I had this lovely piece of written feedback in an email from a student yesterday. I … think your emphasis on the physics rather than the math that describes it … is really good, my problem solving approach has changed from wondering what equations I have at my disposal to what’s actually going on. What […]
Continue readingYear: 2010
Dealing with random things
In physics, just like elsewhere in life, there can be more than one way to tackle a problem. An example I’ve been thinking about recently is in the computer modelling of random processes (which is essentially what my research is about). Rather than talk about neurons and what causes them to fire or not-to-fire, I’ll draw […]
Continue readingScholarship exams – answer the question
Last Saturday I did a morning session with high-school students who are preparing to sit the NZQA scholarship exam in physics later this year. This exam is aimed at the top students in any year group – with an aim of rewarding them and recognizing excellence. The questions are certainly hard – and to do […]
Continue readingThe smart tap – the plot thickens
I’ve commented on our tea room tap a couple of times before (here and here). This week it hasn’t been giving any cold water at all. And then this morning it was absent. Just gone, leaving a hole in the sink unit. Now, I think it was probably removed by a university-contracted plumber, but there is […]
Continue readingHow fictional is fiction?
Having watched The Prestige on Sunday night I feel that there should be lots of bloggable material in it, but I can’t quite put my finger on anything. For those who haven’t seen it, or read the book, it concerns a couple of rival magicians who are obsessed with out-doing each other and pulling off […]
Continue reading2.5 or 2.2 percent?
So, Goods and Services Tax has now jumped from 12.5% to 15%, and with it comes all sorts of confusion. If you ask the question ‘how much have things increased?’ you can get a variety of answers? So, an example. Take an item that used to be priced at $11.25. OK, so we no longer […]
Continue readingLet there be light
Last night we were plunged back into the 19th century by a power cut. No electric cooker, no lighting, no television. Out came the candles. We were only saved from total historical immersion by a fully-charged laptop which got used as a DVD player for the evening (and gave a fair bit of light too). It’s amazing […]
Continue readingFor example…
A couple of days ago I overheard a student asking another staff member if they could see an example of some work done by the previous year’s students, to help them with a current assignment. I think most lecturers get asked that fairly frequently, and I’m not quite sure what the best response is. On […]
Continue readingDimensional analysis
In my experimental physics class, I’ve been doing a bit of work with the students on dimensions and dimensional analysis. Most people who’ve done some physics have some intuition about it, but dimensional analysis puts it on a formal, and often useful footing. Here’s a brief potted summary for those who don’t want to try […]
Continue readingWindy Hamilton
With our low-pressure-area-the-size-of-Australia still very much in residence, I’m beginning to forget what a still, sunny day is like. I have to say that in my experience (six years) Hamilton is a pretty wind-free place. It’s certainly a lot quieter than where I lived near Portsmouth in the UK, which would be frequently blasted by […]
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