Comments on: Using Sean Carroll’s Cosmology Course

By: Doug van Orsow

Doug van Orsow — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:40:22 +0000

Fellow Teaching Company addicts can now view Yahoo groups and phpbb forums:

My new Teaching Company forum:
http://teachingcompany.12.forumer.com/index.php

Robert Hazen’s “Origins of Life” forum:
http://teachingcompany.12.forumer.com/viewforum.php?f=17

Some of my new Yahoo groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Teaching_Company_Users/?yguid=317656331
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Teaching_Company_Users_Professor/?yguid=317656331
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Teaching_Company_Users_Subject/?yguid=317656331

Doug van Orsow
moderator

By: Samuel

Samuel — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:37:15 +0000

THe Philosophy of Religion course I have to admit appealed to me after you mention it. Needless to say, I started on the first (audio) lecture on the drive to work. I’m looking forward to wrestling with it. As strange as it sounds, it does fit in nicely with Astronomy. I grew up with religious beliefs about creation etc, learning about astronomy, the expanse of the universe, the age of the universe and how this goes against the religious beliefs that I was taught eg that the earth is only 20k old, or their abouts. The philosophy of religious is yet another bag of tools to help unpick all of this, especially in the context of astronomy and astronomical issues. I’m still a newbie with all of this, but at the age of 32, rediscovering a whole new passion that I feel is just starting off.

P.s. they also do a course on rediscovering Genesis. This again might be interesting if not to provide an alternative view of mainstream religious views on the creation story..

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:36:22 +0000

Hi Frederica,

As I mentioned in the post, Sean is an excellent teacher, he presents all of these ideas very well. I’ve watched the first three lectures so far and the course seems designed for people without much prior knowledge of cosmology so you don’t have anything to worry about. He defines all unfamiliar terms and concepts and I have yet to see an assumption of any prior knowledge. This is a great course for people who don’t have much experience in cosmology and want to learn more.

Don’t worry about math either, he mentions in the second lecture:

“Hubble had an equation. I’m actually going to show you this equation. Occasionally, during this course, we will see equations. We’re not going to use them; I just think it’s important not just to mention that equations exist, but to actually look at them and show what they are saying.”

I think you’re really enjoy this course, Fredrica. If you can afford, I recommend the transcripts too, I find them invaluable to reinforce what I saw in the lecture.

@Samuel: These are great, I know you’ll enjoy them. I plan to order the course on Philosophy of Religion because I remember taking that course in college and really enjoyed the rationality of thought that went into some of the arguments for and against the existence of God. I’d like a refresher on some of those arguments.

By: Frederica

Frederica — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:32:01 +0000

I am interested in ordering the DVD but I am fearing I won’t understand much of it, being the Astro-nOOb that I am…
Is it for any level ? Or does it require some more technical or scientific knowledge ?
Thanks

By: SamueL Forbes

SamueL Forbes — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:21:31 +0000

What a great article! Ordering the DVD collection is now number one on my list. I much prefer this kind of tutoring than simply reading it in a book. It sinks in better! Thanks again. Great find and an even greater recommendation.