Physics News from the AIP Term 1, No 4, 2015
Table of Contents
1. Practical Activities Workshops and Equipment Fair: Now with Thermal Physics activities
2. Release of Study Design: By Friday, 13th March
3. Pioneering Women of Physics: A Poster Resource
4. Exoplanet Physics for Junior Science
5. Socio-economic background and doing Physics: The UK experience
6. Resources from Past Physics Newsletters
7. Focus on Medical Imaging: A PhysicsWorld publication
8. Forthcoming events for Students and the General Public *
a) Should we announce ourselves to the galaxy? The debate on Messaging to Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (METI), 6:30pm, 13th March, Swinburne University
b) VCE Lectures for Physics Students: Circular Motion - From Motor Racing to Satellites, 6pm, 19th March, University of Melbourne
9. Forthcoming events for Teachers *
a) Beginning Physics Teachers In-Service - Tuesday, 31st March
b) Practical Activities and Equipment Fair - Monday, 30th March
c) Astronomy from the Ground Up Teacher Workshop at Parkes Observatory, 15 - 17 May
10. Physics News from the Web
a) Novel nanoparticle boosts six different medical-imaging techniques
b) A Sight for Blind Eyes
c) Physics Gems from BBC4 - Brian Cox and Melvyn Bragg
* 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.
The next meeting of the AIP Education Committee will be at 5pm on Tuesday, 21st April at University High School at which the Committee. 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 .
1. Practical Activities Workshops and Equipment Fair: Now with Thermal Physics activities
As part of the preparation for the introduction of Thermodynamics in 2016, an additional workshop has been added to the already rich program. See details under item 9b below.
Also, if you have any old equipment in the back cupboard and you don't what it is for, or how to use it, then bring it along. The centuries of experience among the presenters will surely have the answers.
2. Release of Study Design: By Friday, 13th March
VCAA has now put a date on when the new study design will be released. Their webpage, http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/studies/futuresd.aspx , will have the document by 13th March.
3. Pioneering Women of Physics: A Poster Resource
The Perimeter Institute's website has a section of 'Pioneering Women in Physics'. There are images of 14 physicists, each of which features a photo overlaid with a description of their achievement. Most are in black and white and can be easily copied and printed.
http://perimeterinstitute.ca/node/95500?cm_mid=4437866&cm_crmid=8118cff9-f695-e111-a456-005056800012&cm_medium=email
4. Exoplanet Physics for Junior Science
The UK Institute of Physics (IOP) has produced a set of classroom material for 11 to 14 year old students. It can be downloaded from http://www.iop.org/education/teacher/resources/exoplanet_physics/page_65137.html
The material includes a 28 page booklet with five activities. There are also software and video links for the activities.
5. Socio-economic background and doing Physics: The UK experience
The UK Institute of Physics (IOP) set up a research program called 'The Raising Aspirations in Physics (RAP) project'. It was a three-year pilot to investigate the barriers that prevent young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds choosing to take physics. It produced four publications: i) A school case study, ii) A review of research, iii) Recommendations from the review and iv) A report on Interventions in a multi-ethnic school.
The four publications can be downloaded from http://www.iop.org/publications/iop/2014/page_62692.html
The link has other publications including two career posters.
6. Resources from Past Physics Newsletters
This newsletter has been running since 2002, it is now distributed to over 1150 email addresses. Many of the newsletters have included items of curriculum resources and teaching strategies. These have been progressively compiled. The latest version now runs to over 100 pages with more than 250 separate entries. The document as well as the table of contents as a separate file can be downloaded from http://www.vicphysics.org/aipnews.html .
7. Focus on Medical Imaging: A PhysicsWorld publication
The March edition of PhysicsWorld was on Medical Imaging. The whole publication, or
individual articles can be downloaded for free from http://blog.physicsworld.com/2015/02/17/physics-world-2015-focus-on-medical-imaging-now-live/ .
There are articles on:
· Current imaging trends,
· New ways to make medical isotopes,
· Making the invisible visible with phase contrast X-rays,
· Molecular imaging,
· How to build a low cost CT Scanner and
· Using PET scans to identify new tuberculosis drugs.
