Integrated Sciences takes off

The newspaper of the physics community
September 2007
Integrated Sciences takes off
Heather Pinnell reports on the launch this autumn of a new physics-based degree.
Lee Woodgate/Eye Candy Illustration
A new physics-based Integrated
Sciences degree developed with the
help of the Institute was launched in
early September. The degree is being
offered at four institutions as part of
the drive to encourage more people to
take science, technology, engineering
and maths courses and to improve
access for a broader range of students.
The launch event for higher education representatives, employers and
journalists was due to take place as
Interactions went to press, with a senior
figure from industry present to lend
support for the new degree.
The BSc degrees, named Integrated
Sciences, contain a core physics syllabus comprising at least a third of the
content, with each institution tailoring
the other elements of the course to
meet their own needs and expertise.
Currently the universities of Surrey, The Integrated Sciences degree is designed to have broad appeal and equip graduates for a range of careers.
Leicester, East Anglia and London
South Bank (LSBU) are partners with
Funding Council for England. As part Higher Education Group.”
the Institute in the programme, but it
of the Access strand, aimed at improvVictoria Adrienne, Stimulating
is hoped this will be expanded to
ing the accessibility and marketing of Physics programme manager
include more institutions if enough stuphysics-based degrees to non-tradi- (Access), said it was hoped that
dents are attracted to the new degree.
tional students, the Institute worked Integrated Sciences would appeal to
The core will include key areas of
with the four partner institutions on people currently under-represented
physics such as quantum mechanics
the new degree during 2006.
on physics degree courses, who may
and optics, while the four institutions
A key reason for the Institute’s face barriers for a number of reasons.
will offer their own range of courses in
involvement is to provide quality “It’s also aimed at people who may
modern applications such as climate
assurance for the new degree and to have just one science A-level in a mixchange, pollution and nanoscale scibring coherence to the qualification. ture of A-levels which may be mainly
ence. The courses have an interdisciIn addition it meets the benchmark set in humanities subjects. It’s trying to
plinary approach designed not least to
by the Quality Assurance Agency for appeal to the ‘waverers’ – people who
appeal to potential employers in sciskills in physics degrees. Further work could choose to do other courses and
ence and beyond.
is being done on how the recognition would not traditionally think of an
While traditional undergraduate
process might be applied to other integrated sciences degree.
physics courses require applicants to
physics-related degrees.
“We want to show such students
have at least A-level physics and A-level
The Institute’s director of education that they can do it and that they will be
maths, Integrated Sciences applicants
and science, Peter Main, said: “This supported throughout the degree. We
do not have to hold an A-level pass in
new degree enables us to market an want them to know that lack of prior
physics or maths, though they do need
integrated sciences programme in a knowledge need not be a barrier.”
at least one science A-level among their
coherent way. Previously the various
All the maths content needed in the
other level 3 qualifications. There is an
combined sciences degrees offered by degree will be integrated into the
alternative route to entry through an
the universities were all different and physics teaching, so anyone entering
access course at LSBU. Entry requirehad no coherence.
the course without A-level maths will
ments differ between the institutions,
“This provides an opportunity for not be at a disadvantage, she said. The
though all hope to attract students
people to do some physics at under- programmes will not require addiwho would not have taken physics
graduate level who would not nor- tional maths “catch-up” courses,
without the opportunity offered by the
mally have been able to do so in the though LSBU will provide maths in its
Integrated Sciences degree.
past. It’s a science degree for the 21st access course, and students at any of the
After completing two years of the
century and it comes out of a recog- institutions can take advantage of the
BSc, students could transfer into a
nition that the barriers are breaking general maths courses which all higher
more specialised undergraduate
down between the science subjects. It education institutions must provide.
physics degree. The University of East
should also be borne in mind that Entrants to Integrated Sciences will,
Anglia offers the chance to spend one
people who have done these courses however, need a grade B at GCSE maths.
year of the Integrated Sciences course
will be perfectly eligible to become
“Integrated Sciences is not a soft
studying abroad.
physics teachers.
option; students who take it will have
The Institute has been closely
“In working out the details of the to work hard,” Adrienne said.
involved at each stage in forming the
programme we canvassed our mem- “However the work is not insurnew degree. Its development has been
bers for ideas and we went through mountable and students are going to
part of the Stimulating Physics proour education board with the pro- be supported through it.”
gramme, set up by the Institute in
posal. We also had input from the uniThe courses will be evaluated by the
March 2006 and funded by a £1.8 m
versities and we talked to the higher Institute of Education as part of its
award from the Higher Education
education community, including our evaluation of Stimulating Physics.
“It’s trying to
appeal to the
‘waverers’ – people
who could choose
to do other
courses.”
CONTENTS
2 News
Institute welcomes rise in
A-level entries ● Physics takes
to the fields ● Women debate
workplace culture in SET
4 Reflections
Beth Taylor looks at the pros
and cons of nuclear energy
5 People
Francisco Diego reaches out
beyond astronomy’s limits
6 Obituaries
Eric Wharton and Chris
Escreet remembered
●
7 Event horizon
What’s on in physics
8 Antimatters
Physics and Anthony Gormley
“I’m not giving
credibility to
pseudosciences, I
simply believe that
we have to exploit
the high level of
interest in them.”
Francisco Diego, p5
“Seeing human forms
‘sitting’ on the ceiling
gives you a strong
sense of not knowing
which way is up.”
Sharon Ann Holgate, p8
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I n t e ractions September 2007
2 news
HIGHLIGHTS
Prestigious contract signed by IOP Publishing
A prestigious contract for IOP
Publishing to publish the research
journals of the American
Astronomical Society (AAS) has
been signed. The announcement
that IOP Publishing had been
selected by the AAS to carry out the work was made in the spring (see
June Interactions) and the contract was signed in Bristol on 31 July
by AAS executive officer Kevin Marvel (pictured left) and IOP
business director Ken Lillywhite (right). IOP Publishing went through
an intensive selection process, beating off strong competition from
major global publishers for the contract. Marvel said: “IOP Publishing
will be a great partner for the publication of the AAS journals. I look
forward to working with them to truly enhance the usability and value
of our research journals to the research community.”
A-level physics entries increase
By Joseph Winters
The number of entries for A-level
physics has shown an increase this
year. Although there was just a small
improvement (0.35%) in the number
of students sitting A level physics,
there was a 3.2% rise in the number of
students who sat AS level physics
examinations this year.
The results also show a rise in the
number of girls taking A and AS level
physics, 2.5% and 4.2% respectively.
There has been a steady decline in
the total number of physics examination entries until this year. In 1995,
35 000 students chose to take physics
A-level but by 2006 the figure was
down to 27 000. The Institute has
worked closely with the government
to ensure that students are aware of
the broad career and study opportunities that physics qualifications can
open up and also to try to enthuse students with the excitement of physics.
The Institute’s chief executive,
Robert Kirby-Harris, said: “The rise in
A and AS level examination entries
indicates a cumulative increase and
suggests that physics is having a
revival in schools across the UK.”
Peter Main, the Institute’s director
of education and science, said: “We
are delighted to see the gender divide
decreasing. We’re seeing the girl–boy
ratio change year-on-year as more
and more female students choose to
take the subject because they increasingly see physics as both interesting
and relevant to them.”
