There's a dramatic decline in the number of British pupils studying physics at A Level. The consequent decline in qualified teachers could mean the end of physics in state schools.
Obviously, obviously, I know nothing about physics.
But it still aggravated me hearing various early morning radio shows responding to this news by 'humorously' banging on about "Well, I've never in my life had to use a bunsen burner" and "E=MC2 has never helped me to pay the mortgage".
Simon Singh points out some of the reasons physics is important to us individually and as a society.
His Editor tails the article with this quiz by Alok Jha:
Do you know your Newton from your neutrons?
- A metal plate is heated to 200C with a bunsen burner. It subsequently cools by emitting what kind of radiation? a) Ultraviolet waves b) Gamma rays c) Infrared rays d) Radio waves
- You're in the back of a stationary car with a helium balloon. When the car accelerates, which way does the balloon move? a) Forwards b) Backwards c) Up d) It doesn't move
- What two properties of a particle does Heisenberg's uncertainty principle say you can't measure at the same time? a) Energy and mass b) Position and momentum c) Position and mass d) Momentum and velocity
- A skater is spinning on a spot with her arms outstretched. What happens when she pulls her arms in? a) Nothing b) She changes direction c) She spins more slowly d) She spins more quickly
- A big wooden ball and a small ball bearing sit at the top of a slope. When they are released, which reaches the bottom first? a) The wooden ball b) The ball bearing c) They both get there at the same time d) Depends on the masses of the balls and the angle of the slope
- If the Sun were to disappear right now, how long would it be before we noticed? a) Straight away b) About 8 minutes c) Just over an hour d) Almost a day
I'll put the answers in the 'Comments' section of this blog. How many did you get right?
9 comments:
Answers: 1c, 2a, 3b, 4d, 5c, 6b
4 out of 5, only messed up the last one! After Geometry, Physics was by far my favorite high-school subject within Maths/Sciences. The basic principles are so practical.
Shouldn't the answer to 3 be "position and velocity"?
This is why I'm irritating at pub quizzes.
I can't believe I'm friends with you two . . .
I am not sure that it is still entirely clear why physics is important to me personally.
Physics might be important to society at large, and physisists might be good to have (by and large). However, I would contend that physics does NOT reveal the beauty of the universe, rather the structure of it.
May I humbly put forward that Singh is the prat by suggesting just that, and that his and other physisist's understanding of what they see makes them more able to enjoy natural phenomena (my Lord, he's suggesting 100% more emotional reaction: maybe physics should be a prerequisit for drama...).
Yes, I think it is important that someone studies physics, but I alos think any economist would support that it doesn't really matter WHO does it. So let the budding boffins in Bangalore get on with it and keep us posted on the actual practical application on it all. Meanwhile there is life and love and lots of fun things to do.
All right, damn it, I got an A for both semesters of physics in high school, and loved the course, thank you very much, but I got 3 out of 3. I guessed on #3, applied what I think was reasonable (but obviously flawed) logic to #2, but I really MUST disagree with #5. No matter how you cut it, a wooden ball is going to have a rougher surface and therefore create more friction than a ball bearing, so despite the fact that it would probably be an extremely small delay, that wooden thing is going to arrive AFTER the metal one.
So there.
Make that "3 out of 6."
4 out of 5, althoug I have to admit that I only got the last one because the band 'The Dismemberment Plan' have a song I like called '8 1/2 minutes' about destroying the sun. I do, however, believe that understanding the structure of the universe and other aspects of scientific inquiry is important for those not involved in the field. For one thing it would prevent the 'Modern Physics Abuse' so prevalent in literature and film today (see any mention of Chaos Theory, ever, along with almost any mention of Shrodinger's Cat) also, it allows the engagment of certain types of mental processes that are otherwise dormant. I'm hope to good I'm never going to use Maths or Physics in whatever profession I end up in, but an interest in it certainly allows me to think in patterns otherwise foreign to a die-hard liberal arts geek.
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