Near Miss

You won't believe this but within one week I may just have managed to make two of my Physics idols hate me and almost drowned four of my electronic appliances... My bottle of water leaked in my bag... A book about Steven Hawkin from the library was in there! As was my camera, the evil calculator and my phone! Oh how will Steven ever forgive me?! Luckily it was all salvageable, I need to be more careful! If I had to buy yet another new calculator which I would inevitably hate more than my cuurent one I don't know what I'd do!

Imperial College Open Day

Today was my second official open day and I've really been looking forward to it!

We got there at about half past 9 (registration started at 9) and there was no queue to collect a map and some leaflets so Imperial was already in the lead, not that I was making constant comparisons to Sussex all day!

We walked through the entrance hall which was all very big and grand, into an square which several buildings opened out to. They were all so big, I looked over to my Dad and we both just made faces like 'Woa, it's big'. There was a street of shops which surprised me because I imagined only a campus would have that. We got to a central hall where we visited a few desks and Dad collected some freebies!

The drumstick lolly was from the Student Union desk and I can safely say that the theories of student union boys still stand!

We went on a campus tour, well it was technically called a campus tour but it didn't feel much like one. Next time I am definitely not going on a tour before the talks because they always feel to rushed and not very useful.

Then me and my Dad split up for the parent session and departmental session and I got totally lost! I literally went around in circles! I nearly ended up at a Mechanical Engineering talk. And then I nearly gate crashed a Maths talk.... And then by some miracle I made it through a maze to the Physics talk where I started talking to a girl and somehow I was funny, friendly and amazing. Then I got distracted by some leaflets, she escaped and I had to enter the lecture hall on my own! All my hard work went to waste... I forgot how awkward this kind of thing was... I did eventually start chatting to the boy next to me and tried to practise being friendly to strangers... The good thing about situations where sitting is involved is that people can't escape as easily!

The Physics talk was amazing! The speakers were all really engaging and interesting and it was all super informative and useful. Dr Fay Dowker spoke about her research into spacetime and the grand unified theory which was really exciting. She answered all the questions really well and she explained things much clearer than the professor at Sussex! The student to staff ratio is very high at Imperial and although I know it will be a lot of hard work I feel like I will have the support I need at Imperial and my fears of drowning in tonnes work I can't even begin to understand have lessened a little.

Afterwards I joined a tour of the department which quickly evolved into a tour of the campus which was quite useful actually. Unfortunately we couldn't actually go into the library and didn't get to see labs and classrooms very much like at Sussex.

It was very clear that accommodation costs will be much higher in London than in Sussex but I have decided that a twin room would be alright for me, I'm not very good at being alone! However this cost would be offset by the fact that I would live at home in the second, third and maybe the fourth year.

We followed our tour guides advice and took the lift up to the 8th floor to see the view. It wasn't quite as pretty as Sussex but it was great to get an idea of our position in London. I could see the Royal Albert hall, the Albert memorial, some of the accommodation and an awful lot of traffic! Ever since I started thinking of university I wanted to be in London...

Although Imperial wouldn't have the summer research position, it is common to have summer placements which would be equally good and possibly better suited for me. Imperial does have an outstanding reputation and has an international community that seems very exciting. I will find any decision very hard but I think Imperial has to be one of my options! I shouldn't say that until after the summer though...

Am I Getting Annoying Yet?

I am superduper excited about next week! Its the Physics Academy incase you didn't know but I think everyone knows, I talk about it too much! And yes, I am insisting on calling it that even though my friends laugh at the nerdiness of an 'Academy'!

I'm also referring to it as my week in London because I will be in London all week and even though I've lived half an hour from London for my whole life, I'm still allowed to be excited about being in London! So as to make the most of the WEEK IN LONDON we are planning on visiting the Royal Society Summer Exhibition after university on Tuesday! Which will be totally awesome so long as it is as great as I hope it will be and also because I get to go before my friends from school do! And maybe a savenger hunt type thing of science things in London, if we can steal make friends with someone with an iphone... We were also planning a trip to the London Planetarium but it turns out it was closed in 2006, if only we had a time machine...

Sorry, if me talking about the Academy is getting annoying but I can't promise not to talk about again... It's gonna be great!

Yay, a New Series to Watch

My friend recommended that I watch James May's Things You Need to Know on The BBC and I am so glad she did! It explains an awful lot of my AS level course in half an hour in a really clear way and I would definitely recommend it to non-physicists. Even though Physics is obviously cool, this programme shows it in a way that its coolness is obvious and unquestionable! I might even go so far as to say that it is better that Brian's series... And not just because I replaced Brian with Nikola I genuinely believe that this explains it clearer, it is easier to concentrate for half an hour and it doesn't have all the unnecessary travel aspect that Brians show had. I would definitely suggest new year 12 Physics students watch this too!!

