A computer conference dealing with special relativity is presented and the involvement in the course of Physics students at the University of Pavia is briefly described. […]
The role of language in science popularisation and teaching is examined. Some difficulties in going from an ‘elaborative’ (formalized, mathematical) language to a ‘communicative’ (colloquial, everyday) language are discussed. The activation of a primordial form of communication used in early childhood called ‘mentalese’, […]
The paper presents a study aimed at constructing a “physics for teaching”. The study concerns an analysis of the physical contents of spacetime theories carried out from the perspective of designing conceptual paths moving from classical mechanics to general relativity. An example of paths is presented and their main features are pointed out. […]
In a paradoxical mode the author presents a list of suggestions for making the teaching of physics repulsive and ineffective. […]
Beyond his scientific works and lectures Enrico Fermi left a lot of simple ideas and suggestions that show his unique way of applying the procedures of one science to another science. His idea of using physics to solve the mathematical problem of estimating the value of a definite integral with a sheet of paper and a scale is described and applied to the simple case of estimating π. […]
An experimental procedure is described for studying how certain subjective quantities, such as the perceived intensities of light and sound, depend on the observer’s distance from the source. […]
A short unit on the interaction of radiation with the matter is proposed for student of the last years of the secondary school. The course has two aims: to form citizens with an enhanced knowledge in this field and to help the students to choose their future course of studies. […]
A time-measuring device that can be connected to any MS-DOS PC through the standard CENTRONICS parallel printer’s connector is described. The start-stop sensors can be either electromechanical or electronic. A dedicated software controls the device’s operation and status. […]