“Microelectronic Circuits”



“Science, Engineering and Religion:

An Interfaith Dialogue”

IAC 2002

Spring Semester 2020

Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. John D. Cressler

When and Where:

Lecture Place: Room 323, Clough Commons

Lecture Time: Tues / Thurs 4:30-5:45 pm

My Contact Information:

email: cressler@ece.gatech.edu

office: Room 521 in TSRB (in Technology Square—first building on the left as you cross the 5th Street Bridge – elevator to 5th floor, extreme SE corner of the building)

phone: (404) 894-5161 - office

(404) 351-0198 - home

If ever you need me and cannot find me ... email me!

My Office Hours:

I would be delighted to meet with you at any time regarding the class material or anything that may be on your mind. Let’s chat after class, or email me, and we can set that up. I am also happy to host informal outside-of-class get-togethers to chat about life in general.

Course Policies and Procedures

Prerequisites

None. Zero. Zilch. There are NO formal course prerequisites; open to Georgia Tech UGs of ALL majors/years.

BUT, you WILL need to possess:

• An eagerness to engage in open and constructive conversation on a variety of controversial topics.

• A desire to learn more about other religious traditions and engage in interfaith dialogue.

• A desire to better integrate your own spiritual life (or lack thereof) with your chosen career.

And some additional personal attributes will be very helpful:

• a love of learning new things

• an open mind

• a willingness to let go of preconceived ideas

• the ability to listen to viewpoints that may differ from your own

• an adventuresome spirit!

Textbooks

• Brian T. Swimme and Mary E. Tucker, Journey of the Universe, Yale, 2011.

• John F. Haught, Science and Faith, Paulist Press, 2013.

• John Polkinghorne, Science and Religion in Quest of Truth, Yale, 2011.

• Stephen Prothero, God is Not One, HarperOne, 2011.

There will also be a reasonably hefty number of articles, book chapters, and miscellaneous handouts that I will provide to you. I will prioritize the “must-reads” and “nice-to-reads.” Good idea to get a binder and bring that with you to EACH class for reference.

You may find that getting a journal to record your thoughts during the semester to be a good thing.

Web Site

The official course web site is located on my home webpage:



Go to the “Courses” button on the left, and then click on our course. Overhead material used in lecture will be posted there, along with writing and reading assignments, supplemental material, etc.

About Me

If you would like to know more about who I actually am, what I believe, and what makes me tick, I would suggest a few possibilities:

1) The GT article on me and this course:



2) Watch my GT Commencement Address

3) Watch my TEDx talk on the microelectronics revolution

4) Watch my AIB-Network presentation on science/religion

5) Check out my philosophy on Teaching and Mentoring

6) Check out my personal “Credos”

#2 through #6 are buttons on the left side of my webpage above.

In addition, I am a writer, and have published 8 books now (#9 in process), and including 3 novels (working on #4). If you are curious about my historical fiction, visit:



Lectures

Class will be highly interactive—more of a constant 2-way dialogue between you folks and me. Class will typically be divided into three pieces: 1) the front-end of class will be more traditional in format (me speaking, you listening; me asking questions, you answering, etc.), and focused on foundational material for this BIG subject; 2) a short class dialogue on the assigned readings and companion questions; and 3) the back-end of lecture will be group conversation focused either on class-selected “questions at the intersection of science and religion” or “case studies at the boundaries of science, engineering and religion (i.e., your writing assignments),” or both. The pace and direction of our conversations will evolve organically as the vibe and needs of the class ripen. We will not be bound to mandates of the syllabus or any preconceived agenda (by you or me). Needless to say, your active participation in all aspects of class (speaking, asking questions, answering questions, sharing your perspectives, careful listening, etc.) is both expected and vital to the success of this class. Please take your role seriously. Attendance is mandatory. Expect a Sunday email covering our plans and the needed readings etc. for the coming week.

Electronic Gadgets

All of my classes are electronics-free. Period. All e-Gadgets must be powered off and stowed during class: smart phones (especially texting!), laptops, smartwatches, iPads, etc.

Requirements

Assignments will be varied, as per below, and must be turned-in on the due date for full credit. Good grammar and diction in your written responses most definitely matter to me.

Short Writing Assignments

A variety of short writing assignments (2-3 pages) will be made during the semester (there will be around 7-8 of these), and will be centered on the class-selected “case studies at the boundaries of science, engineering and religion.” A pdf of your paper will be shared with the class.

In-Class Discussions / Case Studies

The class will jointly prioritize our in-class discussion topics and case studies at the boundaries of science, engineering and religion.

Guest Speakers and Off-Site Activities

There will be several guest speakers joining us during the semester, and several off-campus activities. Details to be announced. Car-pooling will be used for off-campus activities.

Out of Class Social Events

We will have several pizza and movie nights after class, using films relevant to the course (I have some favorites, but fine for you to nominate one), to be followed by discussion in class. These will happen in my building (TSRB) in Tech Square.

Service Project

There will be an optional (but highly encouraged) Saturday service project during the semester. Details to be announced.

Grading Policy

Course grades will be determined as follows:

Short Writing Assignments - 100%

Policy on late paper submissions: a one letter grade per day late-fee will be assessed. Sounds harsh, I know, but without your papers being done it is hard to have meaningful dialogue on the topic. However, students will receive one free one-class delay during the semester (due Tues, turn it in Thurs; or due Thurs, turn it in Tues). Use this “mulligan” wisely please.

Academic Honesty

Students are expected to abide by Georgia Tech’s established Academic Honor Code (refer to the General Catalog if you have questions—visit: catalog.gatech.edu/rules/18b.php).

