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Fundamental Concepts and Cultural History of Physics (Spring 2024)
General: (The webpage of the course is updated gradually) - Last Update 11 February 2026
This is a joint B.Sc. and M.Sc. course, which will be held in the Physics Department of Sharif University of Technology.
Class Time: Saturdays and Mondays 16:30 - 18:00
Place: Physics Department - Physics 2
Office Hours: Saturday and Monday @ 14:00 - 15:00 or by appointment - Email: baghram@sharif.edu
Registered students:
32About the Course:
This is a course for advanced undergraduate or master students of Physics. During the semester these book will be covered:
By Shant Baghram
Simonyi, K., A Cultural History of Physics, Translated to English by David Kramer, (1st edition), A K Peters/CRC Press (2012).
And Lecture Notes will be released
Pre-request of the course: Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics I
Teacher Assitants:
Hassan Barati email address: baratihassan40@gmail.com
Ali Talashan email address: ali.talashan.stu@gmail.com
Grading:
Timeline: 1 points Friday 17 Bahman 1404 - 6 February 2026 @ 23:59
Optional Assignment: 1 point
Class Activity: 2 points
Reading a book: 2 points Friday 17 Bahman 1404 - 6 February 2026 @ 23:59
Presentation By appointment baghram@sharif.ir
Essay: First due: Tuesday 21 Bahman 1404 / 10 February 2026 @ 23:59
Final due: Sunday 26 Bahman 1404 / 15 February 2026 @ 23:59
Essay + Presentation: 5 points
Midterm: 4 points YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS HERE Monday - 10 Azar 1404 - 1 Dec 2025 @ 16:30 - 18:30
Final: 6 points Saturday - 18 Bahman 1404 - 7 Feb 2026 @ 15:00 - 18:00
TAKE HOME Deadline: Saturday - 18 Bahman 1404 - 7 Feb 2026 @ 18:00
Total grade: 20+1 YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS HERE
Send your notes and essays to baghram@sharif.ir
***
Suggested Reading:
There are many resources in Fundamental Concepts and Cultural History of Physics
A list of these resources will be added gradually to the link below.
Please follow the update:
Resources - Last updated: 8 Jan 2024
Lecture Notes and Presentations:
Physics Time Line in
Excel /
pdf
Last update: 26 March 2024
Time Line of Lectures:
Lecture 1: ( Saturday - 19 Mehr 1404 - 11 Oct 2025 )
Introduction to the course. The idea of two cultures. Discussion on the question of what is important in the history of science.
Lecture 2: ( Monday - 21 Mehr 1404 - 13 Oct 2025 )
The scientific method is the two-loop scheme of the
study of nature.
Lecture 3: ( Saturday - 26 Mehr 1404 - 18 Oct 2025 )
The Presocratics and their thoughts, which are continued nowadays.
Lecture 4: ( Monday - 28 Mehr 1404 - 20 Oct 2025 )
Greek Philosophy and scientific method
Lecture 5: ( Saturday - 3 Aban 1404 - 25 Oct 2025 )
Plato
Lecture 6: ( Monday - 5 Aban 1404 - 27 Oct 2025 )
Plato
Lecture 7: ( Saturday - 10 Aban 1404 - 1 Nov 2025 )
Aristotle
Lecture 8: ( Monday - 12 Aban 1404 - 3 Nov 2025)
Aristotle and catagories and cause
Lecture 9: ( Saturday - 17 Aban 1404 - 8 Nov 2025 )
Philosophers after Aristotle: Cynicism , Stoicism, Epicureanism, skepticism
Lecture 10: ( Monday - 19 Aban 1404 - 10 Nov 2025)
Timeline of Physicists working on the concept of Lagrangian
Lecture 11: ( Saturday - 24 Aban 1404 - 15 Nov 2025 )
On the concept of Lagrangian and Fields
Lecture 12: ( Monday - 26 Aban 1404 - 17 Nov 2025)
Roman Empire, Saint Augustin and A visit to central Library of Sharif University
Lecture 13: ( Saturday - 1 Azar 1404 - 22 Nov 2025 )
Iranian and Islamic golden age of science - part I
Monday - 3 Azar 1404 - 24 Nov 2025: Official Holiday
Lecture 14: ( Saturday - 8 Azar 1404 - 29 Nov 2025)
Iranian and Islamic golden age of science - part II
Lecture 15: ( Monday - 10 Azar 1404 - 1 Dec 2025)
Iranian and Islamic golden age of science - part III
Midterm Exam - Take Home
Lecture 16: ( Saturday - 15 Azar 1404 - 6 Dec 2025 )
The story of teh beginning of Renaissance
Lecture 17: ( Monday - 17 Azar 1404 - 8 Dec 2025)
Cambridge geneology
Lecture 18: ( Saturday - 22 Azar 1404 - 13 Dec 2025 )
The modern era of science from Renaissance from Scientific revolution I - Copernicus, Kepler, ...
Lecture 19: ( Monday - 24 Azar 1404 - 15 Dec 2025)
The modern era of science from Renaissance from Scientific revolution II - Instruments and Equivalance Principle - Galileo Galilei
Lecture 20: ( Saturday - 29 Azar 1404 - 20 Dec 2025)
Philosophical ideas of Rene Descartes - The role of Mathematics in Science - Mind and Body problem
Lecture 21: ( Monday - 1 Day 1404 - 22 Dec 2025)
Kant - Enlightment
Lecture 22: ( Saturday - 6 Day 1404 - 27 Dec 2025)
Modern Physics - Inertia and the concept of space and time I
Lecture 23: ( Monday - 8 Day 1404 - 29 Dec 2025)
Modern Physics - Inertia and the concept of space and time II
Saturday - 13 Day 1404 - 3 Jan 2026 Official Holiday
Lecture 24: ( Monday - 15 Day 1404 - 5 Jan 2026)
The history of Quantum Mechanics
Lecture 25: ( Saturday - 20 Day 1404 - 10 Jan 2026)
Inertia of Spin
Lecture 26: ( Monday - 22 Day 1404 - 12 Jan 2026)
Review of What we learn in this course.
Assignments:
1) Problem Set 1:
2) Problem Set 2:
3) Problem Set 3:
4) Problem Set 4
5) Problem Set 5
6) Problem Set 6
Essays and Projects:
Lecture Notes:
Cultural history of Physics - Version 1 - 15-02-1403 : - will be updated for the next year course.
Useful Links and Further Reading:
What Is
Enlightenment? Imannuel Kant