Bulletin of the American Physical Society
50th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics APS Meeting
Volume 64, Number 4
Monday–Friday, May 27–31, 2019; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Session C09: Teaching in the context of general education |
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Chair: Robert Forrey, Penn State Room: Wisconsin Center 103DE |
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 10:30AM - 11:00AM |
C09.00001: Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science Invited Speaker: David Weitz How do you teach physics to non-science majors and still get them to be motivated to study physics? This talk will describe an attempt at Harvard University to motivate non-scientists to study, and enjoy, physics. It will describe a physics course that is taught in collaboration with renowned chefs. The course is themed around food and cooking but is still a basic physics course. Each week, a chef presents a lecture about his or her creations. This is followed by a lecture about the science behind these dishes. This allows a full physics course to be taught based on cooking. The course includes a lab, with a recipe of the week, and uses simple calculus, with an equation of the week. The course has become a popular addition to the general physics curriculum at Harvard. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 11:00AM - 11:30AM |
C09.00002: Quantum Voyages, Cosmic Journeys: Exploring Physics through the Arts Invited Speaker: Smitha Vishveshwara From ancient monuments to modern day films, the confluence of the arts and physics has resulted in creations that have led to a deeper understanding of nature, to friendly and enchanting ways of perceiving science in action, to giving the arts a new dimension, to technological progress, and to pure fun! In this talk, I will describe the educational power of such confluences and recount some of our experiences in this realm. In a project-based interdisciplinary course entitled Where the Arts meets Physics, we bring alive the universe and the quantum world through installation and performance -- cosmic canopies housing black hole mergers, raps on radioactivity, Warhol versions of Bohr-Einstein debates, and more. Collaborations with theater and dance have led to creating Quantum Voyages, an original performance piece. Here, two voyagers enter the microscopic realm of atomic landscapes, quantum conundrums, superconductivity, and cold atomic quantum states, guided by the spirit of knowledge, a `quantum ensemble', and guest physicists. I will share the process behind the making and performing of the piece, leading up to its public appearance at the APS 2019 March meeting. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 11:30AM - 12:00PM |
C09.00003: Football Physics Invited Speaker: T.J. Gay This talk discusses a series of one-minute physics lectures given to the 9 x 10$^{\mathrm{4}}$ fans that attend the University of Nebraska home football games.~ The lecture topics range from gyroscopic motion to ionizing collisions between linebackers and I-backs. The problem of simultaneous edification and amusement of the fan in the stands is considered. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 12:00PM - 12:30PM |
C09.00004: Rocky Mountain High: The Physics of Baseball at Elevation Invited Speaker: John Bohn The Physics of Baseball is a very broad topic. In this talk, I will stick to a small sub-area, namely, the influence on baseball of the thin air in Denver, where the Colorado Rockies play. Playing at an elevation of one mile (1.6 km) above sea level definitely favors hitting over pitching. In 2002, the rockies took steps to mitigate this effect, by storing the baseballs in a climate-controlled humidor. I will examine the effect this has had on the game in Denver. [Preview Abstract] |
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