Open Letter to the President: Physics Education

Link to Brady's SixtySymbols video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzn2ec...

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Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

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Thanks to Nima Doroud, Brady Haran, Destinws2, Derek Muller, CGPGrey, Justin Son, Dan Owens, Dan Welty, Fran Poodry, Ryan Mitchell, Robert Emrich, Chris Conley, Liz Henriquez, Matt Smith, Shane MacLeod, James Goodwin, and Matt Hewes for contributions and to Perimeter Institute for support.
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca

• Category

  Science & Technology

[Spencer Brown]

I wonder if the president actually watched this video.

[KELLERKIND1610]

glad to live in europe :S

[Lama Bakri]

The fact that physics discoveries are always evolving is a good purpose to implant them into the educational system. Still, few people will actually need it later in life. Leave the modern discoveries for the people who are willing to go all the way into pursuing higher education in physics. After all, basic education needs basic physics, no?

[Frankthegb]

Does that mean Canada's physics education greatly surpasses America's? I mean, the very first focus of my school board's physics education is optics, so lasers, photons, etc

[DeathLodge1215]

your right but im in canada

[josecastrovaron]

Any one noticed Henry's US flag has only 49 stars?

[Royce Kimmons]

Curricula in schools are established by districts based upon alignment with state standards. State standards are adopted by state boards of education, not the federal government (cf. tenth amendment). The secretary of education only manages specialized federal funds (e.g., special education, food programs, etc.), not the bulk of funding (which is local). Thus, if you want to effect curricular changes in schools, the target of your letter should be state boards of education, not the president.

[Teppo Testaaja]

Than you for your comment Javis. Basically my point was that most e.g. dynamic modelling of practical problems can be done using Newtonian physics. Materials physics related to semiconductors is of course interesting and useful, but the viewpoint given by the philosofy of physics is too far away from practical problems solved in engineering. Surely quantum mechanics is important, but from the educational point of view only a few persons really need it in later life.

[khaldy454]

because you wasting your time playing video games.Come on

[Harrison Frey-Thomas]

hey, you dont have to be a dick

[Matt Quandt]

As a Virginia high schooler with several perfect science SOL exams and currently attending a governor's STEM academy I feel strongly for this topic; however there does exist a question of practicality. Motivation amongst my peers is lacking, most of them typically don't have enough to cover there interests as well as something incredibly cool and awesome like quantum physics or the such, so why must they be coerced into topics they may spend hours trying to understand? To build discipline?.....