Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Physics

On Monday we are watching a movie called Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Physics. You can click on the title if you want to watch it from your computer again or if you missed class on Monday. Please comment on this post and tell me:

1. What was your favorite part of the movie? Why?

2. What did you find confusing or what didn't you like about the movie? Why?

You will receive 5 points for you thougthful posts and 5 points for your responses. You must answer both questions in your post and provide at least 1 thoughtful response to someone elses post to receive the full 10 points. This assignment is due Wednesday, September 2nd.

12 comments:

  1. I really liked the superconducters. I just liked the idea of making atoms travel the speed of light and then crash into each other. It's kind of like a super of expensive scientific crash durby.
    I was a little confused by the quarks, corks, or however they spelled it. Was it just a pattern that he found in the zoo or what?

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  2. 1. Well that is a hard one... I can't decide between the electomagnetism and creating electricity, or from the quantum mechanics and space/time continuum thing. I might have to say the going the speed of light was the most fascinating.

    2. I didn't really have a problem with any of the topics on the video, but I guess I wasn't really intrigued by any of the gravity stuff. I guess it might be cause we've been doin gravity since elementary school, but I just got bored hearing stuff I already know.

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  3. I believe that called it a zoo because when the atoms broke apart, particles were scattered everywhere just like animals are spread out about a zoo, but don't hold that against me! Just takin a guess. But that part was interesting and confusing at the same time, cause I haven't been taught anything about em and they didn't give much detail in the video on em. Wonder if we'll see more.

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  4. I agree with SCEmperor about the gravity being a little boring. It could be because we haven't studied it in so long or because someone hasn't showed us the fun in it. So hopefully there are some things that we haven't learned that will intrigue us and furhter our knowledge.

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  5. 1.My favorie part of the movie was just the fact that these people are so intruged by something they spend their entire life figuring out something no one else took the time to think about. Electricity traveling at speed of light at absolute zero just think of what an advancement we could make if we figured out how to use it in everyday life!
    2. I was confused on the concept of a lot of things and how they came about most of the discoveries and how they even apply to todays world.

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  6. I agree with Joe the superconducters sound like something i would really like to learn more about. That seems like a topic i might be able to understand a little better than the quarks which confused me out of my mind!

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  7. 1. I liked thought that the fact that all this stuff has only been discovered recently. Just think of all the new advancements physics can give us. I also liked the music, but the speed of light was cool.
    2. I don't get haow the man who discovered quarks thought up the theory without actually seeing they were there. Since the atom itself is so small, let alone neutrons, electrons, and protons, how could he even begin the theory that there could be something smaller. How did he know the shape? Was it mostly guesswork or did he have some kind of proof?

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  8. It seems that most people don't want to learn about quarks because they seem so confusing, but that just makes me want to learn about them even more. Just like the theory of Everything(which I didn't get what they mean by that).

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  9. 1.I thought the most interesting part of the video was when it discussed the new properties that occur to objects when they approach the speed of light. I don’t understand it, but I find it interesting. I was most amused by the strength it takes to break the bonds of “weak” forces.

    2. I’m not sure if I really understand much about advanced physics. I understood the basic things such as gravity and history and the idea that everything has gravity, but once they got to quarks and changing properties of matter I was entirely lost , but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy trying learn and understand those things.

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  10. I agree with Joe that superconductors are interesting and think studying smash particles together is interesting, because it’s a such a new thing and there is always the possibility discover something new and different in that field. It is also a field that concerns the very building blocks of our universe and possibly the creation of it.

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  11. 1.I thought it was interesting how most of breakthroughs have been in the last few centuries. We are just at the begining of what is to be discovered. I also liked how Einstien worked with other physicist to find a solution to the disagreements.
    2. I agree with Angela inthat it's hard to believe that someone could think of the idea that there is something smaller than an atom without having proof. I would like to know what drives some scientist to come up with such idea

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  12. It seems most people like myself aren't interested in quarks. Maybe we should research them to get a better understanding of what they are.

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