James Clark Ross College of Natural Science
AST 201 History of Astronomy
Visions of the cosmos from the earliest neolithic observers to today. Celestial clockworks, establishment of the calendar, skylore, the zodiac, discovery of the planets, geocentrism, heliocentrism, telescope, discovery of the galaxies, extrasolar planets.
AST 203 The Solar System
Origin and nature of the Solar System, planets, moons, comets, divisions of space.
AST 205 The Universe
The modern conception of the universe, superstructures, galaxies, cosmic phenemona, "Spaceship Earth," birth and death of stars, cosmology.
AST 207 The Night Sky
Celestial coordinates, telescopes and instruments, the constellations, astronomical events, Messier catalog.
AST 209 Space Settlement and Human Destiny
Modern answers to 'Where do we go from here?' Do human beings have a responsibility to spread into space? Tsiolkovsky's Imperative. Existential risks and reasons to pursue space exploration and colonization. The alternatives to space settlement.
BIO 200 History of Biology
Pioneers and developments in the history of biology and our understanding of life.
BIO 202 Principles of Biology
Genes, transmisson, expression, evolution, cells
BIO 204 Paleozoic Life
The development of Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian life, with a focus on visible organisms.
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BIO 206 Mesozoic Life
Evolution of dinosaurs and their contemporaries. Paleontology and the study of fossil remains, geography of dinosaurs, classification and identification.
BIO 208 Cenozoic Life
Age of Mammals after the end of the dinosaurs and before human beings.
BIO 210 Evolution of Mankind
Human genetics, inheretence of human traits, australopithecines, homo-habilis, homo-erectus, neanderthals, homo-sapiens, spreading of mankind across the world, paleolithic and neolithic 'caveman' society. Human biodiversity, patterns of kinship.
BOT 201 History of Plant Life
Evolutionary history of plants, plant fossils in reconstruction of prehistoric environments and climate.
BOT 203 Classification of Plants
Plant identification and classification, gardening and horticulture,
CHM 201 History of Chemistry
The development of our modern conceptions of the chemical and physical worlds through time, famous physicists and their contributions.
CHM 250 Principles of Chemistry
Language, techniques, models, uses of chemical science, periodic table of the elements, properties of the elements, atomic theory, nuclear energy, chemicals in air, food, water.
GLG 200 The Dynamic Earth
Earth sciences, past, present and future behavior of the Earth System, plate tectonics, Earth's materials and consistency, behavior of systems, the exterior and interior of the Earth and the energy that drives it, polar-Earth systems.
GLG 201 Precambrian Geology
Origin of the Earth, differentiation of the core, mantle and crust, lithosphere tectonics, atmosphere, hydrosphere, climate, interaction of Earth's endogenic and exogenic systems with life.
GLG 203 Phanerozoic Geology
Evolution of the landscape, interaction of running water, wind, erosion, gravity, biota, ice, weathering to terrain and soil. Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock and mineral identification and classification.
MTH 200 History of Mathematics
Great thinkers and mathemeticians through the centuries. Development of the number system, counting, geometry, algebra, calculus.
MTH 250 Principles of Mathematics
Function and methods of counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, symbols, algebra, geometry, statistics, advanced math.
PHY 203 Principles of Physics
The laws of physics as demonstrated by observable everyday phenomena. Physics of sound and light, states of matter.
PHY 205 Physics for Poets
Comparison of physics of fields, relativity, qAUum mechanics, particle physics and cosmology to the arts, as an alternative way of understanding the world.
PSY 200 History of Psychology
Historical development of major schools and trends, themes, periods of leading psychologists,
PSY 202 Psychological Thought through WWII
Pre-Freud, Freud and psychoanalysis, dreams, defense mechanisms, Jung, Skinner, Kohlberg
PSY 204 Psychological Thought after WWII
Social psychology, human behavior, personality theories, interpersonal differences, anxiety, depression, child and family psychopathology
ZOO 200 The Animal World
Invertebrates, vertebrates, animal behavior, adaptive significance, major divisions
ZOO 202 Oceanography
Marine biology and aquatic life, life as both the products of evolutionary processes and a major force driving evolution and altering the environment of the planet. Ocean geology, tides, waves, air-sea interaction, currents, ocean productivity, ocean-coast interaction.
ZOO 203 Earth System Ecology
Principles of ecology and economics (the natural system and economic system), the water cycle, geochemical cycle, acid rain, organic anti-toxin processes, greehouse effect, analysis of natural resource management at national/international levels, enviornment policy, sustainability of the Earth System, global dynamics spatial-temporal, Earth as an ecological unity of geophysical, chemical, biological processes.
ZOO 204 Dogs and Cats
Types and classification of dogs and cats, their evolution and history, breeds, human interaction and use as pets.
