Neutrons and Lollipops: What do they have in common? Dr Silvia Capelli ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell Science Campus, Didcot, UK Abstract: Crystals can be found anywhere around us: from sugar and salt on our dining tables, to snowflakes and gemstones in nature, up in roofs in solar panels or in […]

The physics of Ballet

During February (2017) I was lucky enough to attend a lecture/demonstration jointly hosted by the Institute of Physics and the Royal Ballet held at the Royal Opera House about the link between physics and ballet. The presenters were: Dr James Shippen, who is a mechanical engineer at Coventry University, specialises in applying engineering theory to […]

Astro Academy: Principia

Even though I have retired from day to day physics teaching I still intend attending courses when I can. On Wednesday 15th February I was luckily able to attend a presentation on a new initiative, Astro Academy: Principia, by the National space academy held at the Royal Astronomical Society. https://www.ras.org.uk/ http://nationalspaceacademy.org/ The National Space Academy […]

Opera

A disadvantage of being married is that I sometimes have to go to things that I would rather not, such as opera (although I usually get a pair of earrings out of it – https://www.coventgarden.london/shopping/les-neredies). Now when I was younger I didn’t mind so much but my patience seems to have decreased with age and […]

February the 11th 2017

February 11th If you read my last post you may have realised that my blog will not just be about physics now. Please don’t assume that this is because I am fed up with physics. This is absolutely not the case. You will find that most of my posts will still be about this wonderful […]

Depression

For most of my life I have battled depression. The overwhelming cause has been the feeling of inadequacy but today I realised that the cause now is the state of the world around me. I try thinking that I have more years behind me than in front and that I have no children but then […]

Helen The Hare

I should point I am only a Hare by marriage. The above picture was taken in September 2016 to celebrate out 21st wedding anniversary. We have a picture taken every year. The date above the picture relates to the first sentence under the picture. The picture replaces last year’s photograph

Rugby 2015

Nuclear Astrophysics – The Synthesis of the Chemical Elements Professor Zsolt Podolyak, University of Surrey Professor Podolyak was born in Romania and obtained his PhD in Hungary. He has worked in Italy and is now based at the University of Surrey, where among other topics teaches Nuclear Astrophysics. He is a Nuclear Physicist, with research […]

Rugby 2015

What lies beneath? Predicting the Earth with physics Dr Christina Manning, Royal Holloway, University of London Dr Manning is a Research Officer in Isotope Geochemistry in the Earth Science department at Royal Holloway, University of London. She studied Earth Sciences in the University of East Anglia, including an undergraduate dissertation on magma mixing as a […]

Semiconductors and Superconductors By Vinooja Thurairethinam 13 V Superconductors As a conductor is cooled, its electrical resistance decreases. The colder the material, the less the atoms in the conductor vibrate and thus there is less resistance to the flow of electrons through it. However, when the temperature is below the critical temperature, the resistance of […]