It is the end of May, and I have finally finished my senior presentation. Although it did not go as I expected it to, I am greatly relieved that I passed all the P requirements. This means that I graduate! Just to finish this blog series, I wanted to end it with a video of a person entering a black hole.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Blog 23: Final Lesson Reflection
(1) Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
- I am most proud of my senior project overall, because it is such a difficult topic to understand. Learning about gravitational waves and other physics concepts were very challenging to me, but I was able to turn them into layman terms. So, I am most proud of the fact that I learned, understood, and shared this topic with others.
(2) Questions to Consider
a. What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?
AE P AP CR NC
b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
AE P AP CR NC
- Besides the final presentation, I have worked hard all year and I think I deserve a P/AE grade.
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
- So many things wonderfully worked for me this year. I was able to find a very influential and intelligent mentor from Caltech, I managed to work with him and his colleagues after learning the physics. I am also proud that I could translate these hard concepts into layman terms.
(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
- Unfortunately, there were problems in my final presentation. I nervously rushed through my presentation and had a lot of time to cover after my activity was over. At home, when I rehearsed it, my presentation (Answers) was 40 minutes. Unfortunately I rushed through it during the actual thing. Another problem was that although I passed out the lasers after mentioning the cautions, I didn't take them back quickly afterwards because I was so shocked about the time I had left.
(5) Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.
What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
- I am most proud of my senior project overall, because it is such a difficult topic to understand. Learning about gravitational waves and other physics concepts were very challenging to me, but I was able to turn them into layman terms. So, I am most proud of the fact that I learned, understood, and shared this topic with others.
(2) Questions to Consider
a. What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?
AE P AP CR NC
- I would give myself a mid to high AP, or even a low P.
b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
AE P AP CR NC
- Besides the final presentation, I have worked hard all year and I think I deserve a P/AE grade.
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
- So many things wonderfully worked for me this year. I was able to find a very influential and intelligent mentor from Caltech, I managed to work with him and his colleagues after learning the physics. I am also proud that I could translate these hard concepts into layman terms.
(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
- Unfortunately, there were problems in my final presentation. I nervously rushed through my presentation and had a lot of time to cover after my activity was over. At home, when I rehearsed it, my presentation (Answers) was 40 minutes. Unfortunately I rushed through it during the actual thing. Another problem was that although I passed out the lasers after mentioning the cautions, I didn't take them back quickly afterwards because I was so shocked about the time I had left.
(5) Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.
- The senior project has been very influential to me, as I wanted to pursue physics before it. However, after working with scientists and learning how it is actually like in a lab, it might not be the thing for me. This experience has been very helpful so I saw how scientists collaborate with one another, and I learned the importance of teamwork. Although I applied to college as a potential physics major, this project has helped me seek another path in life.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Blog 22: Mentorship
Content:
Literal
Literal
- Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties updated on the right hand side of your blog
- Done.
- Contact Name and Mentorship Place
- My mentor's name is Dr. Bela Szilagyi. He works as a research professor at Caltech in Pasadena.
Interpretive
What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
- My experience at Caltech's Cahill Building for Astrophysics and Astronomy was the backbone of my entire senior project. At Caltech, I have been working with Dr. Szilagyi and his colleagues on using a computer algorithm to do black hole collision simulations. The most important thing that I have gained from this endeavor is how scientists work together socially.
Working with my mentor Dr. Szilagyi and other scientists have made me realize the amount of hard work and persistence needed in such an inclusive field. I learned how scientists collaborate with one another and the importance of teamwork. Without teamwork, the data that one scientists sends to another may be misplaced or will interfere with the schedule. Just as NASA scientists work to create a rocket, at Caltech, the final product (here the black hole simulation) would not work without proper communication and transmission. Regardless of whether I become a scientist in the future, this journey has taught me so much that I will definitely not forget.
- My experience at Caltech's Cahill Building for Astrophysics and Astronomy was the backbone of my entire senior project. At Caltech, I have been working with Dr. Szilagyi and his colleagues on using a computer algorithm to do black hole collision simulations. The most important thing that I have gained from this endeavor is how scientists work together socially.
