Unsolved Mysteries in the Universe

Astronomy 1270
Clark 107, MFW 12:00-12:50PM
Professor: Kelsey Johnson
Office: Astronomy #234
Email: kej7a@virginia.edu

Office Hours: M, W 2-3:15pm, or by

appointment

TA: Kim Sokal

Office: Astronomy #222
Email: krs9tb@virginia.edu

Office Hours: M, T 1-1:30pm, or by

appointment

What to expect from this course:

This is not your parents astronomy course. In fact, this course is designed to be
different from typical science courses in general. If you are looking to take a
standard science course, you should take something else. You can expect the
content during the semester to make your brain hurt or otherwise make you
uncomfortable. No pain, no gain. So, plan to deal with it.
Texts:
I know how much you love to spend money on books, so I selected four of them
for this course. Despite this awesome topic, it may come as a shock to you that
there is no text designed specifically for a course such as this, and I cant seem
to find the time to write one myself. I have selected four books that I believe
present a good range of perspectives from well-known scientists (maybe not wellknown to you yet, but youll have to trust me), and I hope that you will not only
enjoy these books, but also find them tremendously thought-provoking. That is to
say that I expect you will have to do some deep thinking while you are reading
them. A couple of them are getting a bit dated, but I havent been able to find a
text to replace them yet -- you can play a fun game of What have we learned
about the universe since 1997? when you read the book by Sir Martin Rees
(hes a baron now, by the way).
Before the Beginning: Our Universe and Others, by Martin Rees
The Infinite Cosmos: Questions from the Frontiers of Cosmology, by Joseph Silk
The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World, by Paul Davies
The Universe in a Nutshell, by Stephen Hawking
In addition, there will be ad hoc readings and videos assigned (see the course
Collab site under Resources). One of the major benefits of the videos is that you
can eat popcorn and inflict them on your roommates and friends while watching
them.

Readings:
We have them. You need to read them. Some of them are quite dense. In other
words, you probably shouldnt procrastinate reading these until the night before
the questionnaire is due.
Class Attendance:
You are grown ups and can prioritize your time as you wish. That being said, I
expect you to attend lectures, stay focused, and respect the students in your
vicinity. I have been known to call students out who are occupied with non-class
related activities during the lecture. Despite this being a large lecture, I will know
who you are (ask former students if you are skeptical). If I say something in
class and you are not there to hear it, guess whose responsibility that is? You
have been warned.
Correspondence:
I will send any correspondence to the class via your UVa email, You are
responsible for reading the content of all materials sent via email. I dont text
message. Ever. I also have this crazy antiquated idea that you will survive
without checking your messages for more than an hour, so turn off your phones
in class. Yes, Im old.
Late Policy:
NO late assignments will be accepted without a doctors (or appropriate
authoritys) note. You can only imagine how much fun it is to deal with the
logistics of late assignments in a class this large. Ive heard a pretty broad and
fascinating range of excuses over the years. If youre going to make up an
excuse, at least be creative.
Facebook:
Ive created a (secret) Facebook Group for our class (no one outside the group
can see it, the posts to it, or the membership). You are under no obligation to
join it, but we will use this venue to address common questions and facilitate
discussions. We encourage you to post questions, comments, and related
material to this group. We will specifically send invitations to join the group to
the email addresses of class members.
Honor Policy:
I like trusting people to do the right thing. The fact that you might be caught and
expelled from UVa shouldnt keep you from doing the wrong thing. The fact that
the wrong thing is wrong should keep you from doing the wrong thing. I reported
an honor case just last year; that student is no longer with us. If you are not sure
whether something is right or wrong, think about what your grandmother would
say (unless your grandmother is in prison).

Questionnaires:
For each topic you will electronically submit responses via Collab*:
1)
2)
3)
4)

A Bulleted list of three things you learned in class

An ad hoc question on the assigned reading (T/F or multiple choice)
A Bulleted list of three questions that you have about the material
A quote from the readings that you found interesting and why

We are looking for a single sentence for each bullet point. In other words, this
entire questionnaire should be no more than half a page. Heed this, or feel the
wrath of Kim.
* You are encouraged to save your work outside of Collab before submitting. Just in case. What
could possibly go wrong?

These will be graded as follows (AND CURVED such that 2pts B):
3

= Hey, great job! You are thinking about some interesting stuff.

= You did the readings, and you filled out the questionnaire.
You did just fine, and you should feel good about yourself.

