As a fundamental science, physics is at the heart of modern science and technology. Understanding basic physical principles and concepts is the starting point towards comprehending Ð or at least being able to talk about Ð state-of-the-art physical topics and beyond - think, for example, environmental issues.

This course will at most rely on elementary algebraic calculations. We will not use a more mathematical treatment like calculus. You do not need to be a medical doctor to speak about trendy medical topics, or to enjoy a program on the radio about a new surgical technology, or a new medication. In the same way, you do not need to be a high energy physicist to read about the fundamental particles of our universe.

My wish is that whatever your future profession will be, if in a couple of years somebody will ask you something like “Why do objects drop to the ground?,” you'll be able to speak about gravity, and maybe mention gravitons and quantum field theory. Isn't it fascinating to be aware of the extension of human knowledge, maybe even in a fairly sketchy way? We do it all the time, let's do it with physics!