Other Physics Commons^™

Rockin’ Rover On The Rainbow Road, Michael Kolta, Lawrence Burgee, Ying Yuan

Transformations

This paper presents a progressive series of age-appropriate lesson plans for grades K-12 that all use the same interdisciplinary activity to educate students about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) simultaneously. Technology from Texas Instruments (TI) was employed including a TI Nspire graphing calculator that can run Python programs, a TI Innovator Hub, and a TI Rover. The TI Rover is a small, robotic car that has sensors and is controlled by the calculator via the Hub hardware interface. A Python program was developed that uses the color sensor in the Rover to detect the color on colored paper …

Between Chronicle And Legend: A Two-Scene Environment And Visual Effects Examination Of Physical Accuracy And Emotional Exaggeration On The Honey Creek Bridge Collapse, Alison R. Gaddy

All Theses

This thesis explores how truth and dramatization intersect in digital storytelling by comparing realistic and stylized simulations of the Honey Creek bridge collapse within the context of the Kate Shelley animated short. At the core of storytelling lies a tension between factual accuracy and dramatic stylization. We investigate that tension by examining how narrative truth is conveyed, distorted, or enhanced through visual dramatization by focusing on the psychology of audience perception and the motivations behind creative embellishment. The practical contribution of this research is the development of two distinct digital scene setups depicting the same Honey Creek bridge collapse event. …

From Vibration To Visualization: Building An Real-Time Audio Visualization System For Learning And Exploration Using Pyqt5, Aidan Roach

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This paper presents the design, development, and analysis of my real-time audio visualization system created entirely in Python using PyQt5, called WaveCatcher. The system captures live audio input from a microphone and provides simultaneous visual feedback through multiple signal representations: including a time-domain waveform, a frequency-domain FFT spectrum, a scrolling spectrogram, harmonic peak visualization, dynamic range, amplitude envelope, spectral centroid, and spectral bandwidth. These features offer insight not just into the raw structure of sound, but into how humans perceive its qualities–like timbre! This terminology may seem intimidating—it certainly was when I first began learning it—but I’ll explain all of …

Form And Fusion: The Art And Science Of Ceramics And Glass, Juniper J. Bauroth-Sherman, Kaleigh Evans

Interdivisional Studies Presentations

The first Ceramics & Art class (IDS-110-F: ST: Ceramics) has completed an immersive, interdisciplinary exploration of stained glass and we’re excited to showcase it now. Through hands-on studio work, experiments, and design projects, we combined artistic expression with the science of glass—learning how physics and chemistry shape everything from color to strength and light interaction. The students have developed practical skills in cutting, grinding, foiling, soldering, and assembling stained-glass pieces, while also experimenting with thermal stress, light transmission, and color chemistry. Glass is now understood as not just as an art form, but as a dynamic material grounded in scientific …

Guitar Amplifier Directivity, Rachel C. Edelman, Brian E. Anderson, Samuel D. Bellows, Timothy W. Leishman

Directivity

No abstract provided.

Moderate Physical Perspectivalism, Emily Adlam

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Recent developments in the foundations of physics have given rise to a class of views suggesting that physically meaningful descriptions must always be relativized to a physical perspective. In this article, I distinguish between strong physical perspectivalism, which maintains that all facts must be relativized to a perspective, and moderate physical perspectivalism, which maintains that all empirically meaningful descriptions must be relativized to a perspective. I argue that scientific evidence and philosophical considerations support moderate physical perspectivalism over strong physical perspectivalism. In particular, motivations connected to epistemic humility and the social nature of science are more compatible with the moderate …

Synchronicity: An Analysis Of Einstein's Halfway Rule, Preslava Nikolova

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

For the modern world to function, Global Positioning System satellites must synchronize to clocks on Earth. This paper examines a concept that underlies GPS systems, namely Albert Einstein’s halfway rule—the idea that a line of simultaneity exists between two events in different systems. This essay discusses how Einstein used conventionalist methods to establish ½ as a constant value for σ to take advantage of the property of symmetry.

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Trumpet Directivity From A Rotating Semicircular Array, Samuel D. Bellows, Joseph E. Avila, Timothy W. Leishman

Directivity

The directivity function of a played musical instrument describes the angular dependence of its acoustic radiation and diffraction about the instrument, musician, and musician’s chair. Directivity influences sound in rehearsal, performance, and recording environments and signals in audio systems. Because high-resolution, spherically comprehensive measurements of played musical instruments have been unavailable in the past, the authors have undertaken research to produce and share such data for studies of musical instruments, simulations of acoustical environments, optimizations of microphone placements, and other applications. The authors acquired the data from repeated chromatic scales produced by a trumpet played at mezzo-forte in an anechoic …

Have Underground Radiation Measurements Refuted The Orch Or Theory?: Comment On “At The Crossroad Of The Search For Spontaneous Radiation And The Orch Or Consciousness Theory”, Kelvin J. Mcqueen

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

"In [1] it is claimed that, based on radiation emission measurements described in [2], a certain 'variant' of the Orch OR theory has been refuted. I agree with this claim. However, the significance of this result for Orch OR per se is unclear. After all, the refuted 'variant' was never advocated by anyone, and it contradicts the views of Hameroff and Penrose (hereafter: HP) who invented Orch OR [3].

