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Visitors hunt physics activities at arboretumPeople used GPS units to find boxes of physics and tree-related activities in the IOP’s geocaching trails at the Harcourt Arboretum, near Oxford, this summer. Now in its third year, the Quest activity has trails for 6–11 year-olds and for older children and adults. It has run since 23 July and ends on 5 September.
A daughter of Gagarin unveils his statue in UKA statue of the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, was unveiled by his daughter Elena (pictured) and Prince Michael of Kent in July. A gift from the Russian Space Agency to the British Council, the statue is a copy of one in Russia and will stand for a year in The Mall, London, opposite the council’s office.
Physics in a flash
September 2011
Marvin and Milo star in a book
Forty-five of the “Do Try This At Home” cartoons that appear in Interactions have been made into a book and pub-lished by Macmillan. Marvin and Milo Adventures in Science goes on sale on 2 September and will be available in bookshops and online.
The Institute’s head of public engage-ment, Caitlin Watson, said the publica-tion was being marketed primarily as a children’s book but was likely to attract a much wider readership. “People’s initial reaction to the cartoons is that they’re for children, but any adult that I’ve shown them to has been delighted and captivated by them. The beauty of Vic Le Billon’s illustrations is that they are universally appealing.”
She has worked with freelance artist Le Billon for some years to create the cartoons that appear on the back page of Interactions each month. Watson comes up with an idea for a simple experiment and writes a script in which Marvin and Milo describe how to do it and explain the science behind it. Le Billon then takes the script and creates the cartoon to bring it to life.
Watson said: “I find the challenging part is thinking of an experiment that uses objects that people will have or can get easily, that doesn’t involve see-ing the characters’ legs, and that can be explained briefly but satisfactorily, when only Marvin speaks in the strip.”
The first 45 of the cartoons that were made for Interactions (with one substi-tution) appear in the book, with a page devoted to each and some text on a fac-ing page that expands on the explana-tion of the science in the cartoon. These pages were written by Watson and an editor from Macmillan, with additional illustrations by Le Billon.
“It’s been written so that children can
understand it. However, I’d like to see it bought for and by adults because there is nothing in it that is childish – it’s just written at a level that doesn’t require prior understanding,” Watson said.
“It’s suitable for people such as par-ents, grandparents, teachers, leaders of youth groups and children themselves to buy and use. My hope for the book is that people will buy it and do the experi-ments; it’s about encouraging people to have a go at the physics. The cartoons are incredibly popular and we’re always being asked for copies of them. They can all be downloaded from physics.org, but the book is a way of dissemi-nating them more widely.”
Do Try This At Home was devised for Interactions when the newspaper began life in 2004, under former editor Ayala Ochert. She worked on it with Nicola Hannam, then on the IOP’s education staff, and Le Billon, who worked for IOP Publishing and jumped at the chance
to develop the cartoon strip because of her passion for children’s educational illustration, she said. “Initially Marvin and Milo were created for a short run of four cartoons, but it soon became clear that these two furry intrepid scientists were destined for bigger things.”
Ochert had the idea of turning it into a book, and in 2006 Watson and former outreach officer Liz Jeavans began the lengthy task of finding an appropriate literary agent and publisher. “When we started the process we thought ‘this is a great thing – how can we maximise it?’. We wanted to get a proper distribution deal as we wanted it to be available in shops and not just something that was sold into schools,” Watson said. “It’s great that it’s finally being published and we’re really pleased that the work that we’ve put in over the last five or six years is going to reach a wider audience.”
The IOP and other parties involved have already received an advance to cover costs. If the IOP receives any fur-ther royalties these will be spent on pub-lic engagement and outreach. Though it would be a decision for Macmillan to make, Watson would be keen to do a second book if sales of the first go well.l Marvin and Milo Adventures in Science is £9.99 (RRP) in bookshops and is available from online retailers.
“My hope for the book is that people will buy it and do the experiments.”
Heather Pinnell reports on a new book in which the IOP’s user-friendly experiments are exposed to a wider audience.
The front cover of a book now on sale that features numerous Marvin and Milo cartoons.
Schools minister Nick Gibb was among the speakers at the launch of the IOP’s Learning to Teach Physics programme at a reception in the House of Commons on 14 July.
Welcoming the programme, which supports training and newly quali-fied science teachers or those new to teaching physics, Gibb said that good science teaching was critical to achieving a higher take-up of science subjects by young people.
Last year 600 graduates entered training to teach physics – a higher number than at any point in the last 30 years – but much work was still needed to ensure that a steady sup-ply of high-quality physics graduates go into teacher training, Gibb said.
The IOP’s vice-president for edu-cation, Bob Lambourne, underlined how welcome the government’s target of 925 new trainee physics teachers in 2011 had been. This was a “tough target” according to Michael
Day, the Teacher Development Agency’s executive director for training, and he argued that the recruitment drive needed creative ideas from new teachers like those attending the launch.
Among these was newly qualified physics teacher Georgina Dean,
who told the audience how an inspi-rational teacher had sparked her interest in physics and how she had changed career to go into teaching.
