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1. National Science Week events
a) Tonight, 14th August at Swinburne. Town Hall meeting with Monique Ryan on STEM
Melbourne-based STEM professionals are invited to a town hall-style meeting with Dr Monique Ryan, the Federal Member for Kooyong. This is a fantastic opportunity for people working in STEM to discuss matters of science and policy with a current policy-maker.

Moderated by Dr Ben McAllister, a Swinburne Research Fellow, the aim of the meeting is to generate connections and increased information exchange between people working in STEM and policy.
The event starts at 7:30pm in ATC 101 at the Hawthorn campus, click here for more details. Need to Book

b) Darkness Visible Down Under: The Search for Dark Matter in Australia. Thurs, 18th August, 6:30pm, Swinburne University.
Decades of relentless research has led astronomers to a staggering conclusion - the existence of a new, enigmatic type of mass, invisible yet surpassing everything we can see by an astonishing fivefold. In this public lecture, Swinburne astrophysicist Professor Alan Duffy, will explain what we know about this mysterious dark matter, a substance we are actually yet to find. He will also share how Australia is playing a leading role in uncovering the nature of dark matter with SABRE, the world’s first dark matter detector in the Southern Hemisphere located in the Stawell gold mine. Join Prof Duffy as he explores one of the most profound challenges in the area of physical sciences this century. To book, click here.

c) Making Materials on the Moon, Tues, 15th Aug, 4pm, Swinburne University

d) Reach for the **Stars** Briars Astronomy Centre and Mount Martha Observatory, Friday evenings. Check link for dates. run by Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society.

e) A Play written by ChatGPT, Sunday, 20th August, 7pm, North Melbourne.

Other NSW events can be searched here.

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2. Survey on Teaching Science Inquiry Skills.
The University of Melbourne is conducting a survey of Year 7 - 8 Science teachers on the teaching of science inquiry skills. The survey only takes 15 - 20 minutes and is mainly multiple-choice questions and you can remain anonymous..
Can you please pass this item on to your colleagues.
This is the link to the survey. The QR code in this image will also take you there. The survey is being organised by Emma Stevenson.

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3. What path does an object on a string moving in a circle take, immediately after releasing the string?
This youtube video (18 min) uses high speed video to analyse this situation with surprising results. After introducing the question and posing possible answers, the presenter, David Jackson, (Youtube channel 'All Things Physics') shows and discusses the motion of a hanging slinky after release. He then attaches a ball to the end of the slinky to get the same result. This raises the question, what would be the motion of a ball on the end of spring that was moving in a circle when the spring is released. He then shows high speed video of what happens. He also replaces the spring with elastic cords and strings.

The presentation is very skilful and logical. Although he momentarily mentions centrifugal and coriolis forces, Year 12 students will get a lot out of the video.

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4. A Beamline for Schools - A CERN Competition
The competition is open to teams of high-school students from all around the world. The winning teams are invited (free of expenses) to a particle physics accelerator, either CERN or DESY, to run their experiment. Teams must have at least five students with at least one adult team coach. At most nine students and two coaches per winning team will be invited to the experimental facility. Teams may be composed of students from a single school, or a number of schools working together.
The 2023 program has been completed. There were 5 entries from Australia among 379 entries from 63 countries. It is possible to start planning for 2024 now.
Based on this year's dates, the dates for the 2024 program are likely to be:

Entries due: Mid April, 2024.
Shortlist announced June. 27 entries receive special prizes.
Visit to CERN or DESY: Two winning teams spend two weeks at CERN. A third team goes to DESY in Hamburg. The visits are nominally invited at the end of September, although any successful Australian or NZ team could argue for December or January after the school year. All expenses are paid.

Support: Teams are allowed a team coach. It should be possible for the Australian Synchrotron to assist in a number of ways.
The website, has extensive information about the competition, FAQ's, previous competitions, videos, etc.
Considering entering? Schools can work together and a team can have up to nine students., so if you are interested in collaborating, please email Vicphysics and we will facilitate initial contact.

5. PHYSCON 2024: 23rd February, 2024. Call for presenters

Victorian Physics Teachers' Conference Friday, 23rd February, 2024 at Swinburne University of Technology

Call for Sessions:
After the buzz of PHYSCON 2023, Vicphysics is really looking forward to presenting another hybrid conference for Physics teachers in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology. The mix of local, national and international presenters and participants made for an excellent event.

