Where does technology come from? 

Because computers, cell phones, DVD players and countless other innovations are completely integrated into our daily lives, few of us stop to think how such technological marvels are possible.

The answer, of course, is physics!  Since all technology is ultimately subject to the laws of physics – the “gears and wheels” of how our universe works – the better we understand those laws, the more powerful and beneficial the technologies we can create.

This eye-opening and thought-provoking presentation helps students to better appreciate that:

• The universe is profoundly mysterious, even today;
• Exploring its mysteries creates new knowledge about how the universe works; and 
• This deeper understanding can have profound impacts on technology, society and the economy. 

Based on discoveries in electromagnetism and the quantum and relativity theories, a wide range of present and potential future technologies is discussed, including amazing possibilities such as fusion power and quantum computers. The presentation is very general; no prior knowledge of any of these topics is required.

Inspire your students with the relevance and power of physics, and excite them with possible fantastic technologies their generation may help to create!

Grade Levels: 9 to 12.

Curriculum connections: Science and society, electricity and magnetism, energy and power, modern physics (quantum mechanics and special relativity).

How do physicists today picture the universe we live in?

Prepare for an adventure in a world way beyond Newton's universe! Take your students on a wild romp through some of the most amazing facts and current speculations about the nature of our universe, all with easy-to-understand (even if sometimes hard to believe) explanations. Warped space and time: from black holes to time travel and warp drive. The quirky quantum: from spooky entanglement to quantum teleportation and possibly quantum computers. Even hints at the craziest possibility of all: our world as a hologram? 

This fun and discussion-provoking presentation is designed to help awaken students to the fantastic universe we live in and inspire them with its unbounded possibilities. Despite how much is known, the universe is more deeply mysterious to physicists today than it ever has been, with plenty of uncharted territory for future explorers. The presentation is very general; no background knowledge is assumed.

Inspire your students with the possibilities that physics reveals, and the opportunities for future research at the frontiers of knowledge!

Grade Levels: 9 to 12.

Curriculum connections: Science and society, modern physics (quantum mechanics and special relativity).

What is the universe made of? 

Scientists used to think the answer was obvious: stars (such as our Sun), gases (mainly hydrogen and helium) and dust (bits of exploded stars). After all, this is all that astronomers see through their telescopes.

However, over the past few decades it has become increasingly clear that this is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is strong evidence for vast amounts of matter – 90% of the mass of most galaxies – that we simply cannot see, in any part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but we know is there because of the very clear gravitational influences it exerts on the matter and radiation we can see. It's called dark matter. We know it's there, but we don't know what it is.

This highly interactive multimedia presentation guides students through a process in which they "discover" – for themselves – how scientists arrived at this fantastic mystery, and describes current efforts of the thousands of scientists around the world trying to resolve it. While it is not necessary, the presentation works best when students have already encountered uniform circular motion and Newton’s law of gravity.

Inspire your students with one of the hottest topics in physics today – real 21^st century physics in action!

Grade Levels: 11 and 12.

Curriculum connections: Universal gravitation and uniform circular motion.