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18. Spin, Shared Resources and Social Media
Photographic Physics in the News (great for a podcast) before Paul Reynolds tells us about his web site, planetphysics.co.uk that started as a personal site for storing files for printing but has slowly become a resource for non-specialists. Thomas and Robin then discuss how the internet can support non-specialists. Timestamps Single atom visible @ 00:54 […]
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Vacuum Cannon Tips
After sending out a few cannons, I decided to send out a “Tips” sheet in the cannon packaging to help people get started. I’m reproducing it here for those who didn’t get it: Vacuum Cannon Tips The pipe suppliers are used to providing for large scale filtration systems. They care not about little nicks and […]
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17. Smashing Neutrons, Supporting Non-Specialists and Surviving No Practicals
Thomas and Robin chat about Kilonova (neutron star collisions that create heavy elements), ways of supporting non-specialists and what to do when practicals fail. Timestamps Neutron Stars and Kilonova @ 2:45 Science(ish) Podcast and their episode “Is LIGO right?” @ 4:05 Flywheels for energy storage @ 5:22 Faking being a Physics Specialist @ 5:54 Tips […]
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16. The Vacuum Cannon!
Thomas, Robin and Patrick Kaplo discuss the amazing vacuum cannon and how it can be used to make physics thrilling. The cannon is now available in the shop. Buy it and you’ll be supporting the podcast while you have a BLAST! It is half term next week in the UK so it will be two […]
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Making a Vacuum Cannon
The Tube The tube does not need to be super strong (the tape will fail long before the tube), but it does need to be close in diameter to a table-tennis ball (40mm). The right tube is known as Imperial 1½ inch PVC, common in the USA but not so much in the UK. I […]
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Selling a Vacuum Cannon
We are selling Vacuum Cannons in the shop. I am setting it up with some trepidation: if nobody buys one I will be several tens of pounds out of pocket. If everyone buys one I will be unable to make them fast enough to keep up with demand. Of course, the most likely thing is […]
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15.1 Extended Interview with Nicky Thomas about Diffraction
Full interview with Nicky Thomas about teaching diffraction (29 minutes). She covers how she teaches it in more detail as well as more context and thoughts about doing diffraction as a practical EPQ. Join in! Please share ideas or successes – or indeed questions – on our Facebook Page: https://fb.me/physicstp . You can also message us via […]
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15. Water, Waves and Woodlice
Sea slugs use physics to move up to 90 km a day. Who’d have known? In the main body of the podcast Robin talks to Nicky Thomas about teaching diffraction. She has much to share so we released an extended interview podcast Finally woodlice can also assist in physics teaching by being a source of […]
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14. Cataracts, Cameras and (CERN) Competitions
Thomas and Robin respond to a request from a listener and investigate the BL4S Competition run by CERN. Win an all expenses trip to a high energy beam lab where you will be supported to do your own experiment. They also announce the subject of the next “Ways to teach…” episode: Distance, Speed and Acceleration. […]
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13. Lasers, Labs and a Large(r) hadron collider
Thomas and Robin had such fun talking to Patrick Kaplo (Episode 11) from Windham, New Hampshire that we talked to him again about his Challenge Labs. These are graded practicals where there is a one-shot event at the end of the practical that gives you your final grade. You can listen to how this works […]