þÿ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Mozilla/4.6 [en] (WinNT; U) [Netscape]"> <meta name="Author" content="Your Name"> <title>NSCI 1000A</title> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#0000EE" vlink="#551A8B" alink="#FF0000"> <h1 align = center>Course outline for NSCI1000B</h1> <hr> <ul > <li>Instructor: <a href="mailto:watson@physics.carleton.ca">Dr. P. J. S. Watson</a></li> <li>Office hours: Thurs 11.00-noon (or any other time by arrangement</li> <li>Contact info: <ul> <li> phone 520-2600x4318</li> <li> e-mail <a href="mailto:watson@physics.carleton.ca">watson@physics.carleton.ca</a> (usually best)</li> <li> Room: HP 3318</li> </ul> <li>Classes: <ul> <li> Room TB 219 (Tory)</li> <li> Tues. and Thurs. 13.05-14.25</li> <li> 5 <a href="seminars.html">seminars</a> in ME 4499, Tuesday. 11.35 - 12.55, </li> <li> Office hours 10-noon Thursdays </ul> <li>TA:</li> <ul> <li>Sureesha Samuel</li> <li>e-mail: <a href="mailto:ssamuel@connect.carleton.ca">ssamuel@connect.carleton.ca</a></li> <li> Office hours; by appt. </ul> </ul> <h2>NSCI 1000 Course objectives</h2> <br>The course objectives are: <ol> <li> To learn the communication skills required of a working scientist, both written and oral. <li> To learn to be constructively critical of scientific ideas <li> To understand how the scientific process works, from the original concept through the design of experiments to the publication of results <li> To learn to work in small groups towards a common goal <li> To obtain an insight of the facilities available for a science student at Carleton</ol> <br>Class time will be used for discussions, debates, workshops and student-led seminars. Most classes will take place in TB 219, but from time to time classes will be scheduled in other locations. The aim of this course is to move away from a lecture format and towards the more interactive teaching style that is usually reserved for upper-year undergraduate and/or graduate courses. Consequently, this course will rely very heavily on student participation and investigation/preparation. The course will be far more interesting and useful if you take the time to prepare for each class and participate in discussions and debates. <h1> Information</h1> <P> Course web page: <a href="http://www.physics.carleton.ca/~watson/Physics/NSCI1000/Course_outline.html"> http://www.physics.carleton.ca/~watson/Physics/NSCI1000/Course_outline.html</a><P><b>Note:</b> Everything will be posted on this website. Things can change, so check the announcements. <ul type="circle"> <li>There will be no handouts! (after this one)</li> <li>There is no textbook!</li> <li>There are no exams!</li> </ul></li> <li>Speaking: <ul> <li><a href="../Writing_etc/Talking.html">How not to give a talk</a></li> <li><a href="../NSCI_Writing/a%20good%20presentation-sureesha.pdf">How to give a talk</a></li> <li><a href="../Writing_etc/badshow.pdf">Bad/Good powerpoint</a></li> <li> <a href="../NSCI_Writing/Scientific_journalism.html">Scientific Writing</a> </ul> <li> Seminar Presentations <ol> <li><a href="../Seminars/VolcHazardsNewPC.pdf">Brian Cousens Volcanic Hazards</a></li> <li> <a href="../Seminars/nsci_2011_post.pdf">Rowan Thomson: Superstrings to Medical Physics</a> <li> <a href="../Seminars/Maria_DeRosa.pdf">Maria deRosa Constructing Nanotechnology with Nature s Tools</a> <li><a href="../Seminars/physics-lecture-Nov1.pdf">Alex Wong: Microbes and Monkeys</a> <li><a href="../Seminars/Burns.pdf">Brian Burns: A Story of EcoSustainability 1950 to 2050 </a> </ol> <li> <a href="Hot_topics_2011.html">Project Topics</a> <li> Project groups <table border="1" width=100% frame="box" rules="all"> <tr> <td>Multiple Sclerosis and Liberation Therapy</td> <td>Alexander Jesso, Danielle Mathieson, Zaneta Polis</td> <td>22<sup>nd</sup> Nov </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pandemics: what is next?