The Good, the Bad, and the Physics

Hello all,

 

The primary reason that I am pursuing a degree in physics is so that I can teach it at the secondary level. In high school, physics is considered by an overwhelming amount of students to be the most difficult subject to understand. This is usually because it not only involves its own conceptual difficulties but also relies very heavily on mathematics, and we all know how notorious math is for being despised by most every student in school.

Given my hopes of being a teacher it should be of no surprise that I’m also pursuing a degree in education (Clark University has an outstanding 5^th year M.A. program for education students!) One of the classes I’m taking this semester is an education class called ‘Complexities of Urban Schools’. So far it’s an awesome class. The professor does an amazing job (Prof. John Ameer), and the subject content is just beyond fascinating. In a nutshell, the course examines the more or less failing
public education system in the United States, the socioeconomic and political causes of this failure, where it stands today, and how it can be salvaged in the future. Of course, a class of this nature invites no shortage of discussion and disagreement. Chiefly among the points of disagreement is the future importance of certain school subjects which have traditionally been central to the public system. The arguments for and against almost every subject are abound in the assigned readings and in-class discussions. There was one article in our textbook in which the author rather callously wrote off physics as being unnecessary and unimportant to the education of the everyday man or woman. You can imagine how much it disturbed me, the aspiring physics teacher, when I stumbled upon such an assertion. Obviously I disagree vehemently with this person’s opinion, and I would like to use this post to explain, in part, why exactly I find physics to be not only relevant but, in fact, vital and indispensable to the education of future generations of human beings in our country. So, here comes my rant!

It just so happens that I also find math to be of the utmost importance to human knowledge. Mathematics for its own sake is nothing more than a bunch of ways to mess around with different numbers and symbols. Math as it applies to our physical universe, however, is sacred. Math is in fact the language of nature. We need math in order to truly understand the universe in which we all live and of which we’re all a part. If you want to go to China for instance, there are many great aspects of the country’s history and culture that can be enjoyed and understood without any knowledge of the Chinese language, and I have no doubt that this would be a great experience. But, if you want to truly immerse yourself in the finest and greatest details of the country and everything that comes with that knowledge, someone who is fluent in Chinese will get oh so much more out of their experience and studies than will the non-speaker. Mathematics is simply the language of nature. Many cool scientific concepts can be seen and understood free of mathematical fluency. Ripping the table cloth out from under a carefully made table set of expensive glassware is a great demonstration of how friction works, drenching a rubber glove in liquid nitrogen and then smashing it to bits against the wall will entertain any crowd of students, and any YouTube video about supermassive black holes would certainly be an easy way for physics teachers to enthuse their students about the subject. But in any of these situations, what’s really going on? Any attempt to answer that question truly and thoroughly without math is doomed from the start. It’s the math behind all of the science that allows us to understand these and all (literally, ALL) other physical phenomena and then use that knowledge to acquire new knowledge and make scientific and technological breakthroughs. And of course, now more than ever before, whether it’s medicine, infrastructure, or the quest for clean energy, the ability to discover and utilize new technology is the very core and backbone of any country that wishes to compete economically and indeed culturally on the world stage.

To say that physics is not of special importance in the education of our children and their children is dangerous, in my opinion. The less we emphasize mathematics and the physical sciences the less interesting and less understandable it will become, and it will then be only a matter of time before we find ourselves as a nation lacking in not only scientists to study and discover new science and thus technology, but also in engineers to build and properly maintain our buildings and roads; in medical experts to find new ways to combat illnesses and diseases; in doctors to care for those who fall victim to said illnesses and diseases; in teachers to teach this knowledge to the next group, which will result in still less and less fillers of the above mentioned professions. Before we know it, we’ll live in a country that simply cannot compete and stay relevant to the wondrous and ever-important goings-on in the modern world. If we lose touch with science, we will most definitely lose touch with ourselves and our great history; a history defined by the willingness and even the enthralling eagerness to learn and discover and achieve and do extraordinary things for the world we live in. This is the magic of science and, most especially and fundamentally, of physics! Some things allow us to better understand the past and some things can even allow us to predict the future, but only the beauty and glory of science can allow us to soar higher than ever into a future of nationwide and worldwide wealth, dignity, and intellectual and cultural prosperity for all who choose to take part.

 

By the way, here is one such video about supermassive black holes. It's quite an interesting watch!