Physics Outreach

They’re lovely, but why are these mushrooms growing in a Northern Indiana back yard in late August? Science teachers know where to go to investigate weather-related questions: to the weather underground (wunderground.com). You can see at a glance that it was a cold and rainy end-of-August for zipcode 46530. (Click on these graphs to get to the original source.)

I wonder what the whole summer looks like? Wunderground can tell you. It seems that it’s been fairly close to the same temperature since May.

Weather underground is a great way to turn our day-to-day or seasonal observations into an occasion for data-driven investigation. Consider visiting wunderground.com; you can ask the next question:)

Science considered as an academic subject area doesn’t come across much like an adventure. But the scientists I know, and my own experience, tell me that the reality of science is much different. This film trailer captures something of the spirit of adventure and discovery that characterizes frontier science (even when no polar bears are involved.)

I’ll have a chance to see the full film at John Glenn High School‘s screening of it; details are below.

BLAST (blastthemovie.com)
Saturday, September 26 4:30 pm
John Glenn High School Auditorium
101 John Glenn Drive
Walkerton, IN 46574
$3 advance sales
$4 at the door

Joseph Peterka at the sundial outside ND’s Jordan Hall of Science, originally uploaded by NDeRC2–Theresa Behrens.

This sundial outside Jordan Hall on the campus of the University of Notre Dame is a great example of what STEM culture can be. Here Joseph Peterka from Marian High School in Mishawaka explains on a lunch break the operation of the sundial to a group of teachers gathered for a LIGO e-Lab workshop. Everything about this sundial–its size, beautiful construction and artistry, annotation, and prominent placement in front of Jordan Hall of Science–communicates almost at a glance that there is something wonderful here: a craft of observation of the heavens and construction of supporting instrumentation, developed over millenia. It is a fascinating, wondrous, awe-inspiring experience to come into fuller relationship with this history, appreciating it with some depth. But grasping this history deeply enough to see its wonders isn’t trivial; it can be overlooked, tuned out, ignored, even resisted. What authentic culture can do is make what will stand up as wonderful on the deepest of exploration, seem to be wonderful at first glance. A rich culture is an invitation into a tradition that delivers on its promises. That’s just what this sundial accomplishes in front of Jordan Hall. It draws our attention to the beauty, the craftsmanship, the wonder of astronomy, and points beyond itself, inviting further exploration. Joseph’s explanation to other science teachers was natural, easy, elicited and supported by the craftsmanship evident in the instrument. Beauty, eh!

This one features video about the LHC and the CMS detector. But visit the site (find the little “b” in the upper left corner to visit the blinkx.com site) if you want to create one of your own.

0804090848.jpg, originally uploaded by NDeRC2.

Asst. Dean of Engineering Jay Brockman organized an interesting conference on first year courses in engineering. Held in ND’s Jordan Hall of Science on Aug 2-4, 2009), the event brought together some 50 faculty from all over the US; they were joined through a teleconference with a similar gathering in Melbourne, Australia for portions of the event. Faculty listened to a range of presentations on what is being done in some exemplary programs, and grouped together to design a hypothetical new first year course. The poster session above (in the lobby of Jordan Hall at ND) was one of the venues used by participants to share ideas.

The conference was an occasion to invite participation in a new wiki devoted to the first year engineering experience (just click the image to visit the site):

downsized_0731090954.jpg, originally uploaded by NDeRC2.

This summer teachers and students from the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center were joined by a dozen other teachers from the Virtual QuarkNet Center for our annual QuarkNet Week. Each of the more than 50 QuarkNet Centers in the US sponsors such a week; at ND we assembled a rich blend of activities for teachers. Above is a glimpse into a cosmic ray detector assembly and testing activity. The group also explored the CMS (see an image of a student presentation below) and LIGO e-Labs, and received an introduction into dynamic simulations and agent modeling from Dr. Bob Panoff (further below) of the National Computational Science Institute and the Shodor Education Foundation.

0707091555, originally uploaded by NDeRC2.

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, what’s the value of a good photographer? We had a chance to consider that question this summer with the advent of our new Communications Intern program. Therese Behrens, a member of Trinity School at Greenlawn‘s class of 2010, had camera and did travel throughout the height, breadth and width of Notre Dame QuarkNet Center and NDeRC activities. (See her NDeRC blog.) Above are two images from among the set she captured and we posted of student research associates at NDQC. It is hard to say why great images draw the eye and engage the imagination, when other images don’t. Good photographers seem to know the difference, and Theresa plainly does.

1203081658.jpg, originally uploaded by NDeRC2.

Astroimaging is amazing. It is a wonderful gateway to astronomy, to the electromagnetic spectrum, to light and energy…it’s a science teacher’s goldmine. Students at many levels can produce original, at least beautiful and sometimes insightful and informative displays by combining images taken at different wavelengths. The image above combines four wavelengths, three of which (in the visible portion of the spectrum) were taken by high school teachers on the WIHN .9 meter scope at Kitt Peak, and one of which (in infrared) was taken from 2MASS archival data. These were combined using a fairly advanced piece of software. But anyone with an internet connection is only a few clicks away from using the Aladin applet to access much of the world’s astronomy archival data and creating their own images. Examples coming here soon:)

You know you want one.

3651922902_432f2c3e62_o, originally uploaded by NDeRC2.

Father’s day was especially enjoyable. The best things about the day can’t be captured on film, but these Osprey at Potato Creek could be.  A helpful photographer who had been watching these birds for some time suggested that we stick around until the father returned from fishing.  It was good advice.