As a part of British Science Week 2021, the School of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Lincoln is celebrating all things maths and physics with a series of 12 lectures (6 in Maths and 6 in Physics) from our experts. You will find out what exciting science we do in Lincoln from pure to applied maths, from experimental to theoretical and computational physics and astrophysics. You will have a glimpse to some of our recent discoveries and will be able to ask questions as well. The lectures are especially prepared for A-level students but are accessible for everyone interested in maths or physics. You can attend as many lectures as you want – all, some or just one – please book your place to receive a link to watch them live and to post your questions. Each lecture will consist of about 30 min talk followed…

A Eurasian Jay (top) with one of its striped feathers (bottom).

How the jay bird got its stripes:
what nanotechnology and photonics can learn from biology

a public lecture by

Professor Richard Jones FRS

Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Sheffield

Wednesday 12 February 2020

6 pm – 7:20 pm

Newton Lecture Theatre INB0114 in the Isaac Newton building, University of Lincoln

Book a place

The striking appearance of the Eurasian Jay owes much to its beautiful striped feathers.  What’s interesting about these is that the colours of the feathers are not produced by a pigment – instead they are a result of an optical interference effect arising from the sub-micron structure created in the cells that form the feather. We’ve studied this structure – and analogous structures from beetle scales – using synchrotron x-ray radiation, and we find that these structures are characteristic of a process of controlled…

Wright of Derby ‘An experiment on a bird with an air pump’

Citizens, science and citizen science

a public lecture by

Professor Dame Athene Donald DBE, FRS

Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge and Churchill College

Wednesday 4 March 2020

6 pm – 7:20 pm

Newton Lecture Theatre INB0114 in the Isaac Newton building, University of Lincoln

Book a place

Science touches everyone, whether they like it or not, but knowledge of it and its implications is patchy amongst politicians, journalists and the general public alike.   This can be immensely damaging, as important decisions need to be made on many fronts: the energy transition, climate change, measles vaccination or the use of CRISPR technologies.  Scientists need to work harder to explain what it is they get up to and what they know, and be more sensitive to the social context in which individuals make their own decisions.  On the other…

Today Fabien Paillusson gave a fantastic public lecture on mystery behind the most enigmatic concept of modern physics – entropy.

Dr. Steven Hayward from the School of Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK visits us and delivers a seminar.

Demonstration of using a haptic device to feel and drag molecules around

During 12-16 October 20-15 Thomas Blagden from William Farr C of E Comprehensive School spent school work experience placement in our Computational Physics research group working alongside Dr Marco Pinna on modelling of soft spherical nano-containers. Thomas used modern simulation programmes developed by our academics and analysed his results using Advanced Visual Systems (AVS) software. On his last day in our group Mrs A Wiley, Head of Physics at William Farr School, has visited us to see the results of his work.

Mrs A Wiley and Thomas Blagden at the University of Lincoln

Mrs A Wiley and Thomas Blagden discussing Thomas’ results at the University of Lincoln