String Theory: Bringing General Relativity and Quantum Physics Together

Despite modern physics having a reputation of being very difficult to comprehend, this course first introduces, then dives deep into the subject in a manner accessible to middle and high school students. Students will have the opportunity to learn about general relativity, quantum mechanics, and string theory in a captivating and engaging environment. Throughout the 4 weeks of live classes, students will gain insight into recent discoveries and popular theories within the field of modern physics through unique and effective resources and discussions.

Day 1: Forces, elementary particles, and early searches for a grand unified theory
Day 2: General relativity, spacetime, and physics at a large scale
Day 3: Blackbody radiation, photoelectric effect, and wave-particle duality
Day 4: Probability, the Heisenberg principle, and Schrödinger's equation
Day 5: Superstring Theory and its competitors
Day 6: Quantum geometry and the 11 dimensions in our universe
Day 7: Quantum tunneling and other surprises in the quantum world
Day 8: Tearing the fabric of space, black holes, and a return to cosmology

This course is on specialized topics within modern physics. The course will stray away from complex mathematics to be more accessible to students of all mathematical levels. Throughout each of the lessons, students will gain confidence in skills that are applicable to all fields of science such as questioning, predicting, observing, analyzing graphs, inferring, and critical thinking. 

Students should meet the following prerequisites before registering for class: 
-can solve basic algebraic equations
-has a basic understanding of units and scale
-has a basic understanding of probability
-can read and understand slopes of line graphs with a single dependent variable