I have reached the key object in my “History of Electricity in 10 Objects”: the Leyden jar. Philosophically, the Layden jar has…
Imaginary Ice Block Discovered in School Field Causes Writing and Reading
The whole of this blog centres on a mean trick (and I feel bad about it), which has produced something special,…
The Dangling Boy – 1730
Anyone who has had the opportunity to charge small children to thousands of volts will appreciate the skill and showmanship…
A Kitchen Museum of Electrical History
Since Easter I have been reading about electricity. I think it is the hardest topic to teach. Circuits are…
Guericke’s Sulphur Sphere
It seems reasonable to suppose that if the Earth has a fitting and appropriate attractive potency it will also have…
The Versorium Needle
A draft extract from my book using narrative to teach the big ideas of physics: These are the utterly false…
My Electricity Chapter
I don’t really mind which model for current anyone prefers – rope, hosepipe, cups with marbles etc. They all help…
Six Big Ideas in Physics
Throughout my 21 years of teaching, physics teachers have been in short supply. There have always been science departments with…
Definitions
Definitio. I. Quantitas materiæ est mensura ejusdem orta ex illius densitate et magnitudine conjunctim. Definition I The quantity of matter…
In Praise of “1000 Facts” Books
Unglamorous, but loved by some, I am writing in praise of geeky fact books. I had lots of these as…
Reading for Learning 