8. Forthcoming events for Students and General Public *
a) Should we announce ourselves to the galaxy? The debate on Messaging to Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (METI), 6:30pm, 13th March, Swinburne University
Messaging to Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (METI) is an issue dividing those who want to announce our presence to the cosmos by broadcasting to the nearer stars and those who advocate international consultations on the societal risk of such transmissions. METI is the opposite of searching (SETI). METI transmissions to date are faint and very unlikely to be detected. If we do send messages, who should speak for us and what should they say? Should individuals and groups capable of announcing Earth civilization to the galaxy talk it over first? Recent development for starship probes to visit the stars will be briefly discussed.
Presenter: James Benford, Microwave Sciences, Lafayette, CA, USA
Date: Friday 13 March 2015 Time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm
Venue: Swinburne University, Hawthorn campus, ATC building ATC101
Map: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/contacts-campuses/campuses/hawthorn/documents/hawthorn.pdf
Click on this link to register.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_NSJACmzxbvYG2qFq4X2UA_gkE7tvHdZ9VxkI_-KBoQ/viewform
b) VCE Lectures for Physics Students: Circular Motion - From Motor Racing to Satellites, 6pm, 19th March, University of Melbourne
These lectures are held fortnightly during term, and are designed to clarify selected topics in the VCE Physics Study, and are given by selected physicists from pertinent research areas.The next lecture in this series is on:
Thursday March 19 at 6pm in the Laby Theatre School of Physics at Melbourne University.
Assoc. Prof. Jeff. McCallum, from Melbourne University School of Physics, will lecture on an important section of the Mechanics study, Circular Motion: From Motor Racing to Satellites. This topic has been chosen as a result of discussions with a number of VCE-physics teachers.
9. Forthcoming events for Teachers *
a) Beginning Physics Teachers In-Service - Tuesday, 31st March
The AIP Education Committee will be running a full day in-service on Tuesday, 31st March at Camberwell Grammar School. The event is free and travel support is available for country participants.
The program will include:
· a presentation by Colin Hopkins, Bialik College, different to his Conference presentation,
· Bruce Walsh, Chief Assessor from Xavier College on Exam advice, as well as
· Information on resources, advice of teaching specific topics and suggestions from some of last year's participants after teaching physics for the first time in 2014.
To register please email the AIP at with subject “Registration: New Physics Teachers” and include in the email, not only your contact details, but your reason for applying as this will guide the design of the program. Information about last year's program is at http://www.vicphysics.org/support.html .
b) Practical Activities and Equipment Fair - Monday, 30th March
The AIP Education Committee is expanding on last year's successful event. This year's program will include:
a. Hands on, self paced workshops on practical activities for various VCE Physics topics. Each workshop will start with a brief run through of the practical activities on offer, after which participants are free to check out as many as they wish. The workshops are nominally for those new to teaching or new to teaching physics, but they will be of value to anyone seeking to renew or refresh their ideas.
b. Presentation of the demonstrations for various VCE Physics topics for those seeking to enrich their repertoire of demos,
c. Discussion with Gary Cohen on Paul Hewitt and his approach to teaching physics as exemplified in 'Conceptual Physics'.
d. Experiments on Light and Matter and the Synchrotron DS from the excursion to the Australian Synchrotron. Jonathan de Booy, the Education Officer, will be on hand,
e. All day displays of physics equipment from the suppliers, Ciderhouse, Haines and Scientrific, for those considering budgets for next year, and
f. A tour of the school's recently refurbished science facilities. The tour will include the labs, preparation areas, teacher work rooms and a 'Journey through Science' corridor of exemplary displays designed to engage students in science.
The program will also be of value to Dip Ed students and lab technicians.
Venue Camberwell Grammar School, Mont Albert Rd, Canterbury
Cost: The event is free. Lunch is provided, but donations gratefully received.
Please note: If you wish to attend, you will need to register. The sessions will be held in classrooms, so there is a limit on the capacity.
