For six weeks beginning on Thursday, April 9, instructors Tim Barrows and Ted Williams will lead a wild ride through the history of quantum mechanics on Zoom, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The great physicist Richard Feynman said that “nobody understands quantum mechanics.” The history of quantum theory contains all the elements of a great novel: mystery, weirdness, and - above all - irony. John Wheeler, who was a resident of Lincoln County, played an important role in this story. A century after the founding of one of the most successful branches of science there is still no consensus about why things happen the way they do. The objective of this course is to simply describe the mystery.

Several ideas from this subject have drifted into the public consciousness, such as parallel universes. entanglement, the uncertainty principle, and superposition. The class will explore these concepts, enabling participants to (1) follow discussions on this fascinating subject, and (2) astound their friends. 

Barrows is a rocket scientist who worked at Draper Laboratory for 38 years. His last decade at Draper was spent on NASA’s Artemis program.

Williams spent most of his career at Rutgers, where he pursued observational studies of galaxies and developed astronomical instrumentation, while teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in physics and astronomy.

Classes begin during the week of April 7. Go to coastalseniorcollege.org to learn more about Spring Term classes, membership and registration.