The Institute has taken a number of
measures to encourage more girls
into physics, with a teachers’ guide
and training for teachers, including a
specially produced DVD starring
James Fleet and Helen Baxendale entitled Saving Nellie. It has also developed
a best practice curriculum, designed
to make sure classroom physics is
interesting, and new courses to help
non-specialist scientists train to
become physics teachers.
Life’s story takes on a surprising twist
Structures that have some of the characteristics of self-replicating
life have been shown to be possible components of interstellar dust.
The discovery is reported in the August issue of the Institute’s New
Journal of Physics. Using computer modelling, an international
team has shown that when a plasma made from inorganic material
becomes polarised, its particles can self-organise into mutually
attracting helical structures which can divide into two copies of
themselves. These can induce their neighbours to evolve more
structures with only the the most stable surviving. The research was
conducted by V N Tsytovich and others at the Russian Academy of
Science’s General Physics Institute, working with colleagues at the
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany and the
University of Sydney, Australia. Tsytovich said: “These complex, selforganised plasma structures exhibit all the necessary properties to
qualify them as candidates for inorganic living matter.”
ALIEN CONCEPTS
Einstein Year ballet has a constant appeal
The ballet specially commissioned by the
Institute for Einstein Year is still being
performed at several venues around Britain
by the Rambert Dance Company. Constant
Speed, which was first performed in May
2005, features in the company’s World View
Tour 2007. Choreographed by Mark Baldwin,
the ballet is inspired by Einstein’s theories
concerning Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect and special
relativity. At times the dancers represent pollen grains, at others
they represent photons, and the changing colours of the stage
lighting and the dancers’ costumes are used to represent the
photoelectric effect. Constant Speed is showing at Venue Cymru,
Llandudno, on 17–19 October; at Leeds Grand Theatre on
31 October – 3 November, and at Regent Theatre, Stoke on Trent,
on 21–23 November. For further details, see www.rambert.org.uk.
Solar energy could have a bright future
Investment in the underpinning science for using solar energy must
be improved considerably if its potential is to be fully exploited, the
Institute says in its latest Vision Paper, “Solar energy conversion”.
The briefing paper for policy makers describes how solar energy
research is expanding rapidly, and showcases some of the research
being done on improving photovoltaic technology. It describes how
several UK research groups, including those at Durham University
and the University of Wales Bangor, have been trying to improve the
efficiency and stability of photovoltaic cells which use
semiconducting compounds such as cadmium telluride and
cadmium sulphide. It outlines how researchers at Northumbria
University have been seeking cheaper alternatives to gallium and
indium in photovoltaic technology, a group at Heriot-Watt University
is developing a fabricating method using silicon nanocrystals and
an Imperial College London team is looking at a technology based
on quantum wells and quantum dots.
I n t e ractions September 2007
In a first for a scientific society, the Institute teamed up with the holiday company Butlins this summer to
create a physics-based adventure for children at their sites. Children used their mobile phones to help Echo
(pictured), an alien from the planet Fizzix, find the scattered parts of his damaged spaceship – called
powerpads. They explored the sites and hunted for clues to simple physics questions which they answered via
text message, and could text their ideas for a new type of powerpad to Echo – encouraging them to think how
physics can be applied. Every child was also given an accompanying comic book posing questions and
describing key ideas such as centripetal force and friction. Children were encouraged to visit
www.physics.org to get a certificate from the president of Fizzix and to see if their new powerpad suggestion
has been posted on Echo’s webpage. They could also download a copy of the game and find out more about
physics through online activities.
Seminar focuses
on SET and gender
By Saher Ahmed
A new good practice guide on gender
and workplace culture was launched
at the Institute of Physics in June by
the UK Resource Centre for Women
in SET (UKRC). The guide, SET Workplace Cultures: Making a Positive Impact,
features the Institute as well as RollsRoyce, Edinburgh University, British
Gas and National Grid as case studies.
At the launch event, jointly hosted
by the UKRC and the Institute, Wendy
Faulkner from the School of Social
and Political Studies at the University
of Edinburgh described a research
study she conducted into gender
dynamics, cultures and identities in
engineering practices. “Early years
learning on the job are critical for
retention,” she said, emphasising the
need to “nurture a workplace where
everyone is comfortable and belongs
through awareness of the subtle inclusive–exclusive dynamics at work”.
The Institute’s director of education
and science, Peter Main, described the
Institute’s university site visit scheme,
which looks at the gender culture
within university physics departments. He also outlined the recently
launched Project Juno Code of Practice (see July Interactions). Based on the
good practice identified in the visits, it
is aimed at advancing women’s
careers in physics higher education.
He argued that similar underlying
issues prevalent in academia and
industry impede women’s progress
and that male participation in familyfriendly policies is vital, as are strong,
informal social networks for women.
Rolls-Royce was the subject of the
first UKRC/Institute of Physics industry site visit last October. Karen
Brown, diversity director at RollsRoyce, explained why the company
had requested a visit: “We wanted to
see if the equal opportunity policies
we had in place ensured true equality
in the workplace or whether there
were more subtle barriers at work that
we can address,” she said.
Separate focus groups with female
and male staff were held from different levels within the company’s global
purchasing division. As a direct result
of the visit, Rolls-Royce has set up a
Global Purchasing Diversity Council
led by senior management. It has recommended that the company should
look at granting full paternity leave
pay rather than the statutory minimum, a review of meeting times to
suit flexible working, and improving
staff awareness of mentoring and flexible working schemes.
● The UKRC and the Institute are
looking for organisations that would
be interested in having a site visit. For
details, contact the diversity team at
the Institute ([email protected]).
news 3
Physics buskers take the field
While cabers, hammers and other
heavy items were being thrown with
deceptive ease accompanied by the
rousing sound of massed pipes, visitors to the Inverness Highland Games
on 21–22 July were taking part in a
festival activity with a difference –
Physics in the Field.
Throughout the summer, the Institute’s physics in society team, along
with volunteers from the Institute’s
student wing, NEXUS, have been performing as a crack team of physics
buskers challenging people’s perceptions of physics using nothing more
than items found in an ordinary
home. By setting up stalls at outdoor
events that don’t normally host science activities, the buskers have been
captivating unsuspecting visitors
with simple yet amazing physics
tricks, such as balloon kebabs (pushing a kebab skewer through a balloon
without it bursting), tame tornadoes
(forming a vortex in a pop bottle),
straw oboes (getting a tuneful racket
out of a straw) and Alka-Seltzer rockets (launching film canisters to the
heavens).
Following a hugely successful
appearance at the East of England
Show in June, where the buskers
entertained more than 4000 visitors
during the course of a long weekend,
and the disappointing last-minute
cancellation of the Bradford Mela due
to the flooding in early July, the Highland Games were a chance to defy the
lousy summer and get people exploring physics. Unfortunately, the
weather had other ideas and the weekend was miserably cold and damp,
meaning that attendance was down
by two-thirds on last year.
Russell Watkins
Caitlin Watson reports on a summer of physics activities at festivals around Britain.
Visitors try the “tame tornadoes” experiment helped by physics buskers at the East of England Show.
Despite the adverse conditions, the
buskers rose to the challenge, and
among the 1200 visitors who tried out
the tricks were members of the local
emergency services, car enthusiasts
from Inverness Cruise and cadets
from the armed forces, as well as hundreds of families. Many of the cadets
came back time and again over the
weekend, bringing different friends
with them and showing off their newfound knowledge and expertise, illustrating the impact of the activity. It’s
this aspect of physics busking – visitors gaining the confidence to share
the tricks with each other – that
makes it really satisfying.
