Photos, Fusion, Data, and Waves!

Have you ever wondered what the universe sounds like? Or how the secrets of black holes are uncovered when they remain invisible? In this interactive talk, Emma will take you on a journey into the world of gravitational waves. You’ll discover how these waves warp the fabric of the universe, how they are detected, and what they reveal about the most extreme and mysterious objects in space. The era of gravitational wave astronomy has begun - are you ready to explore the invisible universe?

A living cell is like a delicate watch, full of intricate moving parts. To understand how it all works, we need accurate photos of how the pieces fit together. Unfortunately, each piece is 100,000 times smaller than 1 mm, and the wavelength of visible light is far 'too big' to see these tiny details. To solve this problem, we rely on X-rays and electrons to take our photographs - bringing us one step closer to understanding the rules of life.

One of humanity’s greatest challenges is the growing demand for Energy. Inspired by nature’s perfect reactors, fusion energy has the potential to revolutionize the way we power our world, offering a nearly limitless, clean, and sustainable energy source. How does it work, and how close are we to making it a reality? In this talk, we will explore the science behind fusion, how it compares to other energy sources, and the latest breakthroughs bringing us closer to making fusion a reality. Join us for an engaging discussion on the challenges and promises of harnessing the power of the stars here on Earth.

Our digital footprints are getting larger and larger. We’re both generating and storing information at an incredible rate. Not only is the quantity of storage we’re using increasing each year, but the amount by which it’s growing gets larger each year too. Dr James Lees examines the issues scientists and engineers face as they look to create new technologies that remain affordable.