They shuffled the order though so I was totally unprepared for Simon to be first! His talk was all about the big bang which I already knew most of but there is no doubt about it, he is a brilliant speaker. he had this funny mathematical proof that proves that the teletubies must be evil. Making the teletubies takes time and money so:
Teletubies = Time x Money
It is often said that time is money so if Time = Money when you substitute you get
Teletubies = Money squared
It is also said that money is the root of all evil so when you substitute the square root of evil into the equation you get that
Teletubies = Evil
This was to demonstrate that without experiments then you get some very strange theories...
Next was a talk all about plastic electronics and its potential with screens to have flexible phones and all sorts. This wasn't the best presentation but it was a very interesting topic with a lot of practical applications such as messages on police jacket and skin replacements (like a plaster with a skin image on) and electronic wallpaper (which would be incredible because you could change it every day, it could have a scene from your holiday or play a video of your favourite band like an actual concert!)
Then came a talk called 'Newton at the Olympics' and was all about the physics of sport which involves looking at the way the body works (in a mechanical way) and developing techniques and equipment to allow the best performance - although a lot of these developments are then banned from competitions.... I have to be honest , I am not a sporty person so I wasn't expecting much from this talk but it was really interesting and I learnt a lot of things I wouldn't have ordinarily have thought about.
Next was a senior examiners talk all about exam technique and mostly it was the usual thing about highlighters and writing out the data you know. But he also spoke about closing the loop which is a technique I will try next test (basically read the question before and after answering). He also spoke about how a test is a 'walk in the garden of physics' and although it seems a slightly eccentric idea I quite like it!
Next was the DJ physics and when I spoke before about looking forward to seeing sound set on fire I wasn't disappointed! There was a tube of gas with holes in so there were lots of little flames when it was set alight. Then he played a song down the tube and the sound waves created a pressure difference in the tube which displayed a standing wave pattern with the flames! Actual amazing!! And now when I hear a song I can't help but listen for the beats and imagine the pattern in frequency space... Although I've probably get it wrong in my head because he tested us on a few and I was rubbish!
Finally was a talk about 'Quantum Magic' and although the presenter was quite cringe worthy it was a genuinely enjoyable presentation. At the end I was totally frustrated because I cannot understand quantum entanglement and superposition... I mean something cannot be in more than one place at one time!! It just can't... But it is... But it can't... Ah, its making me tired again!! He also told us about his blog which I really like, particularly the name!
Next was a senior examiners talk all about exam technique and mostly it was the usual thing about highlighters and writing out the data you know. But he also spoke about closing the loop which is a technique I will try next test (basically read the question before and after answering). He also spoke about how a test is a 'walk in the garden of physics' and although it seems a slightly eccentric idea I quite like it!
Next was the DJ physics and when I spoke before about looking forward to seeing sound set on fire I wasn't disappointed! There was a tube of gas with holes in so there were lots of little flames when it was set alight. Then he played a song down the tube and the sound waves created a pressure difference in the tube which displayed a standing wave pattern with the flames! Actual amazing!! And now when I hear a song I can't help but listen for the beats and imagine the pattern in frequency space... Although I've probably get it wrong in my head because he tested us on a few and I was rubbish!
Finally was a talk about 'Quantum Magic' and although the presenter was quite cringe worthy it was a genuinely enjoyable presentation. At the end I was totally frustrated because I cannot understand quantum entanglement and superposition... I mean something cannot be in more than one place at one time!! It just can't... But it is... But it can't... Ah, its making me tired again!! He also told us about his blog which I really like, particularly the name!
Wow.
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