Out of this World

The scope of what we can achieve has always been defined by the materials we have to hand from the stone age to the emerging carbon age. Tiny microscopic particles can be manipulated to have such great effects on a whole sheet of material. Join us to examine the design of new materials for today’s demanding environments, and see how materials such as graphene containing composites have revolutionised both manufacturing methods and parts alike.

Professor Garrett is a radio astronomer, professor of astrophysics at the University of Manchester, and Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, which includes overall responsibility for the Observatory at Jodrell Bank. One of his main research interests is SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).

Dr Kerins works on discovery and characterisation of exoplanets - planets around other stars. Developments in technology mean we can tell whether they have a solid surface, how strong gravity is what their atmosphere is like; all from planets we cannot even see in most cases. Over the next decade we might identify thousands more exoplanets and potentially find close analogues of our own Earth. And after a few pints we should be ready to discuss how Einstein's Theory of Relativity might allow us to travel to some of these planets within a single human lifetime