This package is an interactive, animated version of Physics 001, an
introductory physics course for nonscience majors.  The course addresses
some of the deepest concepts of modern physics in a nonmathematical,
conceptual fashion that aims to be accessible to everyone.  The focus of
the course is on topics such as general and special relativity, quantum
mechanics, elementary particles, and cosmology. These highly abstract
topics are presented in the context of more intuitive and commonplace
topics such as sound, light, and music.

   Two teaching strategies are emphasized:  the use of analogies to common
experiences that are easily understandable, and the creation of
experiential understanding of abstract phenomena through interactive
animation. For example, since students are familiar with stereo systems, a
stereo is shown as a source of sound waves.  The students are able to
interact by altering the volume and frequency of the sound.  Through
visually observing the changing sound wave, accompanied by changing musical
audio and the display of air pressure variations, students can experience
the physical nature of the sound wave and how these properties are
manifested in their perception of the sound.

   A major curricular innovation is the flexibility of the package:  it can be
used in either presentational mode by a classroom instructor or in
stand-alone mode by an independent learner at his/her own locality. Also,
the package is composed of self-contained modules that form building blocks
which can be arranged in a variety of ways according to the needs of the
instructor or learner.  The goal of this package is to make physics
learning more insightful, accessible, and enjoyable.