Michio Kaku: not a fan of US science educators

The first time I heard of Dr. Michio Kaku, it was when he was honored with the American Association of Physics Teachers' Klopsteg Memorial Award at the 2008 Summer Meeting in Edmonton. (I received a Distinguished Service Citation at that very same meeting, but the Klopsteg is much higher up on the ceremonial food chain and involves a plenary presentation.)

So it was disappointing when the AAPT honoree's Sacramento Speakers Series talk took an unfortunate turn toward the end. Kaku emphatically and unambiguously slammed American science educators for crushing the inquisitive nature of curious young students, ranking the US science education as the worst in the world. (Something tells me he's never been to a school in Burkina Faso.) This ham-fisted slam is a well-worn trope. I've seen it before. And it's not completely without merit.

The quality of American secondary science instruction runs the gamut. There's good, bad, and everything in between. And strictly speaking, the world is large: I don't think the US is dead last on any metric of science education. Still though, this disparagement is a popular chestnut. And other nations do turn in higher scores on standardized math and science exams, such as TIMSS.

Like nearly everyone else who charges US science educators with misguided failure, Kaku did not offer corrective measures. So I put him on the spot after his talk in the green room. Without any preface, I approached him and asked, with gentle bluntness, "So what should we be doing?"

He suggested that we should be teaching to students where they are instead of where teachers are, so as to better excite them about science. That is, we need to teach them lasers and GPS rather than friction. The physics of now, not the physics of 300 years ago. And the physics of movies is always good.

Nothing wrong with that at first blush. The physics of 300 years ago is the focus of most first semesters in most physics courses. Some like it to be the focus of the second semester as well. I'm not in that camp. I like to get into the physics of 200 years ago and 100 years ago. Quantum mechanics and relativity are 100 years old now, and we still refer to these topics as "modern physics". A hazard of modern physics is the dearth of workable laboratory experiences available to high school students.

The physics of movies includes much 300-year old physics.

It should be noted that when asked about his interest in ice skating, Kaku praised it as a pure expression of Newton's 300-year old laws.

It should also be noted that the many nations whose students outscore Americans in international math and science studies do not beat us because they are focused on the physics of now. Because the exams given in the international studies focus on the physics of 1600 CE—1900 CE.

I don't get the sense that Dr. Kaku has fully thought through his charge of US science education being the worst in the world. It's a easy charge to include in a public lecture, I suppose. It strikes me as lazy to make the charge without offering a solution. I don't think he's familiar with Next Generation Science Standards, but it wasn't a topic we were able to get to.

In any case, it seems Kaku will trot the globe announcing to all who will hear that high school science teachers in the US crush the curiosity out of previously inquisitive American students.

Now that I've revealed my new colors as "not a fan of Dr. Kaku" despite my generous introduction for the Speakers Series, I'll offer a few more areas for improvement. To the extent that they come across as petty, Kaku apologists can dismiss the entirety of my critique of his anti-educator slam.

A shirt I won't be wearing.

His PowerPoint slides used a canned Microsoft background, Helvetica (not Helvetica Bold, just Helvetica) for titles and Times for text. Several slides included too much text that was not necessary to make the slide's point. Asking the audience to read text while he's speaking is not an effective approach. Where were times (!) he used red text on a blue background. On the upside: not one instance of Comic Sans. Low-quality presentation slides grate on me because I work hard to polish the slides I use in my own classes. I make sure graphics and animations are there to support the story I'm telling, and I don't use much text. I'm telling the story; the preso is there to back me up, not to compete with me.

Kaku attributed the quote, "Predictions are difficult, especially when the future's involved" to Yogi Berra. The true originator of that quote, like many good quotes, is in dispute. But one alleged originator is none other than physics Nobel laureate, Niels Bohr. In the event of doubt, I'd go with Bohr because physics. I don't doubt that someone as intelligent as Dr. Kaku is unaware of the Bohr attribution and has reasons for going with Berra. But it strikes me as throwing Bohr under the bus unnecessarily.

At least three times (and probably more), he admonished audience members to "Buy my book!" In my own personal opinion, that's not a phrase that should be uttered from the stage. It didn't help that he suggested that those who bought autographed books tonight could profit by selling those books on eBay. Not something that I've seen classy speakers do. (Humorist and author, David Sedaris, actually reads from someone else's book from the stage and encourages audience members to buy that book. That's classy! And Sedaris still sells plenty of his own titles at each appearance.)

The Physics of My Future? I won't be asked to introduce Dr. Michio Kaku at any of his appearances. And if I were, I would decline. Not so much out of injured indignation. More out of respect for his low estimation of my profession. It does Kaku no good to be introduced by someone who's made a career of crushing the curiosity of US science students.

