OSHER 628 - Physics: Survey of Modern Physics

The dawn of the twentieth century brought two distinct revolutions in our understanding of nature. Einstein's relativity theories and quantum mechanics challenged established notions of space, time, gravity, and the nature of light and matter. After briefly reviewing the state of physics before these remarkable developments, we will explore the strange consequences of relativity, including the prediction of black holes. We will then delve into the bizarre behavior of particles at the atomic level. We will conclude with a discussion of some of the ongoing efforts, such as string theory, to unite relativity and quantum mechanics into a theory of everything.