Notable Women of Science

This article is interesting, about "10 Women in Science You Should Know But Probably Don't"...

Even with all of the history of science that I read, I have not heard of all of these scientists. 

Astronomer Maria Mitchell is mentioned in the article.

This article reminded me, soon I will post a book review for a fascinating text about women in science called Pythagoras' Trousers: God, Physics, and the Gender War.  

Spin a CD for the Color Spectrum

One of the first demos I ever performed during my student teaching days involved spinning a CD. 

Here is what you do:

Take a CD--color the top three different colors. Red, blue, and green. 

Make sure each color is allotted equal space on the top of the CD.

Place the CD in a CD player, one that has a clear window on the top. Or you can leave the lid open while the CD spins.

Once the CD is spinning, the colors will no longer appear distinctly on the CD top. 

Guess what color it will be? Exactly, you are right...WHITE. 

This demo is a quick and easy way to give a strong visual representation about the color spectrum. 

You have probably seen three lights projected onto a screen, red, blue, green, and where they overlap, you see white. This demo communicates the same idea.

If you are teaching about color and light, give this demo a spin!

Troubleshooting advice: if the color looks bluish or pinkish instead of white, adjust the ratio of colors until the CD spins white.

eHow Short Science Videos

Did you know that I created 14 science videos for eHow.com?

These videos are not just about physics--they were made in response to common questions people have about science. They are created for the layperson.

Topics range from anatomy of a proton (above) to science fair projects for middle school students to one of my favorites, Physics Experiments You Can Do At Home. 

The videos are short and sweet, about 90 seconds to two minutes long. 

Hope you like them!

Today's Video: In Hot Water

Is boiling water always hot? The answer is "No!"

Today I am filming a video about boiling water. 

What will you need for this experiment? A small syringe, like the one below, often used for baby medicine. You can find this at your local pharmacy.

The idea behind this demo is the Ideal Gas Law. 

  
In this demo, you will cap the the syringe with your thumb and then pull on it. This decreases the air pressure inside. Increasing the volume decreases the pressure according to the Ideal Gas Law: pV=nRT  

This occurs because water will boil easier at a lower pressure. 

To perform the demo:

1.  you will first heat water to 4o degrees Celsius, when it is warm to the touch, not hot, not boiling yet. 
2. Then you will put the water in the syringe. 
3. Make sure that there are no air bubbles by flicking it.
4. The water should just barely start leaking out of the top as you cap the syringe with your thumb and put your fingers on the bottom.  
5. Pulling on the syringe causes bubbles to form.This is because the water is boiling. The decreased pressure is boiling the water.

One advantage of this exercise t is that the syringes are fairly cheap, and you can buy six or more, so students in the class can take turns boiling water and learning about volume and pressure. What a hands-on way to gain understanding of the Ideal Gas Law!

For a more detailed and visual explanation, you will just have to watch my video. Anticipation! 

The video will also include tips for how to perform this demo using oil, as well as how to perform this demo on a larger scale using a vacuum chamber and vacuum pump.

 In each of my videos, I include advice about how to perform the demo or experiment, especially for those of you trying the experiments for the first time. However, I always advise running the experiment on your own first before performing it for your class. 

Take a Trip to Tycho Brahe's Isle of Hven

Brahe, always looking up

What if the King of Denmark gave you your very own island to conduct your scientific experiments? In the 1570s, astronomer Tycho Brahe was gifted the Isle of Hven and there he built a castle and an underground observatory, Stjerneborg. Today, just a short ferry ride away from Copenhagen, you can visit Hven (pronounced like "vein"), which is now a part of Sweden. 

Take the ferry from near picturesque Nyhavn, and less than an hour later, you will be walking up a hill toward the green fields of Hven. Ferries from Copenhagen run only in the summer, while ferries from Sweden run all year round.  

Near the ferry dock, try some excellent ice cream to fuel your journey. The Tycho Brahe museum is within walking distance, or pause on your way up the hill and you will find a bike rental area. Be sure to bring cash in the form of Danish kroner or Swedish krona.

In my opinion, walking is best. Along the way, you will find markers of the planets. They are spaced out to correspond with the space between the planets in outer space, and children will enjoy spotting these informative plaques along the route. 

A Tycho statue by an art gallery--me with my nephew Benjamin

I made the trip with my brother and his family, including eight and ten year old niece and nephew.

Green fields dotted with red poppies and quaint cottages abound. Along the way, you can visit art galleries and observe horses and goats grazing in the fields.

Finally, you reach the main attraction, the Tycho Brahe museum. For more information, visit this website: http://www.tychobrahe.com/UK/museet.html .

The museum is located in an old and beautiful church. Inside, informative exhibits and a video about Brahe’s life can easily take up an hour or more. One of my favorite exhibits allows you to turn the pages of an old manuscript using a computer, which details the religious and scientific atmosphere in Brahe’s time. Nearby, well-maintained gardens and a café are a good spot for a break from your tour.

The highlight of the tour is definitely stepping inside the observatory. You can only go inside at the appointed time of the show, but it runs fairly often. The show is not for the claustrophobic, because you are closed into a small space in the underground observatory. However, you are treated to an amazing 3-d display and story of Brahe’s work over time, which takes place all around you in the circular space. 

A friendly tour guide will be there with you to chat in English and answer your questions.  After Brahe tried to run his experiments from his castle, he found that the wind was a detriment to the accuracy of his measurements, and so the observatory was built underground. The observatory is a re-creation of the original, because the ruins were still there, and some of the original instruments are also preserved. You can find out more about the observatory and its renovations here.

Want to find out more? Add the Isle of Hven to your itinerary of cool science-related places to visit!

Book Review: Einstein's Dreams

Book Review 

Einstein’s Dreams

By Alan Lightman

Do you have a student in your physics class who is geared more toward the humanities than the hard sciences? Perhaps a creative writer or a bookworm. How do you help this student become more interested in physics? Or maybe you teach college physics for non-majors, and you are looking for a way to alight interest in physics for these students. I suggest assigning Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman as a reading assignment.

This novel brings physics to life not just as equations or problems to solve, but as a way of looking at the world, a way of reimagining the world. Physicists examine the world in ways unique from other scientists; Einstein’s Dreams is a window into the way physicists imagine the world.

The novel is set in 1905 and follows the mind of Einstein as he dreams of possible worlds while he is formulating his theory of relativity. For example, in one chapter, time is circular, while in another scene, time stands still.

The book is written in short vignettes, making it easy to read. However, each vignette will give readers much to contemplate deeply as they reconsider the world around them and how it works according to the laws of physics. If one law was altered, what would the world be like? In following the stories in this novel, students may learn more about what it means to think and ponder like a physicist.

Author Alan Lightman is a physicist, writer, and professor at MIT. Here you can read descriptions of his other books, both fiction and non-fiction.