science lecture series
As part of an ongoing series of FREE science lectures that aim to inspire children of all ages and fascinate children and grown-ups alike with the wonderful and weird world of science, BGS hosted  ‘The Birth and Death of a Solar System’, by Prof. John Richer, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.

We are all made from stardust, spread around the galaxy by the explosive death of stars.  Through the observation of this dust and gas as it combines to form new stars and planets in our galaxy, Prof. Richer explained how our own Solar system formed and how, in the distant future, it will end.

Prof. Richer describes himself as an astronomer by accident and now leads the UK involvement at the ALMA Observatory, Chile.

Pupil Takreem Ahmad said: “I must say that I found this talk to be very interesting. Normally, lectures are said to be “boring”, but this one definitely wasn’t; the breath-taking images, the exotic sounding names and the friendly tone of the speakers voice made this a lecture that I, certainly, will not forget. I admire the speaker for the way in which he simplified a very complex topic, and made it very easy to understand.

The lecture was also very informative, and I learnt lots of new things – for example, how gravity is such an influential force in the universe, and how it can be so weak on a small scale, but so powerful on a bigger scale. Mr Richer was also very frank as well in discussing his own life and experiences,  which made it easy for the audience to understand what he was saying. All in all, this was a very informative and interesting science lecture.”

Pupils Danyal Akhtar and Henry Taggart agreed: “This has been my favourite open science lecture this year. How the universe and particularly stars were formed was always something I had wanted to look into. This lecture has taught me a lot and its fascination has sparked in me an interest in astrophysics.

I thought the speaker was definitely an expert in his field and he managed to deliver such advanced physics in such a way that made it seem simple. That it not to say that what he was talking about is common knowledge; in fact, I found out some very new and awe inspiring things as well, such as how planets form from Nebulae.”

Oliver Theaker, Physics teacher said: “These free lectures have proven very popular so far. Whether you have links to the School or this is the first time you have heard about us, please look out for our upcoming events and we look forward to seeing you there!”

Past lectures include:

  • Dr Mike Ries, University of Leeds – Primeval Slime
  • Dr Lorna Dougan, University of Leeds – Extremophiles: Using Physics to understand life in extreme environments

Lectures are held during the final two weeks of each term

Find out more about Bradford Grammar School’s free public events

“These free lectures have proven very popular so far.

Whether you have links to the School or this is the first time you have heard about us, please look out for our upcoming events and we look forward to seeing you there!”

 

Oliver Theaker, Physics teacher

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