Towards a historical approach to physics education

The purpose of this research is to examine the concept of religion in Gane, a ritual speech which is still alive and practiced by Kulawi ethnic in Sigi regency, Central Sulawesi. Nowadays, Gane ritual speech is no longer in demand by most of the Kulawi ethnic, especially the educated young generation, because they have been eroded by the influence of modernization and globalization in addition to the influence of the entry of religion held by the majority of the Kulawi ethnic today and modern education. The text of Gane is obtained from a ritual speech named Polinaki which is contained in traditional wedding in Kulawi. The text is analyzed qualitatively using behavioral semiotic approach proposed by Charles Morris. Behavioral semiotic is creating a particular action or behavior to achieve a certain goal and applying syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic dimensions for analyzing a text. The results show that in syntactic dimension, Gane is a text with literary style consisting of unique characteristics in terms of structure, function, and meanings. In semantic dimension, Gane holds contextual, emotive, conative, and poetic meanings observed through its function. In pragmatic dimension, the impacts of Gane influence the perception and conception of religion.

As a type of symbol, there are four dimensions in icons’ symbolic interpretation, namely semantic, syntactic, contextual and pragmatic dimension. Among those dimensions, semantic dimension is the most important one in user’s cognitive analysis. Based on the representation of semantics, icons can be classified into four types, namely function-metaphor, operation-metaphor, object-metaphor and meaning-metaphor icon. Here we conducted behavioral experiment and eye-tracking experiment to evaluate those four types of icons selected from military aeronautical system. The behavioral experiment showed that subjects have lowest reaction time to function-metaphor icons and highest accuracy to identify object-metaphor icons. The eye-tracking system showed that subjects have the most fixations when searching for object-metaphor icons and the least fixations when searching for function-metaphor icons. Our research is the first endeavor into the investigation of human’s response to different types of icons in the military systems and thus provided novel and valuable guidance to the design of icons in those systems.

With the advent of the “her economy” era, the new energy automobile market has also ushered in the “her era”, and female consumers have gradually become the main force of domestic and foreign vehicle consumption, thus contributing to the sustainable and rapid development of many female new energy automobile market segments. In this context, this study explores the icon cognitive preferences of female drivers based on gender differences in icon cognition by taking the human–machine interface icons in new energy automobiles as a case study. Firstly, we conducted behavioral response experiments and facial electromyography experiments on 20 male and female participants to analyze their cognitive preferences for icons by combining the four dimensions of “semantic dimension, conceptual dimension, contextual dimension and pragmatic dimension”. The results showed that the four−dimensional graphic deconstruction format had a significant effect on the improvement of icon recognition performance. At the same time, we designed 10 formats of icons as experimental stimulus materials and combined them with subjective scales to jointly explore the reasons for the bias of different gender participants towards icons. The results show that there are significant gender differences in icon perception on a four−dimensional basis, with males more likely to be disturbed by icon constituent elements (semantic dimension), while females are more likely to be disturbed by icon metaphors (semantic dimension) and usage environment and interface context (contextual dimension). This study helps to explore the best balance between studying women’s driving experiences in new energy vehicles and the sustainable product life cycle, and then improve the accuracy of women drivers’ decision−making behavior in new energy vehicles to ensure driving safety.

Many of today’s technological devices are grounded in theories of modern and contemporary physics (MCP). Their introduction into the high school classroom often requires access to sophisticated equipment. This is a difficult situation for public schools in Brazil, where the cost of implementing such laboratories is considered very high. This article introduces and discusses the concept of a Remote Access Laboratory for Modern Physics. This lab is possible because of the internet. It was designed to facilitate the teaching of modern physics in high school. Upon entering the laboratory, the physics teacher has the possibility to perform experiments in modern physics remotely. The lab is configured with remote cameras and automated devices to provide telepresence to attendees. The experiment used in this research was a cloud chamber, which detected cosmic rays and particles from a radioactive source. Two teachers and 150 students from two public high schools participated in this research. The lesson plan was developed to ensure a sequence of activities in the classroom. To evaluate our activities, we conducted interviews with the teachers and applied questionnaires to the students. We identified that after the activity was carried out by the students a greater demand for information on Physics on the internet. In addition, among the capabilities of the recognized laboratory, we mentioned the connection of MCP events to the students’ daily lives. The report of the participating teachers presents a favourable view towards the adoption of this initiative in the classroom for the introduction of modern and contemporary physics.

With a small grant and a good idea, a group of Virginia physics teachers is working in a remote area of Zambia to prevent physics education from becoming a victim of the AIDS pandemic.

What has become of reality in modern physics?

Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar as traduções, do português do Brasil para o inglês, dos diminutivos presentes no filme Central do Brasil, a fim de aferir a adequação das estratégias de tradução utilizadas. Utilizam-se como referencial teórico os estudos de Santos (2001), Schneider (2003), Adams (2001), Armelin (2011) e Chaves (2006) para apresentar uma breve descrição da formação do diminutivo tanto no português quanto no inglês do ponto de vista morfossintático. A partir dessa descrição, introduzem-se as dimensões semântica e pragmática de diminutivos segundo os estudos de Turunen (2008, 2009) e Alves (2006). Após a conclusão dessas duas etapas, uma análise das legendas em inglês foi realizada levando-se em consideração essas duas dimensões. Os resultados mostram que nem todos os diminutivos presentes no filme foram traduzidos de forma correta ou foram traduzidos de modo incompleto. A maior dificuldade é traduzir o tom, ou seja, a dimensão pragmática. Há simetrias completas das duas dimensões para apenas algumas categorias de diminutivos entre o português e o inglês. Conclui-se que, por um lado, é necessário adotar outras estratégias que não sejam as de uso de diminutivos para a tradução, devido à ausência de simetrias completas dessas dimensões; por outro, é necessário o tradutor dominar conhecimentos de diminutivos tanto em português como em inglês e encontrar as simetrias completas possíveis das duas dimensões semântica e pragmática para as categorias de diminutivos possíveis entre o português e o inglês para uma tradução mais adequada.

The aim is to show the partial-results of an epistemic-conceptual broadening project focused on three types of dialogical relationships resulting from a higher interculturaleducation research: a) semantic dimension, b) pragmatic dimension, and c) syntactic dimension. The methodology consists of discourse analysis of a sample composed bydata collected ethnographically (15 interviews to students, 1 classroom autoobservation by a female teacher, and 1 transcription of a forum where alumni participated) from the point of view of Cultural Studies. Theoretical references such as postcolonialism, interculturalism and identity grammars are used. The conclusion is that in a grammar for interculturalization it is possible to establish a superposition between a) and a1) logical level of the language, b) y b1) idiom, and c) y c1) rhetorical level of the language, contributing with particular emic examples from Mexico.

Dōgen is among the few authors from historic Japan who have received substantial attention in modern philosophical discourse. His thought on time figures prominently in this regard. Association between Uji 有時, the title of his short instruction on the subject, and Heidegger’s Being and Time has facilitated this integration into modern philosophical discourse. It is customary in this discourse to treat Dōgen’s writings as philosophical texts. Against this tendency, I apply the concept of ‘frames of equivalence’ from translation studies and demonstrate how the philosophical mode of reading leads to substantial shifts in all three dimensions of the semiotic process. In the pragmatic dimension, the religious impetus of Dōgen’s texts is toned down to an appeal in favor of certain epistemological and ontological commitments. In the syntactic dimension, the formal organization of his texts is ignored, obfuscating the overall structure and intent of his argument. Given the context-dependency of meaning, this leads to significant shifts in the semantic dimension as well. I argue that paying attention to frames of equivalence in reading Dōgen serves to identify creative investments and inadvertent projections. This prepares the ground for historically more accurate interpretations and prevents the misappropriation of ‘enlightened’ authority for philosophical hypothesizing.

O ensino de Física vem ao longo dos anos passando por diversos desafios e dificuldades. Visando melhorar o ensino e aprendizagem dos alunos, tem-se buscado gerar novas abordagens que promovam a aprendizagem significativa. Devido incontáveis fatores, o ensino de Física Moderna nas escolas de Ensino médio tem sido deixado em segundo plano, fazendo com que os alunos não vivenciem esta área fundamental da Física. Este artigo tem como objetivo contribuir com o ensino de Física Moderna, em escolas estaduais da cidade de Bragança-PA, buscando mostrar aos alunos os conceitos fundamentais da Física Moderna de maneira simples e contextualizada com o apoio do filme Interestelar. O trabalho foi realizado nos períodos de abril a dezembro de 2017, na escola estadual Rio Caeté, sendo dividido em três etapas: Etapa I, constituída de uma avaliação diagnóstica e aulas de Física Moderna; Etapa II, Filme Interestelar e avaliação conceitual; Etapa III; aulas de física Moderna com um novo olhar, avaliação final e pesquisa de opinião. O projeto levanta discussões pertinentes a respeito do uso da avaliação diagnóstica, o uso de filmes no ensino da Física e mostra o sentimento dos alunos a respeito do ensino e aprendizagem de Física, mostrando em seus resultados uma amostragem considerável de aprendizagem significativa e evidenciando que é necessário criar novas formas de transmitir o conhecimento visando à aprendizagem significativa.

This article aims to critically analyse the concept of the development of science, as proposed by Wojciech Sady in the work Struktura rewolucji relatywistycznej i kwantowej w fizyce [The Structure of the Relativity and Quantum Revolution in Physics]. The author uses Ludwik Fleck’s concept of thought styles and thought collectives to analyse the problem of how two great scientific revolutions took place in 20th-Century physics in terms of the rise of quantum theory and special relativity. Sady argues that the way of thinking of scientists is determined by the particular thought style in which they were educated, and that great scientific discoveries are not the result of “creative imagination”, but a product of deductive reasoning, in which scholars closely adhere to the formalism of mathematical theory and the results of experiments. Therefore, scientific discovery in physics is made “on paper” rather than “in the mind of a scientist.” In the “battle of equations with the imagination,” equations always win, and scientific discovery is more a result of the work of a scientific community than solitary geniuses, and can only be made at the right time in history, called the “discoverygenic situation.” The concept of the development of science presented in The Structure is directed against the incommensurability thesis and the indeterminacy thesis.