</td> <td>Obi Arizor, Euri Papanicolaou, Ryan Pusiak</td><td>24<sup>th</sup> Nov </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Dark matter, dark energy and the expansion of the universe</td> <td>Spencer Hunt, Ryan Hamill</td><td>24<sup>th</sup> Nov</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Applications and implications of the human genome project: Disease, Society, Drugs, Engineering</td> <td>Jocelyn Maher, Alex Gale-Mouldey, Maddison Turner</td> <td>29<sup>th</sup> Nov</td><tr> <tr> <td>Neutrinos</td> <td>Tyler Leggo, Khalid Gameli</td><td>29<sup>th</sup> Nov</td> </tr> </tr> </tr> <tr> <td>Stem Cells</td> <td>WIlliam Legare, Alyssa Kealey, Jawayed Asiel</td><td>1<sup>st</sup> Dec</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Global Warming</td> <td>Kaitlyn Dombroskie, Melissa Henry</td><<td>1<sup>st</sup> Dec</td> </tr> </table> <a href="Presentation_marking_scheme.pdf">Project marking scheme</a> <h1>Seminars</h1> <a href="seminars2011.html">2011 Seminars</a> <br><font face="Arial Narrow"><font size=+1>NSCI 1000 will be structured primarily around a series of 5 guest seminar speakers. We have put together an exciting line-up of speakers, who have been selected not just because they are outstanding speakers but represent a wide range of interests. Seminars will take place for all first year seminar in science students at the same time, in the "workshop" slot. We will include more details of these as the time approaches. In particular each of the speakers will provide a title along with some background information. All students are expected to do some research in advance for the seminar, as well as write a report on it afterwards. <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><h2>Schedule</h2> <p><b>Note</b> that topics and assignments are tentative for more than 3 weeks ahead <table border="1" width=90% frame="box" rules="all"> <TR><TD> <b>Date</b></TD><TH width = 400><b>Topic</b></TH><TD><b> Assignment</b></TD><TD><b>Deadline</b></TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 0</b> </TD><TD></TD><TD>Assignment 0 (Ext Seminar)</TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 1</b><br> 8 Sept. </TD><TD>Introduction to the course: Communication in Science</TD><TD>Assignment 1 (Letters)</TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 2</b><br>13 Sept.</TD><TD>Library Tour <br><b>Meet in Library Room 235</b></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>15 Sept.</TD><TD>How (not) to give a talk</TD><TD> Assignment 2 (Cousens) </TD><TD> Assignment 1</TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 3</b><br>20 Sept.</TD><TD><b>SEMINAR 1 Brian Cousens on Volcanoes </b></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>20 Sept.</TD><TD>Project Discussion 1 / Scientific Sources</TD><TD> Assignment 3 (Project Choice)</TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>22 Sept.</TD><TD>Cousens Seminar Discussion/ Peer Editing</TD><TD></TD><TD> </TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 4</b><br>27 Sept.</TD><TD>Initial Project presentations</TD><TD>Assignment 4 (Project)</TD><TD> Assignment 3 </TD></TR> <TR><TD>29 Sept.</TD><TD>Bad Science Intro / Scientific Writing and Editing </TD><TD>Assignment 5 (Bad Science)</TD><TD>Assignment 2</TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 5</b><br>4 Oct</TD><TD><b>SEMINAR 2 Rowan Thomson on Superstrings and Medical Physics</b></TD><TD>Assignment 6 (Thomson)</TD><TD> </TD></TR> <TR><TD>4 Oct.</TD><TD>The Scientific Process: Idea to Publication </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>6 Oct.</TD><TD>Discussion of the Thomson Seminar/ Peer Editing</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD> <b>Week 6</b><br> 11 Oct.</TD><TD>Bad Science Debate 1</TD><TD></TD><TD>Assignment 5</TD></TR> <TR><TD>13 Oct.</TD><TD>Bad Science Debate 2 </TD><TD>Assignment 7 (DeRosa)</TD><TD>Assignment 6</TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 7</b><br> 18 Oct.</TD><TD><B>SEMINAR 3 Maria DeRosa on DNA Machines</B></TD><TD> </TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>18 Oct.</TD><TD>Science in the Media</TD><TD>Assignment 8 (Journalism)</TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>20 Oct.</TD><TD>Discussion of the DeRosa Seminar/Peer Editing </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 8</b><br>25 Oct.</TD><TD>Chernobyl to Fukushima (Dr. Wiles)</TD><TD></TD><TD>Assignment 7</TD></TR> <TR><TD>27 Oct</TD><TD>Science in media presentations </td> <td>Assignment 9 (Wong)</TD><TD>Assignment 8</TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 9</b><br> 1 Nov.</TD><TD><B>SEMINAR 4 Alex Wong</B></TD><TD> </TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>1 Nov.</TD> <TD>Sureesha Samuel tba</TD><TD></TD><TD> </TD></TR> <TR><TD>3 Nov. </TD><TD>Discussion of the Wong seminar/ Peer Editing</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 10</b><br> 8 Nov.</TD><TD>Ethics and Fraud</TD><TD>Assignment 10 (Burns)</TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>10 Nov.</TD><TD>Lab Tour</TD><TD></TD><TD>Assignment 9</TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 11</b><br>15 Nov.