Guests at the reception included MPs, peers and educationists, as well as more than 100 newly quali-fied teachers (NQTs) who had earlier
taken part in an afternoon of activi-ties and discussion on teaching physics at the IOP’s London office. This included demonstrations by the IOP’s physics network co- ordinators, “show and tell” sessions in which NQTs shared ideas that they had used in physics teaching, and the chance to hear about Learning to Teach Physics.
NQTs took the opportunity to net-work and to make their views known to policymakers and others at the evening reception, where guests also had the chance to see some of the physics demonstrations.
Learning to Teach Physics, which has been made possible by initial financial support from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, provides teaching materials, advice and sup-port. It has a group on the website talkphysics.org, which links teachers of physics. For details, visit www.iop.org/education/ltp/index.html.
The IOP’s mobile science laboratory, Lab in a Lorry (LIAL), will be visiting schools in south-east England this autumn thanks to funding from the electronic systems company Thales. Volunteers are needed to help with the three-month tour, which aims to inspire 11-14-year-old students with science through interactive experi-ments on board the lorry.
Visits to schools are free of charge and small groups of young people can try their hand at experiments in three specially equipped areas
of the lab. At least three volunteers are needed each day to guide school students through the experiments, supported by the IOP’s operations co-ordinator. Volunteers are given background information about the experiments in advance and take part in a training session on the lorry each morning.
The itinerary for LIAL in the south east currently includes some schools in south and east London and in sev-eral towns in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. A second lorry is continu-
ing to tour Scotland this autumn, for which volunteers are also needed.
Caitlin Watson, the IOP’s head of public engagement, said: “It’s great that we’re able to visit schools in an area of the country that we haven’t toured for more than four years. The LIAL programme relies on external funding and we’re grateful to our funders, including Thales, for their support.”
For further details of both tours, visit www.labinalorry.org.uk or e-mail [email protected].
The maths content of physics and engineering degrees presents a chal-lenge for which students are often poorly prepared, according to more than half the academics surveyed for a report commissioned by the IOP. Nearly 80% of academics participat-ing had had to adapt the structure or content of their courses in response.
These were among the find-ings of the report Mind the Gap: Mathematics and the transition from
A-levels to physics and engineering degrees, commissioned by the IOP from EdComs. Its study involved a survey of nearly 400 physics, engi-neering and computer science stu-dents in their first or second year, a survey of 40 academics in 33 univer-sities, and in-depth interviews.
While 45% of the students said that the maths content was more difficult than they had expected, 79% felt that they could deal with it quite well or very well. However, 55% of the academics thought that their first-year physics and engineer-ing students were not very, or not at all, prepared to deal with the maths
content. Some felt that areas such as quantum mechanics, waves and electromagnetism were being com-promised in the first year as students needed help to catch up.
Students and academics broadly agreed that students found integra-tion, identifying the right equations or techniques to solve problems, vectors and scalars, and matrices the most challenging topics. Those who had taken further maths A-level tended to fare better, at least ini-tially, and some respondents argued that this should be a requirement for studying physics or engineering.
Too much teaching to the exam at
A-level maths and a lack of crossover in maths and physics A-level content was felt to be at the root of the prob-lem. One academic commented: “They’ve never seen maths as a tool-box for physics before. It is purely down to compartmentalisation.”
Elizabeth Swinbank, chair of the IOP’s Maths in Physics Working Group, said that the IOP had estab-lished the group because it had been concerned with the issue for some time and had wished to establish some hard evidence relating to it.
The report will be available soon to download from the publications sec-tion of the IOP’s website.
Nick Gibb speaking at a reception in parliament to launch Learning to Teach Physics.
New funding allows Lab in a Lorry to tour the south east
Maths content in physics is probed
Gibb backs IOP’s aid for new teachers
Interactions September 2011
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3newsNews in Brief
The IOP and Oxford Instruments jointly celebrated the 100th anniver-sary of the discovery of superconduc-tivity at an event on 19 July. Guests from across academe and industry attended the celebration at the Royal Society, where prestigious speakers illustrated the history of the discov-ery, its early applications and current and potential future uses.
Prof. Stephen Blundell, from the University of Oxford, recounted the history, from Kamerlingh Onnes’ accidental discovery of supercon-ductivity through to the Baarden Cooper Schrieffer theory of the late 1950s and the first commercially available superconducting mag-nets, which were produced by Oxford Instruments. “It took 50 years of intensive science to reach com-mercialisation,” Prof. Blundell said. “That’s an important lesson for politi-cians to understand.”
Mark Lythgoe, director of the Centre for Advanced Medical Imaging at University College London, spoke about the use of superconducting magnets on living tissues. This led to the development of the first MRI scanners, enabling huge advances to be made in diagnosis and in understanding the brain. Within the last year it had been shown that “you could use an MRI scanner not only
for imaging, but as an interventional, therapeutic tool”, Lythgoe said. Open-mindedness and collabora-tion, he said, have been essential to the progress made so far.
Prof. Steven Cowley, chief execu-tive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, spoke on the use of superconducting magnets in the quest for a sustained fusion reaction to produce secure electricity. Fusion experiments at ITER will involve heating plasma to mil-lions of degrees centigrade within an extremely strong magnetic field gen-erated by some of the largest super-conducting magnets ever made.