1 = Hmm. Is this the best youve got? Remember that you are paying for this
course. Or at least someone is paying for this course.
0 = Collab misses you! Please come back. Redemption is just a few sentences
away.

Extra Credit Opportunities:

Cant get enough of this cool astronomy stuff? Me neither. Heck, I get paid to
think about the universe, how awesome is that? If you just skipped to this part
without reading the rest of the syllabus, I have some unsolicited advice: if
skipping huge sections of the reading is your standard M.O. then you will
probably need all the extra credit you can get. Extra credit points are counted
toward your grade with the same value as Reading Questionnaire points.
1) Friday News:
You are encouraged to bring in an astronomy-related article that catches your attention
and share it with the class. Bring an overview of the article to class, and submit a 1page summary via Collab about the article and why we should care. If possible, please
also post to the class Facebook page. Up to 3pts extra credit, limit one news article per
student.

2) Contact:
I love this movie. OK, so it is a little dated now, and the love-story part is pretty sappy.
BUT the astronomy/politics/science/society part is on the mark. After our unit on ET life,

watch the movie and write up a 1-page response to be submitted via Collab (what you
thought about the movie, what resonated with you, what was interesting, etc). Up to 3pts
extra credit. See class/Collab for due date (~1 week after unit is completed).

3) Elegant Universe:
My artistic abilities are severely limited, and trying to illustrate multiple dimensions on a
2-D blackboard aint easy. Fortunately there are people in the movie industry who get
paid a lot of money to do this kind of thing. This three-part NOVA series has fantastic
graphics, and it will give you better insight into some of the wackiest stuff in modern
physics. What do cello strings have to do with alternate dimensions and dead cats?
Tune in to find out. Get a pizza, invite some friends over for the pizza, watch the series,
write a 1-page response to be submitted via Collab by the due date (~1 week after unit
on other dimensions). Up to 3 pts extra credit.

4) Fabric of the COSMOS:

Pretty much the same thing as (3) but based on a different one of Brian Greens books.

5) Wrinkle in Time:
Do you remember this from when you were a kid? I hope so. Here is your excuse to go
back and read a fun childrens book that explores some meaty topics related to this
course. Snuggle in with a cup of tea (or coffee or whatever), and spend a quality
afternoon with this gem. Write up a 1-page response to be submitted via Collab by the
due date (sometime near the end of the semester). Up to 3 pts extra credit.

That is A LOT of extra credit. Plan in advance, because I will not be sympathetic
to pleas for additional extra credit opportunities at the end of the semester.
Grades:
This class will be graded on a curve. My curve. I know what an average
performance is and it will be rewarded with an average grade. Perhaps
shockingly, only half of you are above average. I grew up in Minnesota and I can
still say that (if this is lost on you, you should listen to more public radio).
Questionnaires .... 25%
Quiz 1 (Feb 7) . 15%
Quiz 2 (Mar 7). 15%
Quiz 3 (Apr 11) .. 15%
Final Exam (Dec 13, 2-5pm)..... 30%

Reading Assignments for Unsolved Mysteries

ASTR1270*
The Mind of
The Infinite
Topic
God
Cosmos
Preface, ch
Introduction
ch 2, 3, 6
1
Does Extraterrestrial
ch 16 (195-201)
life exist?
What happens inside
ch 7, ch 16 (201blackholes?
205), ch 17
What is the nature of
(ch 16 review)
time?
What are dark matter &
ch 5, ch 10, ch 11
dark energy?
What caused the Big
Ch2
ch 12, ch 14
Bang?
What determines that
laws of nature?
Are there other
dimensions?
Is the Universe Fine
Tuned?

ch 3, ch 4,
ch 6

* subject to revision

The Universe in a
Nutshell

Intro, ch 1
ch 1

ch 6

ch4, ch 5, ch 11

ch 1, ch 4

ch 13

ch 2, ch 5

ch 6, ch 7, ch 8
Ch 3, ch 9

Ch 3

ch 9, ch 14
(ch 14 review)

ch 8

If we have time, we will

also include the
following:
What is the shape and
ch 9
fate of Universe?
What is our place in
ch 5, ch 7
the Universe?

Before the
Beginning

ch9, ch 15, ch 18
ch 19, 20

ch 11, 15

(ch 2 again), ch 7

(ch 9, ch 14
review)

ch 3

ch 8, ch 12

ch 3