.
History 181B:  Modern Physics
BAS assignment
Navigation
Home Course mechanics Schedule Links
 
Parameters You will examine two articles from the Bulletin of the atomic scientists between 1945 and 1952, then summarize them and suggest what they reveal about physicists' concerns after World War II.  Length:  3pp., with no more than 1-1/2 pp. of summary.
Sources You may pick any two articles between 1945 and 1952, but you must select them so that they make for fruitful juxtaposition.  You might choose articles on the same topic from the same issue (revealing different points of view), on the same topic from different years (revealing temporal evolution), on different topics (revealing the range of physicists' concerns), etc.  If you like, you may pick more than two articles.  The choice is yours, but you are responsible for it.  Scan a few issues before making your decision.

Also try to get a sense of the periodical more generally.  Who publishes it, who authors its articles, what is its agenda?  Frame your articles against this backdrop.

The BAS is available in several libraries.  In the Physics Library its old issues are shelved alphabetically by title with other old periodicals on the balcony behind the circulation desk.  If you have trouble finding it, ask the library staff.  Since the physics library copies circulate for only 2 hours, consider spending a bit of time in the library to select and photocopy your articles.

Documentation At the start of your essay, you will need to introduce your articles in the text, giving author, title, month and year of publication, and page numbers.  Thereafter you may give citations parenthetically in some unambiguous format.  Examples:  (Oppenheimer, 16), ("The bomb," 6-7), (9/1951, 17).  A bibliography is not required.
Logistics The paper must be typed, double-spaced in normal-sized fonts with reasonable margins.  It may not be submitted by e-mail or in any other electronic form.  The paper is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, April 18.  (You may of course turn it in earlier.)  Standard penalties for lateness apply:  each day reduces the paper grade by 2/3 of a mark.
 Warning Proper writing (grammar, organization, citation format) definitely counts.  Please take it seriously.
Copyright © Cathryn Carson 2001