Extracts from a student's journal

In Chemistry, we get a lot of time to really digest a topic...Chemistry leaves me in awe, and feeling humble and so grateful. Physics leaves me feeling rushed and slightly insecure, as though I can’t possibly learn it fast enough. The laws of physics rule the universe, and learning about the universe usually makes me feel small, but in a good way, like I can do anything, and like I’m part of something. I feel like I should be experiencing more of that learning physics, but instead I’m feeling insecure and somewhat inadequate. In Chemistry it’s like “here are all the rules you’ve been playing by that you never knew about, isn’t that amazing, aren’t we fortunate?” In physics it’s more like “These are the rules. Bow down.” It makes me feel underappreciated. I’m doing all I can to learn this subject, but it’s almost as though physics in general thinks it’s doing me a favour...

The causes for the low number of women in physics

AAUW 2010 report

Recent statistics

Harvard physics department

Examples for the physics class

First, the famous talk by Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution.

Women around the world traditionally used physics in their everyday life. These examples are not always part of first year physics textbook.

Pulleys? Getting water from a well

Pumps? Getting water from a well, again.


Rotational motion? Pottery Spinning wool

Forces? Working in the fields, carrying bricks, pulling carts, pushing strollers.

Equilibrium: yoga postures

Projectile motion? sowing seeds.

Buoyancy?

sound waves?

Heat transfer - cooking


What about men from other cultures?

Physics and aesthetics

Incredibly beautiful pictures related to physics can be shown to students.

Cymatics is a good example

Astronomy, of course... See the HST picture gallery of nebulae


Physics of dance can provide examples for mechanics

Nature as a model, measure and mentor

In complete opposition to Francis Bacon's views of Nature as a thing to be subdued, here comes biomimicry: Nature as the supreme engineer! If so many girls are attracted to biology, this might be a way to attract them to physics.

I cannot wait to introduce elements of biomimicry into my physics teaching! Many students are overexcited by the subject.

TEd talk by the founder, Janine Benyus:
http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs.html

See also the biomimicry website

and the biomimicry institute

Among my favorite projects: the wind turbine that imitates whales' flippers, natural air cooling system borrowed from the termites and how a shell can teach us how to build a windshield.


Application to space technology: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FYMRH3XVlo&feature=related

Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, a mistress above all masters, are laboring in vain... (Leonardo DaVinci)