About this day
For A-level, IB, BTEC Level 3 and T Level physics students
Join us for an exciting day of informative discussions, interactive sessions and inspirational stories that will give your students real insight into the world of physics beyond the classroom. Our experienced speakers are keen to share their expertise on a wide range of topics, from space exploration to particle physics, and to shed some light on various different pathways that exist to a successful science career.
The day will also include a special session on examination success designed to provide students with the tools that they need to excel. With polls and quizzes throughout the day and plenty of opportunities to ask the scientists questions, this event is a must for KS5 physics students! Book now for Physics in Action!
Host and Exam Session: Lewis Matheson (Physics Online)
“An engaging balance of useful physics content and real-world applications and career links.”
— Ripley St Thomas Church of England School —
Programme & speakers
Atoms for Space: Taking Nuclear Science to the Skies Tim Gregory, Nuclear Scientist and Author
Radiation has breathed life into spacecraft for decades. From Moon landers to interstellar voyagers, many of our most beloved missions have been powered by atomic energy. Miniature fission reactors and advanced nuclear batteries will allow humanity to explore the rest of the solar system… and build habitats on the surfaces of other worlds.
About Dr Tim Gregory
Tim is a nuclear chemist whose lab work takes him to the forefront of clean energy production, nuclear medicine research, and space exploration. With a PhD in meteorite science he has also appeared on BBC4’s The Sky at Night and the BBC2 series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?
Don't be in the dark about quantum photonics! Imogen Forbes, PhD Student, University of Bristol
Integrated photonics harnesses the ‘weird’ quantum properties of light. This allows us to use photons as qubits on chips about the size of your thumbnail to generate quantum states and to develop technologies that pave the way for quantum computers!
About Imogen Forbes
Imogen is a PhD student whose research focuses on quantum technologies – designing and testing integrated photonic circuits to generate and verify quantum states, as well as looking at how these can be applied to quantum computation and simulation.
Rubbing people up the wrong way: how friction affects us all! Kate Tomlinson, Tribology Researcher, University of Sheffield
Friction is everywhere! When humans interact with their surroundings, friction with the skin must be carefully considered to care for skin and prevent injury. We will explore all things friction and look at how our research can benefit people.
About Kate Tomlinson
Kate Tomlinson is a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Sheffield. Her research crosses many aspects of tribology (friction, wear, and lubrication) and is predominantly focused on improving the environmental impact of rail travel through understanding rail-wheel contact.
Getting in a spin with the Coriolis Effect Simon Clark, Author and Science Communicator
When air flows from the Earth’s equator towards the poles, it gets deflected to the side in what we call the Coriolis effect. Why does this happen? And what does it have to do with one of the fundamental laws of the universe? In this session we’ll dive into the maths, history, and applications of the Coriolis effect, and touch on the most beautiful idea in physics.
About Dr Simon Clark
Following a PhD in atmospheric physics, Simon became a full-time science communicator, specialising in YouTube videos about topics in Earth science, such as climate change. He regularly livestreams on Twitch, lectures on science communication, and wrote a book, Firmament, as an introduction to and history of atmospheric science.
The Invisible Universe: Exploring the Cosmos in Radio and Infrared Emma Chapman, University of Nottingham
The Universe has more to reveal than what our eyes can see. We will embark on a journey across both time and space, utilising radio telescopes and JWST to search for aliens, black holes, and the first stars.
About Dr Emma Chapman
Dr Emma Chapman is based at the University of Nottingham. She is among the world’s leading researchers in search of the first stars to light up our Universe, and published her first popular science book, ‘First Light’, in 2020.