A critique of a blog on a technological or environmental issue

Internet media articles are often accompanied by an extensive exchange of comments. Many of these are on technological and environmental issues that have a basis in physics. Such issues include:

  • Transmission of electric power
  • Safety of electromagnetic devices
  • Electric cars
  • Maglev trains
  • Major science projects such as the space research, LHC, Synchrotron, etc

Common source of quality articles are:

  • The Conversation

Students can apply their physics understanding to the analysis of original article and the subsequent discussion.

Some questions to guide analysis of an article and the discussion that follows:

Article:

  1. What is the main point of the article?
  2. What are the subsidiary points in the article?
  3. Are the scientific ideas correctly used?
  4. What evidence does the author cite?
  5. Does the evidence come from reputable sources?
  6. Are the arguments presented legitimate and relevant?

Author:

  1. Who is the author and are they qualified to write about this topic?
  2. Does the disclosure statement about their funding sources raise a question mark about the article?

Comments:

  1. Summarise the general positions about the article that are expressed in the comments.
  2. Do the comments use scientific ideas correctly?
  3. Do the comments cite other reputable evidence?
  4. Are the arguments in the comments legitimate and relevant?
  5. What proportion of the comments make a cogent contribution to the discussion?
  6. Does the author of the article participate in the discussion.

Conclusion:

  1. What is your view?

Discussion questions:

  1. Is there enough physics in this activity to use it as an assessment task?
  2. Could several articles be used with the class or should the whole class use the same article?
  3. What are some good sources of articles?
  4. What additional material would be useful to teachers?

Additional resources

Key words search:

Wind Energy

Renewable energy

Nuclear power

Magnetic field

Space weather

Electromagnetic field

Articles in The Conversation

Nuclear power deserves a level playing field (43 comments)

Ball lightning exists … but what on Earth is it? (10)

Heavens above! What made the cosmic flash that lit Earthtoday? (14)

Let there be light! Celebrating the theory of electromagnetism (51)

Earth’s magnetic heartbeat, a thinner past and new alien worlds (11)

Magnetic fields can control heat and sound (13)

Can you be allergic to yourWi-Fi? (218)

Scaremongering on Today Tonight: the truth about wireless radiation risks (18)

No, we’re not all being pickled in deadly radiation from smartphones and wifi (74)

Do mobiles give you brain cancer? The verdict’s still onhold (17)

Do Wi-Fi and mobile phones really cause cancer? Expertsrespond (330)

Can magnetically levitating trains run at 3,000km/h? (10)

Magma power: how superheated molten rock could provide renewableenergy (11)

How to help energy demand match renewablesupply (8)

Catching the waves: it’s time for Australia to embrace ocean renewableenergy (173)

KangarooIsland’s choice: a new cable to the mainland, or renewablepower (44)

Britain is only just beginning to exploit its vast resources of offshorewind (51)

The next solar revolution could replace fossil fuels inmining (50)

Explainer: what is solar thermal electricity? (10)

Set the controls for the heart of the sun: time for solarcourage (118)

Wind and solar PV have won the race – it’s too late for other clean energytechnologies (130)

Pumped hydro energy storage – making better use ofwind (63)

How pushing water uphill can solve our renewable energyissues (241)

Deaths at Dreamworld theme park could lead to safety changes for amusement rides (16)

How to build a starship – and why we should start thinking about itnow (13)

Space debris: what can we do with unwanted satellites? (8)

Explainer: how do satellites orbit theEarth? (13)

Companions of Earth: minimoons, quasi-satellites and horseshoes (11)

The Australian’s campaign against wind farms continues but the research doesn’t stack up (62)

Is life on Earth due to a quirk in the laws ofphysics? (59)

Prepared by Vicphysics Teachers' Network vicphysics.org