Bridging the Gap: from the physics of everyday to exploring the cosmos

Description du cours

How do you know the world is round? Can you observe the past? If you cannot see or touch something, how do you know it exists? Equipped with the tools of physics, we can answer these questions and more. Starting off with the simple mechanical systems, we will see how these can be used to understand the curvature of our planet and the universe. Through properties as simple as colour, we can determine the composition of everyday objects and even the age of the Universe. Even the things we miss can predict so much about the nature of the Universe from the existence of unseen particles to entire planets! To explore these topics, we will use exciting experimental equipment such as cloud chambers, mercury lamps, and telescopes. We will use our observations to work through the simple mathematics that turns intuition into science.

We will also see how exploring our tiny neighbourhood within the cosmos and beyond can give us the tools to solve seemingly unrelated complex real-world problems in medicine, such as diagnosing cancerous tumours or dementia. With our tried and true methods of physics we will approach the frontiers of science to explore open questions like dark matter – questions that might one day be answered by one of you!