How do we transform energy?

The past week the teachers have painstakingly dedicated their time to mapping out energy and force transfers in different systems. And in doing so they have used the idea of potential energy. The teachers have become fairly comfortable with potential energy. They toss it around like play-do using it to put in any gaps they have in their energy stories. But today Leanna asked a particular question that the other teachers either neglected to think of or wanted to imagine wasn't there--What's responsible for converting potential energy to kinetic energy?

Now I am familiar with some of general relativity enough to know that for some things all we can say is, "Ce l'univers," but I feel like there is definitely more to it than that. This was a very interesting idea that I never thought of, and it showed to me the power of these group conversations where you look at a simple idea and you take it apart until every single thing is laid out in front of you. Then you have all the pieces and you know and understand how it works, and you can put it back together. Or you can make something new that no one has ever seen before.

Rance