Why Study Physics? A High School Commercial Contest in Alabama

[flatmaster]

We are going to be holding a contest for high school physics students around the state of Alabama. Students will be tasked with making a commercial enticing fellow students to take physics next year.

I think students may have difficulties coming up with a topic to focus on. Physics is incredibly broad in scope, but you only get a taste of what it means in a high school course.
The way things are worded now, it seems like we’re asking the students themselves to figure out why it’s important to study physics. I’m trying to put myself into the student that is competing in this contest. I would have no idea where to start. What exactly is physics all about anyway? Is it just about rolling balls down tracks and shooting projectiles? I think this might be the impression that most high school students have. I think we need either suggested ideas or some more explicit guidance for what students can focus on.

Focus on some flashy, modern research area (fusion, LHC, black holes, etc..)?
Stress the importance physics for success in college?
Physics of videogames?
Physics of car crashes?

 

[1MileCrash]

Just show them that.

 

[Gokul43201]

The way things are worded now, it seems like we’re asking the students themselves to figure out why it’s important to study physics.

I think it's a good idea to leave it that way. Going through the exercise of figuring out why something is useful or cool is itself a great thing to have kids do, and is a valuable part of the process of selling that message to a wider market.

I think we need either suggested ideas or some more explicit guidance for what students can focus on.

Focus on some flashy, modern research area (fusion, LHC, black holes, etc..)?
Stress the importance physics for success in college?
Physics of videogames?
Physics of car crashes?

Don't constrain the students. I think you'll be surprised and pleased with the things they come up with that you'd have never thought about.

 

[omegabeta]

I've been telling kids for years that a basic or better understanding of physics will increase their chances of survival in almost all scenarios. Staying alive is only one reason, but not a bad one I'd suggest.

 

[mugaliens]

How about a commercial on the generalized field of physics at large? Kids are able to handle high rates of images, not because they get it all at once, but because they'll watch it over and over. Certainly the entire commercial shouldn't be like that, but 10 half-second clips with high-intensity music, interspersed by perhaps 2 or 3 three-second clips with voice-over, another 10/.5...

That's 29 seconds, and you still have time for credits!