My aim is to get clear on this situation. I argue that it is indeed reasonable to speak of 'variants' here. Orch OR is not a complete model of reality but …

Gamelan Gong Directivity Dataset, Samuel D. Bellows, Dallin T. Harwood, Kent L. Gee, Micah R. Shepherd

Directivity

No abstract provided.

More On The Demons Of Thermodynamics, Daniel P. Sheehan, Garret Moddel, James W. Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Uniaxial Compressive Response And Inelastic Deformation Mechanisms In Freeze Cast Alumina-Epoxy Composites Without And With Rigid Confinement, Tareq Aljuhari

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cellular ceramics have an array of improved mechanical properties that make them incredibly desired for different applications such as armor systems, aircraft structures, automobiles bumpers, and biomedical implants. It is also desirable that porous architecture could be shaped into bulk complicated shapes and easy to scale-up with low manufacturing cost. Despite several efficient techniques to fabricate cellular ceramics, some limitations are preventing us from meeting the high demand of the after mentioned applications. For that, freeze casting, also called ice-templating, is technique of solidifying an aqueous ceramic suspension under the effect of unidirectional temperature gradient. In this study, Ice-templated porous …

Kemar Hats Head Orientation Directivity, Samuel D. Bellows, Timothy W. Leishman

Directivity

This directivity data set for a KEMAR head head-and-torso simulator (HATS) includes head orientations in 14 directions in 5° steps starting from 0° to 40° and then in 10° steps from 40° to 90°. The full spherical measurements followed at an a = 0.97 m radius with the mouth aperture at the spherical center. The sampling density and distribution followed the AES 5° dual-equiangular sampling standard, omitting the south pole (θ = 180°). Thus, each spherical directivity assessment included 36 polar-angle θ samples and 72 azimuthal-angle ϕ samples. The presented data include 22 1/3-octave bands, ranging from 80 Hz …

The Meaning Of Dark, Light And Shadows: Inferences In Art, Materiality And Cultural Practices, Frank Prendergast

Book/Book Chapter

Our visual awareness relies on light acting on the eye to perceive materiality and colour. Medieval thought wrestled to articulate and comprehend its nature. The notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, for example, included his descriptions to define light and make comparisons so as to differentiate between light and shadow. His focus was on the illumination of surfaces from the perspective of a painter, seeing shadows as ‘the diminution of light by the intervention of an opaque body’ and ‘the counterpart of luminous rays’. In his mind, a shadow ‘stood between light and darkness’, with darkness being ‘the absence of light’. …

Solutions For Fermi Questions, January 2022: Question 1: Snow Volume; Question 2: Longbow Arrow Velocity, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Parallels Of Quantum Mechanics And Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy: An Argument For Relational Quantum Mechanics, Axel I. Palapa

CMC Senior Theses

Western orthodoxy philosophy is based on the principle of noncontradiction and thus, the philosophy of science is as well. The most prominent interpretations of quantum mechanics, since its inception, have followed this principle. In this paper, two quantum phenomena, the Observer Problem (measurement problem) and quantum entanglement will be analyzed from a Mahayana Buddhism ontological perspective. I will analyze the mathematical and philosophical arguments proposed by Graham Priest and Jay Garfield, based on dialethism, pertaining to Nagarjuna and the Net of Indra. Demonstrating the parallels and adaptability of the arguments to further the philosophical groundwork for Carlo Reveille’s Relational Quantum …

Once Upon A Party - An Anecdotal Investigation, Vijay Fafat

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Mathematicians and Physicists attending let-your-hair-down parties behave exactly like their own theories. They live by their theorems, they jive by their theorems. Life imitates their craft, and we must simply observe the deep truths hiding in their party-going behavior...

Developing A Music Composition Practice: Exploring The Choreography Of Cymatics, Joshua Jervis

Theses : Honours

Cymatics is an area of physics popularised by Hans Jenny that observes the influence of sound but more simply vibration on physical matter. When sound is directly applied to a substance, for example, water, the vibrations create kaleidoscopic movement within the medium. Specific variables primarily of pitch, container size, and water volume contribute to creating a variety of geometric shapes. Without sound cymatics does not exist and is, therefore, a visual characteristic of sound itself.

