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Department of Physics

The Cavendish Laboratory
 

The 38th edition of Physics at Work was held at the Cavendish from 20th-22nd September this year. It was brilliant to finally be able to welcome back students and teachers after having to host it online the last 2 years. This year, we hosted 1528 mainly GCSE students from 38 schools across the country and from varying backgrounds. The overall feedback from students and teachers was excellent. They greatly appreciated the more interactive nature that an in-person Physics at Work had to offer, with many smiles on both teachers’ and students’ faces. One biology teacher said on their way out the door that it had been brilliant and that it had “made their month”.


We would not be able to welcome this many students without our excellent exhibitors. This year, we had 14 exhibitors, a mixture of research groups from the Cavendish and industry. Each year, we hold a gala with free food and drink to thank our exhibitors and announce the Teachers’ and Students’ Choice awards. This year, the very clear winner of the Teachers’ Choice is Many Body Quantum Dynamics with whopping 56% (Figure on the left: students enjoying a demonstration with this group). For the previous two years, medical-careers charity Medical Mavericks have won it. Quantum Materials won the Students’ Choice award, which was much closer and was won with 31% of the vote (image below: Levitating superconductor as part of Quantum materials presentation). They were also the previous winners of the Best Student Talk.

 

Physics at Work is the largest and longest running Physics schools outreach programme.

It has a positive impact on students and their likelihood of choosing Physics at A Level. One of our regular attendees told us that since Physics at Work had been online their number of students taking Physics had dropped sharply. We asked him to tell us whether numbers had increased again when they come back next year. While this is not a rigorous experiment, it highlights the importance of outreach events like this. This year, we had a long waiting list and so next year, we hope to have more exhibitors to allow more students to attend Physics at Work. Each exhibitor allows an extra 120 students to attend over the 3 days. In 2 years’ time, it will be Physics at Work’s 40th anniversary and likely when we will be able to showcase our new home - Ray Dolby Centre - for the first time. So, if you would like to be part of that milestone, why not exhibit for Physics at Work next year as a practice run to be ready for the big celebration!


The roundup has been contributed by Dr Nicola Humphry-Baker, Assistant Director, Isaac Physics

Image Credit: Cavendish Outreach

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