Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
On the 16th of December I went to the Royal Institution of Great Britain to watch one of the three 2010 Royal Institution Christmas lectures. I attended the second lecture called “why chocolate melts and jet engines don’t”. It was all about the different physical properties that dominate the world as you zoom from the microscopic environment of the atom to the gigantic scale of skyscrapers. The lectures were hosted by Professor Mark Miodownik a material scientist at University College London. His catch phrase for the lectures was “the magic’s in the microstructure” as he explained how gravity becomes less important and stickiness and quantum physics takes over. He did a series of experiments including a mass chocolate tasting test, what is the best material to use in a jet engine? And how the first prototype invisibility shield works.
The invisibility shield is based on the principle of bending light. The experiment was shown with little transparent jelly balls in a glass jar. The balls looked invisible because the refractive index (which changes the speed which light travels) was the same in the balls as in the water therefore bending the light to make them appear invisible.
In a few scenes on the broadcast I was amazed to see myself on television to the whole nation in a few of the shots of the audience. All the lectures are being made into a DVD which will be released later in 2011 by the Royal Institution.
By Laurence Clarkson (Yr 7)
