Physics 11
Ph 11 abc. Research Tutorial. 6 units (2-0-4); second and third terms of freshman year and first term of sophomore year. A small number of students will be offered the opportunity to enroll in this tutorial, the purpose of which is to demonstrate how research ideas arise, and are evaluated and tested, and how those ideas that survive are developed. This is accomplished by doing individual, original projects. There will be weekly group meetings and individual tutorial meetings with the instructor. Support for summer research at Caltech between the freshman and sophomore years will be automatic for those students making satisfactory progress. Graded pass/fail. Instructor: Tombrello.
Freshmen interested in taking Ph 11 must complete two "hurdles" during fall quarter (see examples below). Pick up the first hurdle from Kate Finigan in 212 Sloan Annex during the first week of fall term. You have four weeks to work on the hurdle, and then you get a second hurdle for another four weeks. Students are selected for the course at the end of first quarter. The student who is judged to have done best on the hurdles is awarded the Brewer Prize, which is described in the Caltech catalog. The actual course runs second and third terms of the freshman year and first term of sophomore year, and it includes a paid summer research fellowship.