Urgency of the research. The evolutionary path of transformation prevented the destruction of traditionally accepted ways of organizing collective interaction, so the issue of socio-historical dynamics of the formation of a certain system of social life undoubtedly remains relevant. Target setting. The basis of the social order is created by the typology of social action, which has a historical character and is manifested in various social structures. Hence the idea of combining social and spiritual-cultural projects of society formation in the philosophy of theism, and the process of their implementation provides a mechanism for conceptualizing holistic social order. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. The sources of our research were the works of such famous thinkers as M. Weber, J. Dewey, E. Durkheim, N. Luhmann, T. Parsons and others. Theoretical and methodological analysis of the concept "social activity - spirituality - culture" is presented in the works of such domestic scientists as A. Yermolenko, S. Krymskyi, M. Popovych and many others. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. The analysis of the complex problem of solving the phenomenon of formation of the ideal typology of social action with the help of the spiritual and practical potential of philosophical theism is carried out in the scientific literature for the first time. The research objective. To investigate the phenomenon of social action in the constructions of the philosophy of theism. The statement of basic materials. The national cultural space includes a complex configuration of a combination of value-rational actions, which ensures the formation of the characteristic features of the national tradition of building a social form of life. Philosophical theism has a huge culturological and social significance, because due to the differential set of its forms it acts as a mediator between religious principles and socio-cultural environment. Conclusions. The ideas of philosophical theism are always in the nature of philosophical conceptualization, which is carried out on the basis of a certain religious and cultural tradition and has a specific historical and semantic dimension. Philosophical theism, thanks to the possibilities of forming an ideal typology of social action, provides a process of unique combination of the spiritual potential of the Christian tradition and the modern socio-legal structure of basic European values to ensure fundamentally stable foundations of social order.

This study discusses how to transform physics content into instructional content using the Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER). The MER is a popular method of lesson design because it gives equal attention to the content of physics to be learned other than students’ cognitive, affective, and learning processes. This model is from the German-Didaktik tradition, which is influenced by constructivism and is nearly unknown in Malaysia. According to this perspective, knowledge is derived through human reconstruction, and every young learner has intuitive knowledge prior to entering a formal classroom. As a result, in order to meet students’ needs in a balanced manner, teachers must elementarize physics content and integrate it with students’ alternative conceptions. This study focused on energy concepts to determine how effective MER is. With the complexity and difficulty of the dual meaning of energy, physics teachers must devise efficient teaching techniques to bridge the gap between energy in everyday language and scientific concepts. Thus, the researchers evaluated 15 significant papers to determine scientists’ understanding of energy; interviewed 12 secondary school physics students to get their alternative conceptions; and re-analyzed 23 earlier studies on the same topic. This paper is exclusively on natural concepts and energy fundamentals, and it found physicists and students had a significant understanding gap. As a result, the contradiction in understanding of the energy concepts must be applied to the development of an energy lesson plan by narrowing the gap between physicists’ and students’ understanding.

The revolution in XX century physics, induced by relativity theories, had its roots within the electromagnetic conception of Nature. It was developed through a tradition related to Brunian and Leibnizian physics, to the German Naturphilosophie and English XIXth physics. The electromagnetic conception of Nature was in some way realized by the relativistic dynamics of Poincare of 1905. Einstein, on the contrary, after some years, linked relativistic dynamics to a semi-mechanist conception of Nature. He developed general relativity theory on the same ground, but Hilbert formulated it starting from the electromagnetic conception of Nature. Here, a comparison between these two conceptions is proposed in order to understand the conceptual foundations of special relativity within the context of the changing world views. The whole history of physics as well as history of science can be considered as a conflict among different worldviews. Every theory, as well as every different formulation of a theory implies a different worldview: a particular image of Nature implies a particular image of God (atheism too has a particular image of God) as well as of mankind and of their relationship. Thus, it is very relevant for scientific education to point out which image of Nature belongs to a particular formulation of a theory, which image comes to dominate and for which ideological reason.

Spinoza was the first to understand that modern philosophy, with its new conception of nature, issued an enormous challenge to Judaism as it had been interpreted in the Jewish philosophical tradition, with which he was intimately familiar. Spinoza thematized the conception of nature articulated in modern physics and metaphysics, and the disjunction between nature so conceived and law. Thus he undermined the connection drawn hitherto within Jewish philosophy between Torah and nature. This chapter brings this challenge into focus by thematizing the role of Sinai in some strands of Jewish philosophy. Some brief remarks on the linkage between Sinai and nature in the Maimonidean tradition well-known to Spinoza will enable author to characterize the challenge of modernity and to show both that Mendelssohn's pioneering response was problematic, and that it contained the seeds of two contrasting approaches developed by twentieth century Jewish thinkers. Keywords: Jewish philosophy; Judaism; Maimonidean tradition; Mendelssohn; Revelation; Sinai; Spinoza; Torah