg uncertainty principle, parallel universes, Schrodinger s Cat, teleportation Planets: solar system, galaxy, universe Evolution, cloning, de-extinction, conditions for alien life in space Recommended Reading: Text(s): The Physics of Star Trek, Lawrence Krauss (Haper Paperbacks, 1996) Fantastic Voyages: Learning Science Through Science Fiction Films, Leroy W. Dubeck (Springer New York, 2004) The Physics of Superheroes, James Kakalios (Gotham Books, 2005) Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda (Pocket Books, 1991) The Science in Science Fiction: 83 SF Predictions that became Scientific Reality, Robert W. Bly (Benbella Books, 2005) Selected list of science fictions: GE2312 4
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (part 2 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe, and Everything (part 3 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Douglas Adams, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (part 4 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless (part 4 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) H.G. Wells, The Time Machine H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds H.G. Wells, The Invisible Man. A Grotesque Romance. H. P. Lovecraft, The Shadow Out of Time Isaac Asomov, The Caves of Steel Isaac Asomov, The Naked Sun Isaac Asomov, The Robots of Dawn Arthur Charles Clarke, 2001:A Space Odyssey Arthur Charles Clarke, 2010: Odyssey Two Arthur Charles Clarke, 2061: Odyssey Three Alan Dean Foster, Alien Carl Sagan, Contact Jules Verne, From the Earth to the Moon Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials 1 - The Golden Compass Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials 2 - The Subtle Knife Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials 3 - Amber Spyglass John Twelve Hawks - 4Th Realm 01 - The Traveler John Twelve Hawks - 4Th Realm 02 - The Dark River John Vornholt, Babylon 5: Voices Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: The Motion Picture Vonda N. McIntyre, The Entropy Effect (2nd Star Trek novel) Terry Brooks, Star Wars, Episode I - The Phantom Menace R. A. Salvatore, Star Wars, Episode II - Attack of the Clones Matthew Stover, Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith George Lucas, Star Wars, Episode IV - A New Hope Donald F. Glut, Star Wars, Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back James Kahn, Star Wars, Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Online Resources: http://www.startrek.com http://memory-alpha.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/star_trek http://darwin-online.org.uk/contents.html (revised April 2014) GE2312 5