An unexpected delight: Working with the Sacramento Speakers Series

I am more likely to get things I don't deserve than I am to be denied things I do deserve. So there I was on a Tuesday night, introducing physics media star, Dr. Michio Kaku to an audience of some 2000 at the Community Center Theater, where he was the second celebrity in this year's Sacramento Speakers Series.

I was given the honor of being the introducer via my connection to Rio's Civitas program chair, Linda Reed. She works with the Series' "Share the Vision" program, which affords local high school students a special pre-show audience with the speakers. They get their own question and answer session with the luminaries. Quite brilliant, really.

Michio Kaku is well-known in the physics community as a prolific author and frequent media science expert. He's carved out a niche in prognosticating the "science of the future". He's very comfortable in front of the camera, and speaks with confidence and authority on the scientific topic of the day. This distinguishes him from most physicists, and it makes him a reliable media darling for journalists.

Kaku's presentations on how things will be in the future are captivating. I confess to not being well-versed in Kaku's expansive oeuvre. I even floated the notion of introducing Kaku to my physics- and skepticism-rich friendosphere on the off chance that Kaku advocated some weirdness that would set him outside the scientific mainstream. I didn't want to be heaping praise on anyone with a "Dr. Oz problem". No objections were raised, so heap praise I did. (The script of my introduction is in the comments.)

Everyone associated with the Sacramento Speakers Series was first-class and professional. They took very good care of me, and it was very groovy to hang out with the principal organizers, manager, Dr. Kaku, and ABC10's Cristina Mendonsa backstage in the green room. She's as personable as she is polished, and did a great job interviewing Kaku and managing the audience question cards. I made a point to personally thank Mitch Ostwald and each of the organizers who worked with me to facilitate my wee role in the evening. They are doing great work and adding to the cosmopolitan nature of Sacramento. [Photos courtesy of The Sacramento Speakers Series]

Lesson for a 20-minute class

Many of our students took the PSAT today at school. After the testing period, we ran periods 1 through 6 at a little more than 20 minutes each.

So we watched and answered questions about Top Gear's segment on the three-wheeled Reliant Robin.

The video is here: Wimp.com—Top Gear's Reliant Robin. The full segment—shown on the Wimp page—is 14 minutes; shorter edits can be found elsewhere (YouTube, etc.). I couldn't figure out how to embed Wimp's video into streaming here.

The questions are here: Rolling Through Roundabouts in a Reliant Robin @ TPT.

My "Information for Parents" folder, 09/2015 additions

I've created an Information for Parents folder in my Schoology "ecosystem" ("edusystem"?).

In it, I placed the information discussed in the post below. And links to

"Leaning Physics is Tough. Get Used to It" by Rhett Allain in WIRED

Yes, students learn physics by working on problems and by failing to solve problems. It’s the journey to the solution that’s important, not the solution itself. Using a video solution would be like using a golf cart to run 5 miles. Sure, you end up in the same place if you run or ride—but they do not produce the same results.

and

"Declining Student Resilience: A Serious Problem for Colleges" by Peter Gray in Psychology Today

We have raised a generation of young people who have not been given the opportunity to learn how to solve their own problems. They have not been given the opportunity to get into trouble and find their own way out, to experience failure and realize they can survive it, to be called bad names by others and learn how to respond without adult intervention. So now, here’s what we have. Young people,18 years and older, going to college still unable or unwilling to take responsibility for themselves, still feeling that if a problem arises they need an adult to solve it.


There may be a theme building here. And I may be overcome by the tide. But for now, I'm standing strong.

What I did for Back to School Night #30

We started the school year (with students) on August 13th this year. That's a record early start date. Who remembers when school didn't begin until after Labor Day. Such places still exist. Just not where I teach.

Our Back-to-School Night was September 9th. For the past many years, I eschewed any discussion of policies for the 10-minute talk to parents. Instead, I presented a shortened version of the presentation I give in my Physics, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics 2 courses: "Physics Begins With an M". It's good stuff. And it would often generate at least one spontaneous round of applause at the 10-minute mark.

This time around, I spoke to the parents about the content of the course, how grades are determined, and the importance of engagement. The talk was not devoid of humor, but it was certainly heavier than my previous presentation.

I also upped the page-count of the handout I give to parents at the session. The hope is that the handout I distribute to parents who come in tells them everything they could want to know. That takes the pressure off the 10-minute session we have together. That said, I never open the floor to parent questions. Time is short, and that tactic has a great potential for failure.

Here's the handout I provide.

Back to School Night Parent Information

I also give them this:

How Not to Get Stuck on Physics Homework / How to Succeed in Physics.

And yes, my very first Back to School Night was in September of 1986. Ronald Reagan was President and California Governor George Deukmejian had a daughter at my school. He was at that Back to School Night, too. So this edition of BTSN was my 30th.

Dipping a toe into Schoology

Back in the late 1990s, I was keen to establish a presence on the nascent World Wide Web. I created pages with Adobe's PageMill in hopes of creating in a WYSIWYG environment rather than get bogged down in the intricacies of HyperText Markup Language (HTML).

