Clementine Yost | Online Magazine Editor
Determined to tackle the stereotype that physics is boring or too intense for the average citizen, Trinity’s Schools of Physics and Education have teamed up with Dublin Area Rapid Transit to run an ad campaign bringing physics to the public.
The not-for-profit project, launched yesterday and headed by Dr. Shane Bergin, Dr. Colette Murphy, Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin and Dr. Jessamyn Fairfield from Trinity, aims to spark the public’s curiosity over the next eight weeks. This will see DARTs and DART stations across Dublin sporting a series of 12 posters engaging people with witty quips like, “Everyone on the DART is attracted to you…gravitationally.” Instead of taking amusement from transit maps and gum-riddled seats, DART commuters can now enjoy a plethora of physics-related humor, fun facts and “wow statements” intended to capture people’s interest. This was Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, David Franks’ reason for getting involved; simply put, this “campaign will entertain our customers on their commute.”
Working to change the way people think about physics, Professor Colette Murphy and Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabhán of the School of Education teamed up with Dr. Jessamyn Fairfield of CRANN nanoscience institute. The result is DARTofPhysics. With the posters creating initial interest, people can access www.dartofphysics.ie to learn more.
In the coming weeks, DARTofphysics will introduce a series of blogs dedicated to various physics topics to ensure appeal across demographics. These blogs were written by “leading scientists and science enthusiasts around the globe,” which promises a valuable level of information, while also keeping with the theme that physics is fun, interesting and available to everyone.
DARTofPhysics has received funding from Trinity’s Schools of Physics and Education as well as Science Foundation Ireland, Intel Ireland, the Metro Herald, IQ-Content, Language and Irish Rail.
Professor Colette Murphy suspects Dubliners will love the initiative because, “DARTofPhysics is physics for Ireland” and as we know, physics is fun and physics is beautiful. The goal is to get people interested and talking about physics. In the words of Professor Bergin, “DARTofPhysics will connect the Joe on the DART to the Josephine in the lab.”
