The following are examples of talks, demonstrations and workshops I have given in the past and which can be adapted for any audience and time slot. I can also write new talks or design new workshops on other, similar subjects – please contact me to discuss your requirements.
Only Forward? - The Physics of Time Travel
Take a trip through time and discover how the laws of physics allow us to visit the far future or the distant past. This talk uses film and television clips to illustrate some of the advantages – and difficulties – of time travel, and demonstrations to explain concepts from Einstein’s theories of Special and General Relativity and how they make it possible to move through time. Click on the title to download a PDF flyer for this talk.
Planet X IX*
This talk centers on the possibility of there being a 10th 9th planet in the solar system and looks at the various historical discoveries and hypotheses of additional planets. It also covers Bode's law and touches upon extra-solar planets.
* This talk was written before the IAU decided that Pluto is not a planet. Although I agree with that decision, the title worked a little better before it....
Teleportation
Teleportation is no longer solely in the realms of science fantasy, but is an experimental fact. This talk explains the principles of quantum teleportation, discusses the experimental progress that has been made in recent years, and looks at the (im)practicalities of teleporting macroscopic objects.
Perpetual Motion
Man has long been fascinated with the idea of free energy, and has been inventing perpetual motion machines for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a free lunch, even in thermodynamics. This talk examines historical and modern designs for perpetual motion machines, exposes their flaws, and explains the impossibility of perpetual motion.
Total Perspective Vortex
A simple demonstration or workshop which encourages participants to think about the scale of the universe by examining and demonstrating the relative sizes of planets, stars, galaxies, etc, and the distance between them. This requires a reasonable amount of space, and for this reason works best outdoors.
Big Bang
This talk explains the main points of the current best theory of how the universe began, dispels some misconceptions surrounding it and answers some common questions (such as what happened before the Big Bang?, and what is space expanding into?), as well as looking at how the theory was developed, and what the alternatives are.
Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Universe
A guided tour of the universe, starting on planet Earth and ending at the beginning of time.
Quantum Crazyness
An introduction to the quantum universe, exploring some of its most fascinating and peculiar features such as wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle and entanglement.
Fun Fair Physics
A workshop which explores GCSE or A-Level mechanics by looking at roller coasters and other theme park attractions.
Big Bangs
A look at various things that go BANG, and why.
Microwave Physics
A talk and demonstration that explores the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum by microwaving things your mother told you not to.
Ice Cream Physics
A demonstration involving liquid nitrogen which demonstrates how extreme cold alters the properties of materials, and makes it possible to make really tasty ice cream.
