Advocates the study of the history of science as a means of relating science to other academic fields. Discusses the limitations of the case history approach. Suggests introductory science courses coupled with a history of science course. Indicates how a unit on the historyof genetics could fit into a history of science course and relate to an…

Summarizes a survey of examination procedures for Honours science degrees in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Presents data on the range of grades awarded to a simple set of essay answers when marked by instructors in different universities. (EB)

Describes an advanced laboratory experiment of Fresnel diffraction which uses a He-Ne gas laser as the source and a wire as the opaque diffracting strip. A photograph of the diffraction pattern is compared with the intensity diagram predicted by the Cornu spiral method. Agreement is clear and impressive, although minor differences are detectable.…

Certain terminological inconsistencies in the teaching of optical theory at the elementary level are traced back to Newton who derived them from Euclidean geometrical optics. Discusses this terminological ambiguity which influenced later textbooks. (LS)