In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the innovative Active Learning Initiative with Cornell University’s Vice Provost for Academic Innovation Julia Thom-Levy, who is also a professor in their department of physics. Further reading: Cornell University’s Education Innovation webpage — https://as.cornell.edu/education-innovation Research reveals ‘shocking’ weakness of lab courses — http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/01/research-reveals-shocking-weakness-lab-courses Professors, students laud active learning physics lab course — http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/12/professors-students-laud-active-learning-physics-lab-course VIDEOS: “That Happened Zero Times Before” and “Sage on the Stage’ Is Dying” Additional resources discussed in this episode: What happens when lightning strikes an airplane? | Scientific American — https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-happens-when-lightni/ Lightning Strikes: Protection, Inspection, and Repair | Boeing — https://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/2012_q4/4/ If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the innovative Active Learning Initiative with Cornell University’s Vice Provost for Academic Innovation Julia Thom-Levy, who is also a professor in their department of physics. Further reading:
Additional resources discussed in this episode:
If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom
Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-active-learning-initiative-is-transforming-education-julia-thom-levy-cornell-university
CODY: Hi! We’re here from curiosity-dot-com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about a revolutionary new way of teaching called the active learning initiative, with a special guest from Cornell University. We’ll also answer a listener question about how airplanes deal with lightning.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
Interview Clip - Julia Thom-Levy, Active Learning initiative
CODY: A breakthrough in higher education could be paving the way towards a new future for learning. Cornell University has been implementing a program called the Active Learning Initiative. And the results have been incredible, according to today’s guest, Julia Thom-Levy. She’s the Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at Cornell University and a Professor in the Department of Physics, and she’s all-in on this new approach to teaching — even though she admits she was quite skeptical at first. Here’s what she told us about the Active Learning Initiative.
[CLIP 5:44]
ASHLEY: Again, that was Julia Thom-Levy, the Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at Cornell University and a Professor in the Department of Physics. You can hear our extended uncut interview on our Patreon page at patreon-dot-com-slash-curiosity-dot-com, all spelled out. And we’ll post links to learn more about the Active Learning Initiative in today’s show notes.
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Listener question (Ashley)
ASHLEY: We got a listener question from Patreon Patron Luke on our Discord channel, who asks, “Are airplanes designed to absorb/cope with lightning strikes in the air? If so, why do airports stop planes if there's lightning in the area?” Interesting question, Luke.
Yes, airplanes are designed to cope with lightning strikes. In fact, it’s estimated that every airplane in the United States is struck by lightning at least once every year, so if they weren’t, airlines would be in trouble. If the aircraft hull is made of aluminum, as it is on most “legacy” planes, you hardly need extra protection. That’s because, as we mentioned in our story a while back about putting metal in the microwave, metal is a good conductor of electricity. That’s what you want in a lightning storm: something that electrons can pass through easily. As a result, when lightning hits a metal airplane, it flows along the exterior, usually without affecting much inside. But that’s in older airplanes. Newer planes use newer composite materials, and those aren’t good conductors of electricity. That means that electrons that strike them tend to move more slowly, which means they can heat up the molecules within them and start fires. To help protect those planes, manufacturers will weave a thin metallic mesh into the skin of the craft, which makes it a better conductor of electricity. Other protection measures include connecting the engine with electrical grounding straps, putting shields over electrical wiring, and adding metal diverter strips that can lead an electrical charge away from delicate areas. But the question remains: if they put all this work into protecting planes from lightning, why do they keep planes from taking off if there’s lightning in the air? It’s kind of like wearing a seatbelt in a car. Sure, that seatbelt can protect you in case of a crash, but it’s best if you can avoid a crash entirely by slowing down and keeping your eyes on the road. Intense lightning strikes can still damage an airplane, so airlines treat lightning storms as a better-safe-than-sorry situation. Thanks for your question, Luke!
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-happens-when-lightni/
https://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/2012_q4/4/
CODY: Before we wrap up, we want to give a special shout-out to Dr. Mary Yancy and Muhammad Shifaz, who we’d like to credit as executive producers for today’s episode thanks to their generous support on Patreon. Thank you SO. MUCH.
ASHLEY: If you’re listening and you want to support Curiosity Daily, then visit patreon-dot-com-slash-curiosity-dot-com, all spelled out. We’re producing special podcast episodes and offering other exclusive perks to show our appreciation for your support. One more time, you can learn more at Patreon-dot-com-slash-curiosity-dot-com.
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