The purpose of this study is to examine students' usage styles of the Internet for seeking information and to investigate whether information obtained from the Internet is a source of misconceptions. For this reason, a two-stage study was conducted. At the first stage, a questionnaire was developed to get information about students' Internet usage…

The article presents a technique to measure the ultraviolet index using a personal hand-held ultraviolet meter to illustrate concepts of physics. Measurements of the erythemally effective (sun-burning) direct solar beam, diffuse skylight, and total global ultraviolet irradiance are converted to daily ultraviolet index measurements. Daily…

In this article, a comparison of student learning outcomes is made in sophomore-level physical science classes using a "traditional" pedagogical approach versus a "modern" approach. Specifically, when students were taught the electromagnetic spectrum using diagrams and examples that incorporate technological advances and electronic devices of our…

Cranial radiation therapy is associated with a progressive decline in cognitive function, prominently memory function. Impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis is thought to be an important mechanism underlying this cognitive decline. Recent work has elucidated the mechanisms of radiation-induced failure of neurogenesis. Potential therapeutic…

The recent international story about the death of the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko has more than just a few wondering about radiation poisoning and the sinister sounding polonium-210. I was preparing to begin a nuclear radiation unit the Monday after Thanksgiving 2006. As it turned out, Litvinenko died Thanksgiving Day after a short and…

Summarized is data from a recent study on nuclear reactor safety completed by Norman C. Rasmussen and others. Non-nuclear events are about 10,000 times more likely to produce large accidents than nuclear plants. (RH)

This paper provides examples of naturally radioactive items that are likely to be found in most communities. Additionally, there is information provided on how to acquire many of these items inexpensively. I have found that the presence of these materials in the classroom is not only useful for teaching about nuclear radiation and debunking the…

Bryophytes were among the earliest colonizers of terrestrial environs, and despite their interesting life histories and population dynamics, they are rarely used in undergraduate introductory biology labs. In an inquiry-based laboratory exercise for introductory biology, students implement a controlled experiment to investigate effects of…

Science educators are beginning to establish a theoretical and methodological foundation for constructing and using stories in science teaching. At the same time, it is not clear to what degree science stories that have recently been written adhere to the guidelines that are being proposed. The author has written a story about Louis Slotin, which…

We describe in this paper a new method for measuring the K shell photoelectric cross sections of high-Z elemental targets at a K absorption edge. In this method the external bremsstrahlung (EB) photons produced in the Ni target foil by beta particles from a weak[superscript 90]Sr-[superscript 90]Y beta source are passed through an elemental target…

A technique for using highlighter ink as an ultraviolet dosimeter has been developed for use by secondary school students. The technique requires the students to measure the percentage of colour fading in ink drawn onto strips of paper that have been exposed to sunlight, which can be calibrated to measurements of the ultraviolet irradiance using…

We have developed an experimental activity that introduces concepts of the natural ionizing radiation and its interaction with our contemporary environment that can be used with students from secondary to college level. The experiment is based on the use of traditional and cheap portable Geiger-Muller detectors as survey meters for "in situ"…

Teaching nuclear physics in secondary schools offers us a unique possibility to increase our students' awareness of the influence that modern science and its achievements have on the everyday life of contemporary people. Students gain an opportunity to learn in what ways the outcome of laboratory research is put to use in such fields as medicine,…