On April 12th, 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first cosmonaut (or astronaut if you grew up in the West) to orbit the Earth. This event will be celebrated all over the world and I will make a few posts about it as well. However, for now, I would like to post a short animation related […]

As I kept thinking about the water crystal pearls, I realized that I am ready to the next step – to try and understand how these superabsorbent polymers work. My first stop for information was an article in  Wikipedia (thanks to the people who wrote it!). Here is what I found there: Superabsorbent polymers (SAP) […]

Today a Newsletter from the Perimeter Institute happened to cross my desk (I should have said crossed my Desktop). With a great interest I read an article by Dr. Greg Dick who is one of Perimeter Institute Outreach Managers involved in Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Outreach events. In his note, Dr. Dick discusses the […]

In a few short days I will be flying to Cape Town, South Africa to attend the 4h International Conference on Women in Physics organized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. It is a very special opportunity for me as I was chosen to be a member of the Canadian delegation with […]

Many years ago, I lived in the Ukraine… In  1986 (April 26) Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened and even though we lived 500 km East from the disaster, we were able to detect increased levels of radiation… I was 16 then and I remember how my grandfather brought Geiger Counter home to show me how it […]

Being a physics teachers changes you. I think even when you are not teaching, somewhere in the back of your mind, you keep thinking about it. It became apparent to me when I entered a dollar store (a place frequently visited by teachers) and noticed very cool beads. They are sold as handmade 4D Crystal […]

I know I am a few days late, as the Women’s Day was on March 8, yet it is an interesting link from NSERC… Click here. A recent study by the UBC Faculty Association shows that the issue has not been resolved yet and it is far from being resolved… Lots of problems are still […]

Like many of us, I am trying to follow up on what is happening in Japan. I am so sorry for the people in Japan. What a disaster! It is amazing how well Japan is prepared for it, yet, the forces of nature are unbelievably strong. I have never seen anything as powerful as this […]

On Saturday, March 11, two UBC departments in two different Faculties: Physics and Astronomy (Faculty of Science) and Curriculum and Pedagogy (Faculty of Education) collaborated to host the 33rd UBC Physics Olympics. More than 350 students from 55 schools all across British Columbia took part in the event – some of them came by ferry, […]

This TED Video is worth watching for any educator, parent or student. This is what technology can do to change our world!