University of Leicester Open Journals
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A1_9 A Relativistic Chicken Nugget
Get PDFThis paper looks into using highly relativistic velocities to store food for longer than its used bydate on Earth. Based on the calculations made using Einstein’s special relativity, we found thatstoring a chicken nugget at higher and higher velocities increasingly raised the time before which it was considered inedible. However, this method of food storage is impractical in reality
P1_6 Red TARDIS
Get PDFIn this paper we investigated the effect the relativistic effect would have on the TARDIS fromthe the BBC television programme Doctor Who. We aimed to calculate the speed at which theTARDIS would have to travel in order to appear red rather than its iconic blue colour. We foundthat the TARDIS would have to be travelling at 1.3 x 108m/s (2 s.f) away from an observer toappear red. We felt this was a reasonable speed for the spaceship to be travelling at due to it’sadvanced time and space travelling capabilities
P5_1 How Far Did Gandalf Fly... You Fools?
Get PDFIn the Lord of the Rings, there is an infamous scene in which Gandalf fights the Balrog of Moria,ultimately causing the pair to fall from the bridge of Khazad-Dûm. This report contains thefundamental physics required to establish the height at which Gandalf fell and whether he couldhave survived. The necessary calculations are carried out in Python using an iterative model tocontinually update position and velocity values, providing the most accurate result. Using thismodel we were able to arrive at a bridge height of 3900m and decided it would be possible for him to survive this fall
A5_4 Sending an arrow to a kilometer away
Get PDFFiring an arrow as far as possible has been a topic discussed for a long time, mainly during times when single piece wooden bows were the norm, and archery was mainly a form of combat. This paper answers what peak draw weight would be required, in order to launch an arrow to a kilometer away. We found that the peak draw weight required would be 574N
Out of Time at the La Brea Tar Pits: People and Other Animals in a Time Capsule of Ice Age Los Angeles
Get PDFAt the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, proximity to active asphalt seeps blurs the boundary between audience and exhibit and troubles the artificial border between people and other animals. While La Brea exclusively exhibits extinct animal models in the park, leading some visitors to see extinction events as existing at a safe distance, the asphalt continues to entrap contemporary creatures and functions as a change-over-time capsule. Uncomfortably close encounters with the asphalt cue visitors to situate themselves within La Brea’s ecological continuum and convey the urgency of environmental issues at present. Informed by archival research and site visits, this article deploys a non-linear narrative sequence to mirror the muddling of time in the tar pits. La Brea has the potential to decentre human visitors and help them to embrace the obligations of heir and ancestor all at once
Slowing Time in the Museum in a Period of Rapid Extinction
Get PDFExtinction of nonhuman species, as well as human-induced environmental change in general, is happening at a frighteningly fast pace. A recent global joint scientific assessment suggests that around a million animal and plant species are currently threatened with extinction because of human activity. In this article, we propose that museums have an opportunity to slow time for their visitors in a period of rapid extinction. First, we discuss the role of museums as galleries for active reflection and encounter with the loss inherent in extinction by changing the time scales in which people think and move. Then we introduce the articles in this themed issue on Exhibiting Extinction as all grappling with the tension between fast environmental loss and taking the necessary time to reckon with extinction. Time functions on another scale when extinction is involved, with the jumbling of past, present, and future. We argue that offering ways for people to think about and with extinction by slowing down time may be museums’ greatest contribution to addressing the real and present danger of extinction
A detailed consideration of the mechanism and events surrounding Oompa-Loompa speciation
Get PDFPrevious work established Willy Wonka’s factory workers, the Oompa-Loompas, as a distinct hominin species. The events surrounding the speciation of Homo loompis are investigated here, with key consideration given to evidence for a peripatric (founder population) speciation. There is significant support for Oompa-Loompas having undergone a prolonged period of isolation. Their exact placement in the hominin clade is then considered, with a determination that despite physical differences, mainly stature, Oompa-Loompas may be our closest relatives
Gender balance and impact of role models in secondary science education
Get PDFExposure to inspirational and relatable role models is crucial towards fostering engagement of learners with scientific disciplines. However, the representation of scientists in popular culture is still far from being adequately gender- and race-inclusive. This study evaluated the gender balance and impact of scientific role models using a two-pronged experimental approach. The gender balance was investigated in search engines, online databases, and school curricula. A survey was used to investigate English secondary students’ awareness of role models and intentions to pursue further scientific studies.Our findings revealed a widespread female underrepresentation amongst scientific role models in all the analysed online sources and in high school curricula provided by the three main English exam boards. The survey (n = 356) revealed that students were considerably more likely to identify famous male than female scientists. While awareness of female role models was significantly associated with students’ gender, this was not the case for male role models. A statistically significant correlation was also observed between the number of identified role models and intentions to pursue scientific studies in Key Stage 4 girls.This study reinforces the urgency of ensuring school curricula and online resources provide a more modern and inclusive representation of scientists
Supporting student collaboration in online breakout rooms through interactive group activities
Get PDFMany instructors globally reported a lack of engagement in synchronous online sessions during the Covid-19 lockdowns. This article outlines the use of collaborative small group tasks mediated via breakout rooms in Teams during the 2020/21 academic year. The rationale for the activities, which are available for download, is described along with details of the evaluation of their impact. Key findings were that a majority of students reported enjoying the tasks and felt that they improved their learning during online sessions
Urban Development and Fishing Livelihoods in the Museum: Nostalgia and Discontent in Central Vietnam
Get PDFThis article explores how the topics of fishing and urban development are addressed in a Vietnamese social history museum. Drawing on a project taking place in the Museum of Danang, it describes the way the museum represented the voices of a displaced fishing community who were moved from traditional fishing huts on the riverside to a social housing complex as part of Danang’s urban development plan in the 2000s. Capturing the impact of the community’s relocation on their fishing livelihoods through an exhibition of objects, photographs and texts, the article reveals ways in which nostalgia is recruited to make social, political and moral commentary on urban equality and livelihood change in a rapidly developing city. Methodologically, the project explored the limits of critical representation in an authoritarian state and how nostalgia can be understood as a subtle call for ethical action