Christopher Jargocki
Encyclopedia
Christopher Jargocki also known by the pen name Christopher Jargodzki, is a Polish-born American physicist, author, and translator who is a professor at the University of Central Missouri
, as well as the Director of the Center for Cooperative Phenomena. He held a previous academic appointment at Northeastern University in Boston
.
in 1961/62, he continued his education at the University of California
, Los Angeles
, earning a Bachelor of Science
degree in physics
in 1966. He entered a doctoral program at the University of California, Irvine
, where he received his doctorate in elementary particle theory in 1981.
and SCITRAN.
His four books, the last two co-authored with Franklin Potter, deal primarily with paradoxes and misconceptions in physics and astronomy.
In 2002 the book Mad About Physics was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the best books of the year 2001 in the teen category.
University of Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri is a four-year public institution in Warrensburg, Missouri.- History :...
, as well as the Director of the Center for Cooperative Phenomena. He held a previous academic appointment at Northeastern University in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Education
Jargocki was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland. After studying physics at the University of WarsawUniversity of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
in 1961/62, he continued his education at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, earning a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
in 1966. He entered a doctoral program at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, where he received his doctorate in elementary particle theory in 1981.
Writing career
From 1966 to 1975 Jargocki worked part-time as a translator of books and articles from Russian and other languages into English for the American Mathematical SocietyAmerican Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
and SCITRAN.
His four books, the last two co-authored with Franklin Potter, deal primarily with paradoxes and misconceptions in physics and astronomy.
Awards
In 1996 he won a $10,000 award in the worldwide science and religion course competition sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation for a course entitled, Science and Religion: From Conflict to Dialogue. The course has become a component of the core curriculum at the University of Central Missouri.In 2002 the book Mad About Physics was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the best books of the year 2001 in the teen category.
Center for Cooperative Phenomena
In 2006, Jargocki founded the Center for Cooperative Phenomena to promote the study of the emergent, and specifically, cooperative phenomena at all levels of complexity from the physical to social sciences.Books
- Science Braintwisters, Paradoxes, and Fallacies (1976, Charles Scribner’s Sons, hardcover, ISBN 0-684-14532-4)
- Science Braintwisters, Paradoxes, and Fallacies (1978, Charles Scribner’s Sons, paperback, ISBN 0-684-15585-0)
- More Science Braintwisters and Paradoxes (1983, Van Nostrand Reinhold, hardcover, ISBN 0-442-24524-6)
- Mad About Physics - Braintwisters, Paradoxes, and Curiosities (2001, with Franklin Potter, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., quality paperback, ISBN 0-471-56961-5)
- Mad About Modern Physics - Braintwisters, Paradoxes, and Curiosities (2005, with Franklin Potter as lead author, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., quality paperback, ISBN 0-471-44855-9).
Papers
- C. Jargocki and M. Bander, Field-theoretic Version of a Two-Dimensional Coulomb Gas with Repulsive Cores, Physical Review B 23, Jan. 1, 1981
- R. Aaron, M.H. Friedman, and C.P. Jargocki, Calculations of q¯2 q2 States in Potential Theory, Physical Review D 28, Oct. 1, 1983
- C. Jargocki, Teleology versus Natural Selection in Anthropic Cosmology, Proceedings of the Institute for Liberal Studies, Vol. 4, Fall 1993.
Lectures
- "From Reductionism to Emergence: Science Takes a Cooperative Turn,” a talk given at the international conference “Continuity & Change: Perspectives on Science and Religion,” June 6, 2006, in Philadelphia, PA.
- “Cosmic Optimism: From the Principle of Maximum Diversity to Path Optimization,”http://www.metanexus.net/conference2007/abstract/Default.aspx?id=397 a talk given at the international conference “Transdisciplinarity and the Unity of Knowledge: Beyond the ‘Science and Religion Dialogue,’” June 4, 2007, in Philadelphia, PA.
- "From Stephen Hawking's Flexiverse to Synchronicity: Intimations of Our Transhuman Future,"http://www.metanexus.net/conference2009/abstract/Default.aspx?id=10819 a talk given at the international conference "Cosmos, Nature, Culture: A Transdisciplinary Conference," July 18 – 21, 2009, in Phoenix, AZ.
Translations
- V. T. Fomenko, “On Infinitesimal Deformations of Convex Surfaces with a Boundary Condition of Generalized Translation,” 1969 Math. USSR Sbornik 9. Translated from Russian.
- M. L. Tsetlin, Automaton Theory and Modeling of Biological Systems (1973, Academic Press, hardcover, ISBN 0-12-701050-3). Translated from Russian.