Physics News from the AIP Term 4, No 2, 2012
Table of Contents
1. Physics Days at Luna Park in 2013
2. Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament (VYPT) - Invitation.
3. Physics Focus Day at University of Melbourne, Friday, 9th November.
4. Forthcoming events for Students and the General Public *
a) Cosmic Fireworks (also known as When Galaxies Collide), 6:30pm, Friday 26th Oct, Swinburne University
b) Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest 2012
c) Best of the Best - Women in Science: 5:30pm 26th Nov, State Library of Victoria
d) AIP's Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament, all day, Thurs, 6th December
5. Forthcoming events for Teachers *
a) Realising the importance of cosmic radiation, a century of research: 6:30pm, 8th November, University of Melbourne. AIP Vic Branch Lecture
b) Australian Skeptics National Convention, Fri 30th Nov - Sun 2nd Dec, University of Melbourne.
6. Physics News from the Web
a) Analyzing students’ misconceptions about galaxies
b) Girl-friendly high school physics is boy-friendly too
c) The energy cost of barefoot running
d) Why my wife and I didn’t buy a Toyota Prius
* Events listed for the first time are in bold with details below. The details of the other events can be found on our website at www.vicphysics.org/forthcomingevents.html or in previous newsletters at www.vicphysics.org/aipnews.html
This newsletter is compiled by the Australian Institute of Physics (Victorian Branch) Education Committee.
This year the AIP Education Committee will be meeting at Kew High School, normally on the second Tuesday of the month from 5pm – 7pm, the next meeting is on Tuesday, 20th November. The focus of this meeting will be the preparation of the Education Committee's report to VCAA of the November exam. All teachers are welcome to attend this or any other meeting. You don't need to be a member of the AIP to get involved. If you would like to attend, please contact the chair, Sue Grant, at .
Note: Due to an oversight some previous newsletters have indicated an incorrect starting time of 4pm for the meetings The meetings start at 5pm to give teachers time to travel to the meeting and finish promptly at 7pm.
1. Physics Days at Luna Park in 2013
The Physics Days for Luna Park for 2013 are Tuesday, 5th March, Wednesday 6th March and Thursday 7th March. Teachers can now make tentative bookings, and change the date and other details once your 2013 timetable is known and precise student numbers have been determined. The cost is expected to unchanged at $22.95 per student with teachers free.
The Education Committee has requested of the Defense Dept, an aerobatic display by a member of the RAAF Roulette team on each of the three days. A decision is due in November. If the request is confirmed, the display will be at 10:00am on the adjacent St Kilda beach front with the Luna Park part of the day running from 10:30am until 2:30pm.
Schools can also book a one hour Synchrotron excursion either early in the morning at 8:15am or after Luna Park at 3:30pm, please email with details of numbers, etc. Preference will be given to schools from regional areas.
Check the website www.vicphysics.org/lunapark.html for worksheets and the latest information.
2. Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament (VYPT) - Invitation
There has been a big increase in the number of teams. This year there will be 12 teams from 7 schools competing. The Tournament will be held on Thursday 6th December at Quantum Victoria on the corner of Kingsbury drive and Waiora Rd in Macleod. Teachers interested in promoting the event to their students next year, are welcome to attend. If so, please contact the AIP at .
The preliminary rounds will be in the morning, with the final after lunch.
To find out more about this year's tournament go to www.vicphysics.org/vypt2012.html
3. Physics Focus Day at University of Melbourne , Friday, 9th November
The theme of this year's Physics Focus Day is 'Phenomenal Physics in 2012'. The program includes:
· Prof David Jamieson on landing the “Curiosity” rover on Mars,
· Prof Geoffrey Taylor on Finding the Higgs Boson,
· Dr Lisa Harvey-Smith, CSIRO, on Square Kilometre Array,
· Physics demonstrations relevant to VCE Physics by the University of Melbourne lab staff,
· Dr Syd Boydell, Chief examiner, on the current situation of the teaching and examination of physics in Victoria in the light of changes for 2013,
· Frank de la Rambelya, physics teacher, on the avenues that are available to nurture and encourage students to learn, and enjoy doing so.
To register: http://outreach.physics.unimelb.edu.au/Teaching/Professional-Development Cost: $99.00 (including GST), credit card and purchase order/cheques are accepted. Closing date is 2nd November.
Lunch, writing materials and notes provided. The venue is the Laby Theatre and the event runs from 9:00am until 3:30pm with registration at 8:30am.
4. Forthcoming events for Students and General Public *
a) Cosmic Fireworks (also known as When Galaxies Collide), 6:30pm, 26th Oct, Swinburne University
Abstract: Studying galactic interactions is like sifting through the forensic evidence at a crime scene. Astronomers wade through the debris of a violent encounter, collecting clues so that they can reconstruct the celestial crime to determine when it happened. Take the case of Messier 82, a small, nearby galaxy that long ago bumped into its larger neighbour, Messier 81. When did this violent encounter occur? New infrared and visible-light pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal for the first time important details of large clusters of stars, which arose from the interaction. The talk focuses on the train wrecks resulting from galaxy collisions and the implications for us in the Milky Way.
