A series of public lectures are presented by the Department of Physics at Royal Holloway. Join us to discuss current research and hot topics in science.

Up next:

Join our mailing list here to find out when our next evening lecture will be.

Previous lectures and podcasts:

Christmas Lecture 2019: Rockin' around the LHC... and other science stories by Siobhan Alden, Callum Booth, Adam Tarrant, Adriana Dias, Sebastian Spence and Florence Roberts

https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2019/12/royal-holloway-christmas-physics-lecture/

Dark Matter Day 2019: The theory behind dark matter by Stephen West

https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2019/10/stephen-west-the-theory-behind-dark-matter/

Quantum Technology - Challenges and Opportunities by Séamus Davis

https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2019/07/seamus-davis-quantum-technology-challenges-and-opportunities/

A Tunnel to the Beginning of Time: an update on particle physics and the Large Hadron Collider by Veronique Boisvert

https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2019/06/veronique-boisvert-a-tunnel-to-the-beginning-of-time/

The Enigma and the Bombe, Paul Kellar, MBE

(we are sorry, there is no podcast available for this one)

The secret life of electrons in lower dimensions by James Nicholls

https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2019/02/james-nicholls-the-secret-life-of-electrons-in-lower-dimensions/

Christmas lecture: Beauty in Science by Moreton Moore

https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2018/12/moreton-moore-beauty-in-science/

Diary of a WIMPy kid: using light to see in the dark by Joe Walding
https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2018/10/joe-walding-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-using-light-to-search-the-dark/

The dark energy of quantum materials by Laura Greene
https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2018/06/laura-greene-the-dark-energy-of-quantum-materials/

Pushing the Frontiers of Physics by Andew Casey
https://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2018/06/andrew-casey-pushing-the-frontiers-of-physics/

Quantum engineering, leading the way to a new technological era by Phil Meeson
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2018/03/phil-meeson-quantum-engineering-leading-the-way-to-a-new-technological-era/

Terahertz radiation: from Big Bang to nanotechnology by Vladimir Antonov
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2018/02/vladimir-antonov-terahertz-radiation-from-big-bang-to-nanotechnology/

Using machine learning at the Large Hadron Collider by Glen Cowan
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2017/12/glen-cowan-using-machine-learning-at-the-large-hadron-collider/

Dark matter day, don't be afraid of the dark by Jocelyn Monroe
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2017/10/jocelyn-monroe-dark-matter/

The Big Bang Experience! A brief history and future of the LHC by Stephen Gibson
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2017/06/stephen-gibson-the-big-bang-experience-a-brief-history-and-future-of-the-lhc/

Nobel Prize 2016: the rise of topology or whatís in a quantum vortex by Anna Posazhennikova
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2017/04/anna-posazhennikova-nobel-prize-2016-the-rise-of-topology-or-whats-in-a-quantum-vortex/

Astronomy: a journey from amateur to (more) professional
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2017/03/stewart-boogert-astronomy-a-journey-from-amateur-to-more-professional/

The coldest place in the Universe by Andrew Casey
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2016/12/andrew-casey-the-coldest-place-in-the-universe/

Catching Ghost particles by Asher Kaboth
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2016/11/asher-kaboth-catching-ghost-particles/

The Mysteries of Quantum Collective Behaviour by Anna Posazhennikova
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2016/07/anna-posazhennikova-the-mysteries-of-quantum-collective-behaviour/

Seeing in the dark: Exploring the universe from DEAP underground by Joseph Walding
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2016/03/joe-walding-seeing-in-the-dark-exploring-the-universe-from-deap-underground/

How to Build a Particle Accelerator by Laurie Nevay
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2016/02/laurie-nevay-how-to-build-a-particle-accelerator/

Experimental Physics at the LHC by Veronique Boisvert
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2015/12/veronique-boisvert-a-tunnel-to-the-beginning-of-time-experimental-physics-at-the-lhc/

Quantum Electronics: Electricity at the nanoscale by John Quilter

We host a range of hands-on activities and events at the Royal Holloway Science Festival. We have a range of events suitable for both families and school groups. The next festival will take place in Spring 2023.
In the meanwhile, here's a video capturing the highlights of our previous science festivals.

Key Stage 2

Lego CERN
During this interactive workshop the pupils will learn from a real-life particle physicist what the mysterious Higgs boson is, and they'll build a Lego model of the experiments at CERN.

Stardust
Aimed at Primary School students, this is an interactive astronomy workshop that introduces students to basic astronomy concepts like planet formation and nuclear fusion inside stars. Students get hands-on with crafts related to the various topics.

Key Stage 3

Connect Physics
Connect Physics is a set of three workshops for Key Stage 3 science students which answer the questions: What is physics? Why do physics? How do we do physics?
The workshops are suitable for students of all science abilities. The workshops encourage students to think of the bigger picture through connecting different ideas, such as topics from KS3 science, the latest physics research or their everyday lives. They are able to find out about careers that are available after studying physics and they are given a chance to develop their skills using the scientific method and the peer-review process by tackling an open-ended problem with no given solution.

Shattering Stereotypes
Shattering Stereotypes is a project that tackles and raises awareness of gender stereotyping in schools and how it can affect subject choice at GCSE. In the last few years research by the Institute of Physics (IOP) has shown that the lack of girls taking physics at A-Level is part of a wider problem; gender stereotyping in schools. The report Closing Doors concluded that schools which had low numbers of girls doing physics also had a small number of boys doing subjects which were stereotypically seen as girl subjects. Following this the IOP ran the Opening Doors project which generated a best practice guide for schools looking to tackle gender stereotyping. From the point of view of the SEPnet partners the lack of diversity in physics is a problem they want to tackle as potential undergraduate physics students are being put-off from studying the subject. Projects aiming to increase the diversity of students taking A-Level. physics are then seen as growing the pool of potential physics undergraduates.

Key Stage 4

Girls into Physics residential
Discover Physics in our everyday life and in the lab and understand how it shapes the world around us. How do we detect particles? What are cosmic rays? What happens in temperatures that approach the absolute zero? From particle physics and accelerators to condensed matter and astronomy, in this course you'll explore the world around us in an interactive, engaging and creative way. In partnership with Smallpeice Trust.

Key Stage 5

Particle Physics Masterclass
We run an annual Particle Physics masterclass. This is a one-day event consisting of university-style lectures, sessions in our teaching laboratories and other hands-on activities, supervised by staff and students from the department.

For information, contact physics.outreach@rhul.ac.uk. 

A Taste of Physics
A one-day session for students who are thinking of applying to do a Physics or a Theoretical Physics degree at university. You will experience some hands-on practical activities in our teaching laboratories, and hear two lectures by our researchers talking about their work. You will also have the opportunity to ask our admissions tutor any questions that you may have about the UCAS process, talk to physics students over lunch and take a tour of our beautiful campus.
For information, contact physics.outreach@rhul.ac.uk.