About this day
Chemists have all the fun…
For A-level and IB students
Join us in autumn 2017 for an incredible day of chemistry! Five sessions from leading chemists in academia and industry will inspire the scientists of the future. A special session on examination success will ensure students are equipped with the tools to excel.
Programme & speakers
Indestructible energy! Jamie Gallagher, University of Glasgow
What does one unit of energy look like? Feel like? Join materials scientist Jamie to explore how chemists are working to turn humans into walking batteries to power our daily life and discover the energy bound inside a molecule of food.
About Jamie Gallagher
Jamie is an award winning science communicator. With a PhD in chemistry and electrical engineering, Jamie’s interests lie in interdisciplinary materials science. He has appeared on TV, radio, and stages around the world and was recognised as one of the 100 leading practicing scientists in the UK by the Science Council.
Shining a light on the quantum world: how spectroscopy peeks within the atom Stephanie Pendlebury, Imperial College London
Steph will introduce a tale of two spins – how perseverance, the founder of an investment bank, and bad cigars shaped modern science and led to the development of masers, the atomic clock, and MRI scanners.
About Stephanie Pendlebury
Steph uses lasers to study materials to make an artificial tree to convert air and water into fuel, and project manages the Solar Fuels Network.
Dying to be beautiful Kathryn Harkup, Chemist and author
Throughout history agonies have been endured and lives risked for the body beautiful. From “blind” dates to killer cosmetics we will explore the perils of trying to obtain personal perfection. Fashion can be fatal.
About Kathryn Harkup
Kathryn is a chemist and science communicator specialising in delivering talks and workshops on the quirky side of science.
From Breaking Bad to making good - the chemistry of drugs David K Smith, University of York
Walter White (Breaking Bad) used his knowledge as a chemistry teacher to synthesise illegal drugs. We will explore how ‘bad’ drugs (such as crystal meth) and good drugs (such as antibiotics), work, and consider cutting-edge research to glimpse the future of medicine.
About David K Smith
Dave Smith is Professor of Chemistry at University of York, where he carries out fundamental research in the field of smart nanomaterials and nanomedicines.
Brain-inspired electronics with metal-oxide chemistries Themis Prodromakis, Southampton University
Themis will introduce how functional materials can be turned into nanoscale devices for linking to the human brain, decoding neural information or even emulating the brain processing capacity in microchips.
About Themis Prodromakis
Themis is a Professor in Nanotechnology and with his research team is innovating across boundaries for developing next-generation electronic systems.