Written as a letter to Galileo, an education graduate student narrates from course experiences that deepened her understandings of Galileo and natural and intellectual properties underlying his works. Having taken the Galileo-themed course with Elizabeth Cavicchi at MIT's Edgerton Center in three prior terms, on taking it a fourth time, this…

This study considers the short list of Nature of Science (NOS) features frequently published and widely known in the science education discourse. It is argued that these features were oversimplified and a refinement of the claims may enrich or sometimes reverse them. The analysis shows the need to address the range of variation in each particular…

During the past few decades, a wide consensus has been reached in the community of science educators that it is almost unimaginable to conduct a quality science education without including the history and philosophy of science in some form in the science curriculum, and this is especially the case for physics education (Matthews 1994). However, in…

The availability of teaching units on the nature of science (NOS) can reinforce classroom instruction in the subject, taking into account the related deficiencies in textbook material and teacher training. We give a sequence of teaching units in which the teaching of Newton's gravitational theory is used as a basis for reflecting on the…

This paper begins with an early measurement of the speed of sound in water. A historical overview of the consequent development of SONAR and medical imaging is given. A method of measuring the speed suitable for demonstration to year 10 students is described in detail, and an explanation of its systematic error examined.

Several studies show that students experience more and more difficulties managing the measurements of electrical values in alternating current and that they have trouble making links between theory and practice. They find it difficult to give meaning to root mean square (RMS; or effective) values, which are not understood as average values and are…

The accurate measurement of speed of light is of great importance in understanding various concepts in Physics in particular and science in general. In Physics we come across various concepts and applications in which high degree of accuracy of speed of light becomes important. In this article we discuss the various attempts made to determine the…

The attempts of scientists to detect the existence of the medium of ether are traced. (DT)

College physics textbooks emphasize the conclusions of research at the expense of the context of inquiry in physics. The latter should be given specific consideration in at least one of the student's physics courses. An excellent focus for this consideration would be the process of theory evaluation as indicated in this paper. (Author/TS)

Briefly mentions pre-19th century ideas and discusses the contributions of Mohr, Seguin, Mayer, Grove, Colding, Joule and Helmholtz and the controversies regarding priority including Tyndall's involvement in one of them. Mentions the tension between philosophical and practical modes of thought in 19th century science. Includes portraits. (GH)

This translation of a lecture given in Kyoto (Japan) on 14 December l922 sheds light on Einstein's path to the theory of relativity and offers insights into many other aspects of his work on relativity. (Author/JN)

States that science courses present modern derived knowledge to be learned and applied to exercises. Proposes looking at the process of problem solving as an exercise in the scientific method against a historical background in social context with information about personalities involved. Uses an example moving from vague concept of element to a…

Uses metaphorical analysis to determine whether or not Max Planck invented the quantum postulate. Demonstrates how metaphorical analysis can be used to analyze the rhetoric of revolutionary texts in science. Concludes that, in his original 1900 quantum paper, Planck considered the quantum postulate to be important, but not revolutionary. (PA)

Described are the history, formation, and observing techniques of meteors and comets. Provided are several pictures, diagrams, meteor organizations and publications, and meteor shower observation tables. (YP)