In UNDERSTANDING PHYSICS, Isaac Asimov discusses how the Greeks developed a Natural Philosophy that stood for over 2000 years. Aristotle approached science from a theoretical perspective, using simple observations and logical reasoning, eschewing crude measurement. It wasn’t until Galileo performed some very clever experiments that the world started to improve on these early notions. Galileo made use of Renaissance Age technologies such as telescopes and time measuring devices to make the quantitative measurements. These measures enabled Galileo to improve upon the understanding of physics and thereby started a scientific revolution.
We are in an Information Technology Age, with smartphones more powerful than the supercomputers of the 1970s. These ubiquitous devices come equipped with a staggering array of built-in tools including video camera, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, GPS, graphic display, sound, analysis software, input/output and programming. What would Galileo have been able to do if he had access to a smartphone? Let’s find out! The next Galileo is out there somewhere.
In much the same way as it takes fuel, oxygen, and a spark to start a fire, it will take more than just a smartphone to inspire the next Galileo. We propose to develop a set of robust experiments around the idea of using smartphones to make quantitative measurements. Inspiration will be drawn from the classic experiments described by Asimov which come ready-made with historical context and background, as well as other sources such as Scientific American’s Amateur Scientist. We will leverage a community of engineers/scientists/enthusiasts to develop, test, and refine experiments working in concert with our schools. The result will be a set of projects that are engaging, safe, economical, and aligned with educational standards. This website and other social media will be used to share background information and lessons learned. Blog entries will grow an expanding repertoire of interrelated and engaging experiments to teach about nature, scientific method, measurement limitations, calibration, error analysis, and how to interpret results. Once a student has worked through a number of experiments, and becomes familiar with the power of her smartphone, then the world truly becomes her scientific laboratory.
We are in an Information Technology Age, with smartphones more powerful than the supercomputers of the 1970s. These ubiquitous devices come equipped with a staggering array of built-in tools including video camera, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, GPS, graphic display, sound, analysis software, input/output and programming. What would Galileo have been able to do if he had access to a smartphone? Let’s find out! The next Galileo is out there somewhere.
In much the same way as it takes fuel, oxygen, and a spark to start a fire, it will take more than just a smartphone to inspire the next Galileo. We propose to develop a set of robust experiments around the idea of using smartphones to make quantitative measurements. Inspiration will be drawn from the classic experiments described by Asimov which come ready-made with historical context and background, as well as other sources such as Scientific American’s Amateur Scientist. We will leverage a community of engineers/scientists/enthusiasts to develop, test, and refine experiments working in concert with our schools. The result will be a set of projects that are engaging, safe, economical, and aligned with educational standards. This website and other social media will be used to share background information and lessons learned. Blog entries will grow an expanding repertoire of interrelated and engaging experiments to teach about nature, scientific method, measurement limitations, calibration, error analysis, and how to interpret results. Once a student has worked through a number of experiments, and becomes familiar with the power of her smartphone, then the world truly becomes her scientific laboratory.