Hey, look at that - even without an Ipod I manage to find ways for Physics related procrastination!

Ipod disaster

I can confirm that I am most definitely not obsessed with Nikola Tesla. It was a little worrying for a while but now I can go almost a whole day with only mentioning him or thinking about him once! So it's all good! Although I did find a film called 'Secret of Nikola Tesla - The Movie' on Amazon and would definitely have bought it (with a title like that who could resist!) but it was only for American DVD players... which was so annoying!! They get all the best things...

However I was in the bath the other day and I did think of him... But it's not how you think! I dropped my Ipod in the bath (which explains why I was on Amazon looking for a new one anyway) and I knew how unimpressed Nikola would have been.... Afterwards I wanted to understand what actually happens when an Ipod gets wet but I don't really get it, except that water is a conductor of electricity... So theres a double fail, Nikola would hate me... I did put my Ipod in some rice in the hope that the water would be absorbed? Its seems a bit of a long shot though!

So since I am unlikely to be buying myself a new Ipod touch it looks like this will be my last app post. Its unfortunate that I didn't write this sooner and actually be able to remember the details but we all know how rubbish I am so lets not go there again! I downloaded the Physics World app so I could keep up to date with current Physics news and my first thought was that this would be great for  general knowledge for University interveiws blah but then it was super interesting and I forgot about trying to memorise data and becoming knowledgable! Some of it was pretty complex and I only really read into my favourite bits such as super conductors, space and particle Physics.  So now I might actaully have to do my homework and stop procrastinating with Physics apps...



Obsession

I had already decided that Nikola Tesla was the new Brian, a better looking, more exciting Brian (sorry Brian, it's over) when my friend said she had read a book about a woman who was obsessed with Nikola Tesla. My initial reaction was 'well of course she is obsessed with him, he is actual amazing!' and then I was like 'I need to read this book and learn how to be obsessed!!' I'm just kidding, I already know how to be obsessed my other friend who also has a blog taught me all about that!

So the book is called 'Addition' by Toni Jordan. I skipped doing maths homework and read it all yesterday evening and finished it as soon as I got home this evening!

It is about a woman who has a mental disorder that means she counts everything. Literally everything! I found it really interesting to explore the personality of a woman with this so-called problem but really it is so much a part of her that when she stops it is wrong and then she has an actual problem.

It was also very interesting to read lots of things about Nikola. I have been thinking about him all day today! But don't worry, I'm not obsessed, I just always get like this with books which is why I try to finish them as quickly as possible. 

Nikola Tesla

I was just flicking around the internet when I discovered an amazing scientist I knew nothing about. The best part is that he is a total genius, like beyond possible genius. No wait, the best part is that he was brilliantly eccentric. No wait, the BEST part is that he was a Physicist! Okay there are a lot of best parts...
His name is Nikola Tesla and he looks like this:

One of the coolest things that he did (besides owning 700 different patent at the time of his death!!) was discovering the resonant frequency of the Earth. This means that he found the frequency of sound that the earth vibrates at most. Using this he caused an earthquake so powerful it almost destroyed his laboratory! I mean the walls were really breaking apart and he had to smash the machine with a sledgehammer to get it to stop!!

He was also obessive compulsive and hated round objects, anything that wasn't divisible by three and human hair. That said he also claimed to have weird visions that gave him the ideas and not only had a photographic memory but the ability of creative visulation allowing him to create the plans of his inventions in his head! I can barely even add 2 digit numbers in my head!!

I love this quote of his.

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.”

~ Nikola Tesla

He was asexual and had just about 1 - 2 hours sleep a night.

I'm sure you'll agree, he was pretty awesome! I love this picture of him in his lab!

I used this website for a lot of the information (and the above picture) in this post and it is where I first found out about him, its a pretty funny website!

Love You Dad

WARNING: This is a cheesy, soppy post. Persons with sensitive gag reflexes should not continue!

This Sunday was Fathers day and I wanted to make a post dedicated to my Dad but because I'm such a loser of a daughter this post is a day late... But its the thought that counts right? And I only didn't write it because I was busy spending time with my Dad! And Dad didn't even look at this blog yesterday! Okay, so now my excuse is perfected I will move on!