For PHYSCON 2024 we are scheduling four workshop sessions in addition to innovative and inspiring keynotes from quantum specialist Dr Liam Hall and astronomer Dr Sara Webb, check our PHYSCON 2024 webpage for details.
We will be live streaming as many suitable sessions as possible, so that the experience is accessible to all physics teachers. Participants will also be able to attend important VCAA update sessions and presentations from the Chief Assessor of the VCE Physics examination.
We welcome your submissions of workshop proposals here as soon as possible so that we can build an event that inspires and invigorates all teachers of physics.
Closing date for submitting workshops is Monday, 28th August.

Conference fees:

Type	Early Bird	After 20th Dec
In Person	$320	$350
Online	$270	$300

Discounts:

Individual Vicphysics Subscribers: $50
Student and Retiree Subscribers: $100
School Vicphysics subscribers: $10

Registrations will open in early September.

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6. Events for Students

a) . Physics Gymnasium Lecture for Students: Weekly on Thursdays at University of Melbourne
The University is holding its lecture series again this year. This year they will be held a week apart. The first one was last Thursday. Details of the final lecture in the series are now available.
The remaining lectures in the program are:

Aug 17^th: The Strangeness of Heat – Prof. Andrew Melatos. What do rubber bands, DNA molecules, star clusters in the Milky Way, demons (of the Maxwell kind), and computers have in common?
Aug 24^th: Quantum Computers – Approaching Fast – Prof. Lloyd Hollenberg. Bring a laptop and join Prof Hollenberg as he introduces you to just enough quantum mechanics to start programming a quantum computer!
Aug 31^st: Light and Matter – Prof. Harry Quiney Exploring the photon - is it a wave or a particle? Could it be both? Take a journey into the amazing world of the photon. Its history, present and future (In person and live-streamed)
Sept 7^th: Using Stars to Awaken the Giants at the Heart of Galaxies – How Unlucky Stars Reinvigorate Black Holes – Assoc. Prof. Katie Auchettl. What happens when a star wanders too close to a supermassive black hole just minding its own business? It gets messy!. Join us as Associate Professor Katie Auchettl unpacks this rare, but sticky situation and explains how observing them can help us understand more about these hungry behemoths.

They are mostly live in-person only events, except for 31st August and they will be held in the Hercus Theatre.
At 5:30pm, there will be snacks and drinks with the lecture starting at 6:00pm and finishing at 7:00pm
To register click here.

Girls in Physics Breakfasts in 2023
Below are the dates and venues for the remaining Term 3 Breakfasts with the speakers and their topics.

25th August, Ballarat. Speaker: Dr Taissa Danilovich, Monash University, Topic: Molecules in Space
1st September, Bendigo. Speaker: Dr Amanda Karakas, Monash University Topic: Stars as chemical element factories

The cost this year is $20 per student, the first teacher attends for free. There is a discount to $5 for low ICSEA schools, you need to contact Vicphysics to request the discount.
For more details and to book go to the Vicphysics website.

Swinburne Innovation Challenge
Swinburne University of Technology’s Innovation Challenge gives high ability students in years 10 to 12 an opportunity to extend their learning in Applied Innovation through an eight-week challenge and on-campus experience.
To start the program, students will form multidisciplinary teams (STEM, sociology, media, etc) of 4-6 and select a challenge to address related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.(Examples not provided)
After forming their teams and selecting the challenge focus, students will attend a half-day on-campus experience at Swinburne’s Hawthorn Campus (13th Sept).

After the on-campus experience, students will return to school and work in their teams to refine their idea and create a final pitch. Final pitches are submitted in the form of a 1-2 min video and a panel of Swinburne experts will evaluate them and award prizes in a range of categories. Swinburne support is available.

Cost: There are no details, but it seems to be free to Gov't school teams. The program is repeated later in the year.
For more information and to register click here. This flyer has more details.

