Oxford Physics Short Talks and Introductions

Oxford University

Short talks from University of Oxford Physics Department.

Contains episodes previously published as:

(1) 'Astrophysics: An Introduction'

(2) 'Lab, Camera, Action!': "Lab, Camera, Action! is a series of short videos presented by Dr Andrew Steele about physics, explaining basic concepts, the work done here in Oxford, and even some experiments to try at home. These engaging tutorials cover a range of topics from spectroscopy, superconductivity and the transit of Venus in a clear, accessible way which will appeal to science enthusiasts everywhere."

(3) 'Physics Flash Talks': 'A showcase of research at Oxford Physics through exciting 10 minute presentations delivered by graduate research students. The topics span the breadth of research at Oxford and include topics such as climate change, exoplanets, magnetism, the higgs and quantum computers.'

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20 episodes
Updated Jul 7, 2014

Episodes20

Newest first

Jul 7, 2014 · 13 min
Plants, Photosynthesis, and Solar Energy
The planet is in trouble; fossil fuels are being depleted and are contributing to global warming. Plants, however, have been directly harnessing solar energy for as long as they have existed. A flash talk from Tomas Leijtens.
Jul 7, 2014 · 9 min
Are we still in the dark about Dark Matter?
Kathryn boast gives a flash talk discussing what we already know about dark matter, and what we still have to find out about it. There is quite a lot of conclusive evidence for the existence of dark matter, but we still have very little idea of what it actually is. Kathryn Boast takes you on a guided tour through one of the biggest mysteries in physics, and shows how physicists are trying to shine a light on dark matter and show you some of the kits that she is helping to develop.
Jul 7, 2014 · 9 min
Einstein's Greatest Blunder
Albert Einstein is one of the greatest scientists to ever live, and even he made mistakes, as Luke Jew explains - A comforting thought for all of us! This great mistake was about the astrophysics that will ultimately determine how our universe will end.
Jul 7, 2014 · 8 min
The Hare and the Tortoise
A flash talk given by Liam Brannigan about "Connecting the fast and slow parts of the climate system through the stormy upper ocean. "
Jul 7, 2014 · 8 min
Quantum Measurement and Control: How to Roll a Six Everytime
In this flash talk Wojciech Kozlowski discusses the bizarre properties of measurement and how we can harness its probabilistic nature to produce results. Quantum mechanics is currently our most precise physical theory. Whilst we do not have many strictly quantum technologies yet, quantum theory is necessary for our understanding of the world around us, from the basic constituents of matter to semiconductors in electronic devices, and even biological processes such as photosynthesis. Measurement and its probabilistic nature lie at the very heart of quantum mechanics which prompted Albert Einstein to say his famous words "God does not play dice with the universe!"
Jul 7, 2014 · 9 min
Space - The Ultimate Laboratory
What can space teach us about the laws of physics? Space is huge and complicated. This is a challenge, but also gives us the ultimate physics lab. Francesca Day explores this further. Light from the beginning of the universe is hidden in the night sky. In space we can see physics at much higher energies and over much larger distances than we could ever manage on Earth. Space is also a great place to look for new particles – it produces and accelerates them for us and then drops them right on our heads. I will talk about how we can use space to discover new physics and new particles.
Feb 3, 2014 · 4 min
Lab, Camera, Action: Tides
The Bay of St Brieuc in Brittany has one of the largest tides on Earth. Dr Andrew Steele takes some time out of his holiday, on the day of the highest tide of the year, to find out why.
Feb 3, 2014 · 3 min
Lab, Camera, Action: Transit of Venus
In June of 2012, one of the rarest predictable astronomical phenomena took place: Venus passed directly in front of the Sun, as seen from Earth. For more information, visit transitofvenus.org. As part of the Lab, Camera, Action! series, Dr Andrew Steele explores the science behind one of the rarest predictable astronomical phenomena of 2012: the Transit of Venus. Venus transit 2004 images courtesy of Dan Kiselman, Institute for Solar Physics and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Planet textures courtesy of NASA, JPL/Caltech. Videography by Tom Fuller and Andrew Steele.
Feb 3, 2014 · 5 min
Lab, Camera, Action: Maglev Train
Wheels are so last century. We’ve got a train set which doesn’t have any; it just floats around the track in a billowing cloud of steam. Dr Andrew Steele explains how our superconducting magnetic levitation—or maglev—train really works.
Feb 3, 2014 · 4 min
Lab, Camera, Action: Particle Accelerator
