Lights, science, action!

This talk focuses on the marvellous Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and asks questions such as why do physicists like to collide protons and what do they expect to see when this happens? If photons are the basic particles of light, what is the mysterious phenomena of "dark photons”? How is it that light can penetrate hundreds of metres of concrete? What does any of this have to do with Star Trek? Come and find the answers to these intriguing questions, and hear my personal experience of designing an experiment for the LHC.

When we flick on a light switch, we assume the light will turn on. But how do we provide enough energy to keep our homes powered? PhD students from the Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Storage have developed a board game which shows how energy is utilised on a domestic, local, and national level. You will "run" your own electricity companies and see if you can keep the lights on!

What happens when metals and light fall in love? This talk will show you how light can selectively improve our health and our lives when interacting with metallic drugs in a process called photodynamic therapy. From attempts to turn metals into gold in ancient times, through to the discovery of some of the best known anti cancer drugs, I will take you on a journey through time and chemistry to explore this incredible interaction!