All Physics in the Field events collate feedback via a comments board,
and remarks from the Highland
Games were overwhelmingly positive. Comments included: “I saw
things that you wouldn’t normally see
and it was cool”; “It all made me feel
happy”; and “Very interesting and fun
for all the family”.
Several visitors to the stand also
remarked on how much they appreciated the buskers’ presence at the
games, because the relative geographical isolation of Inverness means that
science outreach projects don’t often
make it that far north. Many others
took away resources and ideas to
enable them to replicate the physics
tricks at youth groups and afterschool clubs in the region.
The buskers braved the rain yet
again over the weekend of
17–19 August as they entertained the
crowds at the Green Man electro-folk
music festival in Wales for the second
year running. As Interactions went to
press, the team was preparing for the
final outing this summer at the Newcastle Mela at the end of August.
Physics in the Field will be expanding next year. The relevant branches
have been invited to take over responsibility for running the four events
attended this year, leaving the physics
in society team to infiltrate new
events and bring even more people a
positive experience of physics.
All of the physics tricks used by the
buskers are available to view online at
www.physics.org.
Institute roots for
Select Committee
Women gain a voice in Europe
The Institute wrote to the government
on 5 July urging it not to disband the
Commons select committee which
covers science and technology.
In a letter to Harriet Harman, Leader
of the Commons, the Institute’s chief
executive Robert Kirby-Harris said: “I
would ask you to retain the unique
expertise and cross-cutting role of the
Science and Technology Committee.
[It] is a well established and well
respected committee which, over
many years, has brought in-depth
understanding and a strategic perspective to a wide range of issues relevant to
science and technology in the UK.”
It has since been announced that
the committee will be changed into a
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee, but may
have a subcommittee with a broader
science remit. Some have welcomed
the news, though others remain concerned about its possible scope.
Women physicists from several countries in Europe and from the UK gathered for a parliamentary reception
held by the Institute’s Women in
Physics Group (WIPG) to mark its
membership of the European Platform of Women Scientists (EPWS).
Some 80 people who attended on
19 June heard a European and UK perspective on the challenges facing
women who pursue careers in science.
Adelheid Ehmke, president of the
EPWS, described some of the work in
which the organisation has been
engaged. Based in Brussels, the EPWS
was set up to represent the concerns
of women in the research policy
debate in Europe and to influence the
decision-making process. It also supports the work of existing national,
European and international networks
of women scientists.
Catherine Thibault of Women in
Science in France presented statistics
on the career progression of women
working in physics in French universities and national laboratories. These
showed striking similarities to the
pattern in the UK, with women underrepresented at all levels.
The reception was hosted by Labour MP and qualified engineer Claire
Curtis-Thomas, who gave powerful
backing to the drive to encourage
women to study science and engineering. She stressed the importance
of attracting more women into science and retaining them in sciencebased careers. Ian Taylor, an MP and
former Conservative minister who
also sat on the Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology,
gave a similar message in his introductory remarks.
Barbara Sandow, chair of the International Union of Pure and Applied
Physics’ working group on women in
physics, outlined its role in monitor-
ing and promoting the progress of
women in physics careers, while
Carol Robinson, professor of chemistry at Cambridge University, gave a
personal account of the challenges
that she had faced in returning to
work following a career break.
Beth Taylor, the Institute’s communications director, highlighted some
of the Institute’s key achievements in
supporting women in physics, including its guidance for teachers through
the Girls in Physics programme, the
development of the Juno Code of
Practice for university physics departments, and support for physicists taking career breaks.
The reception provided opportunities for networking, and WIPG chair
Gillian Butcher concluded the event
by introducing Liz Ainsbury, winner
of the Early Career Woman Physicist
of the Year Award, presented jointly
by HSBC and the WIPG.
IN BRIEF
● The 37th Annual General Meeting of the
Institute of Physics took place on 19 July.
Members passed the following resolutions:
-- BDO Stoy Haywards LLP were
reappointed as auditors (98% in favour);
-- new annual membership subscriptions
from 1 January 2008 were approved
(91% in favour);
-- the Annual Report was approved;
-- the Annual Accounts were approved
with 1 against.
Members voted 34 % in favour and
65% against the following resolution, with
1% abstentions, so it was not passed:
-- Where Council wishes to comment or
express views on a member’s resolution
on an AGM meeting notice, those
comments or views must be made known
to the resolution proposer so that s/he
can, if wished, respond to them on that
same AGM notice and be given space to
do so. No further comments or views
would then be allowed on that meeting
notice, only at the AGM. The same
applies to all General Meetings.
● A statement reiterating the Institute’s
commitment to the principle of academic
freedom has been placed in the “About
Us” section of the website. It says that the
Institute’s international relations
programme aims to maintain constructive
relationships with academic institutions
and learned societies from all countries;
the Institute accepts applications from
individuals to conferences and meetings
irrespective of race, religion or nationality;
and IOP Publishing accepts submissions
from individuals on the same basis.
NEWSMAKERS
Prof. Vitaly Ginzburg of
the Lebedev Institute has
been presented with his
certificate as an honorary
fellow of the Institute of
Physics by Jerry Cowhig,
managing director of IOP Publishing.
Ginzburg, who was a joint winner of the
Nobel Prize for Physics in 2003, was made
an honorary fellow in 2006, but he was
unable to attend the Institute’s Awards
Dinner in January due to ill health. The
presentation took place in Moscow in June,
with Cowhig acting on behalf of the
Institute’s president, Peter Saraga.
Averil Macdonald has
been awarded the
2007 award for
Personal Contribution
to the Plastics Industry
for her lecture for GCSE
students, entitled “Fantastic plastic”.
Macdonald, who lectures in physics at
the University of Reading, also won the
Institute’s Bragg medal in 1999 and was
chosen as one of the UKRC’s Outstanding
Women of Achievement this year.
Vera Hazlewood has been awarded
£500 as winner of the Computational
Physics Group Thesis Prize. The award is
made annually for the PhD thesis that
contributes most strongly to the
advancement of computational physics.
Hazelwood is a technology translator at
the Smith Institute in Guildford, Surrey.
I n t e ractions September 2007
4 reflections
Nuclear could work, if you ask me...
Beth Taylor
“The majority of
responses will
come from those
who have the
resources and the
motivation – the
industry and the
NGOs.”
So is this it? More than 12 years after the UK’s last reactor was
commissioned, at Sizewell B, all the signs are that the government
is about to give the green light to the construction of a new
generation of nuclear power stations. Or, in official parlance, the
government’s “preliminary view is that energy companies should
be allowed to invest in new nuclear power stations”.
Just one thing, it seems, needs to be completed before that
green light shines – the government’s consultation on the role of
nuclear power in a low carbon economy. Issued in May, the
consultation invites the views of the public, industry, NGOs or
any other organisation on a 207-page consultation paper,
accompanied by a 34-page paper on strategic siting assessment,
a 343-page Energy White Paper, and countless reams of paper
which have already been the subject of consultation, under the
title “Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely”.
How many members of the general public are going to wade
through that forest of electronic pages? With the help of our
interested members, the Institute will submit a response by the
October deadline which is informed, authoritative and
independent. But you can bet that the majority of responses will
come from those who have the resources and the motivation –
the industry and the NGOs. They may well be informed and
authoritative, but they are hardly likely to be independent, and
highly likely to be mutually contradictory.
