During the first semester, the Noyce Professors were Philip Morrison, who is Professor Emeritus of MIT, and his wife Phylis, who is a prominent science educator and artist. The Morrisons have been co-authors of a major column in Scientific American for many years. Philip Morrison played an important role in the Manhattan Project and has been a pivotal figure in science programming. In the spring of 2000, the Morrisons were recognized as recipients of the Public Service Award of the National Science Board.

The Morrisons jointly taught a course entitled Shadows and Beyond. The course, which ran for about a month, was intended primarily for non-science students and had an intentionally diverse audience. During the early, empirical phase of the course, the Morrisons were assisted by Bob Miller, an artist who has been closely associated with the San Francisco Exploratorium.

Philip Morrison gave a convocation presentation on the likelihood of extra-terrestrial life. He also visited several physics classes and gave talks about his experience with the Manhattan Project.