🎬WATCH

How to Design a Particle Accelerator – with Suzie Sheehy (youtube.com)

📖READ

Books: (all available for loan from Dr Cox)

  • A brief history of time by Stephen Hawking
    Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? This book examines these questions. It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes.
  • Six easy pieces by Richard P. Feynman
    The six easiest chapters from Feynman’s landmark work, Lectures on Physics– specifically designed for the general, non-scientist reader.
  • Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel
    The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest: the search for the solution of how to calculate longitude and the unlikely triumph of an English genius.
  • Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction by Frank Close
    An introduction to the fundamental constituents of the universe. Beginning with a guide to what matter is made of and how it evolved, the author goes on to describe the techniques used to study it. He discusses quarks, electrons, and the neutrino, exotic matter, and antimatter. He also investigates the forces of nature, accelerators, and more.
  • A short history of nearly everything by Bill Bryson
    Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller, but even when he stays safely in his own study at home, he can’t contain his curiosity about the world around him. This book is his quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization.
  • The universe in a nutshell by Stephen Hawking
    In The Universe in a Nutshell, you will find a beautifully illustrated book with original artwork commissioned for this project, Stephen Hawking brings us fully up-to-date with the advances in scientific thinking.
  • The friendly guide to the universe by Nancy Hathaway
    Features a time-line history of the universe, explanations of key astronomical concepts, explorations of the heavenly bodies, notes on the works of Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, and much more.
  • How to destroy the universe and 34 other really interesting uses of physics by Paul Parsons
    Read this book and you will discover how to reverse the effects of global warming and fend off killer asteroids. You’ll learn essential survival skills such as how to live through a lightning strike and how to fall into a black hole without being turned into spaghetti. You’ll discover how to turn lead into gold, how to travel to the centre of the Earth and how to use physics to predict the stock market. How to Destroy the Universe will make you see the world through fresh eyes.
  • The Big Bang by Simon Singh
    Everybody has heard of the Big Bang Theory. But how many of us can actually claim to understand it? With characteristic clarity and a narrative peppered with anecdotes and personal histories of those who have struggled to understand creation, Simon Singh has written the story of the most important theory ever.
  • 30 second theories by Martin Rees, Paul Parsons and Susan Blackmore
    When it comes to big science, very few things are conclusively known. From Quantum Mechanics to Natural Selection, what we have instead are theories – ideas explain why things happen the way they do. We don’t know for certain these are correct – no one ever saw the Big Bang – but with them we can paint beautiful, breathtaking pictures of everything from human behaviour to what the future may hold.

🎧LISTEN

Find yourself stuck inside with a bit of time on your hands? In Our Time continues to be an excellent informational resource, study aid and an enlightening, entertaining way to delve into the minutiae of any subject. So why not teach yourself a lesson with In Our Time’s majestical knowledge juggernaut!

Physics is full of captivating stories, from ongoing endeavours to explain the cosmos to ingenious innovations that shape the world around us. In the Physics World Stories podcast, Andrew Glester talks to the people behind some of the most intriguing and inspiring scientific stories.

📱WEBSITES AND APP

Journals:

🔍RESEARCH

  • During the Advent term there is an astronomy evening that teaches students how to use a telescope correctly and to distinguish between planets and stars.

🏆COMPETITIONS

  • The British Physics Olympiad is designed for secondary students who want to broaden their understanding of physics on a worldwide platform. It is a competitive exam to encourage creative problem solving and develop your Physics skills. It is also a competition (Round 1 usually takes place November), which ultimately culminates in selection for the British team in the annual International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).
  • Science Competitions in the UK (nsew.org.uk)
    Students, young scientists, inventors, engineers, technologists and others interested in science and engineering can participate in a number of science competitions.

 🗺 VISITS

  • There will be a visit for year12 students to Loughborough University to take a tour of the engineering facilities and complete a laboratory activity in testing materials.
  • Every other year the school runs a visit to the large hadron collider at CERN in Geneva.  The trip also includes visit to the Natural History Museum, the United Nations, the Science Museum and the botanical gardens.