The Physics of Everyday Life

Facilitator: Brian Jones, physicsjones@gmail.com, (970) 980-1378 Dates: Fridays, September 12 — October 31, 2025 Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Texts: None Presentations: Not required Location: Foxtail 2, Senior Center, Class Limit: 30

What’s the best way to hit a ketchup bottle to get the ketchup out? Is it more efficient to leave your furnace running overnight, or to let your house cool and turn up your thermostat in the morning? Why does a standard electric outlet have three holes, but many devices only use two of them? Why does holding your car’s remote up to your head make it work from farther away? (It does…. Try it!) Why is the sky blue, and why are sunsets red? Why does everyone need reading glasses as they get older?

These are the type of questions that we’ll consider in this class. Each session will involve some hands-on experimentation to help us understand basic principles of motion, of electricity, of light, of sound, of magnetism and other topics. And then we’ll discuss how what we’ve learned applies to everyday life.

The title of the class is a repeat, and some of the content and the activities from the past course will be repeated. But there will be plenty of new material, and we’ll build some class sessions based on things that folks have always wondered about, so there will be new activities and new surprises!

You don’t need any background in science—just a bit of curiosity and a willingness to engage and explore. Come prepared to be active, to be social, and to be amazed!