Physics and Astronomy Section

The Physics and Astronomy Section organised the following events for the 2018 British Science Festival:

Exploding stars and colliding black holes

In 2017, seventy observatories simultaneously pointed their telescopes towards the same object to witness a ground-breaking event: the first visualisation of the source of gravitational waves. Stephen Smart detailed how recent technological advancements allow us to catch neutron star and black hole collisions in the act.

A dark and invisible world

One hundred years ago Richard Feynman- a pioneering researcher of sub-atomic particles- was born. Jon Butterworth looked at what's been achieved in our understanding of this invisible world and ponders: what mysteries remain? What can particle physics reveal about the Universe?

President 2018: Professor Jon Butterworth, University College London
President 2017: Professor Michele Dougherty, Imperial College London
President 2016: Professor Philip Diamond, University of Manchester
President 2015: Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Surrey
President 2014: Professor Louise Harra, University College London

Recorder: Dr. Chris Harrison, Durham University

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