Studying the Foundations of Optics with the Master (Journal Article)

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Abstract: Physics teaching can and should help address pressing social issues. We need to improve the discussion of science in the public sphere by emphasizing the importance of evaluating the evidence behind claims. We need to redress racial discrimination within our own discipline. And of course, we also need to teach physics. Doing all three at once is a challenge, but sometimes it is possible. One thing I have done in my conceptual optics course is to explicitly connect our study of the foundational ideas of optics to the breakthrough work of the largely forgotten non-European founder of modern geometric optics, combining hands-on activities replicating some of his experiments with short readings of his opus magnus and discussions of how we know what we know in science.