The cost and timelines, Cowley said, mean that a commercially
viable application is about 30 years away. “It’s pretty certain that we can do fusion”, he said. “What’s not cer-tain to the fusion community, and certainly outside of it, is if we can do it at a cost and a scale that the mar-ket wants. A key to that will probably be what we can do with supercon-ducting magnets.”
As part of the event, guests could view an exhibition of items from Onnes’ experiments and the notebook in which, in 1911, he recorded the moment that he first witnessed super-conductivity in mercury. The items were lent by the Museum Boerhaave in Leiden, the Netherlands.Sara Carbone
Some areas of research that it plans to “grow, reduce, or maintain” were outlined by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in a map of its research portfolio published in July.
Among the areas that it plans to “grow” are digital signal processing and quantum optics and informa-tion, while it will “reduce” research
in CMOS device technology and cold atoms and molecules. Decisions on all areas will be made by 31 March.
Commenting on the research port-folio, incoming IOP president, Prof. Sir Peter Knight, said: “Members of the physics community have already expressed their concern that the UK’s strong track record in science, which has stemmed from funding excel-
lence in research as judged by scien-tific peers, will be jeopardised by too strong a focus on short-term gains.
“They also have concerns about the introduction of a fundamentally new approach without broadly based consultation across the science com-munity. Although the IOP was briefed on the plans, despite statements to the contrary it was not consulted.”
Prof. Steven Cowley talking about fusion at an event to celebrate superconductivity.
Research council names funding priorities
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Interactions September 2011
Prof. Sir Arnold Wolfendale has been awarded the first ever Homi Bhabha Medal and Prize of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Wolfendale, a former IOP president and former Astronomer Royal, is emeritus professor at Durham University. The award, which was for his work in cosmic ray astrophysics, was presented at the International Cosmic Ray Conference in China in August.
Science can find the solutions to many of society’s problems and investment in science is delivering real economic benefits, IOP Council member Jonathan Flint told an audience including MPs and peers at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Parliamentary Links Day at the House of Commons in June. Speaking on behalf of the IOP, he said being chief executive of Oxford Instruments and on the IOP Council gave him a perspective on the challenges of effective commercialisation. Visit the policy section at www.rsc.org.uk to view a webcast of the event.
The award for Best Specialist Site for Journalism in the 2011 Online Media Awards was won by physicsworld.com. The site was up against international competition, with FoxSports.com and Forbes.com also shortlisted. Jo Allen, head of marketing and B2B at IOP Publishing, said: “The physicsworld.com editorial team are the real deal so we are delighted to see them recognised in this way.” Reporter James Dacey (pictured right) received the award on behalf of the team from chair of the judging panel Noel Young (left) at a ceremony in June.
A film showing uses of the laser won Best Film – Secondary in this year’s Planet SciCast Awards. The Laser, by Chris and Alison Munro of St Albans School, Hertfordshire, also won the IOP Best Physics Film – Secondary,
in a category supported by the IOP.A film about refraction by pupils
from South Lake Primary School, Reading, Magic Pencil… Or Not?, was IOP Best Physics Film – Primary. The best primary category film overall, Messing About With Boats, explored surface tension and was based on a Marvin and Milo experiment. It was by The Physics Stars from St Mary’s C of E School, Twickenham.
The Best Original Score award was won by a duo called NerdSong for The Particle Zoo. The Best Demonstration award went to Dennis Harrison of Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow, for Refraction and the Invisible Beaker and the film Sound won a Creative and Technical Achievement award for Harris Academy, Peckham.
To view the winning films, visit http://scicast.org.uk.
Physics features in winning films
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Teachers’ Awards 2011The Institute of Physics 2011 Teachers’ Awards will be presented at the IOP’s Awards Dinner on 6 October in London by the incoming president, Prof. Sir Peter Knight. The names of the award winners (below) have also been posted in the awards section of the Institute’s website at www.iop.org under Additional Awards.
Teachers of Physics awards Teachers of Primary Science awardsKevin BettsWhitecross School, GloucestershireHaving entered teaching later in life, science teacher Kevin Betts is constantly open to new ideas and new ways to enthuse students. He is a dedicated professional who always puts his pupils and colleagues first. He has set up several initiatives, made links with industry and organised visits to the school,
as well as taking pupils to the European Space Observatory over a half-term holiday. Taking every opportunity to update his already outstanding knowledge of physics, he has been an active participant in workshops run by the IOP Teacher Network in Gloucestershire and in Wales. He can be relied upon to share best practice in the sessions and to find creative ways to implement ideas that he has learnt from them.
John MurphyCBS Secondary School, Dungarvan, IrelandJohn Murphy, now principal of CBS Secondary School, Dungarvan, has been a dedicated teacher of physics and chemistry for more than 30 years. He is totally committed to his students, whether they are academically weak or potential high-flyers. His thorough, painstaking and patient approach has
helped many towards conspicuous academic achievement, while the welfare of each student in his care is of paramount importance and he believes that everyone can be successful. A patient mentor of trainee teachers, his expertise in professional development has been sought at national level. He has delivered training throughout Ireland and helped to familiarise teachers with the investigative approach to teaching physics.
