Welcome to the world of the peripatetic physicist: “have laws will travel.” She is alive and inquiring into how to bring particle physics (HEP) to multiple-level learners.  It is not physics for dummies, but for teachers who seek to teach physics to students. And to make it interesting, even I daresay, entertaining, the “fiddle factor” is a must.

Just as the U.S. ranks low on the “free” or “universal” healthcare-provider scale, it also ranks low in math and science testing against other countries.  But wait, mentors, physics teachers, and physicists at Fermi National Labs are really trying to change that image abroad.  

At this writing, the Hadron collider in Batavia, Illinois is offline. It is outdated, for lack of a better word. The Large Hadron collider at CERN (Geneva, Switzerland) "where the Web was born," is now the focus of physics for international collaboration. But Fermi is anything but empty. Indeed it is a veritable hornet’s nest of activity. Loyal Quarknet members are attempting to produce simulated, virtual and modular “box” physics resources for other teachers. For physics teachers, our week's work will be made available.The Birthplace of “Spin” 

My small pod of physics teachers brainstormed the first meeting. There was a lot of healthy “spin” talk going on. You see, physicists invented spin, particle spin that is.  “Spin” may be a word you think you know. What you don’t know is that when particles, atomic worlds, collide you get spin. The greater the energy put into the system, the bigger the circle or spin. Here it is not a bad word. In fact it is a good word, one that we virtually cannot avoid using or couching into our conversations about various particle events.

Physicists and scientists don’t see the world the way that others do. They observe a simple item such as a cup and think how they can mold it into a tool for fusion reactions. Or use the polymers found inside to build giant particle accelerators. Just as matter is conserved, so too thoughts nor things are wasted around Fermi lab.

Our small, but talented, group began our trek into the unknown (inquiry) with a “forced march” to the waters of data understanding.  Inquiry is an experience to be sure. Can one divine data without loosing touch with reality? Hmmm. What does collected data mean? How do scientists do science? What does good data look like? Those are just some of the questions. If done correctly it should lead the teachers and the students to the source of cognitive resonance. The holy grail of understanding cosmic (atomic) geometry completed with the power of critical thinking. This is not always the product for students in less advantaged schools. Or who come from the wrong side of the zip code.