Presenter: Prof. Richard de Grijs, Peking University
Time: 6.20pm for a 6.30 start until 7.30pm Venue: Swinburne University, Hawthorn Campus, ATC building, ATC101 Please click on this link to register.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGpZbWVYb2JmaW5YNFhmOVFWTFp4bEE6MQ
b) Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest 2012
Open to students in Grades 5 – 12
The Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest is an opportunity for students around the world to learn about the Cassini mission to Saturn and earn the chance to ask the scientists working on the mission about their work.
Applications close Thursday 15th November, 2012
This year, the Cassini spacecraft will take images of three targets of Saturn. The students' assignment is to chose the one target you think will provide the best science, and to write an essay of up to 500 words to explain your reasons.
Students can watch videos of Cassini team members (scientists, engineers, mission planners, etc.) as they advocate for one of the three proposed targets at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/scientistforaday11thedition/targets/ .
Students are encouraged to draw on other resource material and work collaboratively; essays from pairs of students will be accepted. Please read the competition guidelines at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/cassini carefully and make use of the extra resource material provided.
All entries will receive a certificate of participation. The category winners will receive a certificate and an opportunity to send questions to the Cassini Science team. Questions from around the world will be collated and presented to Cassini scientists during a live webcast. Links to the 2010 and 2009 webcasts and the 2011 winning essays can be found at the ANU website. All entries must be emailed to with an entry form by the deadline to be considered. A certificate of participation will be emailed to teachers for all students who participate in the competition.
c) Best of the Best - Women in Science: 5:30pm 26th Nov, State Library of Victoria
An event by the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) with Baroness Prof Susan Greenfield CBE, Prof Fiona Stanley AC and Marita Cheng. The RiAus Director, Paul Willis, will discuss their journeys as professional women in science and engineering. Each is at a different stage in their career, has overcome a range of obstacles and has had considerable success.
Bookings required at http://riaus.org.au/events/best-of-the-best-women-in-science/?utm_source=RiAus+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7b2fe77bf8-Newsletter_40_2012&utm_medium=email
5. Forthcoming events for Teachers *
a) Realising the importance of cosmic radiation, a century of research: 6:30pm, 8th November, University of Melbourne AIP Vic Branch Lecture
Speaker: Emeritus Prof Roger Clay, University of Adelaide
Venue: Hercus Theatre, University of Melbourne
Abstract: Studies of cosmic radiation are generally traced back to the balloon flights of Victor Hess one hundred years ago. Since that time, the beam of natural high energy particles from the cosmos, known as cosmic rays, has played a part in the foundation of high energy particle physics, and now has a key, but puzzling, role in our understanding of the natural universe. This talk will briefly note historical aspects of cosmic ray studies, and will then describe some of the current successes, insights, and puzzles of a rejuvenated field of study.
c) Australian Skeptics National Convention, Fri 30th Nov - Sun 2nd Dec, University of Melbourne.
Physics teachers and their students might be interested in attending the Australian Skeptics National Convention in Melbourne on 30th November - 2nd December 2012. The theme of the convention is "Active Scepticism".
The venue is: the Spot Theatre, Economics and Commerce Building, University of Melbourne, 198 Berkeley Street Carlton.
The convention includes the opportunity to see in person:
· James Randi. Founder of the James Randi Foundation and an influential figure in world scepticism today,
· 'Skeptics Guide to the Universe' blogger and 'Skepchick' founder: Rebecca Watson,
· James Randi Educational Foundation leaders: DJ Grothe and Brian Thompson,
· Crikey.com founder and shareholder activist: Stephen Mayne,
· Choice's Consumer Champion of the Year: Ken Harvey,
· Comedian: Lawrence Leung and
· Leading Australian sceptics including physics teacher and writer, Lynne Kelly.
Social functions include:
· Wednesday, 28 November - a fund raising dinner at the Royal Society of Victoria with James Randi (very limited attendance),
· Friday, 30 November - the official meet-and-greet for the convention at the Immigration Museum, Flinders Street,
· Saturday, 1 December - the gala dinner at the Melbourne Arts Centre.
The standard ticket for the convention is $280.
The convenor is Don Hyatt, a leading figure in Chemistry and Science education in Victoria for many years.
Further information is available at the Victorian Skeptics' website http://vicskeptics.wordpress.com/events/ascon2012/.
6. Physics News from the Web
Items selected from the bulletins of the Institute of Physics (UK) and the American Institute of Physics.
Articles by Physics Today writer, Charles Day.
a. Analyzing students’ misconceptions about galaxies
http://blogs.physicstoday.org/thedayside/2012/07/analyzing-students-misconceptions-about-galaxies/
b. Girl-friendly high school physics is boy-friendly too
http://blogs.physicstoday.org/thedayside/2011/06/girl-friendly-high-school-physics-is-boy-friendly-too/
c. The energy cost of barefoot running
http://blogs.physicstoday.org/thedayside/2012/03/the-energy-cost-of-barefoot-running/
d. Why my wife and I didn’t buy a Toyota Prius
http://blogs.physicstoday.org/thedayside/2011/11/why-my-wife-and-i-didnt-buy-a-toyota-prius/