The consultation asks 18 detailed questions of the form “do
you agree or disagree with the government’s view?” on issues
ranging from the impact of nuclear power on carbon emissions
and energy security, to the future of reprocessing. As a former
nuclear sceptic, it pains me to say this, but my own personal view
is that the issues identified are largely the right ones and my own
personal answer to almost all the questions raised is “agree”.
For years I believed that a good analogy for nuclear power was
the canal network – a technology which worked well in its day, but
had been overtaken by a cheaper, more popular and more efficient
alternative. The twin challenges of climate change and security of
supply, however, have overturned all that. (And did I hear on the
news the other week that Sainsbury’s are shipping groceries by
canal again?) It makes no sense whatsoever for the government to
single out one particular technology as a pariah. Nuclear has a lot
to offer in terms of carbon abatement and diversity of supply. It
should be allowed to compete on equal terms with other low
carbon alternatives, recognising that each technology carries its
own environmental burden. The key for the government will be to
demonstrate that none is unfairly subsidised, through (for
example) absolute transparency in the methods for funding
decommissioning and waste management costs.
So would I sign up unquestioningly to the consultation paper?
Not quite. Three issues still concern me.
Outstanding concerns
First is the potential impact of focusing government attention and
investors’ funds on a supply-side solution. For as long as I worked
in the energy sector, the enormous potential of energy efficiency
to contribute cost effectively to reducing demand was widely
recognised. But the siren song of new supply technologies always
distracted the attention of government and industry away from the
more challenging conundrum of coaxing millions of individual
consumers to act in their own enlightened self-interest. I hope that
a renewed focus on nuclear new build does not repeat that cycle.
Second is the confident assertion that non-proliferation risks are
very small. I would not seek to argue with the analysis in the
consultation paper that the risk of diversion of nuclear materials
from the building and operation of modern nuclear power stations
in the UK is very small. I am afraid, however, that this is too narrow
and UK-centric a view. We cannot adopt a nuclear solution to the
carbon and security challenges without expecting other nations
around the world to do the same. And the US solution of a sealed
fuel cycle provided by – guess who? – the US does not seem to me
to be sustainable. How can the West expect to maintain this kind
of technical monopoly ad infinitum? In my view, it is neither
practical nor ethical. If we opt for new nuclear build, we must
expect other countries to do the same, and accept that sooner or
later they will demand control over their own fuel cycle. That
would mean more North Koreas and Irans, raising proliferation
risks well above that comfortable assessment of “very small”.
Third, the paper rightly recognises the pressures that will be put
on the supply chain and skills capacity to meet the demands of a
major new build programme. The UK is facing other pressing
infrastructure priorities including the 2012 Olympics, transport
network renewal, a massive planned new housing programme,
and a major reappraisal of flood defences. All these will require a
wide range of design and engineering skills – and while other
countries face similar pressures, we cannot and should not expect
them all to be delivered internationally. Will we really have the
resources to meet these demands? As the numbers of post-16
students taking physics has dropped over the years, the pool of
vital technical and engineering skills has declined. It is high time to
reverse that trend. A major infusion of cash and energy into education and skills could be a valuable outcome of the nuclear debate.
Beth Taylor is the Institute’s director of communications and external
relations. She writes in a personal capacity.
focal point: council news
New committee will oversee external engagement
The Council of the Institute of Physics met on
19 July. President Peter Saraga opened the
meeting by congratulating Institute members who
were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours,
and five members appointed Fellows of the Royal
Society, and five appointed Fellows of the Royal
Academy of Engineering.
● Council noted the report of the annual general
meeting, approved nominations for Honorary
Fellows of the Institute and for the 2008 awards,
and agreed a new international award – the
Occhialini award – to be made jointly with the Italian
Physical Society for distinguished work carried out
within the preceding 10 years. It is to be made to
I n t e ractions September 2007
physicists in alternating years working in Italy, or in
the UK and Ireland.
● The Institute’s Strategy Implementation Plan was
agreed by Council in July 2006. Chief executive Bob
Kirby-Harris briefed members on progress made so
far against 25 development themes identified in the
original plan. He was able to report good progress in
most areas, with a few cases where, after some
delay, work is now beginning. The supplement
included with this Interactions details key
achievements in delivering the strategic goals.
● Plans to create a new committee of Council were
approved. The External Engagement Committee, to
be chaired by Heather Reid, will have a broad
remit to advise on how the Institute engages with a
range of different stakeholders in order to promote
interest in and provide support for physics, and to
enhance the Institute’s reputation. It will also
oversee strategy for dealing with government
departments, parliamentarians and the media, as
well as advising on public outreach programmes.
● A recent review of branch constitutions focused on
committee members’ and office bearers’ terms of
office, balancing the need to ensure healthy
turnover with the challenges that some branches
face in filling posts. Council approved the review’s
recommendations, which have been included in a
new model constitution to be sent to all branches.
● Peter Saraga thanked past president Sir John
Enderby and honorary treasurer Tony Scott for their
outstanding service as they leave the Council on
completing their terms of office. Much appreciation
was also expressed to outgoing members Penny
Endersby, Nigel Mason and Matthew Thomas, and
international director Peter Melville, for their
dedication and expertise. New office bearers and
members elected unopposed: president elect Dame
Jocelyn Bell-Burnell; honorary treasurer Colin
Latimer; and members Stephen Bold, Christine
Davies and John Reardon.
● Council minutes are available to view in the
members’ area of the Institute’s website.
people 5
profile: Francisco Diego
Outreach for the stars
Sharon Ann Holgate
talks to an artistic
astronomer.
Lynn Nickerson and the secondary
school girls she teaches made a
film about physics, helped by a
grant from the Institute.
Spring 2006
It’s March and I get a message from Jo Wonder, a filmmaker who
worked with me and my school’s science club a couple of years ago on
making a film about metals and researching its effect on pupils’
understanding. The money came from Creativity Action Research
Awards (CARA), a government-funded programme managed by the
Arts Council of England’s Creative Partnerships and administered by
CapeUK. There’s funding available from CARA2 to study creativity in
education. Do we want to apply? Last time it was a massive extra
workload, but also incredibly rewarding for us and the girls. We decide
to go ahead. In June we’re awarded a grant to study “how the openendedness of a task affects the creativity required to address it”, using
filmmaking as the medium for creativity. Suddenly the excitement
wears off and the prospect of all of the extra work seems overwhelming.
Philip Wade
According to Francisco Diego, scientists engaging in outreach activities
should be prepared to embrace all
aspects of popular culture, even if that
means tackling controversial subjects. “Outreach is a two-way system
of communication. You have to listen
to people and not dismiss their beliefs.
I start one of my public lectures by
talking about astrology, then go on to
explain that the real science of the
stars is far more fascinating. I’m not
giving credibility to pseudosciences, I
simply believe that we have to exploit
the high level of interest in them to
introduce the view of the universe
that modern science is producing.”
Diego, an astronomer who combines a science-popularisation career
with a part-time research role at University College London (UCL), also uses
artistic and philosophical language and
imagery to get his points across. “The
engaging power of art, poetry and philosophy makes any piece of information attractive by enhancing its beauty,
mystery and relevance to fundamental
questions that all humans have about
life, death and eternity,” he says.
