Age of the Terrascope: An Introductory Physics Perspective

Typical Introductory physics courses are devoid of current findings in the discipline. Opening a introductory textbook from 1949, one finds few substantial differences between it, and a text published 70 years later. “Modern physics” is often limited to discoveries and science done in the early years of the 20th century. In this talk, I will summarize some current science; and outline some ideas for meaningful student engagement with these recent publications. The exercises presented can be adapted to meet the needs of a range of difficulty levels in a high school course. I argue that engagement with current physics, is key to meaningful engagement with and building enthusiasm in the discipline.