Peter SainsburyWinterbourne Earls C of E Primary School, SalisburyPeter Sainsbury has an infectious enthusiasm for science that has inspired staff and engendered in children a love of investigation and exploration. As deputy headteacher and science subject leader he has worked with staff to help to raise the school’s achievement in science, while encouraging children
of all abilities to participate with confidence. A strong advocate of scientific inquiry as a key to understanding, he has engaged parents in learning alongside their children through after-school workshops. He has persuaded scientists from outside agencies to enhance learning in the school and involved them in a memorable science week that ended with an evening to enthuse parents and children alike with practical science.
Mark WhalleyJohn Buchan School, Sennelager, Germany As head of science at John Buchan School (for the children of British forces personnel) Mark Whalley has devoted himself to the enjoyment and achievement of his pupils and nurtured the skills and development of his staff. He has achieved for his school a Primary Science Quality Mark Award at Gold Level, by a sharp
focus on teaching and learning and ensuring outstanding practice is shared in his school and across the education authority. He inspires and empowers staff and raises their confidence, while using rigorous planning and assessment strategies. A learner as well as a teacher, he listens, observes and leads by example. He runs a popular lunchtime science club and pupils see learning science with him as challenging but fun.
4 news
The winner of the IOP’s Prize for Physics at this year’s Big Bang Fair visited the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) in July as part of her prize. Abigail Davies, now a geo-physics student at the University of Liverpool, won the award in March while still a pupil at Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester, for her project on the effect of local sea states on seismic noise.
Davies, who also won £500, said the award and the visit to the cen-tre in Oxfordshire had encouraged her to continue pursuing a research career. “I’d learnt the basics of nuclear fusion at A-level but see-ing the construction of the plant in action was really fascinating. The researchers have to be so precise and accurate in everything that they work on, yet it’s being built on such
a huge scale,” she said. Joana Silva, CCFE education and
outreach manager, said: “It was great to see that Abi was so interested in the scientific process, as we’re keen to encourage young people like her to go into a career in physics. It’s also very rewarding for us to be involved with the IOP’s prize.”
The IOP’s director of communi-cations, Beth Taylor, said: “Abi’s
project for the Big Bang Fair stood out for its interesting mix of data collection and interpretation, and for Abi’s personal enthusiasm and initiative. I’m delighted that she had the opportunity to visit Culham and see the fusion facilities there.
“This is an area of physics where UK science is leading the world and I’m very grateful to staff at the CCFE for making her visit possible.”
IOP’s Big Bang prizewinner visits Culham
Abigail Davies in a control room with CCFE head of communications, Chris Warrick.
Prof. Philip Scott, who was awarded the IOP’s 2011 Bragg Medal and Prize, died suddenly in July. The IOP’s chief executive, Bob Kirby-Harris, has sent condolences to his wife, Joan.
The award of the prize to Scott was announced in July Interactions and will be remembered at the awards dinner in October. The medal will now be conferred posthumously.
An obituary appears on MyIOP, to which tributes can also be added.
2011 Bragg Medal winner has died
Interactions September 2011
INTSept11p4v7.indd 3 18/8/11 17:08:20
An extraordinary general meeting (EGM) is to be held on 8 September, following discussions at the 21 July meeting of the Institute’s Council.l Council endorsed the first recommendations from the ongoing review of the Institute’s governance arrangements. These were to make changes to the IOP’s bylaws to create a new role as deputy to the president for a president-elect, to allow the recruitment of more members against a defined job and person specification, and to amend the elections process to allow for self-nomination. Changing the bylaws requires the support of members voting at a general meeting, and the approval of the Privy Council. To ensure that these changes are in place for 2012, an early EGM is required.l The Council meeting followed the annual general meeting (AGM). Council members received a report on the AGM from the honorary secretary, including the announcement that Prof. Colin Latimer was now unable to serve a second term as honorary treasurer. Council thanked him for his valuable service and, using powers under the bylaws, appointed Prof. Julian Jones as honorary treasurer for 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2015.l A major item on Council’s agenda was the strategy implementation plan and budget priorities for 2012. IOP directors presented plans for new projects, including a proposal to extend international membership recruitment and activities on a pilot basis, focusing initially on India and sub-Saharan Africa. Council approved the move towards further internationalisation.l Council agreed changes to the structure and constitution of divisions that was recommended by a review conducted in consultation with groups and divisions. It also approved a gift acceptance policy.l Congratulations were recorded to many IOP members honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours or elected to fellowships of the Royal Society or the Royal Academy of Engineering, and to three members appointed by the prime minister to the Council for Science and Technology: professors Keith Burnett, Steven Cowley and Dame Julia Goodfellow.
Council news
5news
James Hough and Mary Whitehouse were elected as ordinary members of the IOP’s Council in a ballot of all corporate members that closed on 18 July. They will serve on the Council from 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2015.
