The Physics of NASCAR: Using Motorsports to Introduce Materials Physics and Physicists

Ask someone on the street what physics is, and they’ll likely mention black holes, astronomy, quarks, or gravitational waves. Condensed matter and materials physics don’t get the same kind of attention, even though those fields affect the average person's daily life a lot more than any black hole.

Given the increasing number of people skeptical about (or actively rejecting) science, it is incumbent upon scientists to reach out to the public. It’s a challenge working with audiences who are ambivalent about science, much less those who start with a negative attitude toward it. Drawing on my decade+ experience using science to engage NASCAR fans via television, books, blogs and SiriusXM Satellite radio, I'll share ideas for reaching these underserved audiences. I’ve used NASCAR to talk about everything from Kevlar and Nomex to the Second Law of Thermodynamics. I conclude that the most important impact of outreach may not be the knowledge per se, but exposing people to scientists and how science is done.