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Inspiring optics

By Jacqueline Hewett

Following on from my previous post about the lack of physics graduates and the skills shortage facing the industry, I wanted to pass on some news that I have just received from the Optical Society of America (OSA). The society has just re-launched its optics education website opticsforkids.org.

According to the OSA, the website has been developed to encourage interest in optics and is pitched at students in primary school through to high school as well as parents and teachers.

I’ve just had a quick look at the website and there seems to be lots on there. I particularly enjoyed the career match quiz which marked me out as an “optical scientist - someone who advances our knowledge and understanding of light by studying how and why it affects the world around us”.

There is also a section called Future Scientists which looks full of stuff you could do to keep your children entertained on a rainy Sunday afternoon and get them interested in optics at the same time.

My favourite so far is the shimmering lenses experiment which involves cutting convex and concave shapes out of jelly. Yes, you did read that right: cutting convex and concave shapes out of jelly. Good luck attempting this feat and no eating the jelly before you have cut your convex and concave lenses out.

I reckon any activity like this can only be a good thing. We really have to try to get youngsters inspired and thinking about optics and science in general.

Posted by Jacqueline Hewett on August 18, 2008 4:11 PM | Permalink