Working with “student LEGO enthusiasts”, they have developed a fully functional LEGO interferometer kit that consists of lasers, mirrors, beamsplitters and, of course, some LEGO bricks.
The set, designed as a teaching aid for secondary-school pupils and older, is aimed at making quantum science more accessible and engaging as well as demonstrating the basic principles of interferometry such as interference patterns.
“Developing this project made me realise just how incredibly similar my work as a quantum scientist is to the hands-on creativity of building with LEGO,” notes Nottingham quantum physicist Patrik Svancara. “It’s an absolute thrill to show the public that cutting-edge research isn’t just complex equations. It’s so much more about curiosity, problem-solving, and gradually bringing ideas to life, brick by brick!”
A team at Cardiff University will now work on the design and develop materials that can be used to train science teachers with the hope that the sets will eventually be made available throughout the UK.
“We are sharing our experiences, LEGO interferometer blueprints, and instruction manuals across various online platforms to ensure our activities have a lasting impact and reach their full potential,” adds Svancara.
If you want to see the LEGO interferometer in action for yourself then it is being showcased at the Cosmic Titans: Art, Science, and the Quantum Universe exhibition at Nottingham’s Djanogly Art Gallery, which runs until 27 April.
Imagine you have been transported to another universe with four spatial dimensions. What would the colour of the Sun be in this four-dimensional universe? You may assume that the surface temperature of the Sun is the same as in our universe and is approximately T = 6 × 103 K. [10 marks]
Boltzmann constant, kB = 1.38 × 10−23 J K−1
Speed of light, c = 3 × 108 m s−1
Solution
Black body radiation, spectral density: ε (ν) dν = hνρ (ν) n (ν)
The photon energy, E = hν where h is Planck’s constant and ν is the photon frequency.
The density of states, ρ (ν) = Aνn−1 where A is a constant independent of the frequency and the frequency term is the scaling of surface area of an n-dimensional sphere.
The Bose–Einstein distribution,
n(v)
where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is the temperature.
We let
and get
ε(x)
We do not need the constant of proportionality (which is not simple to calculate in 4D) to find the maximum of ε (x). Working out the constant just tells us how tall the peak is, but we are interested in where the peak is, not the total radiation.
We set this equal to zero for the maximum of the distribution,
This yields x = n (1 − e−x) where
and we can relate
and c being the speed of light.
This equation has the solution x = n +W (−ne−n) where W is the Lambert W function z = W (y) that solves zez = y (although there is a subtlety about which branch of the function). This is kind of useless to do anything with, though. One can numerically solve this equation using bisection/Newton–Raphson/iteration. Alternatively, one could notice that as the number of dimensions increases, e−x is small, so to leading approximation x ≈ n. One can do a little better iterating this, x ≈ n − ne−n which is what we will use. Note the second iteration yields
Number of dimensions, n
Numerical solution
Approximation
2
1.594
1.729
3
2.821
2.851
4 (the one we want)
3.921
3.927
5
4.965
4.966
6
5.985
5.985
Using the result above,
616 nm is middle of the spectrum, so it will look white with a green-blue tint. Note, we have used T = 6000 K for the temperature here, as given in the question.
It would also be valid to look at ε (λ) dλ instead of ε (ν) dν.
Question 2: Heavy stuff
In a parallel universe, two point masses, each of 1 kg, start at rest a distance of 1 m apart. The only force on them is their mutual gravitational attraction, F = –Gm1m2/r2. If it takes 26 hours and 42 minutes for the two masses to meet in the middle, calculate the value of the gravitational constant G in this universe. [10 marks]
Solution
First we will set up the equations of motion for our system. We will set one mass to be at position −x and the other to be at x, so the masses are at a distance of 2x from each other. Starting from Newton’s law of gravity:
we can then use Newton’s second law to rewrite the LHS,
which we can simplify to
It is important that you get the right factor here depending on your choice for the particle coordinates at the start. Note there are other methods of getting this point, e.g. reduced mass.
