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Special relativity describes the behavior of systems moving at speeds close to the speed of light. Once you start moving so fast, a lot of weird stuff starts to happen. We will discuss Einstein's postulates, the two statements which form the foundation of special relativity. Then we will introduce time dilation - the bizarre idea that "moving clocks tick slower."

Special relativity describes the behavior of systems moving at speeds close to the speed of light. Once you start moving so fast, a lot of weird stuff starts to happen. We will discuss Einstein's postulates, the two statements which form the foundation of special relativity. Then we will introduce time dilation - the bizarre idea that "moving clocks tick slower."

Lasers have innumerable applications, from laser tag to laser eye surgery. We will discuss the unique properties that make laser light different from ordinary light, and learn about some interesting applications of lasers.

Special relativity describes the behavior of systems moving at speeds close to the speed of light. Once you start moving so fast, a lot of weird stuff starts to happen. We will discuss Einstein's postulates, the two statements which form the foundation of special relativity. Then we will introduce time dilation - the bizarre idea that "moving clocks tick slower."

Special relativity describes the behavior of systems moving at speeds close to the speed of light. For some reason, this subject has a reputation for being very difficult to understand. But really, you don't need any fancy math or physics to learn the basic principles of relativity - all you need is algebra. This course will introduce some of the bizarre behaviors of relativistic systems, including time dilation and length contraction. These phenomena will be algebraically derived, and apparent paradoxes will be discussed. We will also discuss the historical events leading to the discovery of special relativity.