His latest project, CosmicSky, consists of two 25 minute “immersive
shows” – The Beginning of Forever and
Celestial Cycles – that encourage contemplation on the nature of the universe via a mixture of science, poetry,
visual arts, music and storytelling.
They are presented in a portable planetarium and resulted from a collaboration between Diego, planetarium
educator and artist Gill Russell, and
poet-cum-storyteller Brian Hill.
“When I met Gill and Brian we
decided to create a show together for
Glasgow Planetarium using tales
about constellation names from different cultures. This was very successful, so we applied to NESTA for
funding to develop more shows that
used a lateral approach to delivering
scientific information,” he recalls.
Their successful application funded
the building of the mobile CosmicSky
dome and three years’ worth of running costs. The mini-planetarium seats
25 people, who can view projected
visuals while listening to a surroundsound track that includes narration by
Hill and effects of natural phenomena,
such as storms and solar eclipses.
Three computers automatically control the shows, so once set up in a venue
the exhibit can effectively run itself.
So far 10 000 people have enjoyed
CosmicSky (www.cosmicsky.co.uk).
“Feedback suggests that it changed the
way people were seeing the world,”
OBSERVATIONS
Francisco Diego uses philosophy and the arts in his science outreach.
enthuses Diego. The NESTA award
has just expired, so the collaborators
are waiting to see if venues will pay to
hire the dome in the future. They also
hope to produce further planetarium
shows – a task that Diego originally
got a taste for in his native Mexico in
the late 1970s and early 1980s when
he helped to create shows for the Luis
E Erro Planetarium.
Diego read mechanical engineering
in1965–1970 at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico City and
worked for a decade in the field.
“Meanwhile, astronomy was growing
in my mind. If I could change one
thing in my life, I would have studied
astronomy sooner,” muses Diego,
who is past-president of the UK Association for Astronomy Education. He
also sits on the education committees
of both the Royal Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union.
His enduring love for astronomy
was sparked off by a chance event in
his childhood. “I lived in a six-storey
block of flats in Mexico City, and
when my friend was bought a little telescope for his birthday we decided to
take it up onto the roof to try it out.
We had to wait hours until sunset and
eventually, as the sky grew dark, we
saw a bright yellowish object. I immediately focused the telescope on it and
saw Saturn. That image will remain
with me forever,” he says.
After this introduction to stargazing, Diego began designing his
own telescopes and taking astronom-
“If I could change
one thing in my life,
I’d have studied
astronomy sooner.”
ical images with them. Throughout
the 1970s he built telescopes for several Mexican universities. This and
working for the planetarium eventually became his permanent employment, and the contacts that he made
with professional astronomers overseas resulted in his move to the UK in
1982 to do a PhD at UCL. His project
involved building a high-resolution
spectrograph for the Anglo-Australian telescope, which is still in use
today and has been used to discover
extrasolar planets. His doctorate
ended in 1987 when the instrument
was completed, and he has been
designing new spectrographs with the
UCL astrophysics group ever since.
Diego’s interest in popularising
astronomy grew after his PhD, and
since 1993 he’s held a part-time senior
research fellowship that frees him up
for outreach work. As well as CosmicSky, this has included demonstrating
at the University of London Observatory, TV and radio appearances, and
giving demonstrations and lectures to
schools, amateur societies, museums
and organisations such as the Scouts
and the Young Carers Association.
Diego is part of the commission for
the International Year of Astronomy
in 2009 and leads expeditions to
observe his “major passion”: total
solar eclipses. The Science and Technology Facilities Council recently
awarded him a Science and Society
Fellowship, providing a part-time
salary for further projects that he
hopes will “open people’s minds to
the beauty of the universe, and inspire
young people to follow a career in cosmology or astrophysics”.
He says: “Life goes very quickly, so
it’s important to have a clear vision of
what you aim to achieve. I want to
remind politicians and the media
about the importance of blue skies,
curiosity driven research...of the
importance of knowledge for its own
sake as an essential part of culture in a
modern society. This is how humanity has made progress.”
Autumn 2006
I meet Jo in September to discuss plans. We want our film to focus on
physics. Let’s take what is often seen by students as the hardest and
most boring of the sciences and use this as an opportunity to give it
glamour and excitement. In October I introduce students to the project.
It’s open to anyone who’s willing to commit to the weekly after-school
sessions. About 20 girls from years 8–11 want to take part. In
November, students start on their first task, working incredibly hard in
small groups to prepare film outlines to communicate any aspect of
sound and light that they like. We meet with a local primary school with
whom we’ve teamed up to apply for funding. Children from both
schools share their film ideas, which are humorous, wacky, serious and
very creative, though most would need a multimillion pound budget. In
December we apply for a Public Engagement Grant from the Institute.
Our existing funding won’t stretch to producing a high-quality film as
well as the study into creativity.
New Year 2007
Jo comes to school to hear the students’ second lot of film outlines. For
the first time there’s a distinct lack of enthusiasm from the students.
We wonder if it’s because they’re realising that their imaginings are
going to be hard to translate into a real film. Afterwards we discuss
what we can do to get them motivated again. A week later we get out
the ray boxes, prisms, mirrors and filters. The girls play with the
equipment and start making shapes and patterns with light, capturing
images on their mobiles. By February the buzz is back. The whole group
decides to go for something “dreamlike” and experimental. They want
their film to have sound but no words. It will be about the hidden
colours in white light, and reflection. There are some intense sessions
as we grapple with ways to act out what goes on inside a prism or how
we can represent the frequencies in the visible spectrum.
Spring 2007
We come into school one weekend in April for the film shoot and the
girls don swimming hats and white coats to become photons for the
scenes in which they personify light. They patiently perform while the
camera crew films take after take. My final report in June notes that the
most creative times were when we allowed the students to play with the
equipment, not expecting them to come up with ideas in advance but
developing them as they experimented. By July our film, Living Light, is
finished, with an original soundtrack and editing paid for from the
Institute’s grant. It’s shown to our staff and the students involved.
Reactions include: “it made me feel really weird” and “it turned out
better than I expected”. Now I need to arrange for parents and the
wider community to see it. It was a huge amount of work, but worth it.
The girls’ interest in physics has been stimulated and deepened and
we’ve definitely raised the profile of physics in the school and beyond.
Visit www.iop.org/activity/outreach/ for more on Public Engagement Grants. To
contribute to OBSERVATIONS, e-mail your idea to [email protected].
I n t e ractions September 2007
6 letters
President Mr Peter Saraga OBE FREng CPhys FInstP, Immediate Past President Prof. Sir John Enderby CBE FRS CPhys FInstP, Honorary Secretary Prof. John L Beeby CPhys FInstP, Honorary Treasurer Dr J A (Tony) Scott CPhys Hon.FInstP,
Vice-president, Education Dr Elizabeth Swinbank CPhys FInstP, Vice-president, Business & Innovation Dr Keith Winters CPhys FInstP, Vice-president, Membership & Qualifications Mr Alan Pratt CPhys FInstP, Vice-president, Science
Prof. Dame Carole Jordan FRS CPhys FInstP, Chief Executive Dr Robert Kirby-Harris CPhys FinstP, Director, Education and Science Prof. Peter Main CPhys FInstP, Director, International Dr Peter Melville CPhys FInstP, Director,
Membership & Business Mr John Brindley, Group Finance Director Mr Sean Fox MInstP, Managing Director, Institute of Physics Publishing Mr Jerry Cowhig, Director, Communications & External Relations Dr Beth Taylor FInstP.