Turnout in the election was 22%, an increase on last year when 18.7% of those eligible to vote actually did so. Those participating could vote for up to two candidates. In 2010 the number of people vot-ing was 3099, while in 2011 it was 3639.
James Hough is chief executive officer of the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance. He became a pro-fessor of experimental physics at the University of Glasgow in 1986 and was its Kelvin Professor of Natural Philosopy from 2009–10.
A fellow of the Royal Society, he has been involved for nearly 40 years in building up the UK effort aimed at the detection of gravitational waves. He was director of the university’s Institute of Gravitational Research from 2000 to 2009. Having for-mally retired in 2010 he is now research professor at the University of Glasgow.
He has served on the council of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Council and chaired its education and training committee, and the edu-cation, training and careers commit-tee of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
He is a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council and the Physical Engineering and Science Committee of the European Science Foundation.
Mary Whitehouse has been director of the Twenty First Century Science Project at the University of York since 2009.
She taught physics in schools and colleges for 12 years before work-ing in curriculum development and assessment from 1986 to 2006 while raising her family.
In this time she wrote and edited for various publishers and edited School Science Review. She was a member of the IOP project team for Advancing Physics as co- ordinating editor for the books and digital resources, liaising with OCR on the A-level physics specification and developing CPD for teachers and technicians.
She managed the IOP ’s Supporting Physics Teaching 11–14 project in its early development. She was chief examiner for GCSE physics at OCR and then for physics within GCSE Twenty First Century Science during its pilot stage.
In 2006–09 she taught physics in an 11–18 girls’ school before joining the University of York.
The 41st annual general meeting of the IOP was held on 21 July at the Institute’s office in London.
The meeting began with a minute’s silence to honour Prof. Marshall Stoneham, who died in February during his first year as IOP president. Prof. Sir John Pendry, who was in the chair, said Stoneham had been a person widely known and respected for his integrity and his science.
After announcing the Council elec-tion results (above), Sir John said that Prof. Colin Latimer had decided
not to serve as the IOP’s honorary treasurer for a second term and Council would announce a successor soon (see Council news, left).
The IOP’s honorary secretary, Prof. Stuart Palmer, presented the annual report, Physics in Action, noting that the title had been one of Stoneham’s favourite phrases. He also presented the accounts, and both this and the report were adopted by the meeting.
Palmer noted that the Institute had enjoyed a surplus in the finan-cial year to April as it had received an increased donation from IOP Publishing and its investment income had improved, so that it was in a much stronger financial position than in the recent past.
A resolution to appoint BDO Stoy Hayward LLP as auditors at a remu-neration to be fixed by Council was approved by 683 votes to seven (99% in favour).
Following formal business there was a discussion about the archive material held by the IOP that might be of historic interest. Staff would aim to produce some written infor-mation on what was available, the meeting heard.
Members asked whether the Institute planned to recommend that a blue plaque should be set up to honour Alan Turing. They were advised that the procedure was to submit such requests through a branch.
Institute holds its annual meeting
Ballot results are publishedTwo members of the Institute of Physics have just been elected to serve on the IOP’s Council for four years, starting in October.
... the chief executiveThe past 30 years have seen huge challenges for physics in our schools. Numbers studying physics at A-level
or Scottish Higher have dwindled by 30% below the level of the early 1980s, while many schools have been without even a single specialist physics teacher.
Now it looks as though the tide has turned. Numbers of A-level and Higher students have begun to increase and are moving in the right direction. The government has set an ambitious annual target for the recruitment of new physics teachers and there are early signs of an uplift in numbers going into teacher education.
But I don’t believe that we can just sit back and say “job done”. I would like to see A-level numbers return to the levels of the 1980s – an ambitious target but an essential one, if we want to build an economy based on a highly skilled, numerate and innovative workforce and to provide the best opportunities for our young people.
This is the aspiration behind a new campaign – Physics for All – which the IOP will be launching this month.
The success of the campaign will depend on the active involvement of members. As more educational decisions are devolved to individual schools, the IOP will need to build new links with schools across the country. We can only do that with the support of members, acting as local ambassadors for physics in their relationships with their neighbourhood schools.
Many members have regular contacts with schools, as parents, grandparents, governors or volunteers. Next month, UK-based members will receive a “prompt card” with their copy of Physics World, with some key questions to ask their local school, and important information that headteachers and careers advisers should know.
If you share the IOP’s aspirations for physics education, I hope that you will join us in this campaign.
Bob Kirby-Harris is chief executive of the Institute.
Letter fromNEW FELLOWSRamesh Agarwal, David Burns, Stanley Cowley, Alistair Cree, Trevor Cross, Michael Eides, Colin Foale, Peter Foote, Sally Forbes, Larissa Fradkin, Celso Grebogi, Timothy Grey-Morgan, Ortwin Hess, Paul Howarth, John Jones, Peter Jones, Erich Kisi, Leslie Laycock, Alan Levenston, Iain McKenna, David McPhail, Tadaaki Nagao, Andrew Parry, Mats Persson, Ronald Pethig, Klaus Richter, John Seddon, Michael Stavola, Seigo Tarucha, Stephen Walley, Harry Walton, Ronald Watson, Oliver Williams, Lin Yang.
