Foundations of Modern Physics

Course Description

This Stanford Continuing Studies course is a six-quarter sequence of classes exploring the essential theoretical foundations of modern physics. The topics covered in this course focus on classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, the general and special theories of relativity, electromagnatism, cosmology, black holes and statistical mechanics. While these courses build upon one another, each section of the course also stands on its own, and both individually and collectively they will allow the students to attain the "theoretical minnimum" for thinking intelligently about physics. Quantum theory governs the universe at its most basic level.

In the first half of the 20th century physics was turned on its head by the radical discoveriies of Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schroedinger. An entire new logical and mathematical foundation - quantum mechanics - eventually replaced classical physics. This course explores the quantum world, including the particle theory of light, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and the Schroedinger Equation. The course is taught by Leonard Susskind, the Felix Bloch Professor of Physics at Stanford University.

Lectures

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   Lecture 1 - Classical Mechanics I

   Lecture 1 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded October 15, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 2 - Classical Mechanics II

   Lecture 2 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded October 22, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 3 - Classical Mechanics III

   Lecture 3 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded October 29, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 4 - Classical Mechanics IV

   Lecture 4 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded November 5, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 5 - Classical Mechanics V

   Lecture 5 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded November 12, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 6 - Classical Mechanics VI

   Lecture 6 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded November 19, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 7 - Classical Mechanics VII

   Lecture 7 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded November 26, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 8 - Classical Mechanics VIII

   Lecture 8 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded December 17, 2007 at Stanford University.

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   Lecture 9 - Classical Mechanics IX

   Lecture 9 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Classical Mechanics. Recorded December 20, 2007 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 10 - Quantum Mechanics I

    Lecture 1 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded January 14, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 11 - Quantum Mechanics II

    Lecture 2 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded January 21, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 12 - Quantum Mechanics III

    Lecture 3 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded January 28, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 13 - Quantum Mechanics IV

    Lecture 4 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded February 4, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 14 - Quantum Mechanics V

    Lecture 5 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded February 11, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 15 - Quantum Mechanics VI

    Lecture 6 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded February 18, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 16 - Quantum Mechanics VII

    Lecture 7 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded February 25, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 17 - Quantum Mechanics VIII

    Lecture 8 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded March 3, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 18 - Quantum Mechanics IX

    Lecture 9 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded March 10, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 19 - Quantum Mechanics X

    Lecture 10 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded March 17, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 20 - Special Relativity I

    Lecture 1 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded April 14, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 21 - Special Relativity II

    Lecture 2 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded April 21, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 22 - Special Relativity III

    Lecture 3 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded April 28, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 23 - Special Relativity IV

    Lecture 4 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded May 5, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 24 - Special Relativity V

    Lecture 5 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded May 12, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 25 - Special Relativity VI

    Lecture 6 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded May 19, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 26 - Special Relativity VII

    Lecture 7 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded May 25, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 27 - Special Relativity VIII

    Lecture 8 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Special Relativity. Recorded June 9, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 28 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity I

    Lecture 1 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded September 22, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 29 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity II

    In this lecture, Professor Leonard Susskind of the Stanford University Physic's Department discusses dark energy, the tendency of it to tear atoms apart, and Gauss's Law.

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    Lecture 30 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity III

    In this lecture, Leonard Susskind continues his discussion of Einstein's theory of general relativity. He also gives a broad overview of the field of tensor calculus and it's relation to the curvature and geometry of space-time.

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    Lecture 31 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity IV

    October 13, 2008, Stanford's Felix Bloch Professor of Physics, Leonard Susskind, discusses covariant and contra variant indices, tensor arithmetic, algebra and calculus, and the geometry of expanding space time.

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    Lecture 32 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity V

    Lecture 5 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded October 20, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 33 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity VI

    Lecture 6 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded October 27, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 34 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity VII

    Lecture 7 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded November 3, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 35 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity VIII

    Lecture 8 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded November 10, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 36 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity IX

    Lecture 9 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded November 17, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 37 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity X

    Lecture 10 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded November 24, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 38 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity XI

    Lecture 11 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded December 1, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 39 - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity XII

    Lecture 12 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on General Relativity. Recorded December 9, 2008 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 40 - Cosmology I

    Lecture 1 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on Cosmology. Recorded January 13, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 41 - Cosmology II

    Lecture 2 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on Cosmology. Recorded January 19, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 42 - Cosmology III

    Lecture 3 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on Cosmology. Recorded January 26, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 43 - Cosmology IV

    Lecture 4 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on Cosmology. Recorded February 2, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 44 - Cosmology V

    Lecture 5 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on Cosmology. Recorded February 16, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 45 - Cosmology VI

    Lecture 6 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics concentrating on Cosmology. Recorded March 2, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 46 - Cosmology VII

    Lecture 7 of Leonard Susskind's course on Cosmology. Recorded March 9, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 47 - Cosmology VIII

    Lecture 8 of Leonard Susskind's course on Cosmology. Recorded March 16, 2009 at Stanford University.

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    Lecture 48 - Statistical Mechanics I

    March 30, 2009 - Leonard Susskind discusses the study of statistical analysis as calculating the probability of things subject to the constraints of a conserved quantity. Susskind introduces energy, entropy, temperature, and phase states as they relate directly to statistical mechanics.

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    Lecture 49 - Statistical Mechanics II

    April 6, 2009 - Leonard Susskind overviews elementary mathematics to define a method for understanding statistical mechanics.

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    Lecture 50 - Statistical Mechanics III

    April 13, 2009 - Leonard Susskind reviews the Lagrange multiplier, explains Boltzmann distribution and Helm-Holtz free energy before oulining into the theory of fluctuations.

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    Lecture 51 - Statistical Mechanics IV

    April 20, 2009 - Leonard Susskind explains how to calculate and define pressure, explores the formulas some of applications of Helm-Holtz free energy, and discusses the importance of the partition function.

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    Lecture 52 - Statistical Mechanics V

    April 27, 2009 - Leonard Susskind discusses the basic physics of the diatomic molecule and why you don't have to worry about its structure at low temperature. Susskind later explores a black hole thermodynamics.

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    Lecture 53 - Statistical Mechanics VI

    May 4, 2009 - Leonard Susskind explains the second law of thermodynamics, illustrates chaos, and discusses how the volume of phase space grows.

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    Lecture 54 - Statistical Mechanics VII

    May 11, 2009 - Leonard Susskind lectures on harmonic oscillators, quantum states, boxes of radiation and all associated computations such as wavelengths, volume, energy and temperature.

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    Lecture 55 - Statistical Mechanics VIII

    May 19, 2009 - Leonard Susskind lectures on a new class of systems, magnetic systems. He goes on to talk about mean field approximations of molecules in multidimensional lattice systems.

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    Lecture 56 - Statistical Mechanics IX

    May 25, 2009 - Leonard Susskind picks up on magnets, phase transitions, and mean field transitions. He goes on to explain chemical potential.

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    Lecture 57 - Statistical Mechanics X

    June 1, 2009 - Leonard Susskind presents the final lecture of Statistical Mechanics 10. In this lecture, he cover such topics as inflation, adiabatic transformation and thermal dynamic systems.