Seven scientific theories

Dutch Newchurch said:

I'm setting this up as the next series after the 'Seven secular sermons' challenges.

I'm posting the full series in advance here to give you plenty of time to work on some imaginative entries.

Imagine you have been asked to provide one or two creative and inspirational illustrations for a science textbook, on one or more of these themes.

.

1 The theory of gravity

(opens 16 January 2018)

An apple falling from a tree?

A musket ball and a cannonball dropped from the leaning tower of Pisa?

A satellite in orbit?

A rocket blasting off?

Gravitational lensing around a black hole?

Illustrate gravity!

.

2 The physics of waves

(opens 23 January 2018)

A Marshall stack turned up to 11 (sound waves)?

The colours in a film of oil (light waves)?

A rainbow (the wave theory of light)?

The destruction of an earthquake (primary, secondary and surface waves)?

Ripples as a stone into a pond?

The collision of two black holes generating gravitational waves?

(Holiday snaps of ocean waves breaking will be disqualified.)

.

3 Newton's laws of motion

(opens 30 January 2018)

A spacecraft in free fall (the first law)?

A dragster burning rubber (the second law)?

A heeling yacht (the third law)?

An interceptor with flaming afterburners (the second or third law)?

A cannon firing (the third or second law)?

.

4 The laws of thermodynamics

(opens 6 February 2018)

A fighter jet climbing, on full reheat (first law)?

A forest fire (second law)?

Liquid helium (third law)?

A fireman shovelling coal into a steam engine's boiler (first law)?

.

5 Natural selection

(opens 13 February 2018)

A spider in its web?

A cheetah bringing down its prey?

A zebra outrunning a lioness?

Stags locking antlers in the rutting season?

A wasp paralysing a caterpillar?

A camel in the desert?

A polar bear hunting in the ice?

The theme is 'natural selection', not simply 'wildlife'. Show natural adaptation to survive and reproduce.

.

6 Chaos theory

(opens 20 February 2018)

Complexity comes from simple mathematical rules.

Minor variations in the starting position may result in very different results.

Chaos theory may describe unpredictable events.

Storms?

Fractal patterns in nature (ferns, ice crystals, forked lightning, the self-similarity of coastlines)?

A horse race?

Snapshots of butterflies will be disqualified.

.

7 The periodic table

(opens 27 February 2018)

Blue fireworks (copper)?

Orange neon signs?

An exhausted runner panting at the end of the race (oxygen)?

A meteor (iron)?

The surface of the sun (hydrogen)?

A stoker shovelling coal (carbon)?

A fast jet's exhaust glowing orange (nickel)?

I may thin out entries, at my discretion, if (for example) there are several shots of gold jewellery or silver coins.

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• No restrictions. If you don't do much Photoshop, that's fine, but please don't mark down those who do, as a principle.

Dutch Newchurch said:

Jahn.

The post-processing rule will be:

• No restrictions. If you don't do much Photoshop, that's fine, but please don't mark down those who do, as a principle.

I hope that is clear.

I want this to be a creative challenge, and for some of the suggestions I have listed, well, yes, the only way to make them will be with post-processing.

But, those are just suggestions. Many of the ideas I have listed will not need so much work. And they are just ideas. I hope photographers entering will have imaginative ideas of their own.

Click to expand...

Dutch Newchurch said:

I'm setting this up as the next series after the 'Seven secular sermons' challenges.

I'm posting the full series in advance here to give you plenty of time to work on some imaginative entries.

Imagine you have been asked to provide one or two creative and inspirational illustrations for a science textbook, on one or more of these themes.

.

1 The theory of gravity

(opens 16 January 2018)

An apple falling from a tree?

A musket ball and a cannonball dropped from the leaning tower of Pisa?

A satellite in orbit?

A rocket blasting off?

Gravitational lensing around a black hole?

Illustrate gravity!

.

2 The physics of waves

(opens 23 January 2018)

A Marshall stack turned up to 11 (sound waves)?

The colours in a film of oil (light waves)?

A rainbow (the wave theory of light)?

The destruction of an earthquake (primary, secondary and surface waves)?

Ripples as a stone into a pond?

The collision of two black holes generating gravitational waves?

(Holiday snaps of ocean waves breaking will be disqualified.)

.

3 Newton's laws of motion

(opens 30 January 2018)

A spacecraft in free fall (the first law)?

A dragster burning rubber (the second law)?

A heeling yacht (the third law)?

An interceptor with flaming afterburners (the second or third law)?

A cannon firing (the third or second law)?

.

4 The laws of thermodynamics

(opens 6 February 2018)

A fighter jet climbing, on full reheat (first law)?

A forest fire (second law)?

Liquid helium (third law)?

A fireman shovelling coal into a steam engine's boiler (first law)?

.

5 Natural selection

(opens 13 February 2018)

A spider in its web?

A cheetah bringing down its prey?

A zebra outrunning a lioness?

Stags locking antlers in the rutting season?

A wasp paralysing a caterpillar?

A camel in the desert?

A polar bear hunting in the ice?

The theme is 'natural selection', not simply 'wildlife'. Show natural adaptation to survive and reproduce.

.

6 Chaos theory

(opens 20 February 2018)

Complexity comes from simple mathematical rules.

Minor variations in the starting position may result in very different results.

Chaos theory may describe unpredictable events.

Storms?

Fractal patterns in nature (ferns, ice crystals, forked lightning, the self-similarity of coastlines)?

A horse race?

Snapshots of butterflies will be disqualified.

.

7 The periodic table

(opens 27 February 2018)

Blue fireworks (copper)?

Orange neon signs?

An exhausted runner panting at the end of the race (oxygen)?

A meteor (iron)?

The surface of the sun (hydrogen)?

A stoker shovelling coal (carbon)?

A fast jet's exhaust glowing orange (nickel)?

I may thin out entries, at my discretion, if (for example) there are several shots of gold jewellery or silver coins.

--
Dutch
forestmoonstudio.co.uk
Photography is about light, not light-proof boxes.

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Dutch Newchurch said:

A rainbow illustrating the wave theory of light.

[…]

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Joe Pineapples II said:

Dutch Newchurch said:

A rainbow illustrating the wave theory of light.

[…]

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Particles...

J.

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Bill Thoo said:

You could illustrate chaos theory with a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon Forest, and with the right depth of field, the subsequent storm in Europe...

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Bill Thoo said:

A very inventive conceptual theme. I really like it.

I hope you will link this forum discussion to the challenge notes (if possible).

What I like most is your use of the forum to give you an opportunity to expand greatly on the challenge background, and an ability to answer questions for potential entrants for the whole series. It is of course possible to have a conversation for each challenge, but wouldn't it be great if you needed to do that only just once... The challenge template for hosts can be a little restrictive for communicating to participants what the host is looking for, beyond relatively simple technical restrictions. It would be good for hosts to use your example here as a model for other challenges that will need some extra explaining!

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