PERC 2021 Abstract Detail Page
Previous Page | New Search | Browse All
| Abstract Title: | Fritz Haber: Talking about more than physics in physics class |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | In my general education class that centers on Albert Einstein, I feature a segment on his friend and contemporary Fritz Haber. Haber is a complex figure in history; he both figured out how to synthesize fertilizer, making food cheap for the masses, and he was the father of chemical warfare. His story allows for a deep exploration of how science and society overlap and interact. With fertilizer, there are issues ranging from the depletion of natural resources to actions by organized labor to geopolitics. The transition to warfare takes a path through the Oklahoma City bombing and the Tulsa Massacre. Haber's role in chemical warfare raises the topic of technology and the military. Clara Immerwahr, who was married to Haber, was one of the first STEM PhDs in Germany, and as a Jew, Haber was persecuted under Hitler. I will discuss not only the topics covered, but also the framing of the material, and the accompanying student project. |
| Abstract Type: | Symposium Talk |
| Parallel Session: | Reimagining physics curricula |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
David Marasco Foothill College |
