Editorial: Physics in Advent!
University of Göttingen and partners offer education and fun for youngsters at Christmastime
Twenty-four more experiments until Christmas! This year, the University of Göttingen and its partners are offering entertaining physics experiments for the Advent season. The fun is open to everybody but those between the ages of 11 and 18 are also eligible to win prizes.
“PiA – Physics in Advent” is an Advent calendar of a special kind: a physics Advent calendar. Behind every little door there is education, fun and surprises. From 1 to 24 December 2018, there will be small physics experiments that can be carried out with standard household materials. Every day, Father or Mother Christmas will demonstrate the experiments on-line. The participants will recreate the experiments at home or at school and answer one question on the PiA website. The following day, a video clip will appear online showing the solution; if the answer is correct, participants receive one point. At Christmas, all participants will receive individual certificates. Among the best participants, prizes will be awarded in the following categories: individual, school class and school. In addition to iPods, books and experimental kits, there will be a trip to Dallas to NBA (National Basketball Association) basketball games with Dirk Nowitzki, the well-known basketball player who is in the all-time top seven NBA career scoring leaders. Anyone who registers at www.physics-in-advent.org can take part. Registration is free and kicks off on 1 November.
The Advent calendar is offered for the sixth time in 2018. Last year, 1.5 million people visited the site between 1 and 24 December and 31,000 youngsters registered of which 49 percent were girls. Parents, teachers, students and adults interested in physics phenomena are also invited to take part. The calendar is available in German and English.
“PiA – Physics in Advent” is organised by the University of Göttingen in cooperation with the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation, as well as the German, Austrian, Swiss, and European Physical Societies. Its patron is the biophysicist and Nobel Prize winner Professor Erwin Neher. Further information can be found at http://www.physics-in-advent.org/.
Arnulf Quadt
Coordinator PiA
