Hawking Tackles "Curiosity"

The Discovery Channel's "Curiosity" series kick-off episode on Aug. 7 will feature Stephen Hawking's provocative look at the need (or lack of the need) for a creator in the formation of our universe.

"I recently published a book that asked if God created the universe. It caused something of a stir," Hawking, 69, begins on the episode. (The "stir", in fact, was religious leaders denouncing his book's conclusion that God was unnecessary to the universe.) On the show, he takes viewers on a walk through humanity's history of appraising our place in the universe, from Vikings facing down eclipses to the laws of modern cosmology, which explain the origin and structure of universe. "I believe the discovery of these laws is mankind's greatest achievement," he says.

 Of course, this is based on his "Grand Design" book that received quite a bit of publicity. It will be interesting to see how he will sell this idea on TV. Will he offend even more people? We can only hope so! :)

Zz.

Wonders of Physics at Asheville, NC

I mentioned earlier about the Wonders of Physics show that first started at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The "road show" version is coming to Asheville, NC on Nov. 12. While the show is free, you need to make a reservation.

So if you're in the area, you might seriously want to consider attending this. It'll be a memorable show.

Zz.

Physics Shows

This is a rather interesting report. Undergraduate students at University of Bonn developed a 2-hour physics show for the general public that would be understandable to kids aged 10 and up. It appears that the exercise is effective in getting the students to understand the physics concepts even more. Not only that, local high school students have also picked up on the idea and started putting up their own shows.

When I was an undergraduate at U. of Wisconsin-Madison, I had the opportunity to attend a yearly physics show by Dr. Clint Sprott called The Wonders of Physics. It was very popular, and the lecture room was always packed. It has now grown to be very popular and I think he even do some road shows.

Zz.