</TD><TD><b>SEMINAR 5 Brian Burns</b></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>15 Nov.</TD><TD>Lightning: Gods, sprites and Fireballs</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD> 17 Nov.</TD><TD>Discussion of the Burns seminar/ Peer Editing</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 12</b><br>22 Nov.</TD><TD>Group 1 Presentation </TD><TD></TD><TD>Assignment 4</TD></TR> <TR><TD>24 Nov.</TD><TD>Group 2 Presentation </TD><TD></TD><TD>Assignment 10</TD></TR> <TR><TD><b>Week 13</b><br>29 Nov</TD><TD>Group 3 Presentation</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR> <TR><TD>1 Dec.</TD><TD>Group 4 Presentation</TD><TD> </TD><TD>Assignment 0</TD> <TR><TD><br>? Dec</TD><TD>Essay Prize presentations</TD><TD> </TD><TD></TD></TR> </TABLE> <h1>Assessment</h1> In keeping with its innovative format, NSCI 1000 will not be evaluated in the traditional manner:, no midterm, no final exam! Rather, your grade in NSCI 1000 will be based on participation, assignments and a research project (seminar and essay). <br> <b>Please note</b>: Attendance will be taken at all classes and seminars. Students that fail to attend at least 80% of all classes/seminars will automatically fail the course. In addition to the evaluated assignments, students will be required to complete various exercises. . Students that fail to complete at least 80% of all exercises/assignments will automatically fail the course. <p><i>Exercises</i> <br>Various exercises will be assigned throughout the term. While these exercises will not neccessarily be graded, completion of at least 80% of all exercises and assignments is required to receive a passing grade in NSCI 1000. These will include <ul> <li>Peer-editing: i.e. reading critically through other student's essays.</li> <li>Speaking: every student will have to make at least one presentation in addition to their research seminar. These are not marked, but expect to be criticized!</li> <li>Peer-evaluation: you'll be asked to comment on others presentations.</li> </ul> <br><i>External Seminar</i> <br> In addition students must attend one science seminar outside of those given as part of NSCI 1000. This event may be a departmental seminar, a seminar given by graduate students, or a public lecture. It may be in any science department at Carleton, or in any science research organisation in Ottawa (e.g. University of Ottawa, government labs, NRC, Loeb Institute etc). To count towards this exercise, you must (1) attend, and (2) write a brief summary of the seminar to be e-mailed to the instructor and TA. The objective of this exercise is to familiarise you with the diverse array of research going on in science at Carleton and beyond. Not all seminars are appropriate: I will post suggestions some suggestions. <p>Your final grade will be determined as follows: <table BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 WIDTH="19%" > <tr><td> Participation </td> <td>10%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Assignments </td> <td>50%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Student Seminar</td> <td>20%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Research Essay</td> <td>20%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Total</td> <td>100%</td> </tr> </table> <hr> <i>Assignments:</i> approximately 1 per week for 10 weeks. Note that assignments will not only be graded according to their content, but also according to writing style: i.e. you will lose marks for spelling errors and bad grammar. the attention of students is drawn to the The Academic Writing Centre and Writing Tutorial Service which provides support. As a guideline, essays should be typewritten and double-spaced, with a cover page. <P> Format for seminar reports: <ol> <li>Introduction to topic</li> <li>Summary of talk</li> <li>Comments on presentation and speaking style</li> <li>Supplementary material</li> </ol> <P> Marking Scheme for essays: note these are guidelines, since the style of the essay will vary. <ul> <li>20% Basic writing (spelling, grammar)</li> <li>20% Structure of Essay (introduction, discussion, conclusion)</li> <li>20% Outside materials/references</li> <li>40% Discussion of Science content</li> </ul> For the first 4 seminar discussion papers, you <strong>must</strong> bring in your paper on the following Thursday for peer-editing. Failure to do so means an automatic 10% deduction. <p><i>Participation:</i> will be graded on the basis of contributions to in-class discussions, debates etc. <h1>Assignments and deadlines</h1></P> <P> All assignments will be graded if they are