Sixth Form Evening Lectures
How Physical Sciences and Mathematics Make a Difference in the World
On this page
Thursdays 17:30-18:30
Northumbria University
2025 Evening Lectures Programme
Lecture 1 – The James Webb Space Telescope: New Eyes on the Universe
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most advanced telescope ever constructed, and it was launched into space on Christmas Day 2021. Since then, it has provided a completely new view of our universe, beaming back incredible images of everything from the planets in our own Solar System to the most distant galaxies ever observed.
Come along to learn about some of the greatest discoveries, and how astronomers at Northumbria University are using this extraordinary telescope.
Lecture 2 – Can Solar Panels Really Outshine Climate Change?
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face and the race to achieve net-zero is becoming ever more intense. Fossil fuels remain the main driver of climate change and to tackle this we are increasing the amount of renewable energy we use. Solar panels are expected to be at the core of this renewable energy transition due to them being a clean, low-cost and reliable alternative – but are they really as green as they seem?
In this talk, we will explore solar power from a Life Cycle Assessment perspective – a way of measuring environmental impact from manufacturing to disposal. By looking at the bigger picture of solar technology and its side-effects on the environment, we will find out if solar panels really can outshine climate change.
Presenter
Bethany Willis
Lecture 3 – TBC
Solar physics, satellite design, materials, energy, solar cells, engineering, statistics, remote sensing, communications ? There are some many different types of research taking place at Northumbria! We are busy trying to put together a good lecture for you to attend. Stay tune!
Presenter
TBC
Lecture 4 – The complex beauty of fractal geometry
In this lecture, Matteo will explain – with the aid of some computer graphics – how fractals can be defined as geometrical objects characterised by two properties: self-similarity, and non-integer dimension. Differently from the ‘smooth’ figures of classical Geometry, such as circles or triangles, fractals turn out to be ‘rough’ and infinitely complex.
Lecture 5 – What Makes Space Sing? (And Why Should I Care?)
The Earth, and other planets, are surrounded by seas of charged particles that zip around to create electromagnetic waves. Thanks to the quirks of particle physics these waves can end up being quite bizarre, so much so that they sing – to the point where they sound like birdsong in the morning (the dawn chorus). How the heck does space pull this off? We look under the hood to find the answer, and there’s something troubling there… maths!?
This talk recounts my journey as a mathematician to uncover something fundamentally cool about space and how to even tell you about it without everyone falling asleep, with a little help from our oceans along the way (which, as it turns out, are themselves a little tone-deaf). In doing so, however, we stumble upon something quite alarming – is this marvellous melody more of a siren song after all?
Presenter
Daniel Ratliff
Lecture 6 – Comets
Our solar system is a treasure trove of objects, but the most interesting may be the comet. While it is smaller than the average city, it can leave trails and tails that span from one planet to the next, all because it is made of dust and ice. Within this lecture we will explore comets using cutting edge measurements made by spacecraft and link their findings to the origin of life itself. We will look into the future of space exploration and even outside of our own solar system.
Presenter
Charlotte Goetz
How to find us and joining lectures online
How to find us
The evening lectures will take place in Ellison Building A-block, room ELA 009.
The Ellison Building A-block is the building number 10a on the map below:
You want to enter the building using the automatic revolving doors located in Northumberland Road as seen in the photo below:
The entrance can be found with:
- Postcode NE1 8SG
- What 3 words: ///scouts.shower.exit
Alternatively you can use the entrance (set of automatic double doors) located on Ellison Place:
- Postcode NE1 8ST.
- What 3 words: ///moth.under.golf
Here is a short video showing the location of the room ELA 009:
Joining online
We encourage you to attend the evening lectures in person.
We understand, however, that this is not always possible, so we will be live-streaming the lectures using the Town Hall feature in Microsoft Teams. You don’t need to have Microsoft Teams installed on your device.
After booking a place for the evening lecture just press the Join online button next to each evening lecture description.
The button will open a webpage which you lets you choose to watch the either in your web browser, or join via the Teams app.
We recommend you join the lecture using a laptop/desktop computer rather than a mobile device.
Throughout the lecture you will be able to ask anonymous questions to our presenters using a moderated Q&A.
Click here to find out more about how to join and participate in a Town Hall meeting.
Previous Lectures
2024
07 Nov – Why does space sing? (And why should I care?) by Daniel Ratliff
14 Nov – Should I worry about space weather? by Clare Watt
21 Nov – How can we store energy, and why is it important? by Yolanda Sanchez
28 Nov – How much, how fast? Predicting ice sheet melt by Jo Zanker
05 Dec – The James Webb Space Telescope: New Eyes on the Universe by Henrik Melin
12 Dec – The complex beauty of fractal geometry by Matteo Sommacal
2023
- 09 Nov – Nature’s Blueprint: the physics of bio-inspired surfaces by Prashant Agrawal
- 16 Nov – Talking in Light: Satellite Laser Communication by Mansour Abadi
- 23 Nov – Heating with light: a possible way to new solar cell design by Giulia Longo
- 30 Nov – Why does space sing? And Why should I care? by Daniel Ratliff
- 30 Nov- When plants eat animals: what physics and chemistry can we learn? By Ciro Semprebon
- 07 Dec – Snowflakes in the Oven: Coronal Rain in the solar Corona by Patrick Antolin
- 07 Dec – An introduction to quantum Chaos by Remi Dubertrand
- 14 Dec – Complex beauty of fractal geometry by Matteo Sommacal
2022
- 02 NOV – Moulding the flow of light by Daniel Ho & Mike Taverne
- 09 NOV – Electrical currents in space by John Coxon
- 16 NOV – Make food waste, wood waste by Madeleine Combrick
- 23 NOV – Mathematical fractals by Matteo Sommacal
- 30 NOV – the Cahotic Quantum world by Remy Dubertrand
- 07 DEC – From lasers to Masers by Juna Sathian
- 14 DEC – Tackling climate change with solar photovoltaics by Neil Beattie
2021
- 09 DEC – Magnetic fields in the Universe by Stephane Regnier
- 02 DEC – Complex & intelligent systems by Ben Huard
- 25 NOV – Mathematical fractals by Mattteo Sommacal
- 18 NOV – Solar cells and light emission by Giulia Longo
- 11 NOV – Engineering solutions from waste by Madeleine Combrink
- 04 NOV – the Chaotic Quantum World by Remy Durbertrand
- 21 OCT – Engineering porous materials by Dominica Zabiegaj
- 14 OCT – Space Weather by Clare Watt
