Physics Alive
Physics Alive

Physics Alive

Brad Moser

Overview
Episodes

Details

Physics Alive is the podcast where host Brad Moser, Ph.D., sparks new life into the physics classroom. He speaks with researchers and textbook authors on the frontiers of physics education, life science and health professionals who use physics on an everyday basis, designers and engineers who learn from the natural world, teachers who employ innovative and active learning styles, and students who want the most out of their education.

Recent Episodes

The Maple: Sweet Siren and Physics Phenom
MAR 3, 2023
The Maple: Sweet Siren and Physics Phenom

Maple Syrup. Champion of breakfast, the perfecter of pancakes. Sweet addition to butter, beans, and even bacon. But how does that treat travel from tree to table? Phenomenal physics is in no short supply, and Abby van den Berg, a Research Associate Professor at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center, shares her joy and her expertise. She discusses the wonder of sap flow, long-term tree health, production methods, and the pigments associated with autumn foliage.

Full show notes at:

www.physicsalive.com/maple

Episode notes and resources:

Where to go for all your maple news?

Start at the Proctor Maple Research Center website:

Also visit other University of Vermont webpages:

Other links Abby suggested:

Today's Guest:

Abby van den Berg is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center. Her areas of expertise and research include plant physiological ecology and maple syrup chemistry.

She writes: Much of my research focuses on the ecophysiology of maple sugaring, including the effects of tapping and carbohydrate extraction on tree growth and health, the physiology of stem pressure and carbohydrates in xylem sap, and ultimately on helping to develop management practices and tapping guidelines to ensure the long-term sustainability of maple syrup production. Recently, my work has expanded to include studying the physiology of stem pressure development in birch trees, and investigating sap yields and the potential profitability of adding birch syrup production to existing maple operations in the Northeastern US.

This only scratches the surface of Abby's work. Learn more about her work:

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63 MIN
Universal Design for Learning and Multiple Means of Engagement
FEB 17, 2023
Universal Design for Learning and Multiple Means of Engagement

The universal design for learning (UDL) framework is an approach based on educational research that can guide the development of flexible learning environments that are supportive of and accessible to all learners. I’m speaking with Melissa Eblen-Zayas and Kristen Burson, authors on a recent paper describing their efforts to implement UDL and promote student mental health. They specifically focus on physics course modifications that provide multiple means of engagement.

Go to the full episode show notes at:

www.physicsalive.com/udl

 

Today's conversation is with Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Professor of Physics at Carleton College, and Kristen Burson, Associate Professor of Physics at Grinnell College. They author a paper, along with Danielle McDermott, titled "Course Modifications to Promote Student Mental Health and Move toward Universal Design for Learning."  Their paper appeared in the November 2022 issue of The Physics Teacher. 

You can access the paper below:


The CAST website provides great resources for Universal Design for Learning. CAST's mission is to transform education design and practice until learning has no limits.


Other resources that were recommened:


Learn more about today's guests:

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61 MIN
Physics with Phones with David Rakestraw
DEC 29, 2022
Physics with Phones with David Rakestraw

What if I told you that you could do velocity, acceleration, friction, rotations, impulse and momentum, pressure, sound, color, and magnetic field labs all with a single measurement device? And what if I told you that almost every student is walking into the classroom with their own device already in hand? Welcome to Physics with Phones curriculum. Each lesson details activities using built-in smartphone sensors to illustrate key physics concepts, including elevation, g force, and angular velocity. David Rakestraw, a senior science advisor at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, has put together many lessons that are freely available online. He’s here to talk about how he got involved with this technology, what sensors our students can access, and how we can use these in our classes.

Full show notes available at:

www.physicsalive.com/phones

 

Webpage for Physics with Phones

Phone apps to try out:

David Rakestraw is a senior science advisor at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) in California. A multi-program national security laboratory, its primary stated mission is to enhance the nation’s defense and reduce the global threat from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Prior to LLNL, he spent 12 years at Sandia National Laboratories, where he engaged in a wide range of research and development activities. He even co-founded a company that specialized in applying microfluidics for chemical analysis.

Today, he’s not going to talk about any of that! Instead, this conversation will be all about doing physics with phone sensors. Physics with Phones is a series of presentations outlining a wide range of experiments that are well-aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. These were developed for the classroom, but many can be done by students in their own homes. 

Learn more about David from his alumni biography:

Webpage for Physics with Phones

See even more opportunities at LLNL's Teacher Research Academy

 

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61 MIN
The Physics Alive Road Journal
NOV 2, 2022
The Physics Alive Road Journal

The Physics Alive podcast is on the road this week! A busy semester has made it challenging to produce new episodes, so your host has taken his microphone on the road, recording while driving. Hear updates about Brad's classes and experiences this semester at his new teaching institution, Plymouth State University. The ups, the downs, the good, the frustrating -- the teacher's journey.

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27 MIN
The Investigative Science Learning Environment with Eugenia Etkina
AUG 19, 2022
The Investigative Science Learning Environment with Eugenia Etkina

ISLE, the Investigative Science Learning Environment, is an intentional holistic learning environment for physics. It addresses two main goals: to help students learn physics by engaging them in the processes that mirror scientific practice and to improve their well-being while they are learning physics. Eugenia Etkina started this approach nearly 40 years ago and has been an ardent teacher educator in the years since. This interview with Eugenia provides the educational philosophy behind ISLE, specific examples of how the approach works, and the support network that can get you started.

Show notes: www.physicsalive.com/ISLE

Learn more about Eugenia and her work:

You can email Eugenia at:

ISLE website:

Join the Facebook group -- Exploring and Applying Physics

ISLE resource page on PhysPort

ISLE Implementation Guide on PhysPort

Articles:

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64 MIN