About this day
For A-level, IB, BTEC Level 3 and T Level chemistry students
Join us at Chemistry in Action where an engaging line-up of experienced scientists from academia and industry are ready to share their passion and insight across a range of exciting topics. From the fundamental building blocks of matter to the cutting-edge technologies that are changing our world, this inspiring day is sure to spark curiosity in your class.
This day also includes a special session on exam success, giving students practical tools and tips to help them excel. With interactive polls, opportunities to put questions directly to the speakers, and some live experiments to keep you on the edge of your seat – Chemistry in Action is a must for all KS5 chemistry students. Book now to secure your places!
Host: Greg Foot (Science Journalist, Presenter and Podcaster) Exam Session: Dr Peter Hoare (Newcastle University)
“A really interesting day full of encouragement to explore science and chemistry further”
— Oakham School, Autumn 2025 —
Programme & speakers
Strange Ice Andrea Sella, Chemist and broadcaster, University College London
Ice may be familiar to us, but it’s so strange it breaks almost every rule in the textbooks. Professor Andrea Sella will explore how we know about its properties, how it compares with other ices, and the way in which ice may be the canary warning us that our futures may be much less certain than we imagine.
About Professor Andrea Sella
Andrea is a synthetic chemist and broadcaster who is interested in the structure and bonding in the rare earths. He has been involved in numerous radio and television projects.
It’s a Gas Mark Miodownik, University College London
Why are most gases invisible, odourless and tasteless? Why do some poison us and others make us laugh? And why do some explode while others are content just to make drinks fizzy? Discover how these magnificent and illusive elements continue to expand our world.
About Professor Mark Miodownik
Mark is a materials scientist, engineer, broadcaster, and writer, serving as Professor of Materials & Society at UCL and Director of the Institute of Making. His book Stuff Matters won the Royal Society Winton Prize.
Diamond – more than a girl’s best friend? Katherine Holt, UCL
The allure of diamond is unchanged over the ages. Cherished since ancient times as a sign of wealth and status. In this talk, we’ll discuss its properties as well as new and future high-tech applications. How can we make diamond? Can we tell the difference between natural and lab-grown? What can we use it for? Diamond’s journey from gemstone to quantum computer is an intriguing one, encompassing murder, wealth, dead pets and a little bit of chemistry….
About Dr Katherine Holt
Katherine is a Professor in Physical Chemistry at UCL. She carries out research in the area of electrochemistry and interfacial science. As well as conventional electrochemical techniques infra-red spectroscopy is used to study surface processes that take place at the solid-solution interface. Her group are particularly interested in electron transfer, solvation and other processes that take place in solutions and at interfaces.
The Chemistry of Explosions Stephen Belding, Chemistry Teacher and A-level Examiner
This lecture explores what really makes things explode, from early gunpowder to modern high‑performance explosives. We’ll uncover why some reactions burn while others detonate, how subtle molecular changes unleash extraordinary energy, and what explosives reveal about structure and reaction kinetics. We’ll see how this chemistry underpins technologies from airbags to explosive detection—showcasing chemistry at its most dramatic and extreme.
About Dr Stephen Belding
Stephen is Director of Academic Programmes for Rugby School Global Partnerships, a School Governor, A-level Examiner, and Science Council member for ISEB. He believes that curiosity in the classroom is not a moment but a movement—one that ignites ambition, transforms learning, and endures as a lifelong passion for science.
Chain Reaction - The Wondrous Chemistry of Everyday Life Ijeoma Uchegbu, President of Wolfson College, Cambridge
Every moment of life is governed by chemistry. Bonds form and break, reactions unfold, and materials are constantly transforming. This talk reveals how chemistry shapes the world that surrounds us. From plastics and pollutants to medicines, disease, cosmetics and buildings, Uchegbu uncovers the quiet power of chemistry at work in every moment of our existence, transforming the familiar into the extraordinary. It will change the way you see the world!
About Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu
Ijeoma is an inventor, Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at UCL, and President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. She is a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a governor of the Wellcome Trust and Chief Scientific Officer of Nanomerics Ltd, a company that she co-founded. She has appeared on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, Desert Island Discs, BBC Outlook and been featured in the Guardian and Daily Telegraph. In 2025 she was made Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours.