Teaching
Teaching Assistant for Graduate Cosmology MKTP5, University of Heidelberg. October 2024-February 2025
Ran a two hour tutorial section each week in which I solved provided exercises and on three occasions prepared lecture material
General Relativity
After taking and then teaching Cosmology/General Relativity courses at the graduate level, I got an appreciation for how students learn the material. Requested by my students, I created my own set of notes. These notes, which will be regularly updated and expanded, are written for students who have already done early undergraduate coursework, but requires no knowledge of differential geometry or rigorous math of any variety. Only linear algebra, multivariable calculus, and classical mechanics. This document should motivate most of the machinery needed to do calculations required for a course on general relativity or cosmology.
Speaking and Outreach
My favourite aspect of working as a researcher is in collaborating with others and presenting results and ideas. I think it’s extremely important, and I take it very seriously. On top of this, I believe presenting and discussing philosophy and history of science has a place during the regular seminar/colloquium sessions in astronomy departments. Science is at its best if everyone involved is working on doing their research in the most thoughtful, mindful way. Discussing history and philosophy of science helps keep everyone honest. Most importantly, it’s a bit of fun and in my experience is well received by astronomers.
As a result of my education in classical history, I developed a seminar-length presentation on cosmology in greek philosophy. I’ve given this presentation at MPIA (Heidelberg), CITA (Toronto), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Each time it was an excellent discussion. I am always looking for more opportunities to bring this talk to other institutions.
Watch the recording of my seminar at CITA here
Presently, I am preparing additional talks about philosophy of science.