关于此课程： In this course we will seek to “understand Einstein,” especially focusing on the special theory of relativity that Albert Einstein, as a twenty-six year old patent clerk, introduced in his “miracle year” of 1905. Our goal will be to go behind the myth-making and beyond the popularized presentations of relativity in order to gain a deeper understanding of both Einstein the person and the concepts, predictions, and strange paradoxes of his theory. Some of the questions we will address include: How did Einstein come up with his ideas? What was the nature of his genius? What is the meaning of relativity? What’s “special” about the special theory of relativity? Why did the theory initially seem to be dead on arrival? What does it mean to say that time is the “fourth dimension”? Can time actually run more slowly for one person than another, and the size of things change depending on their velocity? Is time travel possible, and if so, how? Why can’t things travel faster than the speed of light? Is it possible to travel to the center of the galaxy and return in one lifetime? Is there any evidence that definitively confirms the theory, or is it mainly speculation? Why didn’t Einstein win the Nobel Prize for the theory of relativity? About the instructor: Dr. Larry Lagerstrom is the Director of Academic Programs at Stanford University’s Center for Professional Development, which offers graduate certificates in subjects such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, data mining, nanotechnology, innovation, and management science. He holds degrees in physics, mathematics, and the history of science, has published a book and a TED Ed video on "Young Einstein: From the Doxerl Affair to the Miracle Year," and has had over 30,000 students worldwide enroll in his online course on the special theory of relativity (this course!).
此课程适用人群： This course is open to anyone willing to put in some time and effort to understand Einstein and his special theory of relativity. Although it will help you to have a basic understanding of algebra, much of the analysis is qualitative or only semi-quantitative. In addition, a math review video lecture is provided at the beginning of the course.
教学方： Larry Randles Lagerstrom, Academic Director
| 级别 | 初级 |
| 承诺学习时间 | 8 weeks of study, 5-10 hours per week |
| 语言 | English |
| 如何通过 | 通过所有计分作业以完成课程。 |
| 用户评分 |
- Reading: Course overview (outline)
- 视频: Course overview
- Reading: How to succeed in the course (outline)
- 视频: How to succeed in the course
- Reading: Rules of engagement (outline)
- 视频: Rules of engagement
- Reading: Math review (outline)
- 视频: Math review
- Reading: Week 1 introduction (outline)
- 视频: Week 1 introduction
- Reading: Physics and Einstein circa 1900 (outline)
- 视频: Physics and Einstein circa 1900
- Practice Quiz: Physics and Einstein circa 1900
- Reading: To the miracle year (outline)
- 视频: To the miracle year
- Practice Quiz: To the miracle year
- Reading: The miracle year (outline)
- 视频: The miracle year
- Practice Quiz: The miracle year
- Reading: Week 2 introduction (outline)
- Reading: Events, clocks, and observers (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: Events, clocks, and observers (part 1)
- Reading: Events, clocks, and observers (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: Events, clocks, and observers (part 2)
- Practice Quiz: Events, clocks, and observers (parts 1 and 2)
- Reading: Spacetime diagrams (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams (part 1)
- Practice Quiz: Spacetime diagrams (part 1)
- Reading: Spacetime diagrams (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams (part 2)
- Practice Quiz: Spacetime diagrams (part 2)
- Reading: Frames of reference (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: Frames of reference (part 1)
- Practice Quiz: Frames of reference (part 1)
- Reading: Frames of reference (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: Frames of reference (part 2)
- Practice Quiz: Frames of reference (part 2)
- Reading: Frames of reference (part 3) (outline)
- 视频: Frames of reference (part 3)
- Practice Quiz: Frames of reference (part 3)
- Reading: A few more words on world lines (outline)
- 视频: A few more words on world lines
- Practice Quiz: A few more words on world lines
- Reading: The Galilean transformation (outline)
- 视频: The Galilean transformation
- Practice Quiz: The Galilean transformation
- 视频: Week 2 summary
- Reading: Week 2 problem set (optional)
- Reading: Week 2 problem set solutions
- Reading: Week 3 introduction (outline)
- Reading: A note on "Einstein and God"
- Reading: A note on wave-particle duality and the nature of light
- Reading: Einstein's starting point: the two postulates (outline)
- 视频: Einstein's starting point: the two postulates
- Practice Quiz: Einstein's starting point: the two postulates
- Reading: A few words about waves (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: A few words about waves (part 1)
- Reading: A few words about waves (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: A few words about waves (part 2)
- Reading: A few words about waves (part 3) (outline)
- 视频: A few words about waves (part 3)
- Practice Quiz: A few words about waves (parts 1, 2, and 3)
- Reading: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 1)
- Reading: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 2)
- Reading: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 3) (outline)
- 视频: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 3)