Important Dates

Georgia Tech Calendar

Event Day Date (time)

• Our First Class Tuesday 1/7

• Spring Break Monday-Friday 3/16-3/20

• Our Last Class Tuesday 4/21

• Our Final Exam Slot Tuesday 4/28 (2:40-5:30pm)

IAC 2002 Calendar

Event Date

• Guest Speaker #1 (Judaism) Th 2/13

• Guest Speaker #2 (Buddhism) Th 3/12

• Private Viewing at the GT Observatory Tu 3/31, 7:00pm

• Mandir Visit (Hinduism, off-campus) Sat 3/28 10-1pm

• Mindfulness Retreat (off-campus) Sun 2/16, 12-6 pm

• Guest Speaker #3 (Islam, off-campus) Tu 4/7

• Service Project (related to food security) Sat morning (TBD)

• Optional Overnight Retreat (off-campus) Fri-Sun 4/17-4/ 19

My Expectations of You

Because this class is highly discussion oriented, your active participation is essential. As stated, attendance is mandatory. Read: missing class is a terrible idea! It is essential that you read the assigned materials BEFORE coming to class. Please be on time for class. Please be alert and kicking for class (fine to bring tea/coffee/soda/food if needed). We will start promptly at 4:30 pm. All electronic gadgets must be powered off and stowed BEFORE class begins. To avoid disrupting the flow of our discussions, please do not feel empowered to wander out of class at will (except for emergencies, obviously). Please plan to be at class until it formally ends. Note: some help before we begin on setting up the seats for class would be GREATLY appreciated.

Most importantly, smile and relax … you are among (soon to be very close) friends!

My Teaching Philosophy

I teach because I love interacting with bright and thoughtful young people who share my love of learning. As a consequence, simply stated, I am here for you. Period. I view the classroom as Sacred Space (capitals intentional), and I take my teaching VERY seriously. I am concerned about any impediment to your learning and happiness, whatever that may be, and I will do whatever I can within my power to help you. In short, I care deeply about you and your well-being. I would be most happy to discuss any aspect of life with you, including: your experiences at Georgia Tech, your career path, attending graduate school, the meaning of life, your faith-life or lack thereof, social justice, your spiritual journey—you name it, I’m game! No question is off-limits. As you will see, I am fond of quotations, and offer them to you for your deeper reflection. They are also intended to remind you that there is much more to life than Georgia Tech!

Some Thoughts on This Course

This course will be unlike any you have taken, or will take, while at Georgia Tech. Due to its subject matter and the intimacy of our discussions, I would like to make sure there is a clear understanding between us about what the course is, and what it is not.

• The well-established major discoveries of science (the Big Bang, plate tectonics, biological evolution via natural selection, climate change, you name it) will be accepted as scientific fact. For example, this class is not the venue to debate whether biological evolution is real (hint: it is). But, the class is most definitely the place to wrestle with what that fact of biological evolution means to religion and faith, spirituality, our notions of God, and our relationship with the nature and the cosmos.

• There will be no proselytizing whatsoever in this class (that is, trying to convert folks to your tradition or worldview, or to demonstrate that your tradition or worldview is superior to another). Off limits, period. Rather, the class will embrace a spirit of mutual acceptance and mutual respect for other traditions and worldviews that differ from your own, religious or otherwise. You WILL be invited to better understand your own tradition, as well as learn about other traditions and worldviews, particularly as they relate to the scientific and engineering enterprises and the current issues in play surrounding them.

• You will be invited (requested actually!) to share your personal identity and worldview (next week!), your life story and cultural background, your “spiritual life” or lack thereof, and, for those of more formalized religious traditions, aspects of your “faith journey.” This sharing may include your personal experiences, the major events and turning points of your life, your spiritual consolations (epiphanies), your spiritual desolations (struggles, doubts), questions that may trouble you, etc.

• This course will be highly discussion oriented and will require open and honest dialogue from ALL students, at each class. To meaningfully engage in these discussions, background reading, self-reflection, good listening skills, open-mindedness to new ideas, and some serious thinking will be required. Said another way, this is not a class for spectators, only active participants.

• The subject matter of this course (science, engineering, religion, spirituality, interfaith dynamics) is VERY important to me personally, and hopefully to you as well. I am an engineering professor trained as a scientist, and I hold a religious/spiritual worldview, but I am NOT a trained theologian. I am excited to walk the journey of this semester with you, not so much as an authority per se, but rather as a companion and a fellow traveler on life’s amazing journey. We will wrestle with some VERY BIG questions; questions that have been continually asked, with no definitive answer, for literally thousands of years. Needless to say, these are questions which have no simple or easy answers, and we do the world and ourselves a disservice to pretend that they do. You will be invited to appreciate that the world is inevitably gray, neither black nor white.

• My intent is to establish a safe and comfortable environment where ALL feel welcome and empowered to share matters close to their hearts, to be vulnerable with each other, to search for answers as a member of an intimate community. This is my number one goal for this class. By definition, one must choose to be vulnerable in such sharing. Hence, treating our class discussions “very delicately” with respect to privacy is very important.

• Class interactions will focus first and foremost on you listening to the rest of us as we share from our hearts, truly hearing what we are saying and why (our beliefs, doubts, questions, struggles, concerns, etc.). This is very much NOT a debate class.

• My posture during class: If I am standing, I am your professor, professoring. If I am sitting, I am one of your companions in class sharing my own life’s journey and perspectives.

By the end of this semester, my hope is that each of us will come to a fuller and deeper appreciation of the things each of us believe and understand to be true (our personal worldview), while at the same time developing a better, broader, and more complete understanding of others and their beliefs. Ultimately, we are after a deeper understanding of truth, objective reality, the “really real,” and the means by which that is best attained.

Whew! Let the games begin!

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