Physics Outreach Programs
As part of our commitment to physics in the public service, our Department takes as part of its mission the encouragement of young people’s interest in science careers and the enhancement of public scientific literacy through a variety of effective outreach programs. We share the excitement of physics and the wonder of our natural world with elementary school children through grandparents— students, teachers, and the general public.
If you'd like to learn more about our programs, contact our Outreach Coordinator, Dr. Inga Karliner.
The Physics Van
The Physics Van is a traveling science road show for elementary school children and their teachers. By performing and explaining engaging physics demonstrations, we show our audiences that science is exciting for people who wonder about why the world acts the way it does. We challenge kids' mental pictures of who can be a scientist and show them that there's nothing as exciting as discovery. As long as you want to learn and have fun, there's a world of physics waiting for you.
Saturday Physics honors program
Saturday Honors Physics is a series of lectures on modern aspects of the physical sciences held Saturday mornings each fall. The program began in 1993 and offers high school students and members of the general public the opportunity to hear presentations from world-class scientists and researchers. By attending the Saturday Physics Honors Program, you will learn about recent advances in the physical sciences, you will gain an understanding of how physics affects development in modern technology, and influences your life on a daily basis. A question and answer session is held at the end of each program. This is your chance to interact with renowned scientific leaders in the research community.
Saturday Astrophysics Honors Program
The Saturday Honors Astrophysics Program is a series of lectures on astrophysics and astronomy that is held on Saturday mornings during the spring semester. Saturday Astrophysics is sponsored by the Department of Physics, the National Center for Supercomputer Applications, and the Department of Astronomy and is administered by the Center for Theoretical Astrophysics. Although designed for high-school students, the program is open to the general public (including teachers, parents, and siblings) so students can participate as a class, individually, or with their families. Prior knowledge of physics, astronomy, or computing is not necessary. The program coordinator is astrophysicist Professor Susan Lamb.
Ask THE VAN
A service of the Physics Van Crew, "Ask a Physicist" provides answers to the curious from all over the world. If you've ever wondered about alternative energy fruits (Amy, Sumter, South Carolina), why water curves (Basil, New Westminister, British Columbia), how magnets work (Marsha, Houston, Texas), or why tennis balls lose their bounce (Michael, Acworth, Georgia), find the answers here. Or ask a burning question of your own.
The Whys Guy
Physics' own Mats Selen, the Whys Guy, explains the science behind everything, from how to cook your Thanksgiving turkey to how to drive on slippery winter roads, every Wednesday morning on WCIA Channel 3. Exciting visual demonstrations explain basic science concepts—why curve balls curve, why objects float or sink, why dust explodes... In fact, Mats specializes in why lots of things explode.
Baseball Physics
Alan Nathan has become the guru of the physics of baseball. In the past three years, he has given invited talks on the subject to the National Society of Black Physicists, the Illinois chapter of the American Association of Physics Teachers, University of Illinois Alumni Association clubs, and many physics colloquia (SLAC, Kentucky, St. Mary’s, Georgetown, UMass-Lowell, UC Davis, Florida State, U. Washington). He presented an invited talk at the June 2003 Nuclear Chemistry Gordon Conference and the 2004 Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA). He and two colleagues have conducted a two-day workshop on bat performance, “Bat-Ball 101,” for bat-industry engineers in each of the past three summers. He presently serves on the editorial board of the journal Sports Engineering and serves on panels advising major league baseball, the Amateur Softball Association, and the NCAA. His 2003 paper, “Characterizing the performance of baseball bats,” (Am. J. Phys. 71, 134–143) serves as the basis for present efforts to regulate the performance of non-wood bats. He is currently organizing baseball sessions for the 2006 ISEA conference.