Acting Editor Heather Pinnell, Art Director Andrew Giaquinto
Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NT, UK. Tel +44 (0)20 7470 4800; fax +44 (0)20 7470 4991; e-mail [email protected]; Web http://members.iop.org
LETTER FROM
OBITUARIES
...the CPD manager
Eric Wharton
(1943–2007)
You may remember in
Interactions (February
issue) I described our
intention to develop a
range of continuous
professional
development (CPD) services. These are
now in place and I want to encourage you
to make more of your membership and to
actively manage your own development.
Development is “the growth or
realisation of a person’s ability and
potential through the provision of
learning and educational experiences”
(Michael Armstrong, 2006). This idea lies
at the heart of our approach to CPD – it’s
not something to be engaged with simply
out of obligation but as a means of
enriching your working life and growing
as a professional. Our new services aim
to help by providing you with a wider
choice of learning experiences.
The most significant investment has
been made in MyCPD, a free online tool
that lets you set learning goals, plan
activities that will allow you to meet those
goals, keep a record of your experiences
and reflect upon learning outcomes.
Throughout the autumn we’ll also be
running transferable skills courses, at
subsidised rates, in London, Birmingham
and Manchester. Feedback from previous
courses has been very positive, including
comments such as “excellent course,
please run more courses” and “better
than others I have attended”.
If face-to-face courses are not for you,
we also have some online and one course
– “coaching skills” – is being offered free
of charge to give you the opportunity for a
taster. Why not try it out?
Training is not the only way to carry out
CPD. Attending conferences, having
careers guidance, being a chartered
physicist or chartered engineer panel
member are all ways in which you can
grow as a professional. To support this,
we’ve commissioned a range of help
sheets, such as Web 2.0 for Professional
Development and Networking. These
resources are available as free
downloads for Institute members.
In conjunction with the Institute’s
careers department, we’re piloting a new
online mentor and mentee matching
service. Currently available to members
of the Midland Branch, we expect the
service to be available to all members
later in the year.
These services are the culmination of a
year’s worth of development activity.
Many of you have already taken
advantage of them and I hope many
more of you will do so.
Stephanie Richardson is the Institute’s
head of professional development. To
find out more, visit www.iop.org/careers
or e-mail [email protected].
I n t e ractions September 2007
Eric Wharton,
director of SET
for Britain and
SET for Europe,
died on 6 June
following a short
illness. Wharton
was well known
for organising a wide-ranging array
of prizes for early career researchers
with receptions at the Houses of
Parliament where they could
showcase their work to MPs and
peers. Sheffield University
recognised his work with SET for
Britain over the last nine years by
awarding him an honorary doctor of
science degree in 2006. Through his
involvement in National Science
Weeks in the Oxford and Thames
areas he is thought to have helped
more than 30 000 children and
adults to engage with science.
Although a member of the Institute,
his BSc and PhD were in chemistry.
After postdoctoral research he
joined the Science Research Council
in 1972, later moving to the Society
of Chemical Industry. He is survived
by his wife, Sue.
Christopher Escreet
(1959–2007)
Chris Escreet, former secretary of
the Institute’s Education Group, has
died. Formerly head of physics at
Appleby Grammar School in
Cumbria, where he was a pilot
teacher for the Institute’s Advancing
Physics courses, he was dedicated to
making science more popular.
notices
NEW BUSINESS
AFFILIATES
WANTED
for the Institute’s Public
Scientific Blogging, AlertMe.com.
Engagement Grant Scheme 2008. If you
are a great communicator, have a fantastic
NEW MEMBERS
idea for making physics accessible, can
Imtiyaz Ansari, Michael Arvidson, Ahmet
inspire other people, and need support to
Aydin, Andrew Bird, Edo Boek, Robert Boyd, make your outreach activity happen, you
Anne Cumberlidge, Rammile Eitelaie, Karen could apply for a Public Engagement Grant
Fairall, Andrew Ferguson, Marie Freebody,
from the Institute (see Observations, p5).
Shahid Hussain, Colin Hutcheson, Caroline The grants, worth up to £1000, will be
Lamont Smith, Lachlan MacLean, Nadeem given to support physics-based outreach
Malik, Duncan Mansfield, Thomas
activities during 2008. Application forms
McInerney, Stephen McLean, Anthony
and guidelines are available at
McMahon, Michelle Moody, Jennifer
www.iop.org/activity/outreach or e-mail
Morrell, Simon Morris, Laura Mullin, Steven [email protected]. Closing date:
Newton, James O'Connor, Barry Oldroyd,
2 November 2007.
● Fellows, members and associate
Simon Procter, A Romer, Edward Swann,
Simon Valentine, Tony Wilson, Mark Wright, members to participate in the Institute’s
regular salary survey. The results are
Andrew Young.
anonymous. To take part, log in at
NEW FELLOWS
http://members.iop.org and select “My
Matthew Angling, Roger Appleby, James
Survey” on the left. If you prefer a paper
Barton, Nitin Bhakta, Roger Eccleston, John version, e-mail [email protected]
Jeffers, Ajoy Kar, Mark Keene, Katherine
giving your full name, membership ID numKirk, Xianoying Liang, Nicholas Lockerbie,
ber and address to which the form should
Abraham Ogwu, Christopher Pickard,
be sent. We hope the results, to be
Jonathan Pritchard, Andrew Scott,
published later in the year, will be useful in
Ephraim Suhir.
members’ career planning. Deadline for
online submission: 14 September.
IN MEMORIAM
● Postgraduate students to apply for a
Gordon James Aitchison, A Bose (Calcutta), three-month work placement funded by the
George Buckley, Pierre Gilles De Gennes,
Institute and the Parliamentary Office of
James Alexander Hendry (Sutton Coldfield), Science & Technology (POST). The selected
K Heron (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), John Peter POST fellow will be based in Westminster
Hodgson (Manchester), John Leck, Andrew and will produce a POSTnote – a short
Lumley, James Lydon, George Leslie
briefing paper giving MPs and peers a
Macdonald (Warlingham), George Gray
broad overview of the background to a
Macfarlane, Lakhdeep Singh Mangat,
science or technology-based issue and its
James Noakes, Cassilis Seelye, Brian
policy implications – or may contribute to a
Milton Spicer (Australia), Henry George
longer report or assist a select committee in
Taylor (Chepstow), Michael Tuite, Elizabeth an enquiry. Applicants must be based in
Veitch, Eric Wharton.
the UK or Ireland and be in their second or
third year of postgraduate study in physics.
Get recognised, get rewarded
● Applicants
For more details, contact the Institute’s
manager (science policy), Tajinder Panesor,
e-mail [email protected], tel 020
7470 4939. Closing date: 26 October.
● Applicants for the Very Early Career
Woman Physicist of the Year Award,
given by HSBC and the Institute’s Women
in Physics Group (WIPG). The annual award
is for women at the start of their careers in
physics who have made a substantial
contribution to the subject and may also
have undertaken activities to support and
encourage others. The winner will receive
£1000 donated by HSBC and be given a
certificate at a major event organised by
the WIPG. Applicants must have completed
an undergraduate physics degree within
the last three years and be working as a
physicist, or undertaking postgraduate
study, in the UK or Ireland. For details, see
www.iop.org/activity/groups/professional/
wip/index.html. Closing date: 31 October.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
● The Institute’s annual Careers Fair will
be held on 31 October in its London offices
at 76 Portland Place, W1. The fair is aimed
at final-year students, recent graduates
and postgraduates and will feature
20 employers as well as workshops and CV
checking. For further information visit
www.iop.org/careers.