Working with my mentor Dr. Szilagyi and other scientists have made me realize the amount of hard work and persistence needed in such an inclusive field. I learned how scientists collaborate with one another and the importance of teamwork. Without teamwork, the data that one scientists sends to another may be misplaced or will interfere with the schedule. Just as NASA scientists work to create a rocket, at Caltech, the final product (here the black hole simulation) would not work without proper communication and transmission. Regardless of whether I become a scientist in the future, this journey has taught me so much that I will definitely not forget.
Applied
How has what you've done helped you to answer your EQ? Please explain.
- Working with Dr. Szilagyi on the black hole simulations has allowed me to understand how gravitational waves work. Because of the simulations, we are able to see the interference patterns that the black holes would create. Because of the interference, Dr. Szilagyi and the other scientists introduced me to the various means of detection.
A great thing that happened at my mentorship that had a direct connection to my EQ was the fact that Caltech collaborated with LIGO scientists. As I have explained throughout the year, LIGO is a huge interferometer that has locations in Washington State and Louisiana and tries to detect gravitational waves. This is a boon to me because interferomtery is my 1st answer and is also my best answer.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Blog 21: Exit Interview
Content:
1.) What is your essential question, and what are your answers? What is your best answer and why?- My essential question is "What is the best solution for detecting gravitational waves?"
- My first answer is interferometry, which deals with detecting changes in laser paths.
- My second answer is pulsar timing arrays which acts like incredibly precise clocks in space.
- My third answer is Weber Bars which are large aluminum cylinder that have to be isolated to detect waves.
The best solution for detecting gravitational waves currently is strongly taken by interferometry. Interferometry is the most widely used gravitational wave detector in the world at the moment, and offers precision and familiarity. Interferometry offers so much to scientists and astronomers at the present. This form of detection is used because of it runs off of “free masses”. This essentially means that interferometers are disconnected from any outside forces that are unnecessary. This includes phenomena like earthquakes, radio noise, and wind. These are all “noise” that could interfere with the experiment. Because of the fact that they are “free”, interferometers are currently the most precise.
2.) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
- The process that I took to solidify interferometry as my answer was mainly scientific research as well as my mentorship. My research process outside of research checks on Fridays has mainly been looking up articles relating to my topic out of my own curiosity and interest. The best way I have been doing research is by looking up science journals or articles posted on very reliable physics sources. At my mentorship, scientists actually use interferometry and I have seen them work firsthand. As a result, the researchers and scientists have explained to me in great length of the power of interferometers.
3.) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
- The main issues that I faced juggling school while having time to go to mentorship. Since my mentor is a research professor at Caltech, he is only free on Fridays or Saturdays. Sometimes this conflicts with my school course load. I resolved this issue by planning ahead and finishing school assignments early. Another issue that I faced was communicating and explaining such an esoteric topic in layman terms. I have confused many a readers with the scientific jargon, and I have been receiving help to make it much more easier to understand.
2.) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
- The process that I took to solidify interferometry as my answer was mainly scientific research as well as my mentorship. My research process outside of research checks on Fridays has mainly been looking up articles relating to my topic out of my own curiosity and interest. The best way I have been doing research is by looking up science journals or articles posted on very reliable physics sources. At my mentorship, scientists actually use interferometry and I have seen them work firsthand. As a result, the researchers and scientists have explained to me in great length of the power of interferometers.
3.) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
- The main issues that I faced juggling school while having time to go to mentorship. Since my mentor is a research professor at Caltech, he is only free on Fridays or Saturdays. Sometimes this conflicts with my school course load. I resolved this issue by planning ahead and finishing school assignments early. Another issue that I faced was communicating and explaining such an esoteric topic in layman terms. I have confused many a readers with the scientific jargon, and I have been receiving help to make it much more easier to understand.
4.) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
- The two most significant sources that I used to answer my EQ were:
- The two most significant sources that I used to answer my EQ were:
- Feynman, Richard P. QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1985. Print.
- Faesi, Chris. "The Race to Detect Gravitational Waves: Pulsar Timing Arrays." Astrobites. Astrobites, 23 Nov. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
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