Why study physics?
Physics education should not just about "learning physics" through forced memorization of facts and formulas to answer problems but rather about learning a method of thinking; a method that can be applied to many disciplines. Physics teaches students to reason through different situations and apply previous knowledge in order to answer a new question. The scientific method is the inherent base to all research whether in other sciences or the humanities. When conducting an experiment, physicists pose a question and devise methods for investigation. They control variables, collect data and draw conclusions. Amazingly enough, this process is similar to the process that researchers in the humanities follow. Furthermore, the knowledge gained in physics courses explains everyday phenomena from how a car works to why the sky is blue. Physics is all around all the time.
![Credits:* Raghvendra Sahai and John Trauger (JPL), the WFPC2 science team, and NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/]](images/hourglassnebula.jpg "Hourglass Nebula...it's looking at you!")
As educators, we must do a better job helping students to realize the hidden curriculum in introductory physics courses.
- This will be challenging but you can do it. It will take hours of study and preparation and there will be failure BUT there will be much more success. All of your classmates and I will be there to support you in whatever ways you need...if that's extra help, a pat on the back or someone to tell you, "go get 'em."
- Physics challenges what you think you know about the world. Don't think that your years of observing life are completely wrong, but rather that we will modify them just a little bit to form a more coherent picture in your head.
- Ultimately if you choose not to like physics, I will be disappointed and I'm still going to try to convince you to like it and engage you every day in class. Maybe you won't like physics at the end of the day as much as I do, but maybe you will. Even if you do not choose physics as your career, I hope this course teaches you to think. I hope you learn to hypothesize and reason...and carry those skills into any other field you may study in the humanities, social sciences or natural sciences.
By illuminating the hidden curriculum, students have a better idea of our future goals for them as scientists in introductory physics.