A reference to the Queen song, perhaps? 
(I can’t believe nobody’s brought this up yet…)
As to the actual physics and stuff, sorry… I don’t know a thing about that. But yeah, you’ve gone a bit nuts.
Good luck with everything, though! 
F_X
How come every one is going on about teenage boys when the OP just said “gifted and talented students”?
Eh? Eh? EH? EH??? EH???
When ah were yoong lass, I used to go to those sorts of things. Curse you all for not having changed that damned assumption in 20 years. Curse you I say. :rolleyes:
BTW, I thought stellar nucleosynthesis was the coolest thing ever. And special relativity was fun for brain-stretching paradoxes. But I was somehat more mathematician than physicist by nature, I think, or at least theoretical over hands-on.
Poor Angua, only going slightly mad. When you’ve gone fully mad, it will get easier. Trust me.
Oh Angua, the answer is so simple - really, it is.
All you have to do is use “physics” to explain why Formula One engines are the most advanced reciprocating internal combustion engines on the planet.
Yes, yes - I know… there are many Americans who find Formula One boring and all that. But the fact remains, 18 year old kids are REALLY interested in cars, and engineering and stuff like that - and if you’re truly wishing to be good in that field, a degree in physics is utterly invaluable.
Moreover, regardless of one’s personal biases towards motor-racing - whether it be World Championship Rallying, or NASCAR, or IRL, or Champ Car, or Formula One - the fact remains (at least amongst those who are truly unbiased and objective) that Formula One remains the sole category of motor racing where at least “some” areas remain which are truly “all bets are off” - and in particular, engine development is one of those areas.
Now, as a few starting points - consider the following…
F1 engines are currently hovering between 17,000 and 19,000 RPM - and yet they also have a workable power range of over 8,000 rpm from lowest to highest RPM. At their peak, those ultra light pistons are reciprocating at over 310 times per second - the equivalent of a piston the width of a coke can moving up and down 4 inches. Very impressive stuff.
Further, the air and fuel has to be sucked in at the right mixture - and they’re normally aspirated too - which means the air is being pulled, not pushed. F1 engines use intricate variable length inlet manifolds which allow the shock waves of opening and closing inlet valves to work in “nodal overlap form” - thereby increasing inlet flow rates. All of this stuff revolves around an intricate understanding of physics - and your students will love it.
If you’re really keen, there are just legions of interesting aspects of physics which make Formula One egines ultra interesting to use as an analogy for how physics is applied in the modern world.
Thanks for the ideas - It sounds absolutely fascinating, I would have to brush up on my solid state physics though!
There are going to be various trips to the Cavendish, which should spark their interest, especially looking round the museum.
Absolutely! That is one of my intentions, and I know of a couple of cool optics tricks to teach them about Fresnel as well as Fraunhoffer diffraction, if I can get hold of them.
This is actually something I intend to do. I think I’ll split the class into two, give them both material, and then ask them to argue Big Bang vs Steady State. I think I’ll put quasars in under a general astro lecture/session.
I have here, in front of me an entire workshop on black holes, which will definitely be being used.
LoneRaven, I will not under any circumstances whatsoever be putting in anything to do with electricity. I hate it myself.
Flamsterette_X - yup!
cajela - it doesn’t get any better. People still assume I’m male, because I’m a physicist :rolleyes:
Heloise - you’ve met me at a LonDope - I’m going slightly mad compared to my already deranged standards. And I may well take a leaf out of your books when it comes to skirt lengths etc, it might just grab their attention.
Wheee! CamDope! And I’ve managed to get Lu-Tze to join us as well! The program for the school’s not finalised yet, but may I suggest a trip to the Pickerel?
Wooo! PratchettDope!
Pickerel sounds fine to me, I find most cambridge pubs much the same.
Actually, manwithaplan just said ‘wear something modest’ and then Angua said ‘Trust me, teenage boys are not going to look at me like that.’
For all we know, manwithaplan was thinking about lesbians,or teachers, or about presenting a professional image in general.
