Physics Department News
The Big Bang Fair sparks excitement for students
In June, a team of enthusiastic physicists attended the annual Big Bang Fair at Birmingham's NEC, aiming to spark young students interest in science and future careers in the field.
The Big Bang Fair is the UK's biggest celebration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for schools and runs for three days each year, with thousands of year 6, 7 and 8 students in attendance. The team from the Department of Physics were also joined by colleagues from the Department of Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Warwick Manufacturing Group from the University of Warwick.
Image shows (left): group of students and outreach volunteers with interactive star table, (top right): two volunteers demonstrating levitating superconductor, (bottom right): group of outreach volunteers.
Visitors to the stand were able to explore how planetary systems form by colliding stars and planets together to create structures such as white dwarfs and black holes. They watched in amazement as a super conductor was cooled with liquid nitrogen to hover above a magnetic train track. There were quality conversations as visitors stayed at the stand for some time, asking questions about magnetism and superconductivity research in the department and its applications. Over 3500 students visited the stand throughout the 3-day event, engaging with activities, asking questions, and discovering exciting everyday Physics.
Ally, Department of Physics Outreach Officer said, "It's always a delight to be part of The Big Bang Fair and show children the incredible work we do here at the University of Warwick Department of Physics. We have a responsibility to share our enthusiasm and expertise to encourage the next generation of scientists. It's great that everyone in the department from professors to students are involved in that."