My 8 yo and quantum physics - Page 2

[Benji'sMom]

Originally Posted by benjalo

OP, your son might also like the Nova episode called The Elegant Universe. My son is really interested in string theory.

NOVA also just had an episode - can't think of the exact name but it just played a few weeks ago - it explained what E is, what M is, what C is, and why it's squared. Very interesting stuff. And how E=MC2 explains how the universe was created out of nothing. I really enjoyed this show because I never understood the formula until I watched the show - there's something I never learned in regular school! Ha Ha!

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by zonapellucida

MY GOD!!! I am astounded!!!!!!! How spectacular that he is interested and these other children as well.

Well, this isn't as impressive, but I remember when my son was in 1st grade, and was unhappy in school - we had just decided to proceed with homeschooling in the fall (I wish we hadn't waited). Anyway - he was home sick one day - he was home sick a lot for a while there... He was lying on the floor in front of the TV staring at a very dry high school science classroom show. The teacher was droning on and on about atomic theory, using only a dryboard and marker to illustrate. I thought to myself, "Poor little guy... He's so burned the he just needs to veg out and stare at the set, even though he doesn't know or care what's on..."

A few days later, I was in the kitchen washing dishes when I noticed an animated conversation going on between him and his dad in the living room. He was waving his little arms around in circles, and his dad was looking at him in an unsettled, worried sort of way. He came into the kitchen a bit later and timidly said, "Um...say... Are you sure we really want to take him out of that school and homeschool? I mean...do you realize what they've been teaching those kids in the FIRST GRADE?! He was explaining atomic theory to me just now!" I cracked up ! My husband hadn't heard about what I'd assumed was a pretty insignificant scene in front of the TV that day, but this was one of the best validations we'd had that we were doing the right thing. I think a lot of it is just about how material happens to be taken in by individuals - you just never know. I doubt whether he'd have been interested or taken it all in if we had tried to sit him down and turn it into a "lesson."

By the way, I think this story might be in some homeschooling book by a different name - Renee or Loraine - but that's me. A publisher changed all our names in a couple of the Prima books without thinking to ask us. Really annoying - 'cause I feel kind of self-conscious telling stories that have been published under somebody else's name...

Many years later, by the way, when he was in his teens, I got him a beautifully illustrated book about astrophysics - I thought he'd love it, since that was a big interest of his at the time. I noticed it just kept lying around, and I finally came right out and casually asked about it. It took him a minute to construct a diplomatic answer, but he finally explained that, yes, it was a beautiful book and all - but it was just based on pop science notions that people enjoy believing, and it wasn't at all accurate or current theory. That was the last time I tried to pick out something without consulting him first ...

- Lillian

[UlrikeDG]

Originally Posted by Benji'sMom

NOVA also just had an episode - can't think of the exact name but it just played a few weeks ago - it explained what E is, what M is, what C is, and why it's squared. Very interesting stuff. And how E=MC2 explains how the universe was created out of nothing. I really enjoyed this show because I never understood the formula until I watched the show - there's something I never learned in regular school! Ha Ha!

Is this the one?

You can actually watch the entire Elegant Universe three-part series online on the PBS website (in the US).

[boysrus]

boy, I was just trying to get all library books back, and get the load down under a hundred books, bc we are going to be showing the house and moving, then this guy comes up with this!
Thanks Jenney, I have them on hold

[Ravin]

Another one your DH might find useful to get the basic ideas of quantum physics, relativity, etc. is The Dancing Wu Li Masters. It goes over it all without the math, pretty much, and talks about how the new physics often bears such a striking resemblance to Eastern Philosophies.