handed in on time. Failure to complete more than 80% of the assignments or to submit the final essay will result in failing the course. <P> <b><u>Assignment 0: </u></b><ul type="circle"> <li><b>External Seminar</b> <li>Due date: Thursday, 1 December <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> Attend one seminar <strong>not</strong> on the NSCI list sometime during the term (Carleton has several public lectures, and I'll post them as soon as they become available). Write a 1-2 page summary of what the speaker was talking about. Summarise the scientific problem addressed and decide whether he/she succeeded in solving it. <P> <b><u>Assignment 1: </u></b><ul type="circle"> <li><b>Two letters</b> <li>Due date: Thursday, 15 September <li>Maximum grade: 20 </ul> Write 1-2 paragraphs (half a page) on why you are taking this course and what you hope to get out of it, Do it twice: one as if you are writing to a friend or (non-scientific) member of the family and once to your professor. <p><b><u>Assignment 2:</u></b> <ul type="circle"> <li><b>Cousens Seminar</b> <li>Due date: Tuesday 27th Sept <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> <strong>Before </strong>the seminar check out Cousens website. 1-2 page summary of the talk. <P>Bring your first draft essay on Thursday (22 Sept.). In addition to the presentations, we will have peer-editing session. <P><b><u>Assignment 3:</u></b><ul type="circle"> <li> <b><a href="Hot_topics_2009.html">Possible projects</a></b> <li>Tuesday, 27 September <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> Write a paragraph each on 3 possible research topics that you would like to pursue. You will have 3 minutes in class to talk about these, so make sure that you can make a very compact summary of what you would like to do. On the basis of what everyone writes, we will form small groups to work on the projects. <P><b><u>Assignment 4: Project</u></b> <u>Due Tuesday, Nov. 22. </u> <P><b><u>Assignment 5:</u></b> <ul type="circle"> <li><b>Bad Science</b> <li>Due date: Tuesday, 11th October <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> This will take the form of class-room presentations (to be given mid-October). The following is a list of possible topics. <ul type="circle"> <li>Perpetual Motion: <li>Lysenko and Soviet genetics: <li>Cold Fusion <li><a href="Pseudo-science/NSCI1000_Velikovsky_s.html">Velikovsky and Worlds in Collision</a> <li> Faking the Moon Landings <li>Creationism/ Intelligent design <li>Telepathy: <li>Freud and Dreams: <li>Horoscopes: <li>Eugenics: <li> Vitamin C and diets: <li> Dangers of Vaccines <li> AIDS denialism </ul> In all cases, you should look at the evidence, why it might be possible to make a scientific case, what tests could be applied to the ideas and why the ideas may have wide acceptance outside the scientific community but very little inside. In all cases you should be able to find a huge amount of information immediately with a web search: in most cases there are many books as well. You will be in (self-selected) groups of 2-3. Each group will be responsible for researching one topic, and they will chose a spokesperson to present the material. You will also submit a 2-3 page essay summarizing what you discovered. <P><b><u>Assignment 6:</u></b> <ul type="circle"> <li><b>Thomson Seminar</b> <li>Due date: Thurs. 13 October <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> Preliminary research for Rowan Thomson's seminar: find out what is meant by <ul> <li> Superstring theory:  <a href="http://www.superstringtheory.com/">http://www.superstringtheory.com/</a> <li>Medical physics:  <a href="http://www.medphys.ca/content.php?sec=1">http://www.medphys.ca/content.php?sec=1</a> </ul> <P>Bring your first draft essay on Thursday (6 Oct.). In addition to the presentations, we will have peer-editing session. </ul> <P><b><u>Assignment 7:</u></b> <ul type="circle"> <li><b>DeRosa Seminar</b> <li>Due date: Thurs. 