Talks

In this lecture I will talk about how we can use physics to better understand biology and disease. I will present the development tools that initially helped launch the field of nanotechnology but that have now reached the capabilities to video nature's nanomachines such as DNA and proteins in action.

Often when we have a problem with our DNA or proteins this can lead to a certain disease. Diseases can also be caused by pathogens such as viruses and bacteria which use their DNA and protein machinery to attack cells. I will discuss how we can use physics to analyse videos of these molecules to one day improve treatments.

This lecture is part scientific, part personal story about quantum mechanics. I will present easy to understand examples where quantum mechanics appears producing truly unexpected behaviour. This behaviour has been puzzling experts and non-experts alike since the birth of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century. The burning question is “why do small particles, like atoms and electrons, behave so funny?”.

To answer this question I will tell you my personal story, where I first heard about quantum physics, the excitement in studying it and the frustration in trying to understand it. After studying quantum mechanics for more than twenty years I am still excited about the prospect of an unexpected wonder lurking to be discovered. Find out more through these videos.

Suitable for KS3 through KS5 pupils.  Duration 1 hour.

In this lecture, which can also be a workshop if you require, I will tell you all about the wonderful properties of slime. In this demo rich talk I will shatter your understanding of the material world. Can a liquid bounce? A solid flow? A solution shatter? And as an added bonus I’ll tell you a secret, my personal favourite naturally occurring organic polymer!

Polymers are long chain molecules that give slime its wonderful range of properties. Polymers can be found all around you. They are in shopping bags, muscles, skin, fleas, cars, computers and in each and every cell of your body! If you want to understand how life works, then you need to discover polymer physics! What more could you want from a talk? Ok, I might also give away some freebies!

Suitable for KS3 through KS5 pupils.  Duration 1 hour.

Extremophiles are organisms that can survive and thrive under extreme environmental conditions. From the ice-caps of the poles to the high salt concentration of the Dead Sea. How have they adapted to survive? Can we learn from their survival strategies?

This talk provides an introduction to the wonderful world of extremophiles and highlights the role that physics is playing in uncovering the molecular mechanisms of extremophile survival.

Suitable for KS3 through KS5 pupils.  Duration 1 hour.

Duration: 15 minutes

Duration: 20 minutes

Duration: 20 minutes

Duration: 16 minutes 

Duration: 58 minutes