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From the smallest lump of nothing to the biggest stars in the sky, let us take you on a journey from micro to mega! In this event we hear how tiny empty spaces can be used to help save the Earth, and where we could look for a new planet! Come join us for the microscopic and the galactic, and for a chance to win some prizes!
A whole lot of nothing: Engineering empty space on the molecular scale
Dr Chris Hawes
(Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry)
How do we build a structure that’s too small to see or touch? We can build miniature architectures with surprising properties: for example, the surface area of a football field squeezed into a teaspoon, a full bottle with more space than an empty one, and violently reactive molecules rendered harmless. More importantly, these materials can efficiently capture and store carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion and may even be able to pull carbon dioxide straight out of the air!
The search for Earth 2.0
Nikki Miller
(Astrophysics PhD Student)
30 years since the first detection of a planet orbiting another star, the scientific field of extrasolar planets has exploded, with thousands more discoveries changing our understanding of life. Astronomers have found planets similar to the most extreme worlds in our solar system, and planets that are completely different: gas planets so hot that they have iron vapour in their atmospheres, or rocky worlds with two suns... but nothing quite like the Earth. Join me for a journey through space and time, where we’ll try to answer the question: is there an Earth 2.0, and can we live there?
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