Newton Lecture 2014: Ultracold Gases by Professor Deborah Jin

The lecture at the IOP’s London centre on 14 October was given by Prof. Jin in her capacity as the 2014 winner of the Isaac Newton Medal and Prize – the Institute’s highest accolade.

 

What is a pulsar?

In less than 100 seconds, Tim O'Brien of the University of Manchester in the UK provides a fly-by tour of pulsar science. When the first pulsar signal was detected in the 1960s, for a short time it was referred to as "little green man 1" because the regular pulsing appeared to be a message from aliens. However, it did not take long for astronomers to figure out that these signals come from rapidly rotating neutron stars, which beam radiation from their magnetic poles.

 

Metamaterials and the Science of Invisibility: Newton Lecture 2013

A lecture given by the 2013 winner of the Isaac Newton medal, Professor Sir John Pendry, Imperial College London, and chaired by Professor Roy Sambles, Exeter University.

 

Graphene: Materials in the Flatland ( A lecture by Prof. Sir Konstantin Novoselov)

In 2010, two physicists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, working at the University of Manchester, received the Nobel Prize for Physics for making and studying a new form of carbon -- graphene. Prof. Sir Konstantin Novoselov, recipient of one of IOP's highest awards, Honorary Fellowship, will talk about the work that led to the discovery of Graphene, what makes it so special, its current applications and what the future holds for this remarkable material.

 

Using gamma radiation in a unique way

Measuring the level of liquid inside a metal vessel or pipe is a huge process challenge for the petrochemical industry. Tracerco's LevelFinderPlus uses a gamma radiation source and segmented detector to accurately determine the liquid level in a vessel and the amount of other material that may have built up within the container. Andrew Hurst explains how the company's physicists addressed the challenge.

 Tracerco has received an IOP Innovation Award 2013 from the Institute of Physics for developing the measurement system.

 

Wind lidars: using laser beams to detect wind speeds

The accurate measurement of wind speeds is critical for effective siting of wind farms. The ZephIR lidar calculates wind speed and direction by projecting a laser into the air and detecting the Doppler-shifted backscatter from tiny particles and dust in the atmosphere. The process is explained here by their team of scientists.

 

Quantum Computing: A revolution in bits

A computer that operates using the effects of quantum mechanics could make today's best computers seem like primitive toys.

 This film takes you to the University of Sussex in the UK, where a group of physicists is developing a promising type of quantum computer based on trapped ions. If the scientists can one day produce a practical, scaled-up version of their quantum machine, it could be used to address some of the most complicated problems in science.

 

Prof Jim Smith: Is the future nuclear?

Professor Jim Smith is an environmental physicist from Portsmouth University and he is an expert in the Chernobyl accident's causes and consequences.

He was one of many big names who gave talks at the IOP's Physics in Perspective event at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in 2013.

How to find black holes with lasers: Dr Andreas Freise

In 1916, Einstein -- as a consequence of his new theory of gravity -- predicted the existence of gravitational radiation (ripples in the fabric of space--time that propagate at the speed of light).

Today, the hunt for such gravitational waves has sparked a new field of fundamental and instrumental science, using kilometre-sized telescopes that exploit laser technology. These new instruments are now in operation and close to observing Einstein's prediction for the very first time.

The observation of gravitational waves has the potential to change dramatically our understanding of the universe; we will be able to "hear" some of the most violent events in cosmic history, including black holes colliding in the centre of galaxies and the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang.

 

How do aircraft remain in the sky?

In less than 100 seconds, Kara Peters puts our minds at ease by explaining how lift force can overcome gravity.

 

What is a frequency comb?

In less than 100 seconds, Paul Williams explains how optical frequency combs fill an important technological gap between the light bulb and the laser.

 

Professor Emanuel Derman: Models Behaving Badly

Emanuel Derman talks about his experiences in both the financial and physics world while exploring the collision between human needs and desires, mathematical modelling and economics that has featured so dramatically in the recent financial crisis.

 This talk took place on 10 July 2013.

 

5 things you should never do with a particle accelerator

Suzie Sheehy is a researcher and science communicator who specialises in particle physics and accelerator physics. She was one of many big names who gave talks at the IOP's Physics in Perspective event at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in 2013.

 

Lifting lemon: Physics to go

Instructions: Pour water into the ashtray until the water is ~1cm deep. Push three matchsticks into the slice of lemon, in the shape of a triangular pyramid, with the match heads together at the top point of the pyramid. 

Place the lemon and matchsticks in the centre of the ashtray, so that they float on the water. Light the fourth match and use it to light the other three together. Invert the pint glass over the lemon and matches, letting it sit inside the ashtray or frisbee! Watch as the lemon slice magically levitates within the pint glass!

 

Jocelyn Bell Burnell: is the world going to end in 2012?

Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell is a visiting Astrophysics professor at the University of Oxford and now guest lectures on whether the world is going to end.

 This is in response to the Mayan calendar ending on 21 December 2012.

 She is famous for discovering the first radio pulsars and is one of the great minds in physics.

 

Cheers Physics (the physics of beer)

Physicist Rik Sargent meets Andy Moffat, a real ale brewer in North London with Redemption Brewing. They discuss the science involved in controlling the taste and colour of beer, focusing on the mashing of the grains and the temperatures involved in the brewing process.

 


Physicist Rik Sargent talks to Josh and Andy from Redemption Brewing who are experts in perfecting their real ale. They discuss how the sugar and alcohol affect the density of the beer and how to measure the ABV (alcohol by volume) in beer.

 


Physicist Rik Sargent chats to Andy from Redemption Brewing about why temperature is important in brewing a good beer. They also discuss hops and how they work efficiently by incorporating physics into their process.

 

Physicist Rik Sargent chats to Andy from Redemption Brewing about how the isinglass is used to clarify you beer towards the end of the brewing process.

 

 Physicist Rik Sargent chats to Andy from Redemption brewing about the physics behind keeping beer separate from oxygen in the air when moving it to a conditioning tank. Exposure to oxygen causes reactions in beer that lead to unwanted flavours. Therefore the physics of storing beer is paramount for keeping beer tasting its best.

    

Dark matter is a circus master in the universe

The expansion of the universe, the big bang and dark matter. Astronomers talk us through what we know and don't know about the universe.

 

How Big is the Universe?

Explains how astronomers have learnt to measure the distance to the stars. How many stars are in the observable universe and is it possible to comprehend the size of it all?

 

Secrets of our violent Sun

A solar physicist reveals what she knows about the Sun and the latest solar missions.

Quarks and gluons with an unsung hero: Professor Graham Ross

Professor Graham Ross from the University of Oxford, winner of the 2012 Dirac Medal awarded by the Institute of Physics for his work in developing the standard model of particles and forces that has led to many new insights into the origins and nature of the universe. A powerhouse of physics, and one of the UK's best kept secrets, Graham laid out the pathway to the discovery of the gluon, the force carrier for the strong nuclear force, and taught Richard Feynman how quantum chromodynamics could be used to work out the interactions between quarks and gluons.