PHYSICS IN MY VILLAGE

Overview

The role that physics plays in our everyday life is not easily comprehended and appreciated.  In a developing country like South Africa, we have our battles with poor science education, attracting women and girls into physics, learning physics in a rural setting with no lab and having to improvise, but we also have our highlights such as the SKA coming to South Africa, the discovery of the CAT machine and recently the digital laser in South Africa among other stories.

There is development, change, and the improvement that physics has brought to our education, opening windows to SET careers and basic necessities that physics has brought to our villages, townships, and everyday lives.   For example, thinking of physics in our daily lives, one may ask the question, What has physics done for my village, for my township or community?

  1. Suppose there was no physics of electromagnetic waves; when an emergency comes, there will be no cell phone to call an ambulance.
  2. Without optical physics, there will be no spectacles for granny at the village.
  3. Solar physics has enabled refrigeration of vaccines at rural clinics, etc. “

Surely, the physics of today is the technology of tomorrow. Think of the following!

  • PHYSICS improves our health; (COVID19 Modelling, MRI, XRAY, CANCER Isotopes, etc)
  • PHYSICS connects the World; (Internet, Satellites, Fibre, Telephone, WiFi, etc)
  • PHYSICS brings High-Technology (Computers, LCDs, Sensors for Automation, etc)
  • PHYSICS lights up our World (Nuclear Power, Solar Power, LED lights etc)
  • PHYSICS drives Big Science (CERN, Large Hadron Collider, SKA, LIGO)
  • PHYSICS fills our Homes; (DVD players, Radios, Plasma TVs, Microwaves Ovens, Video Games)
  • PHYSICS keeps us Safe (Seismology & Earth Warning Systems, Weather-forecast, Military Radar Systems)
  • PHYSICS moves us around the World (GPS Navigation Systems, Aerodynamics)

Contributions can be submitted in the following formats.

           1)   A ½ page written summary with illustrative pictures,

           2)    A Poster  or Cartoon with  illustrative pictures

           3)    A one 1-to 2-minute video clip, with relevant images and illustrations, or

           4)    Concept (1) or (2) embedded the video submission.

WhatsApp Submissions

WhatsApp Line: 072 773 6410

Terms and Conditions

Please download the submission terms and conditions here.

Further Examples of Physics in our everyday lives.
  • I am a driver I used to use manual paper maps and would often get lost, but now with a GPS life is easy just input the destination the GPS takes me there, saves on time and saves on fuel, thank you Eastern for the Theory of Relativity that enabled us to have the GPS today

Tebogo Clement Smith

SAIP