AUCT 170 -- Electricity, Electronics and Culture |
|
|
Nothing has affected ordinary people the way electricity and electronics have; the intensity
of the impact is far greater than that of the Industrial Revolution. Since Franklin and
his kite, people have been intrigued, but often baffled and intimidated, by these
phenomena. In modern society, consumers have been using electronic products all of their
lives, often without understanding how these devices work, how they came into being, and
how they affect human lives. This course sheds light upon these areas. It covers the
historical development of electronic technology and deals with the literature that reveals
the impact of electronics on human beings. The "hands on" laboratory experience enables you,
whether you are technically or non-technically oriented to experiment with electricity and electronics
in the laboratory. As you review the literature, you discover the human struggle for a moral and
ethical existence in a highly technical society. Some of the selected topics are: electric circuits, electrical energy sources, the invisible revealed, electronic technology as beauty and function, prime movers from 1886 onward, the nuclear controversy, the transistor revolution, living with electricity and electronics in the 1990's, predicting the future. The course will include at least one field trip that enables you to see the application of electronics in such places as a hospital, a manufacturing center, or a power plant. Rather than the traditional term paper, your final project will be a creative multi-media presentation.
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |