Days 11, 14, 15 and 21 of January we offered to students in last high school year several seminars. Firstly, we started the sessions with the presentation of our group GOC and our ongoing and future activities. Secondly, we explained why 2015 is the International Year of Light and the importance of light for the life. After we showed them some light properties, they made a practical activity related with diffraction to guess if they have a DVD or a CD.
Some month later, on Thursday 21st of May took place an activity developed by UJI called FIRUJICIÈNCIA where students from high school and university had the chance to see science demonstrations in different stands. There we showed them some characteristics of light and its application.
We explained polarization by using two polarizers and allowing the students to cross them or to move them freely. We made a photoelasticity demonstration, with two crossed polarizers, we told them to add a transparent medium between both and they could see the effect of the material on light. They could also see refraction and reflection, with a glass of water and a coin we explained them the phenomenon of the total internal reflection and the critical angle. We cloaked the coin while it was under the glass, in air, and show them how depending on the angle of observation you can see it or not. Diffraction demonstration were also developed, we used diffraction gratings and lasers of different wavelength to make clear the dependence of the angle of the diffraction orders with that parameter. Besides, with red, blue and green sources we generated white light to show the spectral content of white light and to explain the importance of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics in order to have white light sources with LED illumination. We had a model of the human eye and lenses to simulate image formation and to let them see the effect of myopia and hyperopia and how to correct them using lenses. Finally, outside the building where FIRUJICIÈNCIA took place, we brought a telescope in order to make an observation of the sun.
While doing all the activities, we also told the students why 2015 is International Year of Light and why is light so important in our daily life. We informed them about our group, GOC, and also explained about future activities.
Debrecen YM BAA 2014
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Visit to the Planetarium
The Messina Young Minds Section, thanks to the financial support of the European Physical Society organized a special visit at the Planetarium Pythagoras in Reggio Calabria, Italy. The Planetarium Pythagoras has one of the most remarkable external geodes in Europe.
Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences and astronomical phenomena have always had a great influence on human life. Unfortunately, observation of constellations is not possible, due for example to light pollution from city lights, or cloudy weather conditions. This is not the case at the Planetarium, which reproduces almost all astronomical phenomena that can be observed at day and at night, at any latitude and at high speed. It is also possible to combine celestial motions to achieve particular effects such as the starry sky observed from the moon or from a space station.
The guided tour was followed by a solar observation through a telescope equipped with a special filter, which allowed participants to observe sunspots, visible as dark circles on the photosphere of the Sun, and solar flares, evidenced by sudden brightening observed over the Sun’s surface. A lecture on optical properties of interstellar grains completed the visit and was presented by Dr. Antonella Iatì, a researcher of the Institute for chemical and physical processes of the Italian National Research Council [IPCF-CNR] in Messina.
This event was addressed to bachelor and master students of the University of Messina. The visit at the planetarium is a simple and effective way of approaching astrophysics. The aim of EPS YM Section of Messina with this visit was to promote new scientific interests and trying on different experiments available at the Planetarium.
MPL Laboratory Visit
The students of the Erlangen Section visited the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) Laboratory.
The second Autumn Academy at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light took place from 30 September to 2 October 2013. The aim of this two-and-a-half day event was to introduce Bachelor and Master students to the fast moving field of optical sciences including topics such as quantum information processing, meta-materials, nano-optics, photonic crystal fibres, nonlinear optics, imaging and sensing. The response was excellent. From more than 70 applications, the EPS Young Minds section of Erlangen, Germany selected 26 students and invited them to Erlangen for a packed schedule.
The participants received an overview over the wide range of research fields covered by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light [MPL] at the poster session that was organised on the first evening.
In the course of the Academy, the participants attended several lectures given both by the Institute’s directors Prof. Gerd Leuchs, Prof. Vahid Sandoghdar and Prof. Philip Russell, by PhD students and group leaders from the MPL and also by the invited lecturers Prof. Florian Marquardt (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), Prof. Cornelia Denz (University of Münster) and Dr. Jonathan Matthews (University of Bristol). The lectures addressed a wide variety of topics ranging from photonic crystal fibres over nano – and biophotonics to optomechanics to name only a few of them.
Between the lectures several laboratory tours were offered, that allowed the participants to learn about the actual experimental implementations of the research presented in the lectures.
Science Festival at Bauman Moscow State Technical University
The Festival of Science is the day when the Bauman Moscow State Technical University [BMSTU] opens it doors to numerous curious visitors and welcomes school children, high school graduates, and first-year university students.
BMSTU organised its second Festival of Science at the end of 2012. Every department of the university displayed information describing the research and education in science. Participants could also attend a variety of master classes, lectures, seminars and reports on different scientific topics, presented by senior students, postgraduates and professors.
Members of EPS Young Minds of the BMSTU Section [BMSTU EPS YM Section] presented optics demonstrations and laser games for school children. Vladimir Lazarev, past-President of BMSTU EPS YM Section organised an excursion to modern Scientific-Educational Center “Photonics and IR-techniques”. He also made a presentation on “Passion for Precision: Pursuing the Optical Frequency Standard!”.
The EPS Young Minds found the experience extremely rewarding, exciting, and instructive. The Young Minds team explained to those interested in optics and lasers, how laser works, why the sun light is a mix of all colours of the rainbow, how to produce holograms and interference patterns, how to analyse them, etc. The YM were impressed by the interest they raised around their stand, with many questions by school students of all ages as well as their parents.
“Hit the target” game, laser chess and diffractive glasses were the most attractive and popular exhibits for the visitors.
According to the BMSTU Young Minds opinion, the Festival was very useful and instructive for university entrants, who are considering their future studies.