minutes of January 17, 2009 Physics Theorynet meeting

["Tomasz Taylor" <taylor neu edu>]

Physics Theorynet meeting, January 17, 2009
Room 218 DA, Northeastern University, Boston

minutes/action items:
----------------------

Attending

Participating Teachers:

Rick Dower, Roxbury Latin School
Scott Goelzer, Coe-Brown Northwood Academy
Jesus Hernandez, Lawrence H.S.
Michael Hirsh, Needham H.S.
Nancy Najmi, Reading H.S.
Farhad Riahi, Commonwealth School of Boston
Mike Wadness, Medford H.S.

Participating Theorists:

Per Berglund, University of New Hampshire
Brent Nelson, Northeastern
Tomasz Taylor, Northeastern
Xi Yin, Harvard

Regrets:

Jose Juan Blanco-Pillado, Tufts
Albion Lawrence, Brandeis
Brandon Murakami, Rhode Island College
Ken Olum, Tufts

1. (Re)introductions:
We were very pleased to meet in person Xi Yin (Harvard), who contacted Jesus 
Hernandez by email and has already made his first visit to Lawrrence H.S.

2.  Update on high-school visits since last meeting in September 2008:
Albion visited Roxbury Latin (Rick Dower), talking about big bang and 
cosmology. Per Berglund, who missed the Fall meeting, reported on his visit 
to Coe-Brown (Scott Goelzer) in June. Per and Scott used our new electron 
diffraction apparatus and dry-ice cloud chamber. They found these 
demonstrations very effective. Xi Yin visited Lawrence H.S. (Jesus 
Hernandez) and talked about stellar evolution and gravitational collapse. 
Brent Nelson visited Needham H.S. (Michael Hirsh) with a general talk on 
particle physics.  Tom visited Reading H.S. (Nancy Najmi) talking about 
fundamental forces, accelerators and some other ideas involved in particle 
physics. His visit to Wachusett R.H.S. (Nick Nicastro) was postponed due to 
the ice storm that shut the school down for 3 weeks.

3. Advertising: We agreed that the upcoming 2009 NES AAPT/APS Spring 
Conference (Northeastern, May 8-9, 2009) will provide a great opportunity 
for advertising our program. We will have a Physics Theorynet table in the 
registration area. Per and Brent will give talks strategically placed in 
parallel sessions so that nobody can escape our indoctrination. See 
http://neu.edu/nesaps for latest updates, registration links etc.

4. Website: We agreed that physicstheorynet.org acquired by Ken should be 
developed to a full-fledged website. Jesus promised to enhance it by using 
materials used in Tom's powerpoint presentations and flyers.

5. Pairings: Brandon Murakami will start collaborating with Ann Kaiser from 
Lasalle Academy in Providence -- it will make us officially a tri-state 
enterprise. Other pairings will remain unchanged for the rest of the year.

6. The next meeting is (tentatively) scheduled for May 30, 2009.