Abstracts Book - IMRC 2018

• SF7-O010 Invited Talk
HEROIC PHYSICS: LESSONS OF LEARNING AND DISCOVERY TO BE
INCORPORATED IN THE PHYSICS AND MATH CURRICULA
Arturo A. Ayon 1
1 University of Texas at San Antonio, Physics and Astronomy, United States.
In 1878 Max Planck was advised by Philip von Jolly, a Physics professor, not to
venture into the world of Physics on the grounds that almost everything had
already been discovered. Von Jolly’s position reflected the sense of
accomplishment that him and other physicists shared, after an exhilarating
period of invention and discovery. A few years before, in 1873, Maxwell had
published his treatise of electromagnetic theory that encompassed not only the
generation of magnetic fields by electric currents reported by Oersted in 1820,
the electromagnetic induction effect discovered by Faraday in 1831 and the selfinduction
effect discovered by Joseph Henry in1832, the equations even
predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves. Maxwell’s equations were a
magnificent building that seemed to provide a clear explanation to all known
electric and magnetic phenomena. However, a growing number of phenomena
lacked an explanation altogether or defied a classical physics explanation,
including the underlying physics for the radiation curve of a black-body. This
seemingly innocuous problem would eventually lead to the “ultraviolet
catastrophe” predicted by the Rayleigh-Jeans Law arrived at employing Classical
Physics arguments. Max Planck “after some weeks of the most intense work of
my life” dared to propose a concept that was contrary to observations, common
sense and even his own training in classical physics, thus was the Quantum
world born.
In this presentation we discuss numerous historic lessons the trials, tribulations
and missed opportunities of scientists in their quest for advancing our
understanding of the world. These stories are suitable to be incorporated in
Physics and Math curricula and are intended to fire the imagination of
prospective and current science students and entice them to continue in the
path of Learning and Discovery.
Keywords: PHYSICS CURRICULA, MATH CURRICULA, SCIENCE
Presenting authors email: aayon@utsa.edu