Volume 6, Issue 1, January, 2012

From the Editors

Dear Reader,

This issue of the ISB Journal of Physics contains just two papers. Recent months have been difficult ones for us here at the ISB Journal of Physics. From September through December, 2011, central Thailand experienced massive flooding which impacted the lives of everyone, including many students at ISB. Both of the Editors of the Journal were forced to evacuate their homes.

As a result of the chaos and upheaval, this issue of the Journal is late in being published, and contains only two papers. Several students who had conducted research that was publishable said that they could not manage to write a paper in time for this issue after the disruptions to their lives during the floods. This experience has once again highlighted for us the human context of science. While some like to think that scientific research and the progress of science is rational and objective, in reality, science is a very human endeavor. It is strongly influenced by the personalities and cultures of the scientists and the environments, both personal and professional, in which they work. While some would see this as a flaw, we believe that it is precisely this, the human context of science, the interplay between the objective and subjective, that ensures the long-term success and relevance of the scientific endeavor.

The papers in this issue both investigate complex phenomena that are relevant to human enjoyment but are poorly understood: energy partitioning in a drum and the nature of the resonance when blowing across a bottle neck. Both papers are published as a first step in the investigation of these phenomena. They establish a baseline of data and observations which clarify directions for future research.

The research for the papers was conducted by the authors and the papers were written by the authors and edited in consultation with the Editors. Papers were peer-reviewed by the Editors. If you have any comments on the papers published in this issue, or would like to consult with the authors on their results, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Eales
jonathae@isb.ac.th

Dr. Ian Jacobs
ian.jacobs@nsm.or.th

 

Volume 6, Issue 2, June, 2012

From the Editors

Dear Reader,

This is the final issue of the ISB Journal of Physics. After six years of successfully publishing the research of ISB Physics students, we have decided to expand the opportunities to all ISB science students.

Beginning in January of 2013, the Journal of Physics will change it's name to the Journal of Science, and will begin publishing the work of Biology and Chemistry students as well. The philosophy and mission of the Journal will remain the same while we expand the opportunities and benefits of publishing to all ISB science students.

The papers in this final issue of the Journal of Physics investigate phenomenon that are common but have not been fully explored: the physics of the whistle and the characteristics of a Kendo strike. The paper on whistles investigates the nature of the sound created and shows that it is not a Helmholtz resonance but is better modeled with spherical harmonics. The Kendo paper interestingly shows that the effective mass of the sword remains constant across a range of striking speeds. It is also interesting to note that this result is consistent with the results of a paper on putting a golf ball which was published in the Journal in June, 2009.

The research for the papers was conducted by ISB students and the papers were written by the authors and edited in consultation with the Editors. Papers were reviewed by members of the Journal's peer-review board. If you have any comments on the papers published in this issue, or would like to consult with the authors on their results, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Eales
jonathae@isb.ac.th

Dr. Ian Jacobs
ian.jacobs@nsm.or.th