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General Education Courses

GENS1004 - Science and Cinema

Staff Contact: A/Prof. Justin Gooding (Chemistry)
UOC3 Summer Session (X1)

Imagine Keanu Reeves, Uma Thurman, Elizabeth Shue or Lisa Simpson as scientists. Well Hollywood has in a series of movies which use real scientific concepts as an integral part of the plot. Often the script writers stretch these concepts beyond the realms of reality to make the movies even more exciting. In this general education course you will view at least six movies which deal with a range of scientific issues (and we don't just mean science fiction here!). You will be given some lectures of the basics of the science involved in a given movie, discuss how faithfully the movies portray the science and look at some of the social and ethical issues related to the science that are explored in the films. There will be an opportunity to debate scientific and ethical issues raised by the movies. Not only that but you will get to meet some of the movies stars currently masquerading as chemists in the School of Chemistry. Movies you will see include Gattica (starring Ethan Hawke, Jude Law and Uma Thurman), The Saint (with Val Kilmer and Elizabeth Shue), Chain Reaction (Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz), Jurassic Park (Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern), an old classic Man in a White Suit (starring Sir Alec Guinness) and more. So come along, see some movies and you might learn some basic stuff about how to make your own genetically modified organism, alternative sources of energy and how science could save the world if only the world wanted saving.

Offered over 5 days in summer, March 3-7, 2008, in the Physics Theatre. A poster describing the course in more detail is available here as a PDF file. and also an FAQ page (PDF) with details of assessment.

Enquiries 1st Floor Dalton Building, room 105, OR Prof. Justin Gooding (justin.gooding@unsw.edu.au)

GENS3501 Metals, Ceramics, Plastics

Staff Contact: Dr. Owen Standard (Materials Science)
UOC3 Summer Session (X1)

This course is designed to introduce students with a non-technical background to the science of advanced materials, with particular emphasis on how they function and where they are used.

The following topics are included: Surfaces are not superficial; Zeolites: crystals with holes; New forms of carbon: buckyballs, nanotubes and buckycondoms; Conductors and superconductors; Polymers: how to make them and what they can do; Synthesis of materials; Hot metal: its production and use; Making metals strong: the tricks of the blacksmith exposed; Why steel rusts but gold does not; Solar cells, lasers and transistors: how they work; Composites: making plastics strong; Ceramics: from earthenware to space; Smart materials.

Consideration of these materials includes examination of how they have impacted on and contributed to society over the last 100 years, and how they may help shape social and technological development in the future.

Note: 28 hrs/week lecture/tutorials. Offered over 5 days on a full-time basis in the summer recess, 12-16 February 2007. Includes field trip to Powerhouse museum. [Jointly taught by Chemistry and Materials Science]