When too much physics is barely enough

Ok, so this one isn't about laptops or elearning or any of that. I'll be back in that world soon enough and may even feel moved to blog about it, but in the meantime: What I did (or to be more precise, am doing) on my holidays!
I was lucky enough, or maybe good enough, to get to travel to Canberra for the National Science Teachers Summer School (NSTSS) this week. There are 45 of us from all over Australia and from a variety of primary and secondary schools and we are staying at the ANU for a week of science. And today was Physics day.
Anyone who knows me could tell you that, although I like my tech, it is science that really lights me up. I teach physics for a living so you can imagine my excitement at seeing the program for today: Lasers and quantum optics in the morning, followed by 3 sessions at the physics department. And then to cap it off, an evening at questacon where we were connected with CERN in Switzerland to talk to, and ask questions of, a particle physicist who works on the LHC. We shared the experience with the kids who are here for the NYSF so we also got to here their questions and share their excitement. Rolf from CERN is a very smart guy and a great educator in his own right and explain lots of different aspects of the work they do there with great clarity and enthusiasm. I loved it.
The three sessions at the ANU physics department were about new microscopes and computer imaging, antimatter research and the work they do in their particle accelerator, the largest in the southern hemisphere. They were all brilliant and made more so by the enthusiasm of the scientists who took the time to explain it all to us. They are all world-class researchers working at the cutting edge of their respective fields and they are having a fantastic time as well. The first guy showed us an x-ray microscope that is the first in the world and is being marketed for millions. It allows images to be made of the internal structure of materials for the first time ever and, among many other applications, is being used to reveal previously unknown details of fossils.
The antimatter lab was the coolest place in terms of gadgets: two antimatter beam lines (sounds like a death ray!) with detectors and coils and all. And the particle lab was also full of cool gear including a new machine they are building to investigate a particular type of atomic structure just to see if they can.
Makes me want to go back to school, get some more qualifications and move to Canberra.
I have lots more to see and do tomorrow and I might blog about it again, you never know. In the meantime you can follow my twitter updates (#nstss).