In quantum physics, the interactions between mobile electrons and ions in a solid (within an enormous number of atoms) allow elastic and plastic deformations and are the origin of various physical properties (electrical, magnetic, optical and thermodynamic). Here we focus on solids with an ordered structure (i.e., a crystal), in which a chemical pattern is periodically repeated in one, two or three dimensions. The aim of this chapter is to present, as simply as possible, the different types of interatomic interactions (covalent, ionic, metallic), the symmetries (in particular translational invariance, with the introduction of reciprocal space and Brillouin zones), the possible approximations at our disposal to describe the lattice dynamics (using the concept of acoustic or optical phonons) and the electron dynamics (free electron, quasi-free electron or tight-binding approximations). The ionic and electronic contributions to the thermal capacity of solids are analysed using the Bose–Einstein and Fermi–Dirac statistics, respectively. The effect of the electronic band structure on conductivity is also examined to distinguish between conductors, semiconductors and insulators.

Of all the ways humans have chosen to divide themselves, none has a history as problematic as race. This concept has significant implications for almost every aspect of contemporary human conduct, irrespective of what ‘race’ we identify with, or even are deemed to belong to. This is particularly so for the field of education. This chapter looks at the complicated history of race as well as some of the current challenges that exist. In order to describe the complex issues within this important area, a wide range of interrelated terms are used. Probably the most important is the underpinning notion of ‘othering’; that is, thinking about a certain person or group as not ‘one of us’, as the ‘other’.

This chapter introduces quantum computation by comparing classical and quantum computers. Core concepts including qubits, superposition, and entanglement are introduced, setting the stage for deeper exploration. Various quantum computing models are summarized, with a focus on the circuit and topological models. The chapter explains why quantum computing is necessary, especially for tasks beyond classical computing’s limits. It discusses existing quantum platforms and provides an overview of their capabilities and limitations. The chapter also offers a brief historical perspective, touches on computational energy efficiency, and forecasts a quantum future where quantum and classical computing work in tandem. This groundwork provides essential insights into quantum computation’s potential and upcoming chapters’ explorations of algorithmic and theoretical principles.

A quick glance through history demonstrates that it has not always been an unbroken chain of human happiness, to put it mildly. Different individuals, groups and peoples have faced persecution for any number of reasons: where they came from, how they looked, their perceived (dis)ability, who or what they believed in, who they loved, how they identified, the family they were born into, or for no reason at all. It is against this backdrop that our current set of human rights has emerged. While this chapter focuses primarily on children’s rights and their relationship with education and educator obligations, it is necessary to understand the history of rights in order to understand why human rights, and particularly children’s rights, are so important to the work that we do as educators.

For systems with multiple physical objects, the wave-like description is generally cumbersome and, in some cases, even impossible. It is therefore necessary to return to the representation of the state of a system and the associated physical quantities. In this chapter we analyse the simple but frequent case where any state can be expressed as a linear combination of two basis states, such as light polarisation, spatial configurations, spin states or a pair of energy levels. In particular, the spin 1/2 and two spin states of ’elementary’ objects (electron, proton or neutron) represent the archetype of two-state systems. The aim of this chapter is to introduce the basic concept of a quantum state and the very efficient notation due to Dirac. First, we propose a classical analogy: the polarisation state of an electromagnetic wave. Second, we introduce the concept of Hilbert space. We show how any physical variable (or observable) can be represented by a linear and Hermitian operator acting in this space.

Research in nuclear physics is very active, from the fundamental physics of the most ’elementary’ objects to the vast applications of radioactivity. The aim of this chapter is to discuss some elements of the physics of atomic nuclei and their constituents. We first present some general and historical features of atomic nuclei, before going into detail about the nuclear structure. One peculiarity is that the cohesion of the nucleus is maintained by its own internal interactions (nuclear and electromagnetic). This study finds a natural extension in that of the most fundamental constituents of our universe. We give some basic elements concerning nuclear interactions and ’particles’. We introduce isospin to explain what a nucleon is, and we extend this model to other hadrons. The last section is devoted to clusters, collections of atoms in a cohesive structure. Although clusters belong to the realm of nanoscience, they share with nuclei the property that their integrity is due to internal interactions, hence a somewhat similar treatment. Cluster physics is also very broad, so we restrict the discussion to metallic and semiconductor clusters.

In quantum physics, the coupling between two oscillators or two quantum wells allows us to interpret molecular vibrations and to understand the covalent bonds between atoms. It explains the stability of the H2+ ion, the ’inversion’ of ammonia or the ’resonance’ of benzene. To simplify the analysis we consider one-dimensional systems consisting of two identical subsystems. Before highlighting the results in quantum physics, we recall the study of the motion of two coupled oscillators in classical mechanics. Beyond certain similarities, such as the breaking of the degeneracy of two initial states into a symmetric and an antisymmetric state or the possibility of generating beats, the quantum interpretation brings to light new concepts such as energy stabilisation, via the delocalisation of an object, or the interaction between two systems via the exchange of an object. Throughout this chapter we use Schrödinger’s wave formulation. However, this also provides an opportunity to introduce matrix notation for solving dynamical equations and a pedagogical introduction to the more general formalism of the Dirac notation that is used in later chapters.