NEW MEMBERSJean Alexandre, Benjamin Allwood, Nicholas Baxter, Alec Bennett, Veronika Brazdova, Colin Brown, William Bryan, Steven Charlton, Joan Crossley, Peter Dorey, Russell Dowling, Ayotunde Edu, Anne Ghesquiere, Paul Harmer, Michael Hill, Cyrus Hirjibehedin, Panakal Jojo, Anand Kaisavelu, Benjamin Kay, Sarah Keeley, Nay Khun, Deirdre King, Alexei Likhtman, Michael McDonagh, Steven Meers, Ian Pallister, Stefan Parker, Catherine Phipps, Stefano Pirandola, Yingning Qiu, John Simmons, Andrew Simons, Andrew Smith, Chirayil Sobha Nath, Efstathios Stefanidis, Claire Tillott, Francis Tuffy, Peng Wang, Sarah Waterhouse, Glenys Williams, Tian-Qing Ye, Gareth Young, Christina Young.
IN MEMORIAMPeter Thomas Andrews (Liverpool), Charles M Blackham (Cambridge), Alfred William Crook, Hector Emerton, William Galbraith (Sheffield), Paul Ulrich Grossman (Australia), John P Haggart (Moreton-in-Marsh), Barry Randall Jennings (Saltash), Vladimir Kislov (London SW1), Michael John Preston Musgrave (Malvern), Sidney Barron Osborn, Richard Andrew Pike, John Morris Rees (Beckenham), Philip Harland Scott (Leeds), William Johnston Smyth (Kirkwall), Alan Rees Thomas (Cwmbran), Garnet Montague Evel Williams (Wellingborough), W W Zachary (USA).
MEMBER NEWSl IOP fellow Prof. John Cardy, a theoretical physicist at the University
of Oxford, is one of three physicists to have been awarded the 2011 Dirac Medal of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste. The other recipients of the medal are Prof. Edouard Brézin and Prof. Alexander Zamolodchikov. Each has received the medal in recognition of their significant contributions to conformal field theories and integrable systems.l The British Vacuum Council Senior Prize and John Yarwood Memorial Medal for 2011 has been awarded to Prof. Peter Weightman of the University of Liverpool. The C R Burch Prize and British Vacuum Council Medal for 2011 has been awarded to Felicia Green of the National Physical Laboratory and Peter Carrington of the University of Lancaster. Nominations are now sought for the prizes for 2012. For details, visit www.british-vacuum-council.org.uk. The closing date is 31 January 2012.l Ten members of the IOP have been made fellows or international fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering. They are Norman Apsley, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Science Park Foundation; Clive Buckberry, director of science and technology at Quanta Fluid Solutions; David Clarke, chief executive of the Engineering Technologies Institute; Jonathan Flint, chief executive of Oxford Instruments; Prof. Mohammed Missous, Professor of Semiconductor Materials and Devices at the University of Manchester; Prof. Jason Reese, Weir Professor of Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics at the University of Strathclyde; Prof. Harvey Rutt, Rank Professor of Infrared Science and Technology at the University of Southampton; Frances Saunders, chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory; John Taylor, founder and chairman of Fromanteel Ltd; and Steven Chu, secretary of state at the US Department of Energy.
ANNOuNcEMENtSl There are still places available at the first meeting of the IOP’s Schools Outreach Support Network on 8 September. The aim of the meeting is to create a network of colleagues who have or wish to have strong outreach links with their local schools and are interested in sharing
experiences with colleagues working in similar roles at other institutions. The programme will include a panel discussion on widening participation in a changing landscape, workshops and a chance to discuss how the IOP can help participants in their work with teachers and pupils. The day-long event is free and includes lunch, but booking is essential. For further details contact Manchi Chung by e-mail ([email protected]).l Members will soon be receiving new IOP membership cards, which will be colour-coded according to the membership category of the holder. The cards are being introduced as part of the Institute’s environmental policy and can be kept for life unless the holder’s membership grade changes. Each card will show just the initials and surname of the member, to make them easy to read. Members visiting the IOP’s building in London will be able to wear them as a badge by slotting them into a case that can be obtained at the reception desk.l The Institute’s professional development team is holding a number of free “Get Chartered” workshops this autumn for IOP members who are thinking of applying for chartered status but who may be unsure of how to apply. A continuing professional development workshop will also be held in December. Visit the professional development area of the website (under “content for IOP members”) or e-mail [email protected] for more details.l The Elizabeth Johnson Memorial Lecture will be given by Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of UCAS, on “Gender Maps in Higher Education”. The event will be held at the Institute’s office at 76 Portland Place, London W1B INT on 28 September at 6.00 p.m. If you would like to attend, please contact Frances Ling on 020 7470 4842 or e-mail [email protected].
