Hi Everyone!
I think it’s finally time that we start up our physics podcast. Now, many of you may be asking, just what, exactly, is a podcast? According to wikipedia, a podcast is a collection of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through special software called a podcatcher (i.e. iTunes). They can be listened to or viewed on any computer with iTunes, or on a compatible iPod or MP3 player.
So what are we going to do in our podcast? Great question! Our goal is to build enjoyment and understanding of physics by exploring and teaching, but how best can that be accomplished? I’ve come up with a few possibilities, but I want to hear your ideas too! Some of my ideas include segments such as:
- Physics Observed in Everyday Life (student stories detailing where you’ve seen physics)
- Movie, TV, Book, and Video Game Reviews (from the vantage point of physics accuracy)
- Physics 911 (instructor provides problem solving help based on class requests)
- Physics Frontiers (brief reports on modern areas of exploration such as string theory, parallel universes, black holes, sub-atomic physics, superconductors, nanotubes, Mission to Mars, etc.)
- Physics Concept of the Week
- XTreme Science Report (update from the Xtreme Science Club)
So where do you come in? I want this to be a team effort, as I believe publishing this information will not only improve our understanding of physics, but will also be a fun way to incorporate writing, critical thinking, art, music, marketing, publicity, advertising, and project management into a product that you can be proud of, the community can enjoy, and that may turn out to be a great resume builder in the future.
So where do we start? To begin with, I’d like to understand more about where your interests may lie personally. To that end, I’d love to see your feedback to the poll attached, and also please feel free to comment on this blog post with your thoughts and ideas. In addition, I’ll be asking in class for information about where interests lie with this project. Potential areas of contribution may include: art and graphic design, music creation (introduction, exit music, BED music, etc.), content creation, content recording, editing/production, reporting, research, reviewers for games, books, movies, etc., and we may even want to look into making this a video podcast (which would also include set design, video production and editing, special effects, etc.). In addition, I’ve never made a podcast before, and am sure I’ll need plenty of help on the technical side from those good with computers!
Of course, I believe that since this will require a significant amount of effort to make a professional product we can all be proud of, extra credit will be appropriate for those who wish to contribute. I’m still mulling over details in my mind, but am thinking that something like an extra credit point for each published minute of material would be a reasonable place to start. This also includes those doing art and music work — each time a piece of art is used — 1 point, and if that art is used over and over again for each podcast — 1 point per podcast. Introductory music may be only 30-60 seconds in length, but that’s 1 bonus point for the introduction, multiplied by the number of podcasts published… and the same goes for editing, research, etc. Definitely need to think and refine this further, but it seems like a reasonable place to start.
So, start thinking about what you might like to do with this and where your interests in contributing may lie, and we’ll see what we can do! If we’re successful, I’d love to publish our podcast to iTunes, and see what kind of feedback/reactions we get, and allow this effort to evolve into a project we’ll all enjoy and be proud of.