The various faculties of science in Irish colleges and universities have been suffering something of a downturn in interest in recent years. The Celtic Tiger phenomenon undoubtedly, and somewhat ironically, has been a major factor in this. With new technology being the backbone of the new economy, more people are interested in studying computer courses than science.
To counter what has become a negative view of science held by some pupils, the department of physics at Trinity College has launched a web site (www.tcd.ie/Physics/Schools) for schoolchildren. It is designed to show the fascination of physics and its relevance in all areas of modern life.
"Many school students see physics as dull and difficult, and the number of students studying physics for the Leaving Certificate and at third-level is declining rapidly. Yet there is increasing demand in the job market for physics graduates, which cannot be met," says Dr Sara McMurry, lecturer in the physics department.
The site concentrates on areas of current interest rather than on the school syllabus. In answer to the very basic question: "What is physics?" it goes right back to Norse mythology in order to explain, in very simple terms, that it is the study of how the physical universe works. Breaking this down further in order to stimulate the interest of children, it says that "Physicists want to know the answers to questions like `How are stars born?', `Why is the sky blue?' and `Why do things glow red then yellow and then white as they are heated?' ".
In the physics and sport section it is pointed out that many aspects of our daily life, such as sport, communications, entertainment and medicine, depend on theories and discoveries in physics. By way of colourful example, it equates Ken Doherty's potting of snooker balls with Newton's Laws of Motion. From here, and from several other areas of the site, it also offers links to other sites for further information.
If you have no idea what quarks, leptons and gauge bosons are, then this is the place to find out. You will also discover that the first person to see the spiral structure of a galaxy was Irish. He was Sir William Parsons, third Earl of Rosse (1800-67), who built the great telescope at Birr Castle, Co Offaly (www.birrcastle.com). The universe, galaxies, stars, the earth, light, materials and atoms are also covered in plain, easy to understand language.
As for the college itself, there are details on the site of the various courses offered there, as well as a very interesting look at the history of the study of physics in Trinity. From this we learn that the first professor of physics in TCD was Richard Helsham, who was appointed in 1724. It also points out that Professor E T S Walton, who held the chair from 1946 till 1973, is the only Irish person to have been awarded the Nobel prize for Physics, which he shared with Sir John D Cockcroft in 1951 for "splitting the atom".
The site also highlights the careers in which physics graduates can find employment. These include research, education, health, the environment and computing.
The site is an excellent facility that should be seen by children of any age interested in studying physics. After all, it was a physicist who, in 1989, invented the World Wide Web in the first place. His name is Tim BernersLee, he was working at the CERN laboratories in Switzerland, and you can read more about him on this site.