MEMBER OFFERl Online subscription prize drawChanel Hayden from Dublin is June’s prize-draw winner and Joshua Taylor from Manchester is July’s prize-draw winner. They each receive a 4 GB data stick. For your chance to win a data stick, pay your membership subscription online at http://members.iop.org.
notices
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7
Visit www.iop.org/calendar for further information about the listed eventsSEptEmbEr 2011
European Medical Physics and Engineering Conference 2011*Institute of Physics in IrelandTrinity College Dublin1–3 September
Modelling and Simulation in Medicine*Computational Physics GroupTrinity College Dublin2 September, 9.00 a.m.
14th European Conference on Applications of Surfaces and Interface Analysis (ECASIA ’11)*Conferences DepartmentCardiff City Hall4–9 September
EuroCVD 18*Institute of Physics in IrelandActons Hotel, Kinsale, County Cork4–9 September
Schools and Colleges Lecture Tour: From X-rays to Antimatter – the Science of Seeing Inside Your Body*Education DepartmentUniversity of Glasgow; Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh; University of St Andrews; Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen; Hull Collegiate School, Anlaby; Thornton Grammar School, Bradford; Tapton School, Sheffield5, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21 and 22 September
EMAG 2011*Electron Microscopy and Analysis GroupUniversity of Birmingham6–9 September
Laser Energy: an Opportunity for UK Industry*Business and Innovation DepartmentThe Royal Society, London SW17 September, 4.30 p.m.
Photonics Ireland Conference 2011*The Grand Hotel, Malahide, IrelandInstitute of Physics in Ireland7–9 September
Schools Outreach Support Network 2011*Education Department76 Portland Place, London W18 September, 10.00 a.m.
Research in the Physical, Chemical and Biomedical Sciences Using Radioactive Isotopes at the ISOLDE Facility at CERN*Institute of Physics in IrelandDublin City University9 September, 9.00 a.m.
Group Visit to Norman Lockyear Observatory*South West BranchNorman Lockyear Observatory, Salcombe Hill, Sidmouth, Devon10 September, 7.30 p.m.
Photocatalytic and Superhydrophilic Surfaces Workshop, PSS2011*Ion and Plasma Surface Interactions GroupManchester Metropolitan University12–13 September
Physical Aspects of Polymer Science*Polymer Physics GroupUniversity of Surrey, Guildford12–14 September
Sensors and their Applications XVI*Instrument Science and Technology GroupClarion Hotel, Cork12–14 September
The Mathematics of the Climate System*Environmental Physics GroupUniversity of Reading12–15 September
Ultra Precision Laser Manufacturing Systems, Technologies and Applications*Engineering Physics Group/Optical Group/Quantum Electronics and Photonics GroupAlan Reece Building, Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge13 September, 9.00 a.m.
Current Research in Combustion: a Forum for Research Students and Early Career Researchers*Combustion Physics GroupJames Frances Centre, Loughborough University14 September, 9.00 a.m.
Advances in Photovoltaics*Ion and Plasma Surface Interactions Group76 Portland Place, London W114 September, 9.30 a.m.
Cultural Heritage Meets Science: The Interface*Materials and Characterisation GroupMary Rose Museum, HM Naval Base, College Road, Portsmouth14 September, 9.00 a.m.
Solid-Fuel Model Rocketry Workshop**Teacher NetworkBenton Park School, Leeds14 September, 3.30 p.m.
LC Physics Papers Marking Scheme ReviewTeacher NetworkBlackrock Education Centre, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin14 September, 7.00 p.m.
RAMS*Materials Characterisation GroupWills Hall, Parry’s Lane, Bristol14–16 September
IOP Business Forum: The New Innovation Landscape*Business and Innovation DepartmentHarwell Oxford, Didcot16 September, 9.30 a.m.
Do We Understand Gravity?*Gravitational Physics Group76 Portland Place, London W116 September, 2.00 p.m.
QuAMP 2011*Atomic Molecular Optical and Plasma Physics DivisionBalliol College, University of Oxford18–22 September
The Mystery of Galaxy Formation*South West BranchMercure White Hart Hotel, St John Street, Salisbury20 September, 7.30 p.m.
Current Research in Magnetism (CRIM) 2011Magnetism GroupDurham University21 September
Physical Acoustics Tutorial Day: Son et Lumière – Sound and Light*Physical Acoustics Group76 Portland Place, London W122 September, 12.30 p.m.
Quantitative Methods of Gene Regulation*Biological Physics Group76 Portland Place, London W122–23 September
X-ray and Neutron Scattering in Multiferroic and Ferroelectric Materials Research*Dielectrics GroupNational Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex23 September, 10.00 a.m.
Frontiers of Physics 2011: Teachers Conference*Institute of Physics in IrelandGMIT, Dublin Road, Galway24 September
REMS Walk: London Loop Harold Wood to Rainham*London and South East BranchHarold Wood Railway Station, Essex24 September, 11.00 a.m.
eventsEditor Heather Pinnell, Production Editor Alison Gardiner, Art Director Andrew Giaquinto. Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NT, UK. Tel +44 (0)20 7470 4800; fax +44 (0)20 7470 4991; e-mail [email protected]; web http://members.iop.org.
Interactions September 2011
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Visit www.iop.org/calendar for further information about the listed eventsSeptember 2011
Elizabeth Johnson Memorial Lecture*Diversity Department76 Portland Place, London W128 September, 6.30 p.m.
