Dr. Damien's Development

[DFGray]

I do not have a new set of code this week because most of my spare time has been taken with responding to questions in the Adopt-A-Physicist program.  This program pairs high-schoolers who are taking physics with professionals with degrees in physics.  The high-schoolers ask questions.  We answer.  This year, I hosted questions from Manila, Phillipines, Lekki, Nigeria, and Williamsburg, Virginia.  I have been doing this for several years, but this year was much better than most.  This is encouraging, since science and engineering as chosen professions have been declining in the US for decades.  This program is one answer to this - an encouragement to young people to consider science or engineering as a career by putting them in contact with someone who did choose it. It is one way I can encourage young students to be scientists and engineers.

I found a lot of angst, such as these posts:

"Based on my current experience,I'm finding physics to be a difficult and complicated subject."

"...I am scared of those problems that I might face if I chose to become a physicist."

While there is no denying that science and engineering can be complex subjects, they also should not be viewed with fear, but more as a challenge.  I hope that I managed to do that for these young people.  I got a few positive responses, as well, with this being one of the most enthusiastic examples:

"Thank you very much Sir Damien for answering all my inquiries. I sure learned a lot and I am fascinated by how much and how clear you can explain about your field of work that I am very convinced you are one of the best that we will ever have. Thank you again Sir. God bless!"

Responses like this make all the work worth while.  If you happen to have the chance to encourage high school students to study science and engineering, please take it.  The rewards are far more than you could imagine. If you happen to have a physics degree, click on the link above and volunteer for next year.  We ran out of physicists due to very high response this year.

Note that National Instruments sponsors many opportunities for professionals to encourage young people to become scientists and engineers.  For example, check out FIRST Robotics. 

[Ben]

 

Sigma Pi Sigma ?

Ben

Message Edited by Ben on 10-31-2009 01:05 PM

[DFGray]

Yes, indeed!  Although it was almost pyrrhic.  I graduated as one of three physics majors my year at Tulane.

[Ben]

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DFGray wrote:
Yes, indeed!  Although it was almost pyrrhic.  I graduated as one of three physics majors my year at Tulane.

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Well then let me shake your virtual hand!

I was accepted as the only non-physics major (Engineering Physics) in a class of 3 from University of Pittsburgh. Trivia: I signed the same book as Resnick as in "Haiday Resnick and Walker".

Are there any other Sigma Pi Sigma types out there?

Ben

[Ben]

Please excuse the extra noise in this thread.

I started a new thread here to keep the Sigma Pi Sigma poll in a seperate thread.

Thank you!

Ben

[DFGray]

The series on dynamically launched VIs continues.  This time, I take a look at two approaches for generating a server, a free running invisible VI.  One approach does not make the cut, showing that you should not be afraid to throw bad code away, but keep using the good parts.  Get it here.

Happy Holidays!

[DFGray]

My final post on dynamic VIs implements a simple string server.  You can find it here.

[DFGray]

After a hard drive crash a couple of weeks ago, I relate that experience and some earlier ones.  Get it here.

[DFGray]

This time, we look at changing array or string sizes in loops and how to avoid it or make it faster.  Get it here.

[DFGray]

I have just started a new series on the event structure.  The first post is basic usage.  Get it here.

I will be spending most of my online time on the Adopt-A-Physicist forums for the next couple of weeks, so it may be awhile before I can get the next post up.