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De meningen ge-uit door medewerkers en studenten van de TU Delft en de commentaren die zijn gegeven reflecteren niet perse de mening(en) van de TU Delft. De TU Delft is dan ook niet verantwoordelijk voor de inhoud van hetgeen op de TU Delft weblogs zichtbaar is. Wel vindt de TU Delft het belangrijk - en ook waarde toevoegend - dat medewerkers en studenten op deze, door de TU Delft gefaciliteerde, omgeving hun mening kunnen geven.

Sixth lecture quantum transport

was about Josephson effect in the context of quantum transport. Theoretically, it can be one of the best and useful lectures in the course. It combines information of general use (superconductivity, josephson relations) with something that the students can do with their "own hands", in our case, evaluate step by step, and some fascination about "unusual" processes discussed. This assumes students rady to work with "own hands" and teacher able to fascinate keeping things comprehensible and logical. To my estimation, both resourses were present but not abundant.

Right after the break we get a control question and concentrated on it. The answer has emerged, though slower than I would like it to happen. A "fascinating" introduction to superconductivity meant to provoke a discussion was listened to with attention but did not give rise to a sinlge question. Perhaps the mood was "he speaks riddles,  but may be I understand it later. In case it’s worth understanding". 

And I get to generation gap with both feet. The essence of Josephson dynamics is explained with two words: "pendulum" and "washboard". I’ve heard "washboard potential" from many young people but actually never checked if they think that Washboard is a family name of XIX century mathematician. Can somebody become a good physicist without trying to swing a pendulum with hand? Sometime ago I have tried to explain a non-linear second order differential equation to my phd student by saying "it’s like a pendulum, you know…" This did not work. Naively I thought there are some pendula left in physical practicum. It came out today that this does not seem to be the case anymore.

So let me finish this post with providing proper references for washboard

 www.nps.gov/fosc/forteachers/laundress8.htm

and pendulum (this is with equations:))

 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendulum_(derivations)      

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