Electromagnetic Fields and the Human Body: from Transcranial Stimulation to the Possible Hazards of Mobile Phones and Power LinesSouth West BranchElwes Building, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham28 September, 7.30 p.m.
Getting Chartered Workshop*Professional Development DepartmentBristol Marriott Hotel City Centre29 September, 6.30 p.m.
Faster than Light GalaxiesMerseyside BranchChadwick Lecture Theatre, University of Liverpool4 October, 6.30 p.m.
Schools and Colleges Lecture Tour: From X-rays to Antimatter – the Science of Seeing Inside Your Body*Education DepartmentSt Peter’s School, York; Northampton School for Boys; The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough; Woodbridge School, Suffolk4, 10, 11, and 13 October
10th Annual Welsh Physics Teachers Conference: a Conference for Teachers and Technicians*Institute of Physics in WalesChrist College, Brecon5 October
The Turin Shroud: a Physicist’s View*London and South East Branch76 Portland Place, London W15 October, 6.00 p.m.
Elekta Careers Evening*Careers Department76 Portland Place, London W15 October 6.30 p.m.
London Loop Walks 18: Rainham to Purfleet*London and South East BranchRainham Station, Essex8 October, 11.00 a.m.
Hybrid Imaging: a Multidisciplinary Imaging Technique of the 21st CenturyLondon and South East BranchRutherford Lecture Theatre 1, University of Kent, Canterbury11 October, 7.30 p.m.
Planets Around Other Stars: Do We Live in a Star Trek Universe?London and South East BranchBerrill Lecture Theatre, Open University, Milton Keynes11 October, 7.30 p.m.
Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Half-day Meeting*High Energy Particle Physics GroupDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University College London12 October, 12 noon
Events requiring registration are marked with an *.
8 events
Research Student Conference Fund
The fund provides financial support to research-student members to attend international
conferences and major national meetings.
Apply for up to £250 during the course of your PhD.
Applications are considered on a quarterly basis and should reach the Institute by 1 June, 1 September,
1 December or 1 March 2012.
For further information, visit www.iop.org or e-mail [email protected].
L SCI AD(INT) 0311 RSCF.indd 1 02/03/2011 14:29
Supporting CarersThe IOP Carers Fund has been recently established to support members to attend IOP meetings, events or conferences that they might not otherwise be able to attend because they have the responsibility of caring for someone.
Any IOP member is eligible to apply for a grant of up to £250 to help fund additional care arrangements necessary to enable their attendance at IOP meetings, conferences or events.
For further details and to find out how to apply, see www.iop.org/diversity or e-mail [email protected].
Interactions September 2011
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9reflections
Physicists have a voice within EuropeCo-ordination, representation and co-operation are part of the role of the European Physical Society (EPS) as a federation of learned societies.
The EPS aims to improve engage-ment with the European Union (EU) and its 27 member states in all major policy matters; to bring added value to EPS member societies; and to give the community of more than 100 000 physicists that it represents a coherent and powerful voice con-cerning research, education, scien-tific awareness and scientific policy.
European policymakers expect scientific R&D and innovation to con-tribute significantly to the knowledge society and the European Research Area. EU funding for R&D increased from €17.5 bn in its Framework Programme 6 (FP6) to €54 bn in Framework Programme 7 (FP7).
While this represents only about 5% of the total of national R&D budgets of all the member states, the programmes are designed to focus on grand challenges, move towards the “Innovation Union”, and address weaknesses in European research.
A key role of the EPS is to co-ordinate input from Europe’s phys-ics community to inform science policy debate. Its response to the consultation From Challenges to Opportunities: Towards a Common Strategic Framework for EU Research and Innovation Funding was based on input from member societies. The EU will use responses to the consul-tation to develop Horizon 2020, its R&D funding programme that will follow FP7 in 2014.
Horizon 2020 is expected to focus on science for innovation by strength-ening the European Research Council, Marie Curie Fellowships and research infrastructures; on grand challenges, including energy effi-ciency and climate change; and on innovation for competitiveness, espe-cially by involving small and medium-sized enterprises more in funding programmes. Funding for frontier research and professional develop-ment for early career researchers is expected to be enhanced.
The EPS is co-ordinating replies to the consultations Access and
Preservation of Digital Information (related to access to publicly funded research) and The Future of Gender and Innovation in Europe (which looks at gender as a success factor in innovation).
Representing the EPS and the physics community directly to European Commission (EC) poli-cymakers is another key role. EPS president Luisa Cifarelli is soon to meet EC officials to discuss concrete projects and make proposals for Horizon 2020.
The EPS is involved in projects funded by the EU, particularly in edu-cation, for example examining the impact of the Bologna Process on physics studies, drafting specifica-tions for physics studies at university and developing tools for teaching science. All of these projects are car-ried out in co-operation, sometimes with EPS member societies or other learned societies and partners from around Europe.
David Lee is secretary general of the European Physical Society.
“A key role of the EPS is to co-ordinate input from Europe’s physics community to inform science policy debate.”