With an investigation into the behaviour and application of cymatics, this research uses the findings of an investigation to develop a ‘choreographical’ language that can …

Drawing Parallels In Art Science For Collaborative Learning: A Case Study, Karen Westland

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This research paper explores drawing as a tool to facilitate interdisciplinary practice. Outlined is the personal experience of PhD researcher [name removed] in their physics/craft research project, combined with thoughts and opinions from collaborators gathered through group discursive interviews. Interdisciplinary projects face interpersonal and conceptually ambiguous challenges which can be addressed through adopting drawing techniques for educational purposes. Findings highlight that drawing can assist across a breadth of applications as a learning tool for everyone, regardless of drawing ability, to improve the functionality of collaborative projects. Specifically, drawing combined with other communication techniques develops a performative communicative approach that enriches …

The Crisis Of Communication In The Information Age: Revisiting C.P. Snow's Two Cultures In The Era Of Fake News, Aaron Green

Irish Communication Review

The purpose of this paper is to revisit C.P. Snow’s “Two Cultures” lecture in light of the cultural dominance of information technology. The crisis of communication in the information age, whether in fake news, political polarisation or science denial, has come about because both scientific and literary cultures, in seeking a world without entropy, have inadvertently stumbled upon a world without meaning. In order to explain how this has happened, the paper first explores Snow's challenge: to describe the second law of thermodynamics. The paper then provides a description of entropy that is neutral with regard to thermodynamics and information, …

An Analysis Of The Debate Over Creation, Evolution, And The Timeline Of The Universe At An Ecumenical Christian University, Mason Pohlman

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

Throughout a significant portion of history and within modern culture, the fields of science and religion appear to be competing for the same holds in a person’s belief system. Universities are where academics and the sciences are the prevailing held truth, while in churches, the Bible reigns as supreme authority. However, in a Christian academic setting, the predominate school of thought in belief systems might turn into a little more of a melting pot. By analyzing gathered personal data (via surveys and interviews), one can begin to piece together the predominate thoughts on the apparent conflict between religion and science …

Performing Near Field Acoustic Holography Scans For The Purpose Of Finding The Acoustic Impedance Of A Violin, Zamara Tomko

Student Research, Papers, and Creative Works

This project aimed to measure the acoustic impedance of the violin so that the violin can be better understood from an acoustic standpoint. Near field acoustic holography scans are to be conducted at the open A string resonance of the violin (440 Hz). Pressure microphones along the back plate of the violin allow pressure and particle velocity to be measured, and with that, the acoustic impedance to be calculated and mapped in 1 cm x 1cm increments. This work presents a guide for this procedure. The set-up method and materials used are detailed and the analysis and computations of values …

Foreword To Relativizing Newton, Vernon L. Smith

Economics Faculty Books and Book Chapters

A foreword to Ramzi Suleiman's book Relativizing Newton.

Sympathetic Physics: The Keely Motor And The Laws Of Thermodynamics In Nineteenth-Century Culture, Robert Macdougall

History Publications

In Philadelphia in the 1870s, John Worrell Keely announced the invention of a fantastic new motor that could, he promised, drive locomotives, power factories, and even defy gravity without fuel or heat. The Keely Motor became the most notorious perpetual motion scheme of the nineteenth century, attracting believers and investors for nearly thirty years. This article explores the “work” the motor performed for Keely, his supporters, and his critics—not physical work, but financial, cultural, and psychological. To investors, the Keely Motor represented a dream of riches without effort. To Keely’s critics, the motor offered an opportunity to defend the legitimacy …

Comforting With Mathematics: A Case Study, Michael J. Goldstein

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Death by suicide often leaves behind grieving family members with unanswered questions. Of these concerns, fear that their loved one suffered or felt regret is common. When the method of suicide was jumping from height, that answer can easily be determined using basic kinematics. Despite the perception that mathematics is a cold, calculating field, it can provide a clear, definitive answer and comfort those left behind.

The Property Of Mass: An Interdisciplinary Metaphysical Investigation, Benjamin Hayworth

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The property of mass as used in the physical sciences is somewhat of a metaphysical conundrum. Not only has the definition of mass changed with various paradigm shifts in physics, but the powers belonging to the property have also varied. In my study, I begin by examining the historical context surrounding the term, including the changes to its definition. In doing so, it is revealed that various definitions of mass are used and circulated in general discussion, so a cogent criterion of identity is established by which each definition can be measured. After determining the distinctions between each mass term, …

Saving The Physics Ii: Who Needs To Be Saved? It Depends On Your Metaphysics, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Physics does not need to be saved. If anything, physics was rescued in the early twentieth century with the advancement of both the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics. What needs to be saved is our world outlook or metaphysics because how a society acts and develops depends on what its belief systems are. Here we explore how a new metaphysics where consciousness is fundamental might just be what modern societies need.

Jaguar Sun, Anya Nadal

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Cymatics, is derived from a Greek word, meaning "wave", is a subset of modal vibrational phenomena. The term was coined by Hans Jenny, a Swiss follower of the philosophical school known as anthroposophy. This is a visual representation of the frequency field. I created this piece from acrylic on canvas based on the subtle energies I can see and feel.

Tests For Intrinsicness Tested, Kelvin J. Mcqueen, René Van Woudenberg

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Various tests have been proposed as helps to identify intrinsic properties. This paper compares three prominent tests (we call them Perfect Duplication, Real Change, and Lonely) and shows that they fail to pass adequate verdicts on a set of three properties. The paper examines whether improved versions of the tests can reduce or remove these negative outcomes. We reach the sceptical conclusion that whereas some of the tests must be discarded as inadequate because they don’t yield definite results, the remaining tests depend for their application on the details of fundamental particle physics so much so that they cannot be …