Comments on: Novel Physics http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/ Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:40:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: A bit of Sex with your Higgs - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-66122 A bit of Sex with your Higgs - Asymptotia Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:40:21 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-66122 [...] the exciting particle physics at the LHC at CERN) that you can download from his website? It’s called “The Newtonian Legacy”, in case you were not aware of it. It was notable for(among other things such as the pedagogical explanations, in a fictional setting, of the particle physics such as the Higgs particle being discussed a lot in the press of late - see related articles at bottom of the post) not being shy to blow the covers off the remarkably exciting life of sex and drugs we high energy physicists lead1. [...] [...] the exciting particle physics at the LHC at CERN) that you can download from his website? It’s called “The Newtonian Legacy”, in case you were not aware of it. It was notable for(among other things such as the pedagogical explanations, in a fictional setting, of the particle physics such as the Higgs particle being discussed a lot in the press of late - see related articles at bottom of the post) not being shy to blow the covers off the remarkably exciting life of sex and drugs we high energy physicists lead1. [...]

]]> By: Sex and Physics - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-39460 Sex and Physics - Asymptotia Tue, 17 Apr 2007 06:18:54 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-39460 [...] No, this is not a blog post of full disclosure or anything (sorry, but come back later), but just one to note* that -to my delight and amusement- Nick Evans’ free physics+sex+murder novel (that I told you about a while back) has now been pointed out in the Times Higher Education Supplement (no less). There’s a few choice (shall we say) quotes from Nick there, bringing up matters/phrases I never thought I’d see in the THES. You trailblazer, Nick! [...] [...] No, this is not a blog post of full disclosure or anything (sorry, but come back later), but just one to note* that -to my delight and amusement- Nick Evans’ free physics+sex+murder novel (that I told you about a while back) has now been pointed out in the Times Higher Education Supplement (no less). There’s a few choice (shall we say) quotes from Nick there, bringing up matters/phrases I never thought I’d see in the THES. You trailblazer, Nick! [...]

]]> By: Adam http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-29666 Adam Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:21:52 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-29666 For the further benefit of Americans and others not familiar with the UK educational system, the 'A Levels' are courses taken in your last two years of school. Whether their standard is improving or declining is the subject of much debate in the UK (I was a physics teacher and an 'assistant examiner', a fancy term for 'marker', for A Levels and in my opinion, there have been some good improvements in the courses but, overall, the standard of the examinations is doooooooown, with grade inflation and an avoidance of harder topics). For their last two years of highschool, British students take A Levels; currently this means that they start 4 or 5 in their penultimate year (these courses are about 40% of a full 'A Level' and are called 'AS levels') and then specialise down to 3 or 4 for the last year. Passing grades are A-E. they used to be settled by final exams (as was the case in my day, and Clifford's) but now students can take modular exams throughout the course. The best A Level course by a country mile, in my opinion, is the IOP's 'Advancing Physics' course, which follows in the steps of the excellent, and now sadly defunct, Nuffield Physics course. As everyone in the UK now takes physics, biology and chemistry from the age of 5 ('which ones sank') to age 16 (at which point they will, if they have paid attention, understand dc electricity including voltage, newtonian motion, basic (qualitative) electromagnetism, etc), the physics that they study at A Level would generally be, I think, above the AP level that US students might take at high school. What I have seen of physics courses in US universities would put the more advanced A Level material somewhere in a typical 200 level course. However, nowadays, calculus is not required in physics A Level (although it makes it much easier; some schools used to split the maths-takers and non maths-takers into different sets), which constrains how material can be taught. For the further benefit of Americans and others not familiar with the UK educational system, the ‘A Levels’ are courses taken in your last two years of school. Whether their standard is improving or declining is the subject of much debate in the UK (I was a physics teacher and an ‘assistant examiner’, a fancy term for ‘marker’, for A Levels and in my opinion, there have been some good improvements in the courses but, overall, the standard of the examinations is doooooooown, with grade inflation and an avoidance of harder topics). For their last two years of highschool, British students take A Levels; currently this means that they start 4 or 5 in their penultimate year (these courses are about 40% of a full ‘A Level’ and are called ‘AS levels’) and then specialise down to 3 or 4 for the last year. Passing grades are A-E. they used to be settled by final exams (as was the case in my day, and Clifford’s) but now students can take modular exams throughout the course. The best A Level course by a country mile, in my opinion, is the IOP’s ‘Advancing Physics’ course, which follows in the steps of the excellent, and now sadly defunct, Nuffield Physics course.

As everyone in the UK now takes physics, biology and chemistry from the age of 5 (’which ones sank’) to age 16 (at which point they will, if they have paid attention, understand dc electricity including voltage, newtonian motion, basic (qualitative) electromagnetism, etc), the physics that they study at A Level would generally be, I think, above the AP level that US students might take at high school. What I have seen of physics courses in US universities would put the more advanced A Level material somewhere in a typical 200 level course. However, nowadays, calculus is not required in physics A Level (although it makes it much easier; some schools used to split the maths-takers and non maths-takers into different sets), which constrains how material can be taught.

]]> By: mis 3 quarks » Sexo, drogas y física de partículas http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27736 mis 3 quarks » Sexo, drogas y física de partículas Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:19:15 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27736 [...] No, la verdad es que el título no está fuera de lugar. A través de Asymptotia y Not Even Wrong, me enteré de la existencia de una novela sobre física de partículas escrita por Nick Evans, profesor de física teórica de altas energías de la Universidad de Southampton. La novela se titula The Newtonian Legacy; es gratis, está en inglés y la pueden conseguir aquí en formato PDF. [...] [...] No, la verdad es que el título no está fuera de lugar. A través de Asymptotia y Not Even Wrong, me enteré de la existencia de una novela sobre física de partículas escrita por Nick Evans, profesor de física teórica de altas energías de la Universidad de Southampton. La novela se titula The Newtonian Legacy; es gratis, está en inglés y la pueden conseguir aquí en formato PDF. [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27722 Clifford Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:43:34 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27722 Amara - That is how we British do emotion. He's actually pretty ecstatic there. ;-) -cvj Amara - That is how we British do emotion. He’s actually pretty ecstatic there. ;-)

-cvj

]]> By: Amara http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27720 Amara Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:37:59 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27720 But why does Nick Evans look so unhappy? His book is supposed to be _fun_ .... But why does Nick Evans look so unhappy? His book is supposed to be _fun_ ….

]]> By: Plato http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27657 Plato Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:29:55 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27657 I can tell just by looking at the picture of the book itself I am going to enjoy the read. Thanks to Nick Evans for making this "aspect as the writer" available in relation to the science. Mathematics can be dry at times, and sometimes by adding another perspective to it one can make a "deep impression" so that one does not forget. I can tell just by looking at the picture of the book itself I am going to enjoy the read.

Thanks to Nick Evans for making this “aspect as the writer” available in relation to the science. Mathematics can be dry at times, and sometimes by adding another perspective to it one can make a “deep impression” so that one does not forget.

]]> By: Jonathan http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27630 Jonathan Sun, 11 Feb 2007 08:28:52 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/02/10/novel-physics/#comment-27630 Hi Clifford, I was up late last night reading the book. It's a lot of fun, with enjoyable discussions about physics and some of the personalities in the world of academia, besides being a great page-turner of a mystery. I'll write a full review on my site when I have a few spare moments. All the best, J Hi Clifford,

I was up late last night reading the book. It’s a lot of fun, with enjoyable discussions about physics and some of the personalities in the world of academia, besides being a great page-turner of a mystery. I’ll write a full review on my site when I have a few spare moments.

All the best,

J

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