Physics in Perspective. An enrichment course for sixth-formers and college students London, February 2013

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James Garey Gibbs
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1 Physics in Perspective An enrichment course for sixth-formers and college students London, February 2013

2 Booking the course The course is open to groups of students, individual students, teachers and parents (each teacher accompanying a minimum of five students will be admitted free of charge). The cost of admission to the complete series of lectures is 25 per person, or 9 per day. Book your place today, go to Why book online? A quick and easy method to reserve your places on the course. Instant confirmation of your booking. Payment options will include by cheque, credit/debit card or invoice (for schools only). Deadline for bookings The closing date for bookings is Friday 1 February After this date, if you wish to be notified of unsold tickets or of last-minute cancellations, please contact Manchi Chung (details below). Accommodation and travel Specially arranged hotel accommodation in central London is available at a reduced rate to schools and colleges wishing to attend the course. As in past years, accommodation can be booked through Minerva Travel. For further information and an accommodation-booking form, please contact: Geoffrey Pharoah, Minerva Travel, 20 Church Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 4DX Tel +44 (0) sphinxee@aol.com For schools that are booking accommodation through Minerva, daily London travel cards can also be arranged at low cost. Theatre information and group booking is also available. To arrange group rail travel, you should contact your local rail centre. Please ensure that you have confirmation of the course booking with the Institute of Physics before you book your accommodation and travel. For further information, please contact: Manchi Chung Tel +44 (0) manchi.chung@iop.org

Programme: Day one Sunday 17 February 2013 2.15 p.m. Doors open University College London, Cruciform Building: Lecture Theatre 1, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT 2.30 p.m. Saturn Sheila s Solar System Safari Dr Sheila Kanani, UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory Join Dr Sheila Kanani on a flying tour of our celestial home: the Solar System.

3 Programme: Day one Sunday 17 February p.m. Doors open University College London, Cruciform Building: Lecture Theatre 1, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT 2.30 p.m. Saturn Sheila s Solar System Safari Dr Sheila Kanani, UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory Join Dr Sheila Kanani on a flying tour of our celestial home: the Solar System. Journey into our local galactic neighbourhood, where you will encounter planets and other astronomical bodies, exploring each one in terms of origin and formation as well as its similarities and differences to our planet. Through exciting demonstrations and vivid photographs, discover new and unexpected aspects of our Solar System p.m. Break 3.50 p.m. Is the future nuclear? Prof. Jim Smith, University of Portsmouth Nuclear power is seen by some as providing a secure source of energy with low greenhouse-gas emissions, while others see it as dangerous, polluting and expensive. Based on his extensive experience of working on the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, Prof. Jim Smith will discuss the health and environmental risks of radioactivity, along with how the media have influenced our perceptions of these risks. With the UK planning to build new nuclear power stations to replace its current ageing reactors, join the debate with some hard facts p.m. End of day one

4 Programme: Day two Monday 18 February 2013 The Royal Institution of Great Britain, Faraday Lecture Theatre,* 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS 1.45 p.m. Doors open 2.00 p.m. Five things you should never do with a particle accelerator Dr Suzie Sheehy, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford Particle accelerators are some of the most advanced machines on the planet. They incorporate an impressive range of cutting-edge technology to do what seems like a simple job: to give subatomic particles energy. So what would happen if we tried to use them in unexpected ways? With the help of demonstrations, accelerator physicist Dr Suzie Sheehy will discuss her top five things that one should never do with a particle accelerator and a few things you definitely should p.m. Break 3.20 p.m. How to find black holes with lasers Dr Andreas Freise, University of Birmingham In 1916, Einstein as a consequence of his new theory of gravity predicted the existence of gravitational radiation (ripples in the fabric of space time that propagate at the speed of light). Today, the hunt for such gravitational waves has sparked a new field of fundamental and instrumental science, using kilometre-sized telescopes that exploit laser technology. These new instruments are now in operation and close to observing Einstein s prediction for the very first time. The observation of gravitational waves has the potential to change dramatically our understanding of the universe; we will be able to hear some of the most violent events in cosmic history, including black holes colliding in the centre of galaxies and the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang p.m. End of day two * Please note: the lectures at the Royal Institution will be held in the historical Faraday Lecture Theatre. Due to the steep rake of the venue, taller visitors may struggle slightly; seating with more leg room can be found in the outer seats of the middle section (lower tier).

5 Programme: Day three Tuesday 19 February 2013 The Royal Institution of Great Britain, Faraday Lecture Theatre,* 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS 9.45 a.m. Doors open a.m. D ambusters: the engineering behind the bouncing bomb Dr Hugh Hunt /Hilary Costello, University of Cambridge The last time that planes attempted to blow up a dam using a bouncing bomb was in May 1943 until last year, that is. Dr Hugh Hunt and Hilary Costello were asked by Channel 4 to lead a team of engineers to re-create the Dambusters raid. Tracked by a film crew, their challenge was to design a rig to suspend a spinning bomb under a vintage aircraft and build a 10-metre-high dam especially for the purpose of blowing it up with a bouncing bomb. Their applied maths led to a dramatic conclusion a.m. Break a.m. Bubbles in the ocean (and how a bubble can matter for a planet) Dr Helen Czerski, University of Southampton The bubbles that are formed by waves breaking out in the open ocean illustrate a fascinating connection between the ocean and the atmosphere. Dr Helen Czerski studies the physics of how these bubbles form and how they help gases and particles move between the water and the air. She will discuss why it matters and how physicists approach understanding how some things as small as a bubble can affect something as large as a planet p.m. End of day three * Please note: the lectures at the Royal Institution will be held in the historical Faraday Lecture Theatre. Due to the steep rake of the venue, taller visitors may struggle slightly; seating with more leg room can be found in the outer seats of the middle section (lower tier).

6 Physics in Perspective Aimed at sixth-formers and college students, Physics in Perspective offers in just three days insights into many different aspects of modern physical science. The next event will take place in London on February 2013 and will include insights into the frontiers of current physics research, new applications in a range of technological areas and some fun aspects of the subject. The speakers are all chosen for their ability to make physics come alive, to illustrate its impact on our lives and to explore its potential for shaping the future world with engineering and technology. The three-day programme is designed to allow time to explore other aspects of London, such as museums, the London Eye or theatres. However, it is possible to come for separate days if that is more convenient. Aged between 16 and 19 and studying physics? Join the Institute of Physics for free, at Cover image: Dr Sheila Kanani, UCL. (Credit: Dr Hilary Jackson, UCL.)

Q2 S PA C E S C I E N C E

EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE 8 MRS. DUDDLES Q2 S PA C E S C I E N C E FRIDAY 01/19/2018 HALF DAY PM (RECORDS DAY) Students will relate Earth s days, years, and seasons to Earth s movement in space Students will