Zombie myths have captured imaginations for centuries, but their roots may lie in real-world infections that alter behavior in terrifying ways. This chapter explores the biological underpinnings of the zombie archetype, beginning with cultural practices surrounding Haitian Vodou and moving into the realm of neuroscience and virology. Rabies serves as a chilling real-world analog to zombification, with symptoms like aggression, hydrophobia, and loss of cognitive control emerging as the virus travels from the bite site to the central nervous system. The chapter also examines Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite capable of rewiring host behavior and reducing fear responses, particularly in rodents. By tracing the ways infectious agents can alter motivation, movement, and fear, this chapter offers a grounded, scientific perspective on one of the most enduring horror tropes—and explores what happens when the threat isn’t supernatural, but biological, and it’s already inside the body.

In this chapter we show the spectacular predictive and explanatory power of the Schrödinger equation for atoms, first for hydrogen and then for polyelectronic atoms. This is more difficult because the interactions between the electrons seriously complicate the Hamiltonian such that Schrödinger’s theory cannot be solved analytically. However, using approximations and, more recently, numerical simulations, this theory allows us to understand the physical properties of atoms and thus to propose a clear interpretation of the periodic classification of the chemical elements first proposed by Mendeleev in 1869. In particular, time-independent perturbation theory is used to account for relativistic and magnetic effects, and to predict the fine and hyperfine structures observed in atomic energy spectra with various atomic spectroscopy techniques. Using a linear combination of atomic orbitals, the analysis is extended to the hydrogen molecule, other diatomic molecules and molecular chains, introducing the methods of quantum chemistry.

While debates may rage around issues of sexuality, sexual identity and sexuality-based rights, if we are to believe what we hear from some of our political leaders and sections of the media, concerns over sexuality itself are to be settled outside of schools. Sexuality, they would argue, is too mature, too controversial and quite simply a biological fact that has no relevance to schooling. However, there are disturbing stories and statistics that point to the significant challenges faced by students, and these surely warrant attention. With this in mind, this chapter examines some of the questions that often arise when talking about sexualities: Are gender and sexuality the same thing? Is sexuality ‘all about sex’? And what has school got to do with any of this? By unpacking some of the emergent literature in the field, the chapter suggests that dominant discourses around sexualities – in this case, heteronormativity – are up for challenge.

This chapter examines the impact of education policy on students, parents, caregivers, and teachers. This chapter argues that ‘big policy’ in education tends to operate under a market-based logic that has been described as ‘neoliberal’. Adopting a more nuanced and ‘problematising’ approach to policy, this chapter explores the nature and effects of policy in education in relation to its valorisation of market principles such as ‘choice’ and ‘competition’. It also explores the nature and effects of such policy as it seeks to regulate the performance of teachers and schools. Underpinning the discussion is the philosophical notion that policy not only addresses and solves ‘problems’ in education and schooling as it does ‘produce’ those problems in the first place. In this respect, policy can be understood as implicitly linked to programs of governance.

This book began with specific goals in mind. The first was to address the issue of mass education in ways that had something to offer a range of different readers. This book is not aimed specifically at undergraduates, any more than it is directed at practising teachers or university academics. Each chapter has been organised with a progressive layering of complexity and density, such that readers with differing levels of knowledge and expertise should still be able to get something out of it. This has not been written as a textbook, with bitesized pieces tailor-made for tutorial digestion. This book was put together for a range of reasons: it is a summary of the current state of play within Australian (and global) theories of education; it is a resource book for those interested in assessing the weight of different conceptual approaches to mass schooling; it is an analysis of various issues within contemporary society as they relate to education; it is a (relatively) gentle critique of reductionist analyses of our schooling institutions and their outcomes; and it is a call for us not to forget the value of philosophy within the broader play of the social sciences.

Planck and Einstein quantised the energy exchange between light and matter, while Bohr quantised atomic energies. In this chapter we show that the search for the stationary states of a physical object subject to an attractive interaction by means of the Schrödinger equation leads to this energy quantisation. Another non-classical result is that a physical object cannot be ’at rest’ and that the lowest energy level, or ground level, defines the quantum confinement energy. For simplicity and pedagogical reasons, we only consider systems with one degree of freedom and whose potential energy has a simple expression (a square quantum well with finite width). In fact, this simplified case is sufficient to obtain the essential results and to understand how the increasing energy domains (solid, molecular, atomic, nuclear) can be classified according to the reduction of the confinement size: many interesting applications are presented in these different domains. Moreover, from a fundamental point of view we take advantage of this simple system to explain what measuring the position, the linear momentum or the energy of a physical object means in quantum physics.