The program consisted of five (5) 45 minute sessions, with 9 activities on offer in each session. On the registration form you will need to indicate which activity you want for each of the sessions you plan to stay for. For some activities, such as the hands on self paced workshops, you may prefer to spend more than one session on the activity.
For more details of the program and the registration form go to www.vicphysics.org/workshop.html
c) Astronomy from the Ground Up Teacher Workshop at Parkes Observatory, 15 - 17 May
Places are still available for this three day astronomy workshop for educators at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory. The workshop includes a mix of hands-on activities, talks about current research in astronomy and space exploration, how to run a viewing night plus a tour of the iconic Parkes radio telescope. Participants may receive accreditation for hours through the CSIRO link with STANSW. They will also gain accreditation through the international Galileo Teacher Training Program and receive an resource pack.
Further detail and booking information are at http://www.atnf.csiro.au/outreach//education/teachers/workshops/afgu.html
The GST inclusive cost for the three days is $550 which includes workshop activities, all meals from morning tea on the Friday to lunch on the Sunday (other than breakfasts) and a resource pack of materials from the workshop. Sessions include some night activities so dinners are included.
Note that the workshop fee does not include accommodation. Payment details will be provided on receipt of a booking request and can be by cheque, direct bank deposit, MasterCard or Visa.
Cancellation after payment one week or more before the workshop will incur a $50 fee. Refunds for cancellation closer to the workshop is at the discretion of the workshop organiser and not guaranteed although another teacher from the same school can substitute at no penalty.
10. Physics News from the Web
Items selected from the bulletins of the Institute of Physics (UK) and the American Institute of Physics.
Each item below includes the introductory paragraphs and a web link to the rest of the article.
a) Novel nanoparticle boosts six different medical-imaging techniques
b) A Sight for Blind Eyes
c) Physics Gems from BBC4 - Brian Cox and Melvyn Bragg
a) Novel nanoparticle boosts six different medical-imaging techniques
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2015/feb/19/novel-nanoparticle-boosts-six-different-medical-imaging-techniques
A new type of nanoparticle could allow patients to be imaged in six different ways with an injection of just one contrast agent, reports an international research team. If put into clinical use, the technology could give doctors the ability to combine the strong points of a number of imaging techniques, providing a clearer overall picture of patient organs and tissue.
The nanoparticles – averaging 74nm in diameter – comprise a core surrounded by a porphyrin-phospholipid (PoP) wrapper. Each part has properties that facilitate different imaging modes. The core component fluoresces blue when struck with near-infrared light, allowing imaging with the potential for deep-tissue penetration. In addition, the core's ytterbium component, which is dense in electrons, enables detection by CT scanning. The outer PoP shell has biophotonic properties that make it suitable for use with both fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging. At the same time, the copper affinity of the porphyrin wrapper allows the nanoparticles to be easily coated in radioactive copper-64 for the purposes of PET and Cerenkov-luminescence imaging.
b) A Sight for Blind Eyes
http://blog.physicsworld.com/2015/02/13/a-sight-for-blind-eyes/
“Restoration of sight to the blind” is a brave claim, one with an almost Biblical ring to it. For Daniel Palanker, though, it is beginning to look as if it is an achievable goal. A medical physicist at the University of Stanford, Palanker has developed a prosthetic vision system that replaces damaged photoreceptors in the retina with an array of tiny photodiodes. When infrared images are projected onto this array, the photodiodes convert the light pulses into electrical signals, which are then picked up by the neurons behind the retina and transmitted to the brain. The result is an artificially induced visual response that, while not as good as normal vision, could nevertheless provide “highly functional restoration of sight” to people with conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
c) Physics Gems from BBC4 - Brian Cox and Melvyn Bragg
Two physics-related gems on BBC Radio4 . The humorous science show, The Infinite Monkey, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b053721m#auto in which the physicists Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw ripped into science crackpots in an episode called “When quantum goes woo” (30 min).
Melvyn Bragg convened a panel of physicists for more sober but equally entertaining discussion of “The photon” at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b051vlpf (41 min).