Rutherford Appleton Laboratory: Public Access Day Online Talks

We do hope you will be able to join us online for a series of short talks about the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and the incredible work that takes place on site. The talks will take place via Zoom between 09:30 and 16:30, with breaks - you are welcome to dip in and out of the talks whenever works for you. Participants will be able to ask questions via the Q&A function, and we will share answers to any questions we can't answer live.

The timings for the talks are to be confirmed, but will include:

• Live links to the Large Hadron Collider: We will be talking live to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, Geneva – where international teams of scientists, engineers and technicians are using the largest experiment in the world to recreate conditions last seen just billionths of a second after the Big Bang, deepening our understanding of our Universe. An STFC scientist will explain what they are working on and there will be the opportunity to ask them questions.
• The Square Kilometer Array: The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is soon to be the largest radio telescope in the world, revolutionising our understanding of the Universe and the fundamental laws of physics. In the Scientific Computing department at STFC we are helping to find ways to transport, process, store, and distribute this data so it can be used by scientists all around the world.
• Building stars with lasers: Did you know: right here on campus, we can use lasers to recreate the heat of the surface of the Sun, the boiling hot cores of planets, and even the conditions of a supernova (massive exploding star) Sounds made up, right? Well, it’s true! This talk will take you through a scientists’ journey and will show you the steps you need to take to fire such a powerful laser.
• Quantum computing: What does the future of computing look like? Join Daisy as they explore the world of quantum computing. We will discover how quantum computers work, how they are different from regular computers, and how we can use them to solve certain problems. Quantum computers have the potential to positively impact our everyday lives, so come along if you’d like to learn more about this incredible technology.
• Dark matter: We currently know very little about the universe we live in: all the ordinary matter we observe only makes up only 5% of the universe. Evidence suggests that a mysterious component, referred to as “dark matter”, makes up more than five times that of ordinary matter. However, since dark matter does not interact with light, we are yet to experimentally detect it. This talk delves further into this enigmatic matter, and how particle physicists are currently trying to search for it.
• Eyes to the Sky: Learn about how we collect data from satellites that watch over the Earth and visualise the data in useful colourful imagery. We can learn about what’s in the Earth’s atmosphere and track the impact of events such as plumes of gases from volcanic eruptions or wildfires, concentrations of methane, carbon monoxide and more, sharing the data with communities around the world who need near-real time data.

The talks will not be recorded, so we do hope you are able to join us live! Tickets will be released at 12:00 on Friday 18 July.

We're really excited that this event is part of The Light Project. This coming January, Harwell Campus reaches a remarkable milestone – 80 years of being a campus dedicated to science and innovation.

To celebrate, the campus launched The Light Project. A year-long series of imaginative public events that shine a light on the ground breaking discoveries made at Harwell and the bright future ahead. From clean energy and space exploration to life-changing health technologies, Harwell has played a crucial and often unsung part in bringing brilliant ideas into our everyday lives.

The Light Project, is bringing Harwell to life with a vibrant calendar of events designed to spark curiosity and wonder for all ages. From awe-inspiring art installations such as the Museum of the Moon by Luke Jerram, to film festivals, hands-on science activities, talks, and tours, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re planning a family day out or want to dive deeper into the science shaping our world, we’ll have something for everyone.

You can find out about upcoming events online: https://www.harwellcampus.com/light-project/