FRS 004 — Sec. 007 — (2 units) — CRN 26063 — M 5:40-7:30pm — 201 Wellman
Science and Politics of Energy

Instructor: Rajiv Singh, Department of Physics, College of Letters and Science

Description: Energy is fast becoming the burning scienti€c and technological issue of our time. The goal of this course would be to educate the students and the instructor about various basic scientific facts behind different sources of energy. This would be combined with some sociological and political issues related to the energy problem and the pros and cons of various energy options for the future.

Format: The seminar will meet for two hours a week. In the €rst week there will be a presentation by the instructor, and we will make a list of topics we would like to cover in the course. Each student would be asked to select one of a list of weekly topics for their presentation. In the other weeks, we will begin with a short presentation from the instructor as a preface to the student presentations and discussions. The students will be encouraged to research the topics on the internet and make a short presentation, including suitable tables and figures which will then form the basis for a general discussion. The instructor’s role would be to help the students follow the science at least at a qualitative level. The discussion would not be limited to scientific issues only. Grading: Each student would be required to make a half hour oral presentation (it could be done in teams depending on the class size), and write a short (at least two-page) term paper. The grading will be based on participation in course discussions (1/3) oral presentation (1/3), and the term paper (1/3).

Recommended Books:
1. Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil – David Goodstein
2. The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World – Paul Roberts

About the Instructor: Dr. Singh is a Professor in the Physics Department at UC Davis and a member of the Biophysics Graduate Group. His research and teaching interests are primarily related to the €eld of statistical mechanics and its applications to problems in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.