“We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” – Carl Sagan
We live in a thrilling time for space exploration; robots are preparing to fly through Titan’s atmosphere, rovers are digging for life on Mars, orbital telescopes are peering at exoplanets and back in time, giant subterranean ears are listening for ghostly neutrinos and the echoes of black hole mergers, and humans are preparing to travel back to the moon and beyond.
All of this exciting exploration is dependent on an understanding of physics, the mathematical rules that govern the behavior of the universe both here on Earth and across the cosmos. Understanding these rules gives us the ability to not only understand the world around us, but to make predictions about it, and ultimately to harness it. We will learn about physics concepts evident in the world around us, as well as a special focus on how they apply to space exploration. The goal is for you to gain both an intuitive and mathematical understanding of the basic rules of your universe, and the ability to use that understanding to make predictions.
For example, we will learn how rockets work, how to orbit a planet and get to another one, how to survive, navigate, and communicate in space, how to get down to the ground from space, and how to survive on another planet. In the process, we will learn about energy, forces, and momentum, describing and analyzing linear and circular motion, wave phenomena, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics, along with general scientific skills and concepts.
Successful participants will have completed Algebra I or equivalent prior to enrolling. Though themed, this is a full, high-school level physics course.
Instructor: Brian Kardon
Instructor Bio: Brian Kardon is a technician in a neuroscience lab at Cornell, where he designs and builds software and hardware for scientific experiments. Before coming to Ithaca, he taught high school physics and biology for six years in the Boston area. He is also a father of two who is an avid space exploration enthusiast, gardener, and violinist, and also enjoys sailing, computer programming, and 3D design.
Prerequisites: Algebra I
Required Materials: pencil; 3-ring binder; looseleaf notebook paper; scientific calculator; laptop for physics simulations and data analysis (please let the TEEN DAY administrator know if you need to make arrangements for a loaner)
Materials Fee: $25 toward lab supplies
TEEN DAY Ithaca 