Revision Lecture: Sunday, 10th September. Online and in person at Swinburne University of Technology
The Revision lecture this year will be delivered on-line and in person. The presenter will be Colin Hopkins, with chat room support for online participants from Sandor Kazi and Paul Cuthbert.
The program will run from 10:00am until 2:50pm with two 50 min morning presentations and a 10 min break in between, followed by a 60 min lunch break, with two more 50 min sessions in the afternoon.
Swinburne University is not only providing lunch, but also offering 25 min Astro Tours and campus tours at lunch time. They will also have Course Advice booths in the lunch area.
Notes will be available in a digital format.
Cost: $25, payment by credit card only. If schools wish to book a large group, please contact Vicphysics.
Venue: Level 2, AMDC Building, Swinburne University of Technology, Burwood Rd, Hawthorn.
Students can register for the lecture and the tours at the Students webpage on the vicphysics website.
Getting there: Glenferrie railway station, Six tram routes (16, 48, 70, 72, 75 and 109). Free car parking across Burwood Rd in the council car park.

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7. Events for Teachers

Talk, Dinner and Catching Up: ChatGPT and Physics Teaching and learning - Friend or Foe? , 6pm, Weds, 30th August at the Auburn Hotel

The Vicphysics Teachers’ Network invites physics teachers and others interested in physics education to gather in an informal setting for a series of dinners with a guest speaker. The guest speakers will address diverse topics touching on curriculum, pedagogy and the discipline itself. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussion and network with colleagues over dinner.

The next occasion will be Wednesday, 30th August at the Auburn Hotel at 85 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn starting at 6:00pm.

Topic: ChatGPT and Physics Teaching and learning - Friend of Foe?
Speaker: Prof Andrew Greentree from RMIT, Andy is a theoretical physicist, with a background in quantum optics and quantum information.

The cost is $45 ($40 for Vicphysics subscribers) and covers a main course and drinks.

For more details and to book click here. To download the flyer, click here. For some background, check this video and this article:
16 min video , How ChatGPT can help physicists in their daily work

Physics at 5. An opportunity to network
Wanting to bounce around some lesson ideas, mull over a tricky question, or unpack a physics concept?
Vicphysics is hosting a weekly, half-hour online Zoom drop-in session on Tuesdays at 5:00pm.
Great opportunity to check in with other colleagues about any aspect of Physics teaching and learning! The discussions will be moderated by members of the Vicphysics Committee.
This is the zoom link. The Meeting ID is 815 1456 7258 and the Passcode: 459295. The Waiting Room will be used.
The same link, ID and passcode will be used for future Tuesday gatherings.
Each meeting is planned to go for about 30 minutes.
The last newsletter referred to discussion about question 5, the transformer question in Section A, on the NHT Exam paper. Check the paper here and our solutions here. Some people initially thought B was the correct answer, but on closer examination realised that it was in effect a Transmission line question with two correct answers, A and C.

Lab Techs Workshops, Weds 13th September, Camberwell Grammar School
The Workshops are on again this year, back in the last week of Term 3.
The program offers a range of workshops including:

Learning new skills e.g. repairing a multimeter, using a CRO, using a Ruhmkorff coil,
Soldering: An introduction to the Art with Harvey Edwards from Principles and Practice
Electronic data method in the Physical Sciences with Megan Simkins from Ciderhouse
Electronic data collection with Amanda Lovett from Modern Teaching Aids
Physics Demonstrations for Open Days and Using Science Toys with Man Lam from Mount Alexander College (to be confirmed)
Safe handling of ionising radiation and storage of radioactive sources with Dan O'Keeffe, Vicphysics
Tour of lab and prep room facilities including animal house plus Laboratory management hints with Svetlana Marchouba, Camberwell Grammar School.

Cost: $75, lunch is included.
For more details and to book, click here.

The Force and Motion Workshop: John Monash Science School
The intensive module steps you through the key concepts and skills to successfully teach the relevant Year 7 - 10 curriculum content.

Why your colleagues should participate:

Deepen their conceptual understanding of key concepts in electric circuits
Engage in practical activities that they can directly deploy in your classroom
Unpack typical student misconceptions and learn best practice pedagogy for combating them
Improve their ability to differentiate curriculum and assessment student achievement
Access materials to support your classroom practice prepared by experienced teachers and science education academics associated with the Vicphysics Teachers' Network
Become part of a network like-minded teachers who are striving to improve their practice

This event is next term. It will be six two-hour sessions on Thursdays from 26th October, starting at 4:30pm.
Cost $240 per participant for each workshop. A discount is available for teachers from low ICSEA schools.
For more details and to book click here.