By 2000, I was creating and posting Portable Document Format (PDF) files of my curriculum materials. That process is intertwined with meeting and befriending Paul G. Hewitt. It was in the early 2000s that I registered the phyz.org domain name. In 2006, I started The Blog of Phyz.

In the late 2000s, my school district began providing a website generation service (SchoolWorld). I already had a relative "palace" on the web. By comparison, the district's service allowed teachers to create quaint cottages. I wasn't interested.

The district has discontinued its relationship with SchoolWorld in favor of a new relationship with SchoolWires. It also has an enterprise account with Schoology.

I'm exploring the utility and capabilities of Schoology. I use it primarily as an organizational tool for the curriculum in my courses. It seems useful in that regard. But nothing's as useful as the palace I've built at phyz.org.

One bright spot is the fact that tests created with ExamView can be exported to Blackboard format. Tests in Blackboard format can be imported by Schoology at online tests. Schoology can be configured in terms of test administration and the results are posted in class roster lists. Pretty slick! (It would be nice if ExamView showed any signs of life since 2012.}

In a way, it appears the logistics of Schoology make it possible to violate copyright law without interference or consequence. Only students and parents of students enrolled in courses can see the Schoology pages (and links and materials) associated with the course. So the violations are small-scale, I suppose.

Anyway, we'll see how it all goes. 

We could be evolving from an era of world-wide curriculum sharing on the web to closing back in ourselves. We shall see.

Professional development: Is it effective?

Trigger warning: if you are at all allergic to snark, you are advised to avoid this post.

It's that time of year, colleagues. You're rested up from that "summer off". [Please note: "Summer" is defined as the eight weeks between mid-June and mid-August, and "off" means you weren't teaching your subject in your classroom.] What better time to suck the life out of you with school-wide (if not district-wide) professional development (PD)?

According to thorough research collected by physics teaching superstar and Einstein Fellow, Marc "Zeke" Kossover, it turns out your professional development training may, in fact, be effective. But chances are that it's not.

A study of 25 professional development programs for math and science teachers in 14 states showed positive student outcomes if three conditions were met.

1. The programs focused on content in mathematics and science.

Honestly, you can probably stop right there. Chances are that the the PD you're engaging in is not focused on math or science. But if it is, feel free to continue.

2. The programs included on-site follow up in classrooms.

3. The teacher contact time reached at least 50 hours.

If the PD you're beginning this week meets all those conditions, please post a comment! To me, such PD is a unicorn: I know what it's supposed to look like, but I've never seen one in person.

In other news, I am beginning my 30th year of teaching this week.

Canvas to Keynote: The End

This is the story, dating back to 2012.

This is a graphic history of the progress at various intervals.

The conversion is now complete. All extant curriculum documents are editable (by me, anyway) in Apple's Keynote 5. Of course, since this process began, Apple rebuilt Keynote "from the ground up". They defanged it so it could be a cross-platform (Mac OS X and iOS) app. For now, I'm avoiding Keynote 6 like the plague it is. We'll see how long I can do that.

For now, a weight has been lifted.

FLIR ONE 2.0 "See the Heat" camera now available*

I'm a fan of photography and imaging. I do a bit of photography, myself. I am a fan of Harold Edgerton's high-speed photography and videography.

I jumped on Casio's EX-F1 when it came out in 2008, and recommended it to physics teachers. My friend and colleague, Dan Burns, got one and came up with a simple rule for what to record in high speed: "If it moves, shoot it!"

When I heard that the heat imaging experts at FLIR were developing a consumer-level product, I looked it up. They were selling FLIR ONE, a camera/case combination for the iPhone 5/5S. I had an iPhone 4S, so I didn't bite. When I upgraded to an iPhone 6, the FLIR ONE was still not an option.

At CES 2015, FLIR announced the next version of FLIR ONE. It wasn't a case, but rather an attachment that connected to the iPhone via the Lightning connector.

As I was beginning my journey to wilds of Alaska, FLIR announced that the new ONE was shipping. By the time I got back to order one, the wait time was up to about six weeks.

Poke around FLIR ONE page.

Check out the marketing video; it's stronger on the funny than it is on the informative.

Or this one. A bit more informative…

Flir One Review


*I don't know how back-ordered they are now, but the sooner you buy, the sooner you'll get.

A quick dose of physics fun with Captain Disillusion

CD's laser vision sees through all!

Quick D: Where Did the Ball Go?



If it seems I've been away from The Blog of Phyz, it's because I have been. In other news, The Treks of Phyz has been getting new posts and is due for more. Alaska was beautiful!

And I've been finishing the manuscript for the Conceptual Physical Science 6th edition lab manual.

And last night, I even watched History of the Eagles (Part 1). "How come?" you might ask.

I Can't Tell You Why.