My Dad is brilliant! He really is. My mum is too but this is Fathers day! He has supported everything I have wanted to do, every phase I have been through, every new hobby I have wanted to try. Whether it was trips to the British Museum for my ancient Egyptian phase, buying me books for my Thomas Hardy phase, the endless number of crafts I have tried, waiting around gem shops, helping decorate my dolls house, cutting out any Physics related newspaper articles and the support I anticipate receiveing on our trips around 9 universities! I want you to know that I appreciate it! So thanks for being great and all that.

The Day Today

So today is the day I started my UCAS application! I feel like this will be a momentous occasion although I know I will forget all of this once I eventually go to University. Even though I am sure I will grow to hate this website, it was pretty exciting to start! Going to university is beginning to feel more and more real, this is actually going to happen! Somehow...

Today is also the day my Physics teacher accidentally pocket-dialled me - awkward!!

Steven Hawkin

Albert Einstein

And today is also the day my Mum went to Madam Tussuad's with her school on a trip and took pictures of the Physics people for me!

Unfortunately there wasn't one of Brian...


Wow, for a remarkably average day a lot happened!

Excitement!

Some details came through for the Physics academy week and if I wasn't excited before I really really am now!!

During this week of pure Physics awesomeness the school have decided to plan two other school trips. I mean seriously, half a year without any school trips whatsoever and then as soon as they hear I am away they decide to plan two so that I definitely miss out! I'm just kidding, I'm not actually this paranoid but I am a little disappointed at missing the trip to the Royal Society Science Exhibition because it looks really exciting and ALL my friends are going... at least all my science friends... I guess I could organise for my friends who are at the academy and i to go at the weekend if it isn't too crowded, there is free entry after all.

Anyway, I have the fact that I really will be having the best week ever to comfort me! On the first day we have an introduction, ice breaker (how awkward!!), tours and three lectures which look really exciting! I don't even know what condensed matter Physics is yet! And then we start our research projects!! I don't even know what this will involve but I'm pretty sure it will be great because we will get to use their amazing equipment and resources and it will be great to get a taste for research. I really can't wait!!

Oh, and there's free lunch every day!

Digital Camera's

A reason for my shortage of time this last week was a Physics presentation I have been preparing for class, we are just starting a new section about Physics in medicine and I was given digital cameras as the subject of my presentation. In Chemistry we are also studying medical topics, needless to say I was not impressed by the way Biology seems to be creeping into at least half of my subjects! But luckily I managed to avoid talking about Biology as much as possible in my presentation!

During my research for this I came across quite a few interesting things. First of all was this interactive website which was utterly hilarious to me for some reason! The colonoscopy both intrigued me and repulsed me which was a bizarre and apparently funny emotional state!

I also came across the factoid that in 1998 Sony inadvertently sold more than 700,000 camcorders that could see through clothes! Needless to say I got a little sidetracked from my original task and set up a line of parallel research to find out how it worked! It turns out that they must have accidently set the IR level too high which I can only assume means that they chose a material to make their chip that had a threshold frequency low enough that even Infra Red rays had enough energy to liberate electrons. Infra red rays are not reflected by clothes so the ray passes through the clothes and is then refelcted by the body. This means that an image is made up of the waves reflected off of a persons naked body so they appear naked in the image. Imagine buying this camera and then having to discover Sony's mistake!

Then I had to make this poster for some younger students - don't worry I didn't mention anything about nakedness!

Sussex Open Day

We started out the day with a 2 hour car journey so I declared it a road trip! Percy Pigs, Fleetwood Mac and the beautiful South Downs - what more could anyone need? Honestly, I was really impressed by the location of Sussex University. It is in the middle of a national park and only 4 minuets (by train) away from Brighton which is very London like (at least it was on a weekend in the sunshine) but with the lovely lanes and a beach!

When we arrived we ended up joining this very long line which was pretty much a waste of time because I already had the prospectus and I'm not very interested in the other leaflets... And then we joined a tour which was also pretty pointless because the tour guide wasn't very engaging and barely even showed us half of the campus! But I do like the idea of a campus now. I mean, it isn't going to be the deal breaker on which university I chose but I can definitely see the benefits. There was a doctors surgery on campus, all the buildings are together, a cinema (although we didn't get to see it!) and they are building a co-op. It's all very conveinient and there is a whole new block of accomadation which looks lovely! I don't even mind that it is all self catering.

Then we got to the Physics Department and went on a tour of the rooftop observatory which besides being a really great way to see the campus and allowing one of the funniest moments of the day - my Dad tripping over the ladder - it was really impressive! Wow, I want to go to university so much! The Physics talk just confirmed even further that Physis is most definitely what I want to at University and I am quite interested in the research oppurtunities.

