FRS 004 — Sec. 013 —
(2 unit) — CRN 53641 — W 5:40-7:30 pm — 5 Wellman
Inventions That Shaped the World
Instructor: Andrei Chakhovskoi, Department of Electrical & Computer
Engineering, College of Engineering
Description: Imagine your average day without cars, airplanes,
computers, telephones, bicycles, toothbrushes, TVs, DVDs, media players... Many
of these devices have changed the world where we live, others dramatically transformed
our daily life. We will explore some of the greatest ideas, devices and technologies
that received broad attention in the media. We will consider a timeline of the
world history through the scope of inventions made throughout hundreds of years
of ancient and modern civilization. Special attention will be given to a concept
of patents as the means to protect the inventor’s right and as a way to
bring the ideas and inventions into the commercial world. Students will discuss
the importance of certain inventions for the modern society and human life. Each
student will choose one invention for more detailed study, which will be summarized
in a form of a paper and a brief oral presentation (may be done individually or
in small groups). Information will be presented through informal lectures, readings,
and discussion.
Format: This two-unit seminar will meet for two hours each week
for a total of 20 hours. The time will be divided between informal lecture presentations,
discussion, and student presentations. There is no dedicated textbook for the
course, the students will be required to choose their own information source from
a variety of media such as scientific magazines (e.g. Science, Nature), popular
journals (Popular Mechanics, Popular Science), books (Inventing the Twentieth
Century, A History of Great Inventions), and Internet search. Students will be
required to prepare a short paper on a topic to be chosen in consultation with
the instructor. During the last three weeks of the course the students will be
required to make short individual or group presentations based on the content
of their paper. Grading: The course grade (pass-no pass) will
be based on the quality of their written (1/3) and oral (1/3) presentations and
on the frequency and quality of their participation in class discussion (1/3).
About the Instructor: Professor Andrei G. Chakhovskoi is an Adjunct
Faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research
interests include physics of semiconductors, microelectronics and electron beam
devices. He also works as an Intellectual Property Officer at the Technology Transfer
Center managing UC Davis inventions in the area of engineering and physical sciences.
He has taught courses on semiconductor device physics, electrical circuits, computer
applications and programming. He has also taught a freshman seminar on the history
of science and technology.