Course Planning Day for Units 3 and 4 in 2024, Friday, 10th November. Online and in person at Swinburne University of Technology.
Vicphysics is organising a Course Planning Day for Friday, 10th November, the day after the Physics exam and the day before the assessors' meeting. It will be held at Swinburne University of Technology and also online. The program is:
9:00       Welcome
9:15       Presentation on new content in the Study Design, in particular additions to Special Relativity with Theo Hughes, Cornish College
10:00     Small Group Discussion on Course Planning: teaching order, weeks per Area of Study, etc.
11:00     Morning Tea
11:30     Presentation on styles of practical activities with Rachael Gore, Albert park College
12:00 Small Group Discussion on selecting practical activities
12:45 Lunch
1:30 School-based Assessment for Unit 3 and 4 with Maria James, VCAA Science Manager
2:30      Small Group Discussion on Assessment Tasks: consideration of examples, completion of a draft, ...
3:30       Finish
Lunch will be provided for in-person participants.
Cost: $90 non-subscribers, $80 subscribers in person. $50 non-subscribers, $40 subscribers online.
Registrations are open at the Vicphysics website.

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8. Seeking a Physics teacher? Seeking a new position?
The Vicphysics Teachers' Network has a Job Ads page to assist schools in finding a physics teacher.
There are ten (10) schools seeking a physics teacher. The Vicphysics webpage above has a link to the Government schools jobs website. The following Gov't Schools are seeking a physics teacher.

Scoresby Secondary College (closes 7th September)
Mount Ridley P-12 College (closes 13th August)
Brighton Secondary College (closes 15th August)
Warrnambool College (15th August)
Mentone Girls Secondary College (closes 15th August)
Elevation Secondary College (closes 20th August)
Fitzroy High School (closes 20th August)
Mount Rowan Secondary College (closes 21st August)
John Monash Science School (closes 25th August)
Heathmont College (closes 28th August)

The webpage is updated every weekend. The webpage also has a link on how schools can register a position and lodge a payment for this service.

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9. Vicphysics matters

i) Vicphysics Forum: Tips and Questions for the Physics Teaching Community

The Vicphysics Teachers’ Network has set up an online Forum for teachers to raise issues, seek ideas, offer suggestions, etc. The link is on the top line of our website’s home page: https://www.vicphysics.org/ We hope it will be an opportunity for mutual professional development.

The forum is open to all teachers. If you are a subscriber you can login in the usual way. If you are not a subscriber you can register to just use the forum at ‘My Account’. Given the purposes of this Forum, we ask that you use your real name when generating a topic or a lodging a post.

We hope this Forum will become a valuable medium for the exchange of ideas as we begin planning for the new study design.

ii) Subscriptions: A Vicphysics subscription gives you access to the Teachers section of the website. The subscription will last for a year from the day payment is received. Both individual and school subscriptions are available. Check the homepage for subscription link.

iii) Tutor Listing Service: The website has a Tutor Listing Service. There are now six tutors listed. If you tutor and wish to add your name to the list, please check the website.

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10. Physics News from the Web
Items selected from the bulletin of the Institute of Physics (UK).
Each item below includes the introductory paragraphs and a web link to the rest of the article.
a) Cold: how physicists learned to manipulate and move particles with laser cooling
The advent of laser cooling revolutionized the field of atomic physics, transforming atomic clocks and GPS technology and laying the foundations for quantum computing with atoms and ions. In the first of a three-part series, Chad Orzel tells the story of its early years.
b) Our colourful world: an illustrated journey through the rainbow. A review.
If you know someone young who is curious about the world around them, then Can You Get Rainbows in Space?, a new children’s book about light and colour, could be for them. Written by planetary scientist Sheila Kanani and illustrated by Liz Kay, it is a compendium of space, science and light, told through the colours of the rainbow from red to violet and beyond.
c) It’s all smoots and garns. Unusual units.
SI units are a scientist’s best friend, but there are also some unusual scales of measurement available. Stephen Ornes looks at the stories behind some of the world’s more weird and wonderful units.

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