October 7-9, 2004: Baylor University in Waco, Texas, will host the Fall 2004 Joint Meeting of the Texas Sections of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the American Physical Society (APS), and Zone 13 of the Society of Physics Students (SPS). http://www.baylor.edu/tsaps/
October 10-15, 2004: International Accelerator Conference (CAARI2004) in Fort Worth
http://orgs.unt.edu/CAARI/.
Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT)
Eventually, all of Newton's work -- about 10 million words -- will be on the Web
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040807/NEWTON07/TPScience/
The Newton Project
http://www.newtonproject.ic.ac.uk/
Teleportation goes long distance
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3576594.stm
Soldering onboard the International Space Station - Movie
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/16aug_solder.htm?friend
NASA has pulled another set of photographs, this time of Apollo 11's
trip, out of the freezer and digitized them
http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html
Here are some nice ones. Be sure to view them full sized. They are VERY clean and sharp.
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a11/as11-40-5903.jpg
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a11/as11-40-5924.jpg
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a11/as11-40-5905.jpg
Search the Gallery for Nasa Images
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/index.html
Gravitational anomalies: An invisible hand?
http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3104321
Build a Rollercoaster in the Backyard
http://www.nextbigthing.org/archive/episode.html?07092004
The Lamar University Electronic Journal of Student Research
http://dept.lamar.edu/lustudentjnl/
SCHOLARSHIP - for Hispanic, African American, & Native American
http://www.aps.org/educ/com/scholars/index.cfm
Que the Danger Music:
At the outer limits of our solar system, a solar shock wave is about to overtake NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/13jul_solarblast.htm?list1065276
Don Quixote to Ride Again on Cosmic Rescue Mission
http://www.inreview.com/archive/topic/23569.html
A cutting-edge Apollo 11 science experiment is still running today, 35
years after astronauts left it behind in the Sea of Tranquility
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/21jul_llr.htm?list1065276
STRINGY HOLES: HAWKING CONCEDES DEFEAT
http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/current/article_1308_1.asp
Hawking cracks black hole paradox
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996151
The Homepage For Texas School Officials
http://www.texasisd.com/
AAPT Listservs
http://www.aapt.org/Membership/listservs.cfm
2005 "World Year of Physics"
http://www.physics2005.org/
AIP Career Services
http://www.aip.org/careersvc/
Physics Question of the Week
http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/outreach/QOTW/active/questions.htm
Physical Science Resource Center (PSRC)
http://psrc.aapt.org
AAPT Teaching Resources
http://www.aapt.org/Resources/
What's new at APS?
http://www.aps.org/WN/
Here are a few links that may help keep your computer running well.
Earth-like planet discovered 50 light-years away
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/08/26/new.planet/index.html
Astronomy Picture of the Day
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
MESSENGER - MErcury Surface, Space, ENvironment, GEOchemsitry, and Ranging
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/
Opportunity's Shadow on Mars!
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0408/shadow_opportunity_big.jpg
Both rovers are still roving on Mars
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html
MARS ROVERS FIND MORE EVIDENCE OF WATER
http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1304_1.asp
Cassini - Images from Saturn
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm
"The attraction is known as the Casimir Effect, named for its discoverer, who, 50 years ago, was trying to understand why fluids
like mayonnaise move so slowly."
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040801.html
TINY TELESCOPE FINDS BIG PLANET
http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1330_1.asp
SEDNA'S ORIGIN SOLVED?
http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1326_1.asp
PERSEIDS PEAK AS PREDICTED
http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_1329_1.asp
Lingering effects
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/08/23/jupiter.impact/index.html
New Software Puts Space on Your Desktop
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/fits_liberator_040708.html
Funding for New NEO Research
http://planetary.org/news/2004/shoemaker-grants0714.html
COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY 9: A DECADE LATER
http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1305_1.asp
A young monkey at an Israeli zoo has started walking on its hind legs only aping humans after a near death experience, the zoo's veterinarian said Wednesday.
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040721_1839.html
Vacation Sites for Astronomers
http://www.starhillinn.com/StarHillInn.html
http://www.nmskies.com/
http://www.observersinn.com/
Tattooing robot unveiled at hi-tech trade fair
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_718442.html?menu=
Crazy Interactive Drawing Page
http://www.zefrank.com/dtoy_vs_byokal/
Ever have a hard time trying to get what you want from a contractor?
social115.gif
Abbott & Costello at the PC Store
http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/25013.html
Mindstretchers Quiz
http://www.mensa.org/workout.php
Digital Photo of the Day
http://www.steves-digicams.com/daily_dpotd.html
Web Puzzle
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/mathswk.html
30 years of changes
http://www.hftonline.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-14616.html
Yam's Story
http://www.popculturemadness.com/Trivia/March/21.html
Young Preacher
http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/Humor/posts/616.html
Angry Alien - Funny Movies
http://www.angryalien.com
Honda Engineering Ad - Cool Movie
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/honda-ad.html
Spinning Brains - Coriolis Effect Movies
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/23jul_spin.htm?list942833
Troops - Online Movie
http://www.theforce.net/theater/shortfilms/troops/
"The Dark Side of the Universe" - Watch this Online
http://www.pbs.org/saf/1405/video/watchonline.htm
Nova Online - "Death Star"
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/gamma/
Two-year College Representative Report [Reprint] - Representative: Jerry O'Connor
The AAPT Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges page
includes reports and other available resources such as the
"Annual Committee Report and Review Board Comments", and
"Guidelines for Two-Year College Physics Programs"
http://www.aapt.org/Directory/tyc.cfm
Committee on Physics in Two Year Colleges
http://www.instruction.greenriver.edu/aapt/TYC
SPIN-UP/TYC - Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics at Two-Year Colleges
Find out about exemplary physics programs at two-year colleges:
http://www.aapt.org/Projects/spinup-tyc.cfm
Jerry O'Connor
joconnor@accd.edu.
Four-year College Representative Report [Reprint] - Representative: Mike Sadler
A goal I had when I started my tenure as four-year college representative was to initiate a cooperative program in which upper division physics course offerings could be made available via distance learning within the state. Using ACU as an example, we typically have insufficient enrollment in these courses to warrant offering them every year. This situation is usually not a problem for students who enroll continuously on campus and do not need to retake a course. Circumstances sometimes arise, such as a student participating in our growing campus abroad program or sitting out a semester, in which a course needed for graduation is missed.
When I brought this topic up at my first executive meeting of TSAAPT I learned that the Texas A&M branch college system already has such a system in place. I had hoped to obtain permission to tap into it last semester but the one upper division course that I taught (Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics) was not offered. I understand that the system works very well and solves the very problem that I have experienced.
Advantages of such cooperation that I can list are:
There are some obvious disadvantages/difficulties, such as the coordination of schedules, procuring the apparatus for a distance-learning environment, and adjusting to a new mode of operation. I am interested in other input, particularly from anyone who has experience in a distance-learning situation (I do not).
My successor is Dr. Toni Sauncy from Angelo State University. I have enjoyed serving in this capacity for the past three years.
Michael Sadler
sadler@physics.acu.edu
Thanks to the TSAAPT officers and others for the links and information above. Feel free to send any interesting links that you find. This email message is sent to Texas physics teachers, students, and friends of TSAAPT. If you would like to be removed from the emailing list or are getting multiple copies of these newsletters, then feel free to reply to this message with your request.
Clear skies,
Dan Bruton
astro@sfasu.edu
