Theoretical Physics for Kids

Spin Echo · Post by **Spin Echo** » 2006-07-10 04:59pm

Didn't think this quite classified as news.

BBC News wrote: Hawking to write children's book

The Hawkings are currently on a six-day visit to Hong Kong
Physicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter are to write a science book for children which will be "a bit like Harry Potter", but without the magic.

They aim to explain theoretical physics in an accessible way to youngsters.

Professor Hawking became famous for his bestseller A Brief History of Time, which attempted to simplify cosmology, the Big Bang and black holes.

His daughter Lucy said their forthcoming project would be aimed at people like her own eight-year-old son.

"It is a story for children, which explains the wonders of the universe," she said.

She did not provide any further details, nor a likely publication date.

Professor Hawking - a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge - has sold more than 10 million copies of A Brief History of Time since it was first published in 1988.

This has the potential to be very cool. I'm very curious to see how one would explain theoretical physics to 7 year olds.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2006-07-10 08:43pm

Spin Echo wrote: This has the potential to be very cool. I'm very curious to see how one would explain theoretical physics to 7 year olds.

If anyone can do it right, MC Hawking is the man.

AK_Jedi · Post by **AK_Jedi** » 2006-07-10 10:13pm

When talking about this book, his daughter compared it to Harry Potter, with physics.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2006-07-10 11:04pm

I hope Hawking brings the same youthful vitality to the book that he brings to physics.

Plushie · Post by **Plushie** » 2006-07-11 01:37am

While we're on the topic of explaining things to people, could somebody explain to me how he had a daughter?

On topic, this seems to be a rather cool idea. Get them interested young and all that. Won't get too popular I'm afraid, but it's got the right thoughts behind it.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-07-11 02:05am

Plushie wrote:While we're on the topic of explaining things to people, could somebody explain to me how he had a daughter?

On topic, this seems to be a rather cool idea. Get them interested young and all that. Won't get too popular I'm afraid, but it's got the right thoughts behind it.

He hasn't always been motionless. He's walked onto stages and given spoken speeches, albeit decades ago. But then again, his daughter is old enough to have a kid, so...

dragon · Post by **dragon** » 2006-07-11 03:50am

Hopefully the book gives some good info to kids that will incite them to learn more. Maybe that way when they grow up watching shows they realize they are full of bs. As for having kids there is a little thing called artifical insemination. They could use a needle to remove sperm from him and impregnate his wife.

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2006-07-11 06:38am

He isn't the first person to try such a thing. I can recomend the three Uncle Albert Books by Russell Stannard.

Uncle Albert, the famous scientist, has got stuck. To unlock the deep mysteries of space and time someone must agree to be beamed up into the unknown world of the thought bubble. His brave niece, Gedanken, decides to risk it. So begin her exciting and astonishing adventures.

They're pretty good. They are aimed at children, but I really would recomend the first one to any student of special relativity, as well as to anyone who's a little curious about things.

It sounds from the Harry Potter comparison that Hawking's book may have more of an adventure plot going on though. Stannard's books mostly are about the science, with just the smallest bit of drama.

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2006-07-11 07:36am

Our physics teach read out loud from a book on physics for children (I think). That chapter was about special relativity, and some guy went to a town where the speed of light was only 50 km/h (IIRC). I know some people in class suffered permant brain damage from hearing that so I wonder how little kids would react

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2006-07-11 09:43am

Dooey Jo wrote:Our physics teach read out loud from a book on physics for children (I think). That chapter was about special relativity, and some guy went to a town where the speed of light was only 50 km/h (IIRC). I know some people in class suffered permant brain damage from hearing that so I wonder how little kids would react

That's just an awesome concept, though. Molasses of light.

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2006-07-11 10:18am

If I ever have kids, I'm definitely getting them this book.

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2006-07-11 11:23am

Eleas wrote:
Dooey Jo wrote:Our physics teach read out loud from a book on physics for children (I think). That chapter was about special relativity, and some guy went to a town where the speed of light was only 50 km/h (IIRC). I know some people in class suffered permant brain damage from hearing that so I wonder how little kids would react
That's just an awesome concept, though. Molasses of light.

Yeah, that was one funky town...

Also: Ghetto edit; I meant "teacher" and "permanent", of course.

drachefly · Post by **drachefly** » 2006-07-11 12:15pm

If nothing else, you'd have to have a much larger visual range and different sensing instincts, because someone jogging toward/from you would be blue/red shifted by a factor of 2 or so! Yikes!

Spin Echo · Post by **Spin Echo** » 2006-07-11 05:40pm

Prozac the Robert wrote:He isn't the first person to try such a thing. I can recomend the three Uncle Albert Books by Russell Stannard.

Uncle Albert, the famous scientist, has got stuck. To unlock the deep mysteries of space and time someone must agree to be beamed up into the unknown world of the thought bubble. His brave niece, Gedanken, decides to risk it. So begin her exciting and astonishing adventures.
They're pretty good. They are aimed at children, but I really would recomend the first one to any student of special relativity, as well as to anyone who's a little curious about things.

While not aimed at children, I found the book Thinking Physics when I was about 10. It's a great introductory book about physics because it focuses on the concepts in physics and doesn't try to bog down the reader with math, something that intimidates many people.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2006-07-11 06:45pm

Dooey Jo wrote:Our physics teach read out loud from a book on physics for children (I think). That chapter was about special relativity, and some guy went to a town where the speed of light was only 50 km/h (IIRC). I know some people in class suffered permant brain damage from hearing that so I wonder how little kids would react

Yeah, that's pretty much a standard Relativity 065 primer. Carl Sagan used it in an episode of Cosmos.

FireNexus · Post by **FireNexus** » 2006-07-12 12:37am

CaptainChewbacca wrote:I hope Hawking brings the same youthful vitality to the book that he brings to physics.

That's mean, Chewy.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2006-07-12 07:51am

I'd certainly read it, because I think it would be awesome. Some of the most memorable books I've read have been children's books, and I love theoretical physics. it's like a match made in heaven, it is. More than that, it's a children's book with black holes in it. That's just wonderful. Heck, I might even buy a copy.

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