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At the ENS de Lyon, I coach students preparing for the International Physicists' Tournament (IPT) — and I can think of few better ways to learn physics. Over the course of a year, a team works together on a set of open-ended physics problems, then travels to defend their solutions against teams from around the world. It is research and scientific communication in miniature: not memorizing answers, but building them, arguing for them, and holding them up to scrutiny.
I care about this because I lived it. I took part in the IPT during my M.Sc. at the ENS, and it was one of the most formative experiences of my studies. I was hooked enough to create the first Italian team at the Politecnico di Milano, coaching the students all the way to the international competition in Göteborg (see video). Back in France during my PhD, I began coaching the French team at the ENS — which I continue to do today.
If you enjoy working in a team, thinking on your feet, and pushing a real physics problem as far as it will go, this is for you.
Come join one of the team or build your own!
Interactive simulations of IPT problems
Interactive simulations of IPT problems
These simulations turn two open-ended IPT problems into experiments you can explore. Change the parameters, observe how each system responds, and connect the results to the physics described in the papers.
The magnetic cannon:
The magnetic cannon:
A steel ball accelerates toward a magnet and launches a fast pulse through a chain of steel balls. Follow the pulse as it transfers momentum and accelerates the last ball.
Change the chain and launch parameters, build several stages in sequence, and use Shoot to simulate the balls’ positions.
Based on: A. Chemin, P. Besserve, A. Caussarieu, N. Taberlet, and N. Plihon, “Magnetic cannon: The physics of the Gauss rifle,” American Journal of Physics 85, 495–502 (2017). doi:10.1119/1.4979653
The pot-in-pot cooler
The pot-in-pot cooler
Water evaporating from the outer porous pot cools the contents of the inner pot. Explore how wind, humidity, thermal mass, latent heat and heat leakage affect the cooling.
Compare a surface kept continuously wet with one that has a limited water supply and gradually dries out.
Based on: A. Chemin, V. Dit Vehel, A. Caussarieu, N. Plihon, and N. Taberlet, “Heat transfer and evaporative cooling in the function of pot-in-pot coolers,” American Journal of Physics 86, 206–211 (2018). doi:10.1119/1.5016041
Presentation of the IPT (english and italian)
A list of 17 problems is created every year for the IPT. In April, all teams gather to compare their solutions! During this week, you and your team will take part in several rounds of so-called Physics Fights. During each Physics Fight, 3 teams confront each other. Fight after fight, they play the roles of Reporter, Opponent, and Reviewer.
The Reporter has 10 minutes to expose his solution to a problem. Then, they have to defend his answer and points of view during the following discussions. The Opponent has to explain in 5 minutes the weaknesses and eventual errors of the Reporter's solution. The Opponent then participates in the discussion to improve the Reporter's solution. The Reviewer will review both the Reporter and the Opponent performances. Their role is to help the jury decide their marks by pointing out the progresses made during the discussions.
The performance of the teams is judged by an experienced jury, and the 3 best teams get into the final! Unlike a typical physics exam, the problems must not only be presented, but also challenged and reviewed by the other participants.
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