Interdisciplinary program “Randomness and order: modeling soft materials via analytical and computational tools”

Prof. Edit Yerushalmi

Project heads

Prof. Edit Yerushalmi, Department of science teaching, Weizmann Institute of Science,

Prof. Samuel Safran, department of materials and interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science

Postdocs and students

Dr. Nava Schulmann, Post-doctoral fellow

Ariel Steiner Ph.D. Student

Elon Langbeheim Ph.D. Student

R&D team – Current members

Dr. Shelley Livne

Prof. Ruth Chabay, Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, USA

R&D team – Alumni

Prof. Avi Hofstein, Department of science teaching

Weizmann Institute of Science

Dr. Ron Blonder, Department of science teaching

Weizmann Institute of Science

Dr Yehuda Roth, Ort Braude College

Summary

The “Randomness and order” program aims at stretching curricular boundaries to encourage more science students, whether they are taking physics, chemistry or biology, to deal with collective behavior in complex systems, using the simplifying approaches and tools offered by physics. Specifically, students use analytical and computational tools to model, soft materials; namely, systems of interacting molecules of interest to applications in chemistry and biology. An associated research program examines ways to exploit this unique interdisciplinary setting to equip students with an integrated view of scientific modeling, while maintaining a solid conceptual framework in statistical thermodynamics that serves as a foundation for the program.

Related Articles

  1. Yerushalmi, E., (2013), Editorial: The challenge of teaching soft matter at the introductory level, Soft matter, RSC publication, DOI: 10.1039/C3SM90028B
  2. Langbeheim, E., Livne, S., Safran, S. A., & Yerushalmi, E. (2012) Introductory physics going soft, Am. J. Phys. 80, 51-60, doi:10.1119/1.3647995.
  3. Langbeheim, E., Livne, S., Safran, S. A., & Yerushalmi, E., Evolution in students’ understanding of thermal physics with increasing complexity, Accepted to Phys Rev – ST PER, http://prst-per.aps.org/accepted/cd072Lb5G141470390e41635e0434e0c32e577d76
  4. Langbeheim, E., Safran, S. A., & Yerushalmi, E. (2012), Adapting a scientific research article for an interdisciplinary high school program: design strategies and analysis of student comprehension, AIP Conf. Proc. 1513, pp. 23-26; doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4789642
  5. Langbeheim, E., Livne, S., Safran, S. A. & Yerushalmi E. (2012). Self Assembly in Soft Materials. התארגנות עצמית בחומרים רכים Al-Chimia, (Hebrew).

Relates Materials (in English and in Hebrew)

  1. Langbeheim, E., Livne, S., & Safran, S., Yerushalmi, E. (2011). Soft Matter- interdisciplinary program for high school chemistry and physics students – Presentations and worksheets accompanying curricular units (1st Version) – School of Contemporary Science, Davison Institute of Science Education, Science Teaching Department, Weizmann Institute of Science (Hebrew),
  2. Schulmann, N., Golan, A., & Yerushalmi, E., (2013), The puzzle of diffusion, a module for computational science (MOACH) program, Davidson Institute & Science Teaching Department, Weizmann Institute of Science (Hebrew).