Dr Andrew Steele takes a look inside the ISIS particle accelerator in Oxfordshire, where scientists use neutrons to investigate the structure of materials, and accelerator physicist Dr Suzie Sheehy explains how this massive machine works.
Feb 3, 2014 · 3 min
Lab, Camera, Action: Make your own CD spectrometer
How do we know what the stars are made of when we've never been to one? Dr Andrew Steele shows us how to make a spectrometer, a device used by scientists to analyse light, using a cereal box and a CD.
Dec 13, 2013 · 11 min
The Physics of the Violin
Jesse Liu, winner of the the departmental Speaking Competition for undergraduates, gives a short talk on the physics of a violin. The violin and elastic band are both string instruments. Yet what is it about the first that allows it to produce sounds many would regard as beautiful? I'll explore the physics behind music and the violin to illuminate this intersection of art and science.
Dec 13, 2013 · 12 min
The coldest place in the Universe
Tiffany Harte, Oxford Physics, discusses absolute zero temperatures and how by cooling atoms in a lab we can aim to replicate the coldest place in the Universe. I will be discussing how we cool atoms to create the coldest place in the Universe in the middle of a lab, and the fascinating states that emerge from these ultracold gases. We will look at cooling using lasers and evaporation, and see how the Highland Fling can explain giant quantum states.
Dec 13, 2013 · 9 min
Heart of Darkness: The Interplay of Galaxies and Dark Matter
A short flash talk from Peter Hatfield, Oxford Physics, who discusses the origins of the galaxies we see in our night sky and the mysterious nature of dark matter. Galaxies are huge clusters of hundreds of billions of stars - the Milky Way is our galaxy, itself just one of many billions more. But even these are diminutive compared with the sea in which they swim, dark matter, an unknown substance we cannot see with our telescopes. We will look back in time over more than half the age of the Universe to see how galaxies sloshed about in this ocean of dark matter during their creation and development, hopefully helping us learn more about the galaxies we see today and potentially even something about the mysterious nature of dark matter itself.
Dec 12, 2013 · 13 min
Superconductivity -- alchemy for the 21st Century?
An exciting talk and demonstration about superconductivity and its potential practical applications by Ben Williams, Oxford Physics. Superconductivity is a weird property of some materials that has exciting applications both in the lab and outside, in new technologies. The only problem is, we don't quite know what makes superconductivity work! In this talk, you'll see superconductivity in action and find out how, just like modern-day alchemists, physicists are looking to turn the mundane into the magical!
Dec 12, 2013 · 10 min
Sea Ice Growth: Mushy layers, Convection and Brinicles
Joe Hitchen, Oxford University Physics Department, describe the different stages of sea ice growth and the formation of hollow tubes of ice in the ocean known as brinicles. Every year, millions of square kilometres of the Arctic ocean freeze over as sea ice forms but this growth is controlled by processes on the scale of millimetres and centimetres. At this scale, sea ice is not a pure solid but a mixture of ice crystals and concentrated brine known as a "mushy layer". I will describe the different stages of sea ice growth and the formation of hollow tubes of ice in the ocean known as brinicles.
Dec 12, 2013 · 10 min
Matter, Antimatter and The Mystery of Existence
In this talk Nazim Hussain, Oxford University, will provide an introduction to matter and antimatter and the interplay between them. As far as we can tell, our universe is filled with galaxies and planets (and people) all of which are made of matter. But, our universe could have been absolutely empty with nothing in it at all! In this talk, I will provide an introduction to matter and antimatter and the interplay between them. I shall also explain how the fact that we live in a universe filled with matter is one of the mysteries of modern physics, a puzzle that particle physicists are trying to resolve using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN laboratory.
Jun 4, 2013 · 11 min
How to find a Higgs boson
The discovery of the Higgs boson last summer is widely regarded as one of the most important scientific discoveries of our time. This talk will take you on a quick journey describing why we were searching for this elusive particle, and the experimental challenges involved in finding it.
Jun 4, 2013 · 13 min
What is a Quantum Computer?
How does a quantum computer work? Why is a quantum computer so much better than a traditional computer? This talk will give you an insight into the strange features of the quantum world that we can exploit to develop a super fast quantum computer.
Jun 4, 2013 · 9 min
Dealing with Frustration - Order in Disorder
Magnetic particles can get frustrated in their interactions with other particles because of lattice geometry. Lots of new and exciting physics is involved in understanding how they deal with their frustration.