MEMBER OFFER
● Online
subscription prize draw
Prof. G Compagno from Palermo (Italy) is
June’s prize-draw winner, and Thorsten
Kamps from Berlin (Germany) is July’s prizedraw winner. Each wins a 2 GB data stick.
For your chance to win a data stick, pay
your membership subscription online at
http://members.iop.org when you receive
your subscription notice.
Institute of Physics Training
Transferable skills training for physicists
The Institute of Physics Award
Best Practice in Professional
Development 2008
“Rewarding your company’s commitment to training
and developing physicists”
•effective communication skills •introduction to project management
•professional presentation skills •people management
•leadership skills •financial awareness
We welcome applications from all businesses, from larger organisations
and from small and medium-sized enterprises.
Anybody can apply on behalf of their company but your submission needs to be
signed by a senior director or chief executive.
For more details, contact Narinder Ubhi, the Institute's professional development officer
(tel 020 7470 4800; e-mail [email protected]).
Closing date: 1 November 2007
They run throughout the autumn in central locations in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
Courses cost £200 for members and £250 for non-members
(early-bird discounts available).
Feedback from previous courses:
“Very good and better than other courses I have attended.”
“It was an excellent course.”
For more details and to book, visit iop.org/careers.
event horizon 7
Visit whatson.iop.org for full details of all Institute of Physics events.
SEPTEMBER 2007
Physics by the Lake Summer
School 2007
Summer school on condensed
matter theory.
Theory of Condensed Matter Group
University College of St Martin,
Ambleside, Cumbria
2–14 September
www.physicsbythelake.org
Registration required
Clusters 07
Conference on the clustering of
nucleons within the nucleus.
Nuclear Physics Group
The Holiday Inn, Stratford-uponAvon
3–7 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Elizabeth Johnson Lecture
Memorial lecture by Claire Curtis
Thomas MP on translating science
into government policy.
Diversity Team
76 Portland Place, London W1
6 September
[email protected]
E-mail to confirm attendance
Schools Lecture Series: Light
Fantastic – the Science of Colour
Lecture by Pete Vukusic of Exeter
University.
Institute of Physics in Scotland
Glasgow University, St Andrews
University, Heriot-Watt University,
Edinburgh
6, 10 &11 September
www.iop.org/activity/education/
index.html
ONE-DAY MEETING
AGM and Lubrication of
Nano-Ferrous Materials
Meeting on progress in the
tribological performance of nonferrous materials.
Tribology Group
76 Portland Place, London W1
17 October
www.iop.org/Conferences
Booking required
Physical Acoustics Tutorial Day
and AGM
One-day tutorial meeting.
Physical Acoustics Group
76 Portland Place, London W1
13 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Registration required
Electron Microscopy and
Analysis Group Conference
(EMAG 2007)
Conference with speakers, technical
workshops, exhibition and posters.
Electron Microscopy and Analysis
Group
Glasgow Caledonian University &
University of Glasgow, Glasgow
3–7 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Registration required
Current Research in Combustion
Forum for research students and
early-career researchers.
Combustion Physics Group
Faculty of Engineering,
Loughborough University
4 September
www.iop.org/activity/groups/
subject/comb/index.html
ONE-DAY MEETING
Non-Adiabatic Molecular
Dynamics: a Discussion
Meeting with talks and discussion.
Computational Physics Group
76 Portland Place, London, W1
10 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Polymer Physics Group Biennial
Conference
Meeting with talks and discussion.
Polymer Physics Group
Grey College, Durham University
10–12 September
www.iop.org/activity/groups/
subject/pol/index.html
Registration required
QuAMP 2007
Conference on ideas and results at
the forefront of research.
Atomic, Molecular, Optical and
Plasma Physics Division
University College London
10–13 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Registration required
Electro-active Materials
Conference for those working on
any aspect of field-induced
effects in materials.
Dielectrics Group
Cranfield Management
Development Centre, Cranfield
20 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Registration required
Sensors and their Applications
XIV
Conference on sensors,
instrumentation and measurement.
Instrument Science and Technology
Group
Liverpool John Moores University
11–13 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Girls in Physics: What Works,
What Next?
Event at the BA Festival on
successful strategies for engaging
girls in physics.
Education Department/Science
Learning Centres Network
Vanbrugh Dining Hall, University of
York
13 September
www.slcs.ac.uk/network/gip07
Conference and Training Course
on Emergent Themes in
Biophysics
Research meeting and course on
biological physics.
Biological Physics Group
Manchester Institute of
Biotechnology, University of
Manchester
17–18 September
www.iop.org/conferences
NASM 2007
Conference on novel applications of
surface modification.
Applied Physics and Technology
Division
University of Southampton
18–20 September
www.iop.org/Conferences
Registration required
Extreme Physics at National
Science Learning Centre, York
Talks, workshops and participation.
Education Group
National Learning Centre, York
22–23 September
www.pegresources.net/Home.html
OCTOBER 2007
Light for the Firm but Gentle
Control of Disease
Talk by Prof. Stephen Brown of the
Royal Free and University College
London Medical School.
Institute of Physics in Scotland
Glasgow Science Centre, Pacific
Quay, Glasgow
2 October
www.iop.org/activity/branches/
Scotland
How Do We Reconcile Growth,
Emissions and Resources?
Talk by Simon Roberts of the
Foresight Group at Arup.
Energy Management Group
76 Portland Place, London W1
9 October
www.iop.org/activity/groups/
professional/emg/index.html
Schools Lecture Series: Light
Fantastic – the Science of Colour
Lecture by Peter Vukusic of Exeter
University.
Education Department
Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough;
Northumbria University, Newcastle
upon Tyne; Hartlepool College of
Further Education
16 & 17 October
www.iop.org/activity/education/
index.html
ONE-DAY MEETING
Kelvin 2007
Event to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of Kelvin’s death
with four leading scientists
speaking.
Conference Strategy Committee
Kelvin Gallery, University of
Glasgow
14 November
www.kelvin2007.org
Booking required
Electricity Supply
Lecture by Lord F Tombs, former
chair of the Central Electricity
Generating Board.
Energy Management Group
76 Portland Place, London W1
17 October
www.iop.org/activity/groups/
professional/emg/index.html
Utopia Theory: the Search for the
Physics of Society
Talk by science journalist Philip Ball.
London & South East Branch
Rutherford College Lecture Theatre
1, University of Kent
7 November
www.iop.org/activity/branches/
London_and_South-East
Into the Heart of Matter
Talk on the Large Hadron Collider by
Helen Heath of Bristol University
Midlands Branch
Hereford Sixth Form College
30 October
www.iop.org/activity/branches/
Midland/index.html
Low Temperature Techniques
Meeting for newcomers to
experimental research at low
temperatures.
Low Temperature Group
East Midlands Conference Centre,
Nottingham
7 November
www.iop.org/Conferences
Science, Engineering and
Technology Careers Fair
The Institute’s annual careers fair for
final-year students, recent
graduates and postgraduates.
