Significant Dot: The 1769 transit of Venus - a tale of astronomy, medicine and empire

This article places the 6 June 2012 transit of Venus in the context of James Cook’s voyage from England to the South Pacific to observe the 1769 transit of Venus. A description is given on how to use a computer program called Stellarium to ‘observe’ the 1769 transit of Venus exactly as Cook saw it from the island of Tahiti in the South Pacific

A new kind of first year physics prac

In 2008 the first year units of the restructured SC01 applied science program were introduced. One of these new units is SCB110 Science Concepts and Global Systems, which covers a very broad range of subjects such as the history of philosophy, geology, physics, climate change etc. A practical exercise to compliment the physics component of the course was required. The purpose of this practical assignment was to introduce students to some fundamental aspects of experimental science that included topics such as hypothesis testing, statistics, experimental error, referencing, visual display of results etc. Due to logistical problems of providing a single hands-on physics experiment for approximately 250 students, an activity was devised which involved students viewing a 14-minute video of an experiment to measure the speed of light in two blocks of glass using a laser beam. The video was placed on Blackboard in Podcast and QuickTime formats and a DVD was placed in the Gardens Point and Carseldine libraries. Students were given a document (via Blackboard) which included data collected from the experiment shown in the video and instructions on how to analyse the data and write a short scientific report with a 200-word abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion and reference sections. The document also included a photograph and diagram of the experimental set-up for students to include in their reports. Students were required to work in teams of two or three although an allowance was made for students who couldn’t manage to find a partner or who were intent on writing the report on their own. A survey was included in the document on Blackboard. Of the 242 enrolled students, 191 (78.3%) performed the prac and 112 (58.6%) of these students responded to the survey. The survey results are presented in this poster

Teaching the Doppler Effect in Astrophysics

The Doppler effect is a shift in the frequency of waves emitted from an object moving relative to the observer. By observing and analysing the Doppler shift in electromagnetic waves from astronomical objects, astronomers gain greater insight into the structure and operation of our universe. In this paper, a simple technique is described for teaching the basics of the Doppler effect to undergraduate astrophysics students using acoustic waves. An advantage of the technique is that it produces a visual representation of the acoustic Doppler shift. The equipment comprises a 40 kHz acoustic transmitter and a microphone. The sound is bounced off a computer fan and the signal collected by a DrDAQ ADC and processed by a spectrum analyser. Widening of the spectrum is observed as the fan power supply potential is increased from 4 to 12 V.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, published in Eur. J. Phy

LIVESTOCK FUTURES MARKETS AND RATIONAL PRICE FORMATION: EVIDENCE FOR LIVE CATTLE AND LIVE HOGS

The efficiency of livestock futures markets continues to receive attention, particularly with regard to their forward pricing or forecasting ability. The purpose of this paper is to present a more general theory that encompasses the forward pricing concept. It is argued that futures contract prices for competitively produced nonstorable commodities, such as live cattle and live hogs, follow a rational formation process. Futures contract prices reflect expected market conditions when contracts are sufficiently close to the delivery month that the supply of the underlying commodity cannot be changed. However, prior to the period when future supplies are relatively fixed, futures contract prices should adjust to reflect the competitive equilibrium, where output price equals average costs of production. Presented evidence suggests that live cattle and live hog futures markets support the rational price formation hypothesis: prices for distant contracts reflect average costs of feeding. Implications for risk management strategies are considered.Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,

Black Symposium Correspondence Between W. Linwood Chase and Stephen Hughes on Appreciating the Symposium on Black America

A letter from University of Maine alumnus W. Linwood Chase, Class of 1920, to Stephen T. Hughes, Student Senate President at the University of Maine, sent on January 14, 1969 in regards to an interview Stephen Hughes gave on The Distinguished Lecture Series featuring the Symposium on Black America. W. Linwood Chase hoped that the symposium would bring attention to the problems of Black America. Stephen Hughes letter in response to W. Linwood Chase on January 17, 1969 sends thanks and best wishes and appreciated the encouraging remarks on the Symposium of Black America

Black Symposium_Correspondence Between W. Linwood Chase and Stephen Hughes on Appreciating the Symposium on Black America

A letter from University of Maine alumnus W. Linwood Chase, Class of 1920, to Stephen T. Hughes, Student Senate President at the University of Maine, sent on January 14, 1969 in regards to an interview Stephen Hughes gave on The Distinguished Lecture Series featuring the Symposium on Black America. W. Linwood Chase hoped that the symposium would bring attention to the problems of Black America. Stephen Hughes letter in response to W. Linwood Chase on January 17, 1969 sends thanks and best wishes and appreciated the encouraging remarks on the Symposium of Black America.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/racial_justice/1022/thumbnail.jp