Current instructor
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Prof. Carlsmith makes complex topics very understandable. His lectures can be hard to attend mandatorily in the morning, especially on the days that he mumbles, but a good chunk of all the lectures have some element of actual experiments that are pretty cool. As long as you do the reading, sit in lecture, and go to discussion, you'll do great.Rate My Professors ↗
Prof Carlsmith knows a lot and cares about his students, but his lectures are kinda hard to follow and apply to the homework. I just take notes on the book during lecture, which I find help's me understand the material much better. Exams aren't bad and we get 15% of extra credit, so you are pretty much guaranteed a good grade in the class.Rate My Professors ↗
You have to spend $120 for textbook, which is completely unrelated to what he does in class. But if you dont buy it you cannot even do homework. He talks attendance everyday, exams are on completely random topicsRate My Professors ↗
Very sweet man, obviously cares a lot, but you will not learn anything in lecture. He just yaps, and he doesn't explain things, and you will see so much unimportant stuff. All learning is done on your own and in discussion. It's not a hard course to do well in (the material is, not the class itself), but you will have to do it all on your own.Rate My Professors ↗
The book was great, lectures not so much. I fully believe that prof Carlsmith has a passion for teaching about particle physics, however every single lecture he would rather talk about things that he found cool instead of the actual course content that we needed to learn. Exams weren't incredibly difficult as long as I kept up with reading the bookRate My Professors ↗
The class was conceptually hard, which wasn't helped by Carlsmith's mumble-filled lectures. However, the tests questions are pretty easy (for the most part), and all multiple choice. Your TA's teaching ability matters; I learned most of the content in discussion. There's a 2500 word paper that gives 10% extra credit, which greatly helped my grade.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Introduction to modern physics covering kinetic theory, relativity, quantum theory origins, atomic structure, and topics in solid state, nuclear, and particle physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Duncan Carlsmith is passionate but criticized for ineffective teaching that forces self-study, with one reviewer noting low attendance and minimal learning despite an easy grade.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026PHYSICS 900 is a colloquium course consisting of lectures delivered by staff and visiting speakers.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.88 GPA, 87.5% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.81 GPA, 88.9% A/AB (n=18 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.82 GPA, 85.7% A/AB (n=14 letter grades).
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026PHYSICS 990 is a research course where students conduct supervised research projects with individual faculty members.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | PHYSICS 241 | Introduction to Modern Physics |
| Fall 2026 | PHYSICS 900 | Colloquium |
| Fall 2026 | PHYSICS 990 | Research |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
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