'Physics for (Future) CEOs' Will Provide UB Students with a More Pragmatic Approach to Newton's Science

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- OK, "Physics for Poets." Move over. In what is perhaps a sign of the times, University at Buffalo students will be able to fulfill their undergraduate science requirement by taking "Physics for CEOs and Other Decision Makers: the Energy Perspective," a new course focusing on energy issues that will debut in the fall.

Michael Ram, Ph.D., professor of physics in the UB College of Arts and Sciences, who developed the course, thinks "Physics for CEOs" will give non-science majors an edge in their future careers.

According to Ram, most introductory physics courses teach the discipline from a mechanistic perspective, starting with Newton's laws of motion.

"Because many global issues today revolve around decisions involving energy, 'Physics for CEOs,' on the other hand, makes the concept of energy, rather than force, the central one," he said.

That focus, he noted, will make the course appealing to many non-science, liberal-arts majors, especially those interested in business, law, politics, economics and the environment.

"With UB's proximity to Niagara Falls, as well as the university's recent decision to purchase wind energy -- a decision that increasingly is being duplicated across the nation -- it seems natural for us to offer this kind of a course," said Ram.

The algebra-based course (i.e. calculus is not required) will cover traditional topics including mechanics, heat, atoms, nuclei, electricity and radiation, using an energy perspective. Solar, wind, tidal, fuel cell and nuclear energy sources will be emphasized.

"The course will relate directly to practical energy questions likely to be encountered by decision makers in a variety of capacities," said Ram.

Students will be exposed to simple energy-balance calculations that will allow them to determine how much usable energy can be extracted from different sources.

"This course will fill a void in the college physics curriculum," Ram said.

Enrollment in the one-semester course is limited to 40 students. To allow working students to attend, it will meet from 5-6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For more information about the course, Ram may be contacted at phymram@buffalo.edu.