Fryeburg Academy Physics

A few Honors classes today got a few problems like this:

Use any arithmetic operation +-x÷or () to make these numbers equal 24.

3, 5, 6, 7 (answer [6-5+7]x3=24)

This is a common game that is great for building logic skills and number sense. If you’d like to play more on your own, try this link. It’s good for your brain.

In Honors Physics we did a demo with peeps and the vacuum tube, and of course there’s a lot more you can do with peeps (besides the obvious snacking). The Washington Post newspaper holds a contest around Easter time for the best diorama involving peeps, and today they published the 40 finalists with photos. Some of them are very clever!

Here’s another post of The Boston Globe’s feature The Big Picture, this time a series of photos of a recent eruption of the volcano Mount Redoubt in Alaska. #1 is now my desktop background. There are some great photos in here, I recommend you check them out.

Yes, it matters. I shared this with some classes, and I’m posting the entire recording here so that you may listen to the whole maddening conversation. I’m glad to hear that all of you recognized that changing the word behind a number can change the number a great deal, and I hope you maintain that level of common knowledge and sense in your travels through the world. 

The episode inspired a blog to keep track of everything that was happening, and you can read all the details here.

This is one of the more inventive methods I’ve seen for cheating on tests. I have to wonder if all the time that it would take to really pull it off might be better spent actually studying for the test? Take the lazy way out: it’s easier to study than it is to work up something this elaborate.

And by the way, I know this trick. If you’re dumb enough to try this on one of my tests, you deserve the zero you’ll get!

Here’s an interesting diversion. Discussion of the future and the big scary question “What do I want to be when I grow up?” is something that is probably on your mind, or at least has crossed your mind in recent months. I expect that most of you will wrestle with thoughts on this subject in the near future, and you don’t need to answer it right away. Personally, I still haven’t decided what I want to be when I grow up*, and I know many people my age (and older) who fall into that category as well.

I recommend you take this personality test if you have a few minutes. It’s based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; while this little test is not the full-blown official thing, it might give you some ideas about career fields that fit your personality. The results will be in the form of a four-letter code, which you can then use to see some recommended careers. Be sure to read the Wikipedia article about your type as well, and if you feel like sharing feel free to post a comment and tell us what your type is.

For the record, I’m ISTJ.

*Unfortunately, not growing up is not really an option. We all have to do it, no matter how much we really are Toys ‘R’ Us kids.

I’m pretty sure I showed this video to all my classes some time ago. It shows progressive images of the relative sizes of the planets and a few stars. I always enjoy watching it. 

I found this article this morning (thanks to Mr. Minnich for sending it my way) that has a little discourse on the video. It’s an entertaining read and it made me giggle. 

I love optical illusions. This little snippet from a Bill Nye video shows several of them, and I thought it might alleviate the boredom of vacation for a while. Enjoy!

Just remember: smoking is bad for your health.  It even kills snowmen. 

and even if you don’t think I’m funny, it won’t surprise you that I think this video is hilarious. Enjoy!