After the talk they put on some extra tours for people who had missed ones earlier (of course everyone missed them because nobody was told there would be tours all morning?!) so I chose to visit a lab about a magnetic dipole moment which I knew very little about so I thought that made it perfect - boy, was I wrong! I was very very hungry and the tour guide went into far too much detail, I think it was on purpose... I was feeling a little faint due to confusuion and hunger when she mentioned supersymetry (I talked about this is an old post) and I was like 'oh supersymetry!!' but she quickly moved on so I added disappionted to my list of symptonms and focused my energies on resisting looking at my watch and ignoring the irritating nodding head boy (I'm unsure if it was the hunger or the possibilty that he actually understood what was being said that made him so annoying to me!). That said it was quite interesting seeing a lab - it was nothing like I imagined it would be!

Then we visited the library and drove through Brighton so I really fell for the place! I'm not much closer to making any decisions but at least visitng Imperial College London in a couple of weeks will help me to make comparisons between city and campus univeristies.

A Brief History of Time

I haven't made a new post in a while and now I will attempt to make 7 posts in one day two days which should work because lots of Physics things have been happening I just haven't felt like writing. But now I am in the mood and am finally up straight on all my homework so here begins the marathon! Except more fun, less preparation and much quicker than a marathon... Okay, so maybe a marathon was a bad analogy...

Speaking of analogies Professor Steven Hawking is brilliant at analogies! I finally finished 'A brief history of time' which I'm pretty sure my friend lent to me around the time I started this blog so even though I took a shamelessly long time to get through it I actually really enjoyed it! Well most of it, I mean a lot of it was really hard and I definitely didn't fully understand and/or remember everything. String theory, for example, still baffles me but I'm pretty sure it is supposed to! It is kind of linked to wave particle duality which I am slightly obsessed with! This book helped me to understand the theory of relativity (well the basics) and even though it seems completely insane (Distance has always been constant to me?!) I actually quite like it. And I'm 100% in love with the Grand Unification Theory. Its the most beautiful and brilliant kind of Physics.

Pirate Physics

I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean yesterday in 3D yesterday and it was a really great film for many reasons:

1. Good plot, great characters, a few laughs and plenty of action - what more could you ask for!

2. There was a part where Captain Jack Sparrow is climbing up a tree that he is tied to and my Mum was like 'that's not possible, he can't do that!' and my first response was 'of course he can, he's amazing!'. And then I started to think of it as a free body diagram and this is what I came up with (Sorry for my awful drawing! Googling 'Captain Jack Sparrow tree' didn't work!)

I think it worked because the force he exerted through his feet was enough to overcome his weight and create a resultant upwards force when he converted it to a vertical force by straightening his legs.

3. It had Johnny Depp in it! And it was even better by not having Orlando Bloom as a distraction!

4. It was in 3D, which was great even if it left me a little dizzy after! So it made me wonder how this new 3D technology works and how it is different to the old ones. Both methods use the fact that we have something called 'binocular vision' which means that we see two separate images and then our brains put the two images together. They both use this fact to create the three dimension effect. In the old glasses only red light is allowed through one lense and only blue/green light is allowed through the other. In the new glasses only light of one direction is allowed through one lense and a different direction is allowed through the other lense. Both of these glasses trick our mind into thinking there are 3 dimensions by giving each eye a slightly different image. I'm not sure what the benefits of the new methods are exactly but it definitely allows better colour presentation.

Just an update

My exams are nearly over! Just one left and then I'm done forever! Well, at least until January... Or possibly even just until November if I ever make up my mind about if I want to apply to Oxford or not. I don't feel too bad about how the exams went but if I know myself at all I know by August I'll have convinced myself that I have done really badly! The thing is that I need and A in Physics and even now I'm struggling to see that happening - if I'm worried now, imagine how I'll be by August!

I'm totally lost about Universities! I managed to cut my list down a little bit but I still have 11! I guess getting my results in August will help a little bit. It would just be nice to know because my feelings change practically everyday!

Birmingham looks really exciting, their prospectus came with an extra Physics booklet which was really impressive with detail on research projects.

Nottingham looks like a really nice place to be. I feel like I already know the department due to my trip there in November and watching lots and lots of their videos on YouTube, I think I would settle in there quite quickly. And Brian went there!

I've been wanting to go to Imperial ever since I started looking at Universities. It is in London which is great for me because I love London and its really close to home (I keep changing my mind of how important that is).

But like I said I'm prone to changing my mind! Royal Holloway, Warwick, Oxford, Bristol, Bath, University College London, Queen Mary London and Kings College London are also on my list so you see my dilemma... I'm going to see Sussex this weekend which is a campus university so hopefully that helps me to decide some things? Or just leave me more confused than I ever was! Either way there's going to be a barbecue!