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Well the goal is to introduce the students
for the first time to physics.
That's to say
Calculus based physics.
Many students have already had some of that
in high school but many have not.
And 801 the first course of physics
covers Newtonian mechanics
that's at the heart of the course.
Depending upon the lecturer we also cover
fluid mechanics a little.
And we cover a little of the kinetic gas theory.
Well this course is a general institute requirement.
You either have to take this course
Or you have to take one that is slightly higher level
which we call 801-2.
We evaluate the students through traditional exams.
The lectures are given
in the main lecture hall of MIT, 26.100.
And then the students meet in smaller groups
with professors.
We call those recitations
which is largely problem solving.
I would like to think that every lecture is an event.
And where possible I go outside
the standard curiculum.
I talk about neutron stars.
I talk about black holes.
I talk about Big Bang cosmology.
In a very natural way
do I introduce musical instruments.
I talk about supernova explosions.
And then during my last lecture
I introduce students to my research
the research i did during my early days at MIT.
When i made observations
astronomical observations in x-rays
from very high flying balloons.
Those balloons are giant in size
so that the size of the Empire State Building
and they went up to an altitude of about 145,000 feet.
And that is my last lecture.
And all of these lectures are really events.
The course material on OCW on my lectures
in addition to being the standard material
that you expect from Newtonian mechanics
from fluid mechanics and from kinetic gas theory.
As I mentioned earlier I try where possible
to go a little bit beyond that.
And to make them see through the equations
and by doing that I make them aware
of the environment of neutron stars
of black holes of super novi explosions
of musical instruments.
I only do that where it comes natural.
But there are many places where it comes natural.
So my goal is not so much to cover a lot
and to make them chew on a lot of equations
but my goal is to uncover several very basic things
that they will remember for the rest of their lives
even if they never need physics anymore.
I want them to see the beauty of physics.
I want them to love physics.
