Entries by Jonathan

F1 in Schools launches

Early on the first day at Nissan, we tried our hands at launching F1 in Schools cars. They’re a bit on the quick side – this is what they look like at a quarter speed.

Untidying the lab

As the centre of all things Think Physics (other than the coffee machine), Think Lab can get a little… let’s just say busy. Recently, however, organisational salvation has arrived in the form of a gigantic pair of Gratnells cupboards. For a while we mostly stared at them in awe, but the delivery of a vast shipment of lab […]

IOP talk: Formation of Extrasolar Planets

Dr. Ken Rice from the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Astronomy will be here at Northumbria University on 18th June, speaking on the formation of extrasolar planets. To date we’ve confirmed the existence of almost 2,000 planets beyond our solar system – come and discover how they formed and evolved in this Institute of Physics-organised lecture. The event will […]

Stepping into the (not-so-lime) light!

The Centre for Life’s forthcoming live science show In a Spin is being produced in collaboration with Think Physics. Today, therefore, has involved much sketching, planning and calculating, as Joe and Duncan from Life build props and set-pieces for the show. Don’t be fooled by the cobbled-together appearance of the strip of lightbulbs above. Oh, no. That is […]

#girlswithtoys

Yesterday, National Public Radio in the US published an interview with an astronomer, in which he’s quoted saying: “Many scientists, I think, secretly are what I call ‘boys with toys’.” Many other scientists are, of course, not boys at all. But they still have toys, and for the last eleven hours or so Twitter has been […]

A-level Subject Take-up

Ofsted have published an analysis of the numbers and proportions of girls and boys studying A-level subjects in England: Until now there has been no single source of data for schools or inspectors to consult that sets out the numbers and proportions of girls and boys that progress from Year 11 to AS levels and then from […]

Think Club 0 – Maker Week, day 5+1. Pendulum predicament edition

Maker Week may be over, but there’s plenty of making still to be done. You’ll notice from the picture above that I’ve been hacking away at the turntables again. Meanwhile, Joe now has a refined version of our LED lamps sorted out. It’s pretty neat, and bright enough, but we’ve counted up and realised we’ve the means to make a lot […]

Think Club 0 – Maker Week, day 5

Biscuits. We forgot the biscuits. Whilst you’re all pondering how that could possibly happen – and today, being the end of maker week, I had some really good biscuits, let me tell you – here’s what we did: Above, the Think Club crew beavering away. I have absolutely rubbish photos of the incredibly intricate soldering work being done to […]