Careers Support
76 Portland Place, London W1
31 October
www.iop.org/activity/careers/
Careers_Fair/page_5187.html
N OV E M B E R 2 0 07
Schools Lecture Series: Light
Fantastic: the Science of Colour
Lecture by Pete Vukusic of Exeter
University
Education Department
Highcliffe School, Christchurch;
Clayesmore School, Dorset; Ralph
Allen School, Bath
5, 6 & 7 November
www.iop.org/activity/education/
index.html
Pie in the Sky: Scotland’s Space
Satellites
Talk by Craig Clark of Clyde Space
Ltd.
Institute of Physics in Scotland
Glasgow Science Centre, Pacific
Quay, Glasgow
6 November
www.iop.org/activity/branches/
Scotland
Applications of Plasmas: Micro
to Nano Scale
Meeting with invited and
contributed speakers.
Ion and Plasma Surface
Interactions Group
76 Portland Place, London W1
7 November
www.iop.org/activity/groups/
subject/ipsi/index.html
Experimental Techniques in
Semiconductor Research
One-day course aimed primarily at
new researchers.
Semiconductor Physics Group
East Midlands Conference Centre,
Nottingham
13 November
www.iop.org/Conferences
You are made of star stuff
IOP Hereford and Worcester Annual
Public Lecture, by Prof. Dame
Jocelyn Bell Burnell.
Midlands Branch
19 November
www.iop.org/activity/branches/
Midland/index.html
Ticket only
Registration required
Elevate yourself
Your chance to say thank you
Help us to recognise outstanding teachers
31 October 2007
The Institute of Physics, London
Sponsored by:
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at the Institute of Physics 2007 Careers Fair.
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The Institute of Physics invites you to nominate secondary teachers of physics
or primary science teachers for our Teachers Awards 2008.
Entries have to reach the Institute by 12 October 2007
Forms can be obtained from:
Gita Tailor, Teachers Awards 2008, Education Department,
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IOP Institute of Physics
I n t e ractions September 2007
matters
8
Sculpture exhibition gets physical
If you visited London’s Southbank over the summer,
you might have noticed some unfamiliar additions to
the city skyline – 31 life-size figures created by the
sculptor Antony Gormley had taken up residence on
walkways and rooftops. Gormley is probably most
famous for Another Place, in which similar figures look
out to sea from Crosby Beach near Liverpool, and for
the gargantuan Angel of the North outside Gateshead.
Every figure was part of a work called Event Horizon
and they faced Blind Light, the exhibition of Gormley’s
works taking place at The Hayward Gallery. As I
approached, my childish delight at spotting these new
guardians gave way to a worry that someone might call
the police, in terror that a weary Londoner had finally
snapped after one tube delay too many.
I love the fact that art can provoke responses like
these. During my PhD I was secretary of the Young
Friends of Pallant House – a centre for modern art in
Chichester – and I’ve been an avid gallery-goer since.
Visiting Blind Light was going to make me forget about
writing my solid-state physics textbook, surely?
Entering the exhibition I was confronted by Space Station – a collection of 480-odd cubic metres of steel plate
boxes that make up the rough shape of a human body
and which Gormley claims is a model for Stephen
Hawking’s vision of a habitat in space. It was imposing,
overwhelming and scary. Shift II was a figure pinned to
the wall “as if held by a centrifugal force”, according to
the exhibition guide. It also quoted Gormley explaining
that he had taken the term “event horizon” from cosmology, the idea being that, just as we will never see
parts of the universe, viewers of the rooftop figures –
which were arranged over a 1.5 km2 area around the
gallery – would question whether there were more figures beyond those visible on the horizon.
Science was the means by which the centrepiece of
the exhibition, also called Blind Light, existed. Thanks to
clever environmental control, it was effectively a cloud
particles
Environmental Physics
Essay Competition
The Institute of Physics Environmental Physics Group is
pleased to announce its third essay competition,
which was established to recognise excellence in
communicating the significance, value and
rewarding nature of engaging with
environmental physics. Entries can cover
any aspect of environmental physics,
including (but not limited to)
atmosphere and climate, hydrology,
plant physics, waste, energy and the
built environment. Essays should be
written in an accessible way and
should be no more than 2000 words
long. The competition is open to all but
entries from students are particularly
welcome.
Prizes
● cash prizes and certificates will be awarded
for the winning essay(s)
● the winning entries will also be considered
for publication (e.g. in Physics Education)
Entries must be original and will be judged on writing quality and content. Essays can be purely scientific in content or can adopt a
policy-related or other perspective. Entries and enquiries should be e-mailed to [email protected]. Further details can be
found at iop.org/activity/groups/subject/env/index.html.
Closing date: 31 December 2007
I n t e ractions September 2007
Gautier Deblonde
Sharon Ann Holgate finds a surprising amount
of physics in Antony Gormley’s sculptures.
I found
myself
standing
inside the
very thing I
was trying to
get away
from, but I
was loving it.
confined in a room, and it made for a disorientating
sensory experience. However, as a physicist I was more
interested in Drawn, a room with each corner occupied
by an iron figure made from a cast of Gormley’s body.
The pose struck was arms above the head and legs
akimbo at 90°, so that the limbs could lie along the axes
of the corners. In the exhibition book Gormley says
that he wants this work to make the viewer “more
uncertain about his or her position in space and gravitational value”. Seeing human forms “sitting” quite happily on the ceiling certainly does give you a strong sense
of not knowing which way is up, but for me the figures
were like the atoms at the corners of a unit cell. Suddenly I found myself standing inside the very thing I was
trying to get away from, but I was loving it. My fascination with the structure of solids had been reborn.
The forms within forms of the Matrices and Expansions
collection of hanging works were, not surprisingly,
inspired by geometry. Viewing from many different
angles revealed a human figure trapped inside each
stainless-steel doodle of polyhedral outlines, picked out
by a denser arrangement of the wiring. Quantum Cloud,
which is on permanent display at Greenwich, has the
same idea. This and other works not featured in this
exhibition, such as Meniscus, Critical Mass, Cell Cycle III
and Chromosome, take titles or ideas from science. I will
be interested to see what other links this multifaceted
mind will produce in the future.
Another work in the exhibition with a physics connection was Capacitor – a figure made from thousands
of steel tubes, some containing rods which protrude
from the body, creating a voodoo-doll like structure.
The body at the centre of the piece is, according to the
exhibition guide, “a core at the centre of a field, but it is
not clear whether this is expanding or contracting; a big
bang or a black hole”. I began to realise that Gormley
might have a large collection of popular science books.
While laughing at the ludicrous but inspired Mother’s
Pride – a wall of slices of bread that reveal the shape of a
curled up person via half-eaten slices – I also mused on
the problems that art conservators are likely to have in
the future. I later read that Mother’s Pride was made at the
height of the Cold War and is one of a range of pieces
created from materials that we might use to protect
ourselves from, or to survive, a nuclear attack – a much
less palatable link to physics.
It was enjoyable clambering round and peering
inside the works – so different from the passive gazing
that we normally do. Outside the gallery I held the hand
of one of the Event Horizon figures. It felt strange. All of
these body forms are made from casts of the artist’s
own body, so I was, in a way, holding Antony Gormley’s
hand – the hand of a man I’ll probably never meet.
Sharon Ann Holgate is a science writer. The works described
here can be viewed at www.anthonygormley.com.