Queen Sonja of Norway is the patron of UWCRCN and yesterday she visited our school (News item). She likes to see all sides of life at the college and this time science classes were on the agenda. She has actually visited my class before and told me that physics was not her strong point, so I was keen to make a good impression. The theme I had chosen was waves because there is a lot to see and some nice demos to perform. Of course I was going to show how the SMARTboard had revolutionised physics teaching, (I don't think I had one on her last visit) so I was planning to demonstrate waves with Phet applets and the Paul Falstad ripple tank, as well as a line of pendulums and a demo of the interference of sound.

So after a brief introduction to my class I started to wiggle the end of the virtual rope on the SMARTboard and nothing happened, my computer had frozen....................................................... gulp! Well at least the real demos worked and I managed to pull out the electrostatic wand at the last moment. That's the last time I say that the reason I use virtual demos is because they work.