Friday Flyer - October 14, 2016
Spotlight on the Oklahoma State University QuarkNet Center: Nearly 20 teachers from across the state of Oklahoma met on the campus of OSU for a week in June 2016 to learn about cutting-edge research and gain hands-on experience making cloud chambers that teachers were able to bring back to their schools. Mentors Flera Rizatdinova, Joseph Haley and Alexander Khanov organized the weeklong event that included talks on detection of particles at the LHC and experience taking measurements with Geiger counters. Since Oklahoma State and University of Oklahoma (OU) take turns hosting a QuarkNet workshop each year, Michael Strauss (mentor from OU) was also present to help out. QuarkNet fellow Rick Dower led a two-day LIGO e-Lab workshop during the week as well, in which teachers learned about gravitational waves, the LIGO detectors, and analyzed seismic data from the LIGO experiment. Teachers also discussed implementation strategies, teaching methods, and some of the current realities of education in Oklahoma. A busy week, indeed!
News from QuarkNet Central: Watch for International Masterclasses 2017 registration beginning late next week! Dates were recently announced for IMC 2017; Fermilab videoconferences will take place from March 13 to April 8. CERN dates are also available; learn more by reading the first IMC circular of this academic year. A reminder of opportunities coming soon: International Cosmic Day and Beamline for Schools.
Physics Experiment Roundup: Check out these new techniques in the search for dark matter and the new planetarium show designed to immerse audiences in the search for this "phantom" matter. Physicists and geologists partner to study geoneutrinos.
Resources: Wondering if you should build a particle accelerator that collides protons or electrons? Fermilab's Don Lincoln explains the pros and cons of colliding protons versus colliding electrons. Join the search for gravitational waves using Gravity Spy; read more about this "citizen science" project in this symmetry article.
Just for Fun: Ever been to Fermilab's Wilson Hall atrium and wondered if the plants are real? Find out here!
Mark Adams: adams@fnal.gov
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu