Physics and the Essence of Adolescence

In this presentation we will explore two basic ideas that can help make physics and science in general relevant in the adolescent student’s life: 1) How the fundamental changes in adolescence can be understood as related to the remodeling of the adolescent brain and produce alterations in four key features that spell the word, ESSENCE: a) Emotional Spark; b) Social Engagement; c) Novelty-seeking; and, d) Creative Exploration; and 2) How a quantum physics view of the nature of energy involving probabilities can be used as a possible window into the nature of consciousness and the mind as an emergent self-organizing process that both arises from and regulates the flow of energy and information. An accessible practice will be discussed, called the Wheel of Awareness, that adolescents can be taught to experience mental life through the lens of a physics’ view of energy and shifts in degrees of certainty. Students can be invited to conceptually and experientially dive into the nature of their minds revealing the power of physics to be applied in their everyday lives.