Lectures

All lectures try to popularize science expanding abilities learned at school

• From Kepler's to Newton's laws
  Following the path from Kepler to Newton, the connections between experience, prejudice, intuition, and observation are exemplified.
• From the umbrella to the theory of relativity
  Through use of the applet, the path is explained from the aberration of light (the umbrella effect) to the relativity of simultaneity.
  refering to the wave nature of light
• With 60000 mph around the sun - why we do not notice?
  Is it truly the earth that turn around the sun, and not the sun that turnb around the earth? Motion is stricly relative, relating to other, external objects. As far as the earth is concerned, motion can be observed with respect to the sun, the planets, the stars, and recently the microwave backgroung radiation. The first support of Copernicus' hypothesis of the earths motion came from the aberration of the light of stars, kind of umbrella effect, found in 1729 by Bradley. The stars appear to wander around small ellipses during the year: just 20 arcsec. This effect leads on a logically short path to the theory of relativity: In the wave theory of light, there should be no aberration at all. Only the relativity of simultanieity solves this riddle.
  appropriate after the presentation of the heliocentric world or after the presentation of the wave picture of light
• The Michelson experiment and the theory of relativity
  What exactly Michelson intended to find? The motion of the earth with respect to an all-pervading ether carrying the light waves (i.e. with respect to the isotropic propagation of light)!
  How did he proceed? He tried to detect propagation time differences between longitudinal and transversal to the streaming ether directions.
  What did he find? The ether is enclosed in the cellar like the air and at relative rest.
  Why did one need an ether at all? To save the Galilean principle of relativity of velocities!
  The solution came unexpectedly through Einstein's principle of the absolute speed of light. [Graphics]
• Horoscope and time
  appropriate after the presentation of Kepler's laws.
• Einstein and the reflected light: the geometry of time [Animations]
  Appropriate after the presentation of the theorem, that any rotation or translation (in the plane) can be produced by two subsequent reflections or after presentation of position-time diagrams.,
• E = mc² and the shortest path to the most famous formula of science
  appropriate after the presentation of Newton's laws or after presentation of the cited reflection theorem
• Straight on through curved spaces
  appropriate to illustrate spherical geometry, or world maps, or geographical coordinates
• Beyond infinity: excursion to the wonders of non-euclidean geometry
  Geeignet für die Oberstufe zur Illustration der sphärischen Geometrie, aber auch schon für die Mittelstufe nach Vorstellung der Dreiecke und des Umkreises und der Bekanntschaft mit Orts-Zeit-Diagrammen
• Speedometers in the universe
  Geeignet nach Vorstellung des Spektrums
• Cosmology: Old answers and new questions
  Discerning between theory and hypothesis, analyzing observations
• More than 10 billion light years distance - what can we possibly know about?
  Geeignet nach Vorstellung des Spektrums
• The Mercator map of the universe
  Geeignet für die Oberstufe zur Illustration der sphärischen Geometrie. Geeignet aber auch schon für die Mittelstufe nach Vorstellung der Weltkarten und der geographischen Koordinaten.
• How fast the galaxies recede beyond the horizon?
  Geeignet für die Oberstufe zur Illustration der sphärischen Geometrie. Geeignet aber auch schon für die Mittelstufe nach Vorstellung der Weltkarten und der geographischen Koordinaten.
• Chemistry with Big Bang
  Geeignet als Illustration der Gasgesetze und es Massenwirkungsgesetzes.
• Pinning down the universe
  
• The weight of the vacuum
  
• The physics of the waltz
  Mechanics of ballroom dancing. Best with a place to try and find out.