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1. What did physicists ever do for us…?
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 To paraphrase a Monty Python sketch.
Where would we start? Electricity, space travel, MRI scanners, mobile communications, spectacles and contact lenses, deep sea exploration (er how much time have we got?). Basically if we could imagine a world where physics has had no impact then we’d still be clubbing each other over the bonce and living al fresco. If you’d like to see the influence of physics in our modern life then take a look at Physics Life.
Up and atom eh Mr Bohr? That’s the ticket. There’s a great article on ‘Physics: past, present, future’ from Physics World December 1999. A list of seven questions was sent to over 250 physicists around the world. One question was: would you study physics if you were starting university this year?
To quote from the report:
“70% of respondents said yes, while 13% were undecided or not sure. Only 17% said they would not choose physics. Jorgen Kjems, director of the Risø National Laboratory in Denmark, summed up the opinion of many: "I do not know of any other discipline that offers a similarly rich combination of mathematical rigour, room for imaginative creativity and rewarding interplay between experiment and theory." Others called physics 'the most grandiose science', 'the most fascinating activity for our brain', 'still the most fundamental of all sciences' and 'the best training if you want to enter another field'. However Martin Rees, the UK's Astronomer Royal, said he would be 'unlikely to be inspired by [today's] typical student physics curriculum', while others grumbled about poor pay, inadequate career structures and a lack of decent physics teachers.“
So that was the case in 1999. Would these views have changed over the last seven years? It would be interesting to repeat the survey. Have you any plans Physics World?
If you want full details of the perceived current problem of decline in the number of students studying physics then click here.
Feeling the pressure Mr Boyle?
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2. When is a planet not a planet?
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 Breaking news suggests that three new planets may join the solar system. There will be at least 12 planets in our solar system, and probably many more, if a new definition of the word "planet" is adopted. Next week the International Astronomical Union will vote on a draft definition of what distinguishes a planet from lesser space rocks. The key to definition is roundness. Yes that’s right, spheres rule. Of course it’s not that simple, there are other factors to take into account like size and orbiting a star and all that.
The new scheme would retain Pluto which was previously threatened with ejection from the club. This was because astronomers had discovered large, icy bodies in the outer solar system, some of them not much smaller than Pluto. However it would also admit several new members, including the former asteroid Ceres, and even Charon, which until now has been classed as Pluto's moon. The final decision will be made in Prague on 24 August so watch this space!
For more details on this story.
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3. How to drop an egg without breaking it
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 The technical support department of Picotech received an email from a granddad asking for advice on how to drop a raw egg from a roof without breaking it. They sent out a request for possible responses. Here’s one of our favourite replies:
Get an egg-eating snake, give it the egg and wait until the egg is about half way down the snake, then fit the snake with tail flights (like a dart), then drop said snake plus egg from bridge etc. The front of the snake will act as a crumple zone; thereby protecting the egg (makes a mess of the snake, but that is outside the parameters of the experiment). Then cut open the snake and remove the egg (snake already deceased, so this is no longer an ethical problem)
Could you do better? Drop us a line at planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk if you can!
And whilst we are on the subject of eggs, here’s some egg-stremely good egg-speriments from Physics Tricks courtesy of Einstein Year.
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4. Activity of the Week: Egg-straordinary physics tricks
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Ever mixed up your eggs? Some simple physics will enable you to avoid that problem in the future…
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 You will need:
What to do:
- Place the two eggs on a flat surface and set them both spinning.
- Gently and briefly place your finger on the top centre of each egg.
- Notice that the hard boiled egg is much easier to spin, but it stays still when you take your finger off. In contrast, the raw egg is difficult to start spinning but will keep spinning when you take your finger off.
What’s happening?
Momentum is the key to this demonstration. A raw egg is filled with a liquid, whereas a hard boiled egg is effectively a solid. Firstly consider what happens when you stop the eggs: When you gently place your finger on the top, you stop the outer shell of both eggs from moving. Since the hard boiled egg is solid, all of the egg stops moving, and so the egg remains stationary when you remove your finger. However, the liquid inside the raw egg will keep spinning even though the outside shell is stationary. The drag of that liquid on the shell will start the raw egg spinning again. Similarly, a hard boiled egg is easier to spin since the entire egg starts spinning at the same time, whereas in the soft boiled egg only the outer shell is spinning at first, and gradually the liquid insides begin to spin as they are dragged around by the shell.
Tips for Success
Don’t set your eggs spinning too hard or they may roll off the table. Make sure you start them spinning at approximately the same rates or your audience may think you are trying to fool them! As if!
Another egg-sample of physics at work:
Eggs are traditionally thought of as being very fragile, but in fact the physics behind their shape is astounding.
You will need:
- raw egg
- plastic bag or glove (for the unconfident!)
What to do:
- Challenge audience members to break the egg just by squeezing it. Let them wrap the egg in a plastic bag or wear a glove if they're worried… Believe it or not, it can't be done! Shift it Mr Doppler!
What’s happening?
The shape of an egg is actually one of the strongest designs possible. The curved structure means that applying pressure to any particular area actually spreads the force out over the entire egg. So just squeezing it won't cause it to break. Of course applying a very sharp force to one point WILL cause it to break – which is why we usually tap the egg on the side of a bowl to break it when cooking.
