Merseyside
Capital of Culture 2008
The Institute of Physics is holding a number of events in 2008 as part of Liverpool's 2008 Capital of Culture celebrations.
As well of these special events, the Merseyside branch holds a full programme of events each year, to which all are welcome. See the events page for further details.
21-22 September 2008
Frontiers of Physics
“Frontiers of Physics” is a pair of events organised by the Institute as part of Liverpool’s year as the European Capital of Culture in 2008. The aim is to give a picture of areas where there have been exciting new developments in recent years. We are delighted to welcome a number of high profile speakers at the forefront of research in their fields, to talk about the latest developments and to give a personal view of what the future may hold.
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who becomes the Institute’s president in October, will chair the sessions.
There are two separate events; a Friday afternoon event aimed at an audience of practicing physicists, and a Saturday event which will appeal to members of the IOP with an interest in physics but who may not have been directly involved in the field for some time; sixth form students; and interested members of the general public. The subject matter of the presentations will be the same for both events, but on Saturday the presentations will be slightly shorter and pitched at a more general level.
Both events are free and open to all. Registration is required for the Friday session, but not for Saturday (unless bringing a large group).
We hope many of you will be able to join us for this rare opportunity to hear from such prestigious speakers at a single event.
13 November 2008
Visualise – bringing science and theatre together.
Stanley Theatre, Liverpool Guild of Students
Time: 10:00, 14:00,19:00
Tickets £2.50 (inc. booking fee), schools free.
Tickets now available from www.lgos.org/visualise
This autumn, the Institute of Physics is bringing Visualise, a spectacular blend of theatre and science from Science Made Simple, to Liverpool.
Visualise is a cheeky mix of live science demonstrations, physical theatre, projected images and music. The presenters use everyday objects in unexpected ways, using their mastery of the laws of physics to create a world of wordless mystery. Created by award winning company science made simple, it has wowed audiences across Europe after being shortlisted for a Total theatre Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007.
There will be three performances during the day at 10:00, 14:00 and 19:00, with some tickets for the daytime performances reserved for schools (particularly suitable for 7-11 year olds).
Tickets are just £2.50, thanks to a generous subsidy from the IOP, and will be available from early September from http://merseyside.iop.org and the Liverpool Guild of Students.
Schools wishing to bring a group should contact Louise Butcher at louise.butcher@iop.org, or on 07919 035793. There is no charge for school groups.
All year
Science Places Liverpool
www.scienceplaces.org/liverpool
Science Places is a website where you can download an mp3 walking tour of science sites in Liverpool.
- Discover the history of science and engineering in Liverpool
- Explore the lives of the people whose discoveries and inventions contributed so much to the city
- See the structures and monuments which are the legacy of this great scientific and heritage.
The tour starts at the Victoria building at the heart of the University of Liverpool, and finishes at the Department of Tropical Medicine, a walk of around a mile. You can download to tour to your mp3 player or phone, and a downloadable map accompanies the tour.
If you don't have the opportunity to visit Liverpool this year, you can read about the places visited on the web site and listen online to key parts of the tour whilst browsing the interactive map.
Past events
25 April 2008
Prof Allan Chapman, University of Oxford
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Sherrington Building, Ashton Street, University of Liverpool, L69 3GE
The heavens on Merseyside: 1618 to 2008
A talk suitable for adults and students 16+
From the early seventeenth century, western Lancashire became one of Britain’s centres of excellence in astronomical research. Jeremiah Horrocks, at Much Hoole, was Europe’s next great planetary astronomer after Kepler. After him came a succession of outstanding astronomers based in the corridor from Liverpool to Preston to Salford. Victorian Liverpool was the home of William Lassell, another great planetary astronomer, and after 1881 the Liverpool Astronomical Society became the prototype of the British Astronomical Society.
Allan Chapman is a well known writer and TV personality with a brilliant style that holds his audiences spellbound. We are very fortunate that he has agreed to give this public lecture for 2008 and we are working with the Liverpool Astronomical Society to make this a truly memorable occasion.
6 September 2008
The Science Butlers
Impeccably dressed and wheeling their trolleys full of surprises, look out for the Science Butlers as they bring their unique blend of street theatre, science and good old-fashioned service to Liverpool.www.sciencebutlers.org.uk
8-12 September 2008 (various performances)
BIG BANG!
BIG BANG! is an original musical show aimed at a wide range of audiences. It follows the careers of two young scientists from their student days, in the present time, through to their rival claims to the Nobel Prize, 20 years on. Their progress is followed by four famous scientists from the past, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei, who take an increasingly active part as the story proceeds. Through comedy, songs, live music, dance and drama, the show explores aspects of both the content and process of science and particularly the importance of scientists as people. A special Gala Charity Performance takes place on Friday 12th September at 8.00 pm, with proceeds going to Marie Curie Cancer Care.
More details about the show can be found at http://www.liv.ac.uk/physics/bigbang/
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