Exploring the Invisible: From Laser Technology to the Molecules of Life

Lasers as a concept were first imagined in a science fiction novel called The War of the Worlds in 1898. H.G. Wells described a Martian heat ray built inside a closed chamber full of energy that could destroy anything in its path. Sixty-two years later, Theodore Maiman made something remarkably close, firing the first laser pulse from a ruby crystal. Discoveries flooded in after that, spanning different wavelengths, new materials and exciting technologies. And yet for years, lasers were famously dismissed as "a solution in search of a problem." Today, we use them for everything, in manufacturing, in medicine, in the devices we carry and the networks that connects us. Join us to learn more about the lasers that surround us, and the ones that might even save your life.

Neurodegenerative diseases impact millions globally and are a leading cause of ill health and disability. Understanding their progression in the brain is complex, but breaking the problem into smaller parts offers a promising strategy, known as single-molecule biophysics. Join this talk to explore the different methods used to study molecules to understand disease causes, emerging tools for diagnosis, and how these approaches could help guide the development of future treatments.