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Astronomy for Business Students: Space Industrialization and the Commercial Potential of Space Technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

James R. Philips*
Affiliation:
Math/Science Division, Babson College, Babson Park, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02157, U.S.A.

Extract

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When teaching science to nonmajors lacking an interest in science, two major goals are to stimulate their interest and to provide these students with information and scientific skills useful in their lives and careers. Business students now comprise over 23 per cent of the undergraduates in America, and they generally view science, including astronomy, as not relevant to their lives and careers. I find the students entering my introductory astronomy course for business students expect a pictorial tour of the universe, and are unhappy when asked to calculate redshifts in the laboratory or to attend an extra class meeting for telescope observing. Astronomy is not what they have come to a business college to learn, but they have a laboratory-science requirement to fill for their degree.

Type
2. Astronomy and Culture
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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