Tips for Success
Ask your volunteers to remove any rings etc. before trying this trick – the sharp uneven force from such metal objects can cause the egg to break.
Check your eggs for hairline fractures before attempting this trick – if there is any existing damage to the egg it won't work.
Did You Know?
The ornate and intricate arched doorways and ceilings in many old buildings aren’t just there for their aesthetic qualities. Arches are in fact one of the strongest building structures. In effect, every brick or piece of masonry within the arch is falling on all the others, distributing the weight evenly over the structure.
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5. Mouses at the Ready
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 You could swim with sharks in IMAX 3D! We have two pairs of tickets to see Sharks 3D (U) on the giant screen of the Science Museum IMAX 3D. Not for the fainthearted. Brace yourself for a breathtaking underwater voyage to explore the life of one of the ocean's most intriguing and misunderstood creatures. Misunderstood y’say? No, honestly I was only TASTING him – I wasn’t going to EAT him… So if you want to know what it's really like to dive with sharks, this film is certainly a must-see!
To get into the draw, send an email with your name and address, and the words SHARK BAIT in the subject line, to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk.
The draw will take place at 5pm on Wednesday 23rd August.
For more information on Sharks 3D call 0870 870 4771 or visit www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/imax
Not sure Mr Heisenberg? Perhaps another moment or two to make up your mind then.
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Institute of Physics' Public Engagement Grant Scheme 2007
Are you a great communicator? Do you have a fantastic idea for making physics accessible? Can you inspire other people with your enthusiasm? Do you need some support to make your outreach activity happen?
If you answered yes to all these questions, then why not apply for a Public Engagement Grant from the Institute of Physics? The grants are worth up to £1000 and aim to support individuals organising physics-based outreach
activities throughout 2007.
Application forms and guidelines for the grant scheme are available online.
Or email physics.society@iop.org.
Closing date: 3 November 2006
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National Science and Engineering Week
Guess what’s happening to National Science Week? In March 2007, the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) will be expanding the UK's National Science Week programme to become "National Science and Engineering Week".
The BA is working in partnership with the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) to broaden the scale and scope of the programme. There will be more engineering-related activities, with the addition of an extra 500 engineering-focused events. Great news! And loads more options for fun, exciting, hands-on activities.
For further information on National Science and Engineering Week and how to get involved, please visit http://www.the-ba.net/nsew
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Handy Hygiene
The Royal Society is bringing its Summer Science Exhibition up to Glasgow in September, and once again there’s going to be a school exhibit. It is a silver CREST-Award winner, called 'Handy Hygiene' and it's all about the spread of germs when using the loo!
A team from Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow investigated the effectiveness of different types of toilet paper. And if you want to know how then you’ll have to go and see it! Absolutely Mr Kelvin!
The team carried out a survey to gain some perspective on the general hygiene of a number of First Year pupils. They made some horrific discoveries:
- More than 78% who fold their paper when using the toilet are using far too little paper, and could potentially be carrying nasty bacteria;
- More than half do not always use soap when washing their hands;
- Approximately 20% don’t always wash their hands;
First year pupils you know who you are – change your ways!
Plus there’s lots more to see and a fantastic opportunity to meet the scientists behind some of the latest scientific research. Stands such as 'Superhuman vision - seeing with terahertz'; 'Stars 'r' Us - the cosmic chemistry connection' and 'What Ahab never saw: the secret life of diving mammals'.
If you are a teacher and wish to bring a class along then please contact Bonnie Laverock, Education Officer for the The Royal Society on 020 7451 2561 or www.royalsoc.ac.uk/education. Don’t forget to mention Planet Science!
Members of the public do not have to register to attend.
Date: 12 – 14 September 2006
Venue: Glasgow Science Centre
More details here.
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Rocketman Rocks!
Professor Roy Lowry's attempt to blow away the 9 year standing record of the number of fireworks exploded at the same time looks like it went off with a bang. An estimated 200,000 people, most covering their ears, watched the Plymouth sky light up as 55,000 electrically ignited fireworks all exploded within a 5 second period at 9.45 on Tuesday at the UK Fireworks Championships.
Dr Lowry said: "We wanted to make sure the 10th anniversary was special and also I think this proves that science can be fun.". Unfortunately we are still in the dark about whether the attempt was successful in setting a new world record - Guinness World Records will illuminate us in 6 weeks as to their decision. Either way it's all very explosive stuff!
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7. The Winners' Enclosure
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Last week we had a family pass for The Living Rainforest to give away. Our lucky winner is Karen McQuillan of Portsmouth. Congratulations and hope you enjoy your visit. Check your handbag for stray lizards before you leave though…
Very illuminating Mr Edison, would you like to share that with the rest of the class?
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8. Joke of the Week
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A physicist, biologist and a chemist were going to the ocean for the first time.
The physicist saw the ocean and was fascinated by the waves. He said he wanted to do some research on the fluid dynamics of the waves and walked into the ocean. Obviously he was drowned and never returned.
The biologist said he wanted to do research on the flora and fauna inside the ocean and walked inside the ocean. He too, never returned.
The chemist waited for a long time and afterwards, wrote the observation, "The physicist and the biologist are soluble in ocean water".
So did you spot all the physicists? Seven altogether.
Bohr
Edison
Heisenberg
Newton
Boyle
Doppler
Kelvin
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