New School Year

I've started working on the new school year. I find its best for me to ease into things rather than put them off and then jump into it all at once. I've set up my grade book/rosters, revised my course guides and sent out information to those who requested recommendations from me.

If you are someone that requested a rec but didn't get an email, let me know. Also, as a matter of habit read earlier posts, don't just read the current one. Who knows what you may have missed.

I spent some of this summer trying to gain abetter understanding of particle physics, and a little on general relativity 9 how the presence of energy shapes space. I still have a long way to go to master the calculations, and more importantly, to understand underlying physics.

Hope you've had enjoyable summers and try this for this coming year. Focus on learning and how neat it is to know and understand new things rather than on memorizing stuff to get a grade. Resurrect your curiosity, it is a precious gift.

College Recommendations

I just sent out an email with instructions for those of you who requested recommendations from me ( poor fools). If you did not get an email but had requested a rec, get back to me ASAP.

Summer Reading

For those of you searching for some light summer reading, here is a copy of a paper by the (I hope) soon to be other Dr. Cherdack. I have been reviewing and proofing. If any of you would like to look it mover and offer suggestions I would be much obliged. If you find the paper a pretty hard slog, don't be discouraged, it is part of a doctoral thesis in particle physics.

http://h1.ripway.com/DrCherdack/PositionPaperDDC9r12.pdf

Email is Up and global warming etc.

Should have posted this sooner: email is back up and has been for a few days.

Just a word about science and politics. This winter you may have noticed some politicians making pronouncements about how a few inches of snow in Washington proved that global warming was a myth. You probably didn't hear from these folks in the past few days. By the same token, a string of hot days in July does not prove that global warming is real. On the other hand, long term temperature trends, melting ice caps and disappearing glaciers are a little harder to argue away.

Real science begins with INTELLIGENT observation not superficial impressions nor misinterpretations of data to suit your prejudices.

.... and by the way, no mysterious force pushes you into a roller coaster seat; the seat pushes on you as it changes your velocity. You feel pressure on your backside not your lap.

E Mail

1) E Mail's down again so its not that I am ignoring you [much as I'd like to.]

2) To help you keep thinking about physics visit these two site every once in a while. History may be being made at LHC on any given day. ITER may hold the key to solving our energy problems for good. We could think about these as themes for the physics club.

http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/

http://www.iter.org/

First Post of the Summer

Wow, eight days without a post. Who would have thought it was possible. Thanks to CaCarly for reminding me to do this.

First: Congratulations to our recent graduates. Ridge is no picnic in terms of what demand from you and you have every right to be satisfied with just getting out of the joint in one piece. Oops, let me put this more positively, you should take satisfaction in your meeting the demands of a rigorous institution.... and I do mean this. Best of luck in your new endeavors, you are great bunch and I will miss you.

Second: Remember I have no former students, stay in touch (partly so I'll miss you less) and I'll try to help you whenever I can.

Third [to all]: Stay tuned, there may be big news developing over the summer ( and of course there may not be... but you never know.)

Fourth: in the mean time have a great summer

E Mail

It gone down once again, so if I don't answer its not because I am ignoring you ( although I probably would even if the email were working for a change.)

Honors Texts

Please return your texts and any other materials you have borrowed on the day of your exam. Writing obligation forms will make me grouchy and you don't want a grouch grading your exams.

Honors project and Study Group Reports

Here is what my records show. Honors 1 is listed on the test tab and Honors 2 is on the project Tab. A 1 or a date mean its logged in but not graded yet.

http://h1.ripway.com/DrCherdack/HonorsProjGrpReps6-10.xls

Honors part 2 Solutions

Here they are:

http://h1.ripway.com/DrCherdack/YrEndRvPt2Soln2010.doc

Honors- Very Important 2 items

1) We will have a review for the final during the 9th period exam period tomorrow.

2) I you have project reports (the assignments due from the break and from 5/24, 5/27, 6/1, 6/4, 6/7) without a numerical grade YOU MUST TURN THEM IN or lose point on your project grade.

I am missing tons of these, especially from Section 2 - surprise surprise.

AP Texts

Getting Late, get 'em in!!

Honors Solutions

Here are 33 through 49

http://h1.ripway.com/DrCherdack/YearendrevslnHon6-1033-49.doc

Honors Assignment

For tomorrow, complete all the electric and magnetics questions on parts1 and 2. Try to get to the waves and oscillations as well. We'll do the fusion stuff on Thursday, so complete all the work by then. Turn in all the assignments as one either Thursday or at your final exam.

Thanks to Ally and Mel for keeping me company during the long dull hours of period 7.