HON 210 The Physics of Interstellar
Spring 2025
Instructor |
Email |
Office Location & Hours |
Dr. Russell Herman |
hermanr@uncw.edu |
ST 2007J M-F 9:30-10:30 |
In this course we use Interstellar as a launching pad to explore the mysteries of the universe from its origins to the recent discoveries of gravitational waves spawned by colliding black holes, interstellar travel, and the portrayal of black holes and wormholes in film. We will read Kip Thorne's The Science of Interstellar as well as Interstellar: The Complete Screenplay, by J. Nolan and C. Nolan fill in the physics background from special and general relativity, quantum mechanics, and cosmology. How has our view of the universe changed over the last 100 years and what questions remain unanswered?
The Science of
Interstellar, Kip Thorne, 2014.
Interstellar: The Complete Screenplay, J. Nolan and C. Nolan, 2014.
Other readings and videos will be posted at the course website.
More information will be posted
on the web related to the topics we are studying. Links can be found with
summaries to the material, homework assignments, additional audiovisual
materials, etc. These will be accessible through the instructor's home page at people.uncw.edu/hermanr/interstellar.
Classes |
Topic |
Reading |
Aug 21
|
Introduction |
Start Screenplay |
Aug 26-28
|
The Universe as We Know It |
Ch 2-3 |
Sep 2-4
|
Relativity and Tides |
Ch 4 |
Sep 1
1
|
Black Holes, Gargantua |
Ch 5-6 |
Sep 16-18
|
Orbits and Gravitational Lensing |
Ch 7-8 |
Sep 2
3
|
Quasars and Accretion Disks |
Ch 9, Finish Screenplay |
Sep 2
5
|
Blight, Oxygen, Dust Bowl |
Ch 11-12, Story Boards |
Sep 30
|
Interstellar Travel |
Ch 13 |
Oct
2
|
Screenplay/Story Board - discussion |
|
Oct
7
|
Exam |
Ch 1-13 |
Oct
14
|
Wormhole Physics |
Ch 14-15 |
Oct 16
|
Gravitational Waves |
Ch 16 |
Oct 21
|
Miller’s Planet |
Ch 17-18 |
Oct 23
|
Mann’s Planet |
Ch 19 |
Oct 28
|
Rotating Space Stations/Endurance |
Ch 20 |
Oct 30
|
4th and 5th Dimensions |
Ch 21-22 |
Nov 4
|
More Gravity |
Ch 23-24 |
Nov 6
|
Professor’s Equation |
Ch 25 |
Nov
11
|
Singularities and Quantum Gravity |
Ch 26 |
Nov 13
|
The Tesseract |
Ch 29 |
Nov 18-25
|
Student Presentations |
|
Dec 2
|
Epilogue |
|
Dec 9, 11:30
|
Final Exam |
Cumulative |
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