Open yourself to physics
Open yourself to physics - under this slogan scientists from the Institute of Physics - Centre for Science and Education of the Silesian University of Technology organized the Open Day. Open laboratories, shows and field games were waiting for the volunteers, and at the end there was a lecture by prof. Andrzej Dragan.
Every year the Institute of Physics hosts secondary school pupils, who have the opportunity to visit the laboratories and see what the work of a scientist looks like. This year’s edition of the Open Day, which was attended by many young people, took place on March 22nd.
– The aim of this event is broadly understood popularization of physics and related sciences among pupils of secondary schools – said dr Eng. Dominika Trefon-Radziejewska, one of the organizers of the event. - We want to show that physics is open to everyone and really close to everyone. We want to do it in an attractive, accessible, and engaging way for every participant, which is why we organized a number of attractions encouraging interest in physics, which is a fascinating branch of science.
The youth could visit, among others, the Electron Spectroscopies and Functional Materials Laboratory, Scanning Microscopy Laboratory, PVD Thin Film Production Laboratory, C-14 and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, or Luminescence Dating Laboratory. There were lecturers everywhere, who conducted experiments and presentations, and most importantly, explained physical phenomena in plain language. Student workshops were open, a young scientist’s corner was also organized, where students from abroad encouraged to study physics.
– I was here at the turn of primary and secondary school, then this event convinced me to go toward science subjects, today in secondary school I expand my knowledge of mathematics, physics, and computer science – said Mikołaj Klabis, a student of the Third Secondary Comprehensive School in Zabrze. – Today’s shows were very interesting; I do not exclude that I will choose one of the fields of study at the Silesian University of Technology.
– I am the first time at the Silesian University of Technology, and I am pleasantly surprised, all the presentations were very interesting, also a meeting with students from the Science Club – added Maja Czabaj from the Third Secondary Comprehensive School in Zabrze. – I am still thinking about the choice of studies, but I am rather considering exact sciences.
– On such occasions, students meet with the organization of the university and this certainly helps them decide what they would like to do, what the possibilities are – said Anna Bul, a physics teacher at the First Secondary Comprehensive School in Gliwice, whose students are eager to visit the Silesian University of Technology.
– We want to encourage students to study physics and show what education looks like in our unit – added dr Eng. Justyna Juszczyk-Synowiec, one of the organizers of the event. – Institute of Physics - Centre for Science and Education, has a family atmosphere, lecturers involve students and PhD students to participate in many interesting scientific and research projects, which creates them really excellent conditions for development.
This year’s Open Days were graced by a popular-scientific lecture by prof. Andrzej Dragan, populariser of physics, as well as a photographer, musician, and film maker. Prof. Dragan leads a research group dealing with combining relativity theory with quantum theory at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw, he is also a visiting professor at the University of Singapore, winner of several dozen awards for his scientific, photographic, film and music activities. The lecture hall in the Centre for New Technologies was filled to the brim. The lecture was about special relativity theory.
“There is nothing more interesting than physics, the reality turns out to be so surprising, so crazy, that all fiction or science fiction books fade away. “People don’t have such an expansive imagination to imagine how strange the world could be compared to what turns out to be true,” said Andrzej Dragan, encouraging to explore the truth about the world around us. “Quantum theory or relativity theory are for students who learn this for the first time, first of all, great shock, surprise and disbelief. You have to shake it off somehow and move on, the reality is just crazy strange - added prof. Dragan.
