Scientists from the University of Warwick will be leaving their labs and striding on stage next week to entertain and amaze audiences as the Christmas Lectures series returns.

Full to the brim with experiments and explosions, facts and fantastic feats, this year there will be two performances at Warwick Arts Centre.

Ally Caldecote from the University of Warwick’s Department of Physics, organises the events and will be co-hosting on stage with PhD student Tishtrya Mehta.

She said: “Our Christmas Lectures open a window onto some of the world class research happening here on campus. Last year we went online but it’s great to be back being silly in the name of science, live on stage at Warwick Arts Centre.

“So why not come and join us and discover what happens to the bits that fall off rockets, or how we know how sound travels and how the Greeks and Romans knew how to build an amphitheatre. But be warned: These evenings involve audience participation, head scratching, explosions and usually quite a lot of mess!”

There are two lectures this year:

Monday 29 November 2021

Learn about the science of chocolate, what makes white, dark and milk chocolate different, and why is it always so tricky to work with on The Great British Bake Off ? How many satellites have we put into space? What happens to all the bits that fall off rockets? Could there soon be so much junk in Low Earth Orbit that our view of the night sky is changed forever? Ever wondered how Santa and his team of elves manage to get around the world in one night... what marvellous machines might they use to make sure everyone’s stockings get filled? Join Professor Don Pollacco, Fatemah Jafar, Dr Phil Jemmett and special guests for a night of spectacular science and mind-boggling engineering.

Monday 6 December 2021

What is a black hole? How big are they? Are they even denser than a slice of Christmas pudding? Next time you’re listening to your favourite Christmas song, ask yourself how sound travels? How do we know, if we can’t see it? And how on earth did ancient civilisations know how to build an amphitheatre for optimum acoustics without knowing the answers to these kinds of questions? Join Dr Rachel Edwards, Professor Michael Scott and Kevin Wong in different dimensions of time and space for this brain stretching Christmas lecture. Plus, back by popular demand, Ally Caldecote will replay one of her favourite and messiest experiments… you have been warned!

To book tickets you can call Warwick Arts Centre box office on 024 7652 4524 or visit the website.

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25 November 2021

For further information please contact:

Andrea Cullis

Media relations manager

University of Warwick

Email: a.cullis@warwick.ac.uk

Mb: 07825 314874