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: Greg Foot (Science Journalist, Presenter and Podcaster) 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
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.
Pathways to Physics: a Panel Discussion Greg Foot, Science Presenter and Communicator
Science journalist Greg Foot will engage in captivating conversations with three physics professionals in this inspiring, career-focussed panel session. These scientists are at the start of their careers and keen to share their passion for science and excitement for the future with your students.
About Greg Foot
Greg is a Science Journalist who has been writing, hosting & producing science content for 15+ years across TV, Radio, YouTube, Podcast, & Stage. He currently writes & hosts his popular BBC 4 show and podcast Sliced Bread and is a regular on BBC Morning live.
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.
Ultrasound: not just for babies Rachel Edwards, University of Warwick
Have you ever wondered how to keep power stations, railways, and rollercoasters safe? Probably not – but non-destructive testing is being performed all the time to try and find defects in structures. Find out how seeing sound can help.
About Professor Rachel Edwards
Rachel is a physicist who researches novel uses of ultrasound. She is also Associate Academic Director of the Warwick Institute of Engagement and loves sharing her passion for physics in the real world with audiences of all ages.
Weighing the neutrino Jonathan Tennyson, University College London
Neutrinos are the most abundant particles in the Universe and the most mysterious. They were long thought to be massless, but it is now known that they do have some mass. This talk will discuss attempts to determine the mass of the neutrino (or rather the masses of three flavours of neutrinos) through explicit laboratory measurements and by considering their role in the cosmos as a whole.
About Professor Jonathan Tennyson
Jonathan is Massey Professor of Physics at UCL and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is theoretician, using quantum mechanics to solve problems of scientific and societal interest. He is also leader of the ExoMol project which provides the data necessary for interpreting signals from exoplanets.