- Reading: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 4) (outline)
- 视频: The Michelson-Morley experiment (part 4)
- Practice Quiz: The Michelson-Morley experiment (all parts)
- Reading: Stellar aberration (outline)
- 视频: Stellar aberration
- Practice Quiz: Stellar aberration
- Reading: Ethereal solutions (outline)
- 视频: Ethereal solutions
- Practice Quiz: Ethereal solutions
- 视频: Week 3 summary
- Reading: Week 3 problem set (optional)
- Reading: Week 3 problem set solutions
- Reading: Week 4 introduction (outline)
- Reading: The relativity of simultaneity (diagram 1)
- 视频: The relativity of simultaneity (part 1)
- Reading: The relativity of simultaneity (diagram 2)
- 视频: The relativity of simultaneity (part 2)
- Practice Quiz: The relativity of simultaneity (parts 1 and 2)
- Reading: The relativity of simultaneity (diagram 3)
- 视频: The relativity of simultaneity (part 3)
- Practice Quiz: The relativity of simultaneity (part 3)
- Reading: The relativity of simultaneity (leading clocks lag diagram)
- 视频: The relativity of simultaneity (summary)
- Practice Quiz: The relativity of simultaneity (summary)
- Reading: The light clock (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: The light clock (part 1)
- Reading: The light clock (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: The light clock (part 2)
- Reading: Exploring the Lorentz factor (outline)
- 视频: Exploring the Lorentz factor
- Practice Quiz: The light clock and exploring the Lorentz factor
- Reading: Time dilation (outline)
- 视频: Time dilation
- Practice Quiz: Time dilation
- Reading: Measuring length (diagram)
- 视频: Measuring length
- Practice Quiz: Measuring length
- Reading: What is not suspect (outline)
- 视频: What is not suspect
- Reading: The invariant interval (outline)
- 视频: The invariant interval
- Practice Quiz: What is not suspect, and the invariant interval
- Reading: A real-life example: the muon (outline)
- 视频: A real-life example: the muon
- Practice Quiz: The muon
- 视频: Week 4 summary
- Reading: Week 4 problem set (optional)
- Reading: Week 4 problem set solutions
- Reading: Week 5 introduction (outline)
- Reading: Units for the speed of light (outline)
- 视频: Units for the speed of light
- Practice Quiz: Units for the speed of light
- Reading: Exploring time dilation and length contraction (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: Exploring time dilation and length contraction (part 1)
- Practice Quiz: Exploring time dilation and length contraction (part 1)
- Reading: The Lorentz transformation (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: The Lorentz transformation (part 1)
- Reading: The Lorentz transformation (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: The Lorentz transformation (part 2)
- Reading: The Lorentz transformation (part 3) (outline)
- 视频: The Lorentz transformation (part 3)
- Practice Quiz: The Lorentz transformation (parts 1, 2, and 3)
- Reading: Exploring the Lorentz transformation (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: Exploring the Lorentz transformation (part 1)
- Reading: Exploring the Lorentz transformation (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: Exploring the Lorentz transformation (part 2)
- Reading: Exploring the Lorentz transformation (part 3) (outline)
- 视频: Exploring the Lorentz transformation (part 3)
- Practice Quiz: Exploring the Lorentz transformation (parts 1, 2, and 3)
- Reading: Leading clocks lag, revisited (outline)
- 视频: Leading clocks lag, revisited (a quantitative analysis)
- 视频: Leading clocks lag, revisited (alternate shorter version)
- Practice Quiz: Leading clocks lag, revisited
- Reading: Exploring time dilation and length contraction (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: Exploring time dilation and length contraction (part 2)
- Practice Quiz: Exploring time dilation and length contraction (part 2)
- Reading: Combining velocities (outline)
- 视频: Combining velocities
- 视频: Combining velocities, addendum
- Practice Quiz: Combining velocities
- Reading: The ultimate speed limit (outline)
- 视频: The ultimate speed limit
- Practice Quiz: The ultimate speed limit
- Reading: What happens with perpendicular velocities? (outline)
- 视频: What happens with perpendicular velocities?
- Practice Quiz: What happens with perpendicular velocities?
- 视频: Week 5 summary
- Reading: Week 5 problem set (optional)
- Reading: Week 5 problem set solutions
- Reading: Week 6 introduction (outline)
- Reading: Spacetime diagrams revisited (parts 1a and 1b) (outline)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 1a)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 1b)
- Practice Quiz: Spacetime diagrams revisited (parts 1a and 1b)
- Reading: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 2)
- Practice Quiz: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 2)
- Reading: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 3) (outline)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 3)
- Reading: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 4) (outline)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 4)
- Practice Quiz: Spacetime diagrams revisited (parts 3 and 4)
- Reading: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 5) (outline)
- 视频: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 5)
- Practice Quiz: Spacetime diagrams revisited (part 5)
- Reading: Regions of spacetime (outline)
- 视频: Regions of spacetime
- Practice Quiz: Regions of spacetime
- Reading: Faster than light? (outline)
- 视频: Faster than light?
- Practice Quiz: Faster than light?
- Reading: Cause and effect, or vice versa? (outline)
- 视频: Cause and effect, or vice versa?
- Practice Quiz: Cause and effect, or vice versa?
- 视频: Week 6 summary
- Reading: Week 6 problem set (optional)
- Reading: Week 6 problem set solutions
- Reading: Week 7 introduction (outline)
- Reading: Cause and effect: spacetime diagram (outline)
- 视频: Cause and effect: spacetime diagram
- Practice Quiz: Cause and effect: spacetime diagram
- Reading: The pole in the barn paradox (outline)
- 视频: The pole in the barn paradox
- Reading: The pole in the barn: spacetime diagram (outline)
- 视频: The pole in the barn: spacetime diagram
- Practice Quiz: The pole in the barn paradox and spacetime diagram
- Reading: How objects contract (outline)
- 视频: How objects contract
- Reading: Spaceships on a rope (outline)
- 视频: Spaceships on a rope
- Practice Quiz: How objects contract, and spaceships on a rope
- Reading: The twin paradox (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: The twin paradox (part 1)
- Reading: The twin paradox (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: The twin paradox (part 2)
- Reading: The twin paradox (part 3) (outline)
- 视频: The twin paradox (part 3)
- Reading: The twin paradox (part 4) (outline)
- 视频: The twin paradox (part 4)
- Practice Quiz: The twin paradox (parts 1-4)
- 视频: Week 7 summary
- Reading: Week 7 problem set (optional)
- Reading: Week 7 problem set solutions
- Reading: Week 8 introduction (outline)
- Reading: Traveling the galaxy (part 1) (outline)
- 视频: Traveling the galaxy (part 1)
- Practice Quiz: Traveling the galaxy (part 1)
- Reading: The famous equation (outline)
- 视频: The famous equation
- Practice Quiz: The famous equation
- Reading: Traveling the galaxy (part 2) (outline)
- 视频: Traveling the galaxy (part 2)
- Practice Quiz: Traveling the galaxy (part 2)
- Reading: The happiest thought (outline)
- 视频: The happiest thought
- Practice Quiz: The happiest thought
- Reading: The bending of light (outline)
- 视频: The bending of light
- Practice Quiz: The bending of light
- Reading: Final comments (outline)
- 视频: Final comments
- Practice Quiz: Final comments
- 视频: Week 8 summary
- 视频: Course recap
- Reading: Suggested books for further reading
- Reading: Week 8 problem set (optional)
- Reading: Week 8 problem set solutions
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I have always wanted to understand how relativity works and how did Einstein go about developing this theory and this course provided a brilliant opportunity and the professor delivered this a manner that allowed me to understand the process and the theory.
An excellent course for those who want to have a basic understanding of the special theory of relativity without the scary math that one usually associates with the theory.
Loved this course!
This was my first course through Coursera that I completed in full :) and I'm glad I did it. I always was a bit interested in Astrophysics and even had LOTS of books on my shelf in the hope that someday I would start reading and learning - all by myself. But I couldn't gather enough motivation - and so it never really worked out. But after taking up the course and going through the different topics - I feel that I can begin a more serious approach to studying Relativity and can tackle some of the standard books on the subject.
I don't have a background in Physics, but that didn't prove to be a problem while going through the course. I was able to complete each week's contents by spending around 45mts-an hr each day. Was also maintaining my own set of notes - I'm sure I might be looking at them again someday when I'm exploring the subject bit more in depth. The quizzes were somewhat easier that I expected and I'm happy I was able to get some of my doubts clarified promptly through the forums.
My only concern was that a) I would have liked the course to be bit more technical/mathematical and b) I wish I had completed the 'optional problems' too at the end of each week :). But these are not really so critical as it was an introductory course and I didn't have any basic understanding of Relativity prior to this.
Overall I'm happy to have completed my first course , having gained an insight into Einstein's work and taken my first baby steps towards understanding Astrophysics/Cosmology ! Looking forward to see some more related/advanced courses in the same area. Thanks to the Faculty, all the timely help on the Forums & Coursera!
P.S.
Can't wait to show-off my Certificate to everyone !!!
Regards
Anand
P
really interesting, you get to know about many universe facts, it is like a science fiction movie.