Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is an emerging technology that creates relevant text, images and other content from prompts. Large Language models (LLMs) are the most widely used of these GenAI forms. This technology already has applications in business and education. This paper tests GenAI's ability to apply physics to global problems…

Can science teaching contribute to developing skills for managing uncertainty towards the future and projecting imagination forwards? If so, how? In this paper, we outline an approach to 'teach the future' through science education. In the first part, we describe a framework that has been constructed to orient the design of teaching modules…

There is a remarkable difference between formal knowledge and true understanding of the subject. While the former helps students earn top grades, the latter is crucial to the solution of real-world problems. An excellent example is the computation of capacitance, with which some students have difficulty. Also, most textbooks limit problem analysis…

My teaching and textbook have always covered many physics-related social issues, including stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming. The ozone saga is an inspiring good-news story that's instructive for solving the similar but bigger problem of global warming. Thus, as soon as students in my physics literacy course at the University of…

From media news coverage to fluctuating gas prices, the topic of energy is hard to ignore. However, little connection often exists between energy use in our daily lives and the presentation of energy-related concepts in the science classroom. The concepts of energy production and consumption bring together knowledge from several science…

Analyzes the commercial energy statistics of the world by dividing the nations into three groups: developed market economy, developed planned economy, and developing nations. (GS)

Discusses statistics concerning world energy requirements and supplies of different types of fuels. Also discusses the storage and transmission of energy and pollution problems related to energy utilization. (MLH)

The reactor safety controversy is reviewed in light of the United States Atomic Energy Commission's Reactor Safety Study and the Report to the American Physical Society by the Study Group on Light Water Reactor Safety. Areas of agreement and disagreement are identified and implications for national policy are explored. (BT)

Discusses problems relating to an international solution to the disposal of high-level radioactive waste problem. (SL)

Solar and ocean thermal energy sources offer real potential for an environmentally clean fuel by the year 2000. A review of current research contracts relating to ocean-thermal energy, cost requirements of plant construction and uses of the electricity produced, such as synthesizing ammonia and synthetic fuels, are discussed. (BT)

Discussed are the social responsibilities of scientists in communicating the social consequences of their actions and in the resolution of perceived technical deficiencies. The debate over nuclear waste disposal is utilized to illustrate the contentions presented. (SL)

Postulates that the probability of a nuclear world war is steadily increasing due to the aims race escalation, the spread of nuclear technology, the international trade in arms, and the failure of arms controls. (SL)

Reviews major fuel sources utilized since the mid-1800's and projects energy needs and fuel reserves up to the year 2000 for the United Kingdom. (SL)

Discusses the problems of controlling weapons-grade fissionable material. Projections of the growth of fission nuclear reactors indicates sufficient materials will be available to construct 300,000 atomic bombs each containing 10 kilograms of plutonium by 1990. (SL)

Discusses concerns of the production of by-products suitable for nuclear weapon production from plutonium breeder nuclear reactions and future uranium supplies. (SL)