Friday Flyer - September 25, 2015
Spotlight on the Boston Area QuarkNet Center: The Boston center is one of the QuarkNet originals, dating back to 1999. They meet for a few days each summer and then have monthly evening meetings throughout the school year, sharing ideas and activities as well as getting mentor updates on particle physics. This year they brought on several new members, were active in both ATLAS and CMS masterclasses, sent member Mike Hirsh to the CERN HST program, and turned out for the Massachusetts memorial service for Tom Jordan shortly after he passed. Boston is a strong center owing in large part to the leadership of lead teacher and LHC fellow Rick Dower, who has hosted and organized workshops and meetings in his lab at Roxbury Latin School.
Rick retired from teaching this year but continues to be involved in both the Boston center and LHC fellows. No worries: the meetings will still be at Roxbury Latin and Rick will still organize them (and, as usual, bring pizza and snacks). When asked to comment on his time with QuarkNet, Rick mostly focused on the accomplishments of the center, but also shared a story: "Once I had the interesting experience traveling back from a QuarkNet gathering in Aspen, Colorado with a box full of the early cosmic ray detectors spilling over the sides. I was asked to change seats on the plane because another passenger was frightened of the detectors wrapped in black plastic with ominous wires hanging over the edge of the box." Rick still has many more stories and ideas to share, and Boston QuarkNet teachers will enjoy them for some time to come.
News from QuarkNet Central: Efforts are still underway to be sure everyone in QuarkNet is on the website. If you are not on the site or are not sure, contact a staff member for help. Once you know you are on and able to log in, please update your profile for your personal and school information as well as your DAQ information if you have a cosmic ray detector. While we are at it, think about making a contribution to your center page on the site. Here is how to create and edit a document and page. Mentors and lead teachers, please let a staff member know of anyone new to QuarkNet or who for any reason may not have an account on the QuarkNet website. Send us contact information and we will get them started.
This comes in from the teaching & learning fellows: Join us for an online videoconference using Google Hangouts in which QuarkNet teachers from around the world talk about new strategies and lessons, discuss implementation of Data Camp activities, ask each other questions, and discuss anything else of use to QuarkNet teachers. The next one is at 7 PM EST on Wednesday, September 30. Get more information from the T&L Google Hangout documentation.
Physics Experiment Roundup: As everyone knows, today is Dark Matter Friday. (Actually, FF made that up.) Some physicists go underground to hunt for the elusive stuff at Gran Sasso in Italy and SURF in South Dakota. Others plan to look deep into space using DESI—not to be confused with DESY—a new instrument that will measure redshifts and the early universe.
Resources: Five facts about dark matter
Just for Fun: More than fun, we have this from the Notre Dame College of Science: On Sunday, for the first time in more than 30 years, a total lunar eclipse will occur during a “supermoon”—when the moon is closest to the Earth. The eclipse will cause the moon to turn a deep red. The eclipse will begin at 21:07 PM ET, with the total eclipse lasting from 22:11–23:43 PM ET. Read more about it!
QuarkNet Staff Teachers:
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Bob Peterson: rspete@fnal.gov
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu