This is me, Magdalena. As you can see, I think gravity is cool.

Back in 2016, I helped organize an international workshop on gravity at the Gravity Discovery Centre in Western Australia. Or, to be more precise: It was a workshop on the teaching and learning of Einsteinian physics that brought together a bunch of physicists, science educators, teachers, and educational researchers.

All of us shared the goal of making topics of relativity and quantum physics more accessible for high school students. Now, after two years of collaboration between the University of Oslo and the University of Western Australia, I find myself again in Perth and at the Gravity Discovery Centre. This time, though, I will stay for several months.

I have joined Einstein-First to develop a new educational program about gravity and curved spacetime. To study how learners conceptualize abstract concepts such as warped time, I will combine hands-on activities at the Gravity Discovery Centre with the digital learning resources that I have developed as part of my PhD project in Norway.

Stay tuned for regular updates on my research projects and insights into the life of a PhD student at the other end of the world. Oh, and of course, I will throw in some geeky facts about Einsteinian physics every now and again for good measure!

More on Kersting's work by Titan.uio.no:

• General relativity – Why high school students should learn more about Einstein's most revolutionary idea
• Har frisket opp Einstein for dagens skoleelever