Making Physics Fun

The great physicist, Richard Feynman, once compared the scientific method to watching the gods play a cosmic game of chess. Because we cannot participate, and don't know the rules, our only chance of figuring out the game is to watch and make generalizations. Feynman had a gift for communicating complex scientific concepts using simple but rich analogies, and this one is no exception. Teachers can use Feynman's analogy as a way to introduce students to the scientific method in the classroom.

Science and Chess

One can indeed compare analyzing nature to a game of chess. We do not know the rules of nature's game from the start, and must instead figure them out through careful observation. In a chess game, the moves a piece can make can suddenly and dramatically change under special conditions; such as when a pawn reaches the opposite side of the board and becomes a queen. If we had only observed the pawn's moves prior to reaching the opposite side, we would have been fully convinced that a pawn could only move one square forward at a time. Similarly, physicists in the 19th Century were convinced that Newton's Laws of Motion applied universally and under all circumstances. Einstein later revealed that under certain conditions, objects behave quite differently than Newton's laws would predict, thus precipitating a paradigm shift in science.

Let's Play Dao

In my research, I discovered a much simpler game that can serve as the basis for an introductory physics activity. This game is called Dao, and is simulated online by clicking here. The game is played by two players on a 4x4 board; each having four pieces arranged diagonally starting at the center. There is only one simple rule of movement: you can move any piece in any open direction (i.e. not blocked by any other pieces), as long as the piece moves as far as it can possibly go before being blocked. So, for example, if a piece in one corner of the board has the ability to move diagonally to the opposite corner, it must go all the way to that corner without stopping. There are several ways to win: arrange your pieces in a horizontal or vertical line, arrange your pieces into a 2x2 square, occupy all four corners of the board, or provoke your opponent into trapping one of your pieces into a corner.

Dao in the Classroom

Have your students sit in pairs at a computer with the game simulation set up. Do not tell students the rules of the game in advance. Instead, indicate which color pieces they control and instruct them to begin moving the pieces around and observe the results. At first, they will be quite confused and will move their pieces around in a haphazard way. Gradually, however, they will begin to notice patterns. They might try to move forward a single square and discover that the simulation will not let them move that way; it will let them move two squares, and then they encounter an obstacle. They might notice that the computer player wins if its pieces align in a horizontal row. One of the students in the pair should take detailed notes about what moves work and identify winning configurations. 

Making the Connection

Like scientists who design experiments, students move one of the pieces around the board and observe the results. When a pattern begins to emerge, students can formulate a hypothesis. This pattern may hold up in some cases and not in others, forcing students to revise their hypothesis. Incidentally, using a simulated version of Dao would be superior to having students simply watch a game unfold. Scientists are not limited to passively observing nature; they can actively set up a series of events and observe the results in a controlled environment.