27 October <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> Preliminary research for Maria DeRosa's seminar: check out her website <P>Bring your first draft essay on Thursday (20 Oct.) <P> <P><b><u>Assignment 8:</u></b><br>Find a science article in the newspaper (e.g Tom Spears in the Ottawa Citizen) or on TV (e.g. Daily Planet on Discovery Channel). Find a report of the original research that is being described. Discuss both, and show how the real work is simplified (and distorted?) in the popular version <br>Due date: Tuesday, 25 Oct <P><b><u>Assignment 9:</u></b> <ul type="circle"> <li><b>Wong Seminar</b> <li>Due date: Thurs 10 Nov. <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> <P>Bring your first draft essay on Monday (9th. Nov.) <P> <P><b><u>Assignment 10:</u></b> <ul type="circle"> <li><b>Burns Seminar</b> <li>Due date:Thurs 24 November <li>Maximum grade: 50 </ul> <i>Student Seminar</i> to be given from <b>Tuesday, November 22</b> onwards <br>The seminar is to be carried out in groups of 2-3 students on a topic chosen by the group (and approved by the instructor). The topic chosen must fit within the themes of "science in society" and/or "hot topics in science". For example, topics could range from cleaning up toxic hot spots, to applications and implications of the human genome project, to bionic devices and artificial intelligence, or beyond. Students will present a 10-15 min seminar on their topic as a group; a 10 min discussion/questions &amp; answer session will follow each student-led seminar. Oral presentations will be carried out in weeks 11 and 12. All students in a group are expected to contribute equally to researching the topic as well as preparing and presenting the seminar. To ensure that all students contribute to the group effort, self- and group-evaluation sheets will be completed following the seminar. Audio-visual aids, including overhead projector, slide projector, data projector or video can be made available as required for the oral presentations. <p><i>Research Essay : due date <b>Tuesday, November 22<sup>rd</sup></b></i> <br>The essay is to be written on the same subject as the seminar or one that is closely related to it, but the essay must be an individual piece of work rather than a group venture. The idea is to allow you to explore a topic in somewhat more depth than is possible in the seminar, and to give you experience in researching a topic and writing a scientific essay. Grades will reflect the organisation of the factual material as well as the degree of original thought and critical analysis that has been carried out. Marks will be deducted for poor grammar, spelling, referencing of material etc. Maximum length is 10 pages (word processed, double spaced). <P>Dean's prize - In recognition of the emphasis placed in NSCI 1000 on writing skills and the importance of having scientists that are able to communicate effectively, the Dean of Science provides each year a prize that is awarded to the "best" project in NSCI 1000. The individual presentations will be chosen by the students in each section and these will be presented at the end of term. Aside from the recognition, the prize itself consists of a book award. <p>Please note: Before you begin to panic about the seminar and essay, let me reassure you that there will be ample opportunity throughout the term to develop, research and discuss your ideas for the seminar and essay!!!! <body> <h2>Academic Accommodation</h2> <P>You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. For an accommodation request the processes are as follows: <P>Pregnancy obligation: write to me with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/student_guide.htm <P>Religious obligation: write to me with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/student_guide.htm <P> Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations: in this course must register with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) for a formal evaluation of disability-related needs. Documented disabilities could include but are not limited to mobility/physical impairments, specific <P> Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/psychological disabilities, sensory disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and chronic medical conditions. Registered PMC students are required to contact the PMC, 613-520-6608, every term to ensure that I receive your Letter of Accommodation, no later than two weeks before the first assignment is due or the first in-class test/midterm requiring accommodations. If you only require accommodations for your formally scheduled exam(s) in this course, please submit your request for accommodations to PMC by the last official day to withdraw from classes in each term. For more details visit the PMC website: http://www.carleton.ca/pmc/students/acad_accom.html <h2>Instructional Offences</h2> The attention of all students is drawn to the section 14.3 on Academic Integrity in the Calendar. Depending on the severity of the case, a report will be sent to the Dean of the student's Faculty, for possible further disciplinary action. </body> </html