Then Angua mentioned that the class contianed at least some (and presumably hence at least about helf) boys, at which point much discussion of physics-babes commenced.
But yes, when you said that, I did suddenly feel very sexist.
Heresy! You are charged with heresy by thought! Heresy by name! OK, I’ll stop now.
The Pickerel does the best beer in Cambridge. And the Maypole, the best cocktails.
This is true. Its all my fault! Mind you, gender imbalances here are ridiculously skewed. In an office of 9 people, I’m the only girl. Its good practice for the DopeFests though.
Just for the record, I feel this is an appropriate place to out scr4 as an astrophyscist who made have some cool ideas for you.
- Cerowyn, doing my part to make work for other posters.
I like the idea of tying the classes in to science fiction - perhaps using books like the The Science of The X-Files (and there’s probably one for Star Trek) alongside proper physics textbooks. They can help make the class structure more interesting. It helps tie the subject matter into something they’ve seen in their own lives. You could also then use a ten-minute video of, say, the ‘dark matter’ scene in the X-Files and ask them how the writers got the physics there wrong. Varying the media is always a good idea in teaching.
Be flexible. On the first day, ask the students what they would like to learn about, giving them options. The more involved they feel, the better they learn. I would recommend having lots of back-up material for fast finishers, which may well end up being the entire class.
I would also recommend finding out what’s in the A-level syllabus and likely exams, and giving extra information on those subjects.
Gifted students are a delight to teach. They’ll probably eat up whatever you give them (including Anguacookies ;)). Actually that’s not completely a joke - I often give chocolates as a prize for the winning group in games/tests on the last day. But that’s in English language classes - physics students may well be too serious for such frivolity. OTOH, it will be almost Christmas, and you do make mine pies ™…
FWIW, I think you’d make a great teacher Angua, whether you wear a low-cut top or not.
Now who’s being greedy? 
Thank you. I may well try and tie things into sci-fi, and pray that it works, and that they’re sci-fi fans!
I’ve got some cool and funky movie clips on a laptop as well which will be useful.
let’s see, how can I get onto the fttp site and post those pics of arse cleavage and breast fondling from the last LonDope?
don’t mind me… I’m just talking… ooh! it’s not even password protected! that’ll make so much easier…
No, I’m sure it does. I just don’t have much taste, so I don’t care.
Every time I hear girls are outperforming boys up to a higher age; last I heard girls drew level at Maths A-Level, iirc, so we’ll hopefully get a decent supply of physiceuses eventually
Is there enough controvosy? Last I heard Big Bang was definately better (though I’m notoriously out of touch with the real world; I may be wrong).
Surely the hot GOGA pics would be a better option?
Shade, fair enough. And as for the Big Bang/Steady State thing, there isn’t really a controversy anymore. I’m going to have to think of something else, like the nature of dark matter, or gamma ray bursters.
I talked to Fred Hoyle on the BigAssAfterlifePhone™, and he said it’s still pretty steady where he was.
At least, that’s what I think he said. A lot of ambient background noise, like he was at a Vietnamese disco or something. And then there was this Big Bang and the phone went dead.
Have you been watching too much Jonathan Edwards again?
SS/BB could work - how about a group of Skeptics, being eventually convinced by the evidence presented by BBers? You learn a lot about the evidence, and also about critical thinking, and have more fun, than if something is just presented. With someone saying ‘but couldn’t that be just…’ a lot, you learn to make an actual good case for BB, not just parrot stuff.
What I wanted to avoid was someone feeling they had to lose or cheat representing one side. That’s not a good lesson for future scientists
Damn, sounds like I missed a lot at LonDopes. Let’s see if we can outdo it this time
Are you coming to the next one then?
I didn’t know there was one (date? link?) - I meant at mini-mini-cam-dope
Aah. Mini-CamDope should be fun. I doubt we’ll be able to out-do a LonDope, or even a mini-LonDope, unless people are willing to come up from London. The LonDope’s happening on 29th November, and further details are here.
You will have to trawl through a lot of banter though.