The Physics Teacher has published over the years many inspiring papers with an historical slant and we agree with Thomas B. Greenslade, who recently wrote that teaching physics is about “integrating physics with human culture.… if we are going to leave a lasting impact on our students, we should do more than teach them pure physics.” Some of these papers describe scientific tours in places where famous scientists lived and worked. In one of these papers, we read, “There is something very special about standing in the place where scientific history was made or seeing an instrument that was used to make an important discovery.” We had the same feeling, but without moving from our place.
References
1.
T. B.
Greenslade
, “Apparatus named after our academic ancestors – V
,” Phys. Teach.
59
, 236
–238
(2021
).2.
T. B.
Greenslade
, “‘Physics stories’: How the early technologies of high voltage and high vacuum led to ‘modern physics,’
” Phys. Teach.
56
, 286
–289
(2018
).3.
D.
Olson
, “A Foucault pendulum pilgrimage in Paris
,” Phys. Teach.
59
, 232
–235
(2021
).4.
Duane S.
Nickell
, “A physics teacher in Europe
,” Phys. Teach.
41
, 104
–108
(2003
).5.
O.
Pantano
and S.
Talas
, “Physics thematic paths: Laboratorial activities and historical scientific instruments
,” Phys. Educ.
45
, 140
–146
(2010
).6.
A. Agliolo
Gallitto
et al., “An approach to the Venturi effect by historical instruments
,” Phys. Educ.
56
, 025007
(2021
).7.
M.
Leone
and M.
Rinaudo
, “Should the history of physics be rated X? A survey of physics teachers’ expectations
,” Phys. Educ.
55
, 035013
(2020
).8.
M.
Rinaudo
et al., “The educational role of a scientific museum: A case study
,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser.
1287
, 012050
(2019
).9.
P.
Riccadi
et al., “Interactions among school teachers, students and university researchers in workplace experiences using disused instruments of school laboratories
,” Phys. Educ.
57
, 045006
(2022
).10.
F.
Chiappetta
et al., “A bridge between research, education and communication
,” Nat. Astron.
4
, 2
–3
(2020
).11.
S.
Shapin
and S.
Schaffer
, Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimental Life
(Princeton University Press
, Princeton, NJ
, 1985
).12.
P.
Riccardi
and C.
Goletti
, “How to build an educational bridge
,” Nat. Nanotechnol.
12
, 1104
(2017
).13.
P.
Riccardi
et al., “Education and public outreach through vacuum science and technology
,” Vacuum
196
, 110737
(2022
).© 2022 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by American Association of Physics Teachers.
2022
Author(s)
AAPT members receive access to The Physics Teacher and the American Journal of Physics as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.