Shining a light on the usefulness of physics
By Hamish Johnston
Do you find yourself struggling to explain how physics enhances our lives?
Is your enthusiasm met with blank stares from your students, friends or
family members?
Well the Institute of Physics may be able to help. The organization has
joined forces with the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC) to publish a brochure called Optics and photonics: Physics
enhancing our lives.
The document includes six chapters, each of which explores how fundamental
research in physics is delivering practical technologies for everything
from optical communications to medical scanning to semiconductor
fabrication.