We can now solve the second order ODE above. We will not show the whole process here but present the starting point and key results. We can write the acceleration in terms of the velocity. The initial velocity is zero and the initial position
So,
and once the integrals are solved we can rearrange for the velocity,
Now we can form an expression for the total time taken for the masses to meet in the middle,
There are quite a few steps involved in solving this integral, for these solutions, we shall make use of the following (but do attempt to solve it for yourselves in full).
Hence,
We can now rearrange for G and substitute in the values given in the question, don’t forget to convert the time into seconds.
This is the generally accepted value for the gravitational constant of our universe as well.
Question 3: Just like clockwork
Consider a pendulum clock that is accurate on the Earth’s surface. Figure 1 shows a simplified view of this mechanism.
1 Tick tock Simplified schematic of a pendulum clock mechanism. When the pendulum swings one way (a), the escapement releases the gear attached to the hanging mass and allows it to fall. When the pendulum swings the other way (b) the escapement stops the gear attached to the mass moving so the mass stays in place. (Courtesy: Katherine Skipper/IOP Publishing)
A pendulum clock runs on the gravitational potential energy from a hanging mass (1). The other components of the clock mechanism regulate the speed at which the mass falls so that it releases its gravitational potential energy over the course of a day. This is achieved using a swinging pendulum of length l (2), whose period is given by
where g is the acceleration due to gravity.
Each time the pendulum swings, it rocks a mechanism called an “escapement” (3). When the escapement moves, the gear attached to the mass (4) is released. The mass falls freely until the pendulum swings back and the escapement catches the gear again. The motion of the falling mass transfers energy to the escapement, which gives a “kick” to the pendulum that keeps it moving throughout the day.
Radius of the Earth, R = 6.3781 × 106 m
Period of one Earth day, τ0 = 8.64 × 104 s
How slow will the clock be over the course of a day if it is lifted to the hundredth floor of a skyscraper? Assume the height of each storey is 3 m. [4 marks]
Solution
We will write the period of oscillation of the pendulum at the surface of the Earth to be
.
At a height h above the surface of the Earth the period of oscillation will be
,
where g0 and gh are the acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the Earth and a height h above it respectively.
We can define τ0 to be the total duration of the day which is 8.64 × 104 seconds and equal to N complete oscillations of the pendulum at the surface. The lag is then τh which will equal N times the difference in one period of the two clocks, τh = NΔT, where ΔT = (Th − T0). We can now take a ratio of the lag over the day and the total duration of the day:
Then by substituting in the expressions we have for the period of a pendulum at the surface and height h we can write this in terms of the gravitational constant,
[Award 1 mark for finding the ratio of the lag over the day and the total period of the day.]
The acceleration due to gravity at the Earth’s surface is
where G is the universal gravitational constant, M is the mass of the Earth and R is the radius of the Earth. At an altitude h, it will be
[Award 1 mark for finding the expression for the acceleration due to gravity at height h.]
Substituting into our expression for the lag, we get:
This simplifies to an expression for the lag over a day. We can then substitute in the given values to find,
[Award 2 marks for completing the simplification of the ratio and finding the lag to be ≈ 4 s.]
Question 4: Quantum stick
Imagine an infinitely thin stick of length 1 m and mass 1 kg that is balanced on its end. Classically this is an unstable equilibrium, although the stick will stay there forever if it is perfectly balanced. However, in quantum mechanics there is no such thing as perfectly balanced due to the uncertainty principle – you cannot have the stick perfectly upright and not moving at the same time. One could argue that the quantum mechanical effects of the uncertainty principle on the system are overpowered by others, such as air molecules and photons hitting it or the thermal excitation of the stick. Therefore, to investigate we would need ideal conditions such as a dark vacuum, and cooling to a few millikelvins, so the stick is in its ground state.
Moment of inertia for a rod,
where m is the mass and l is the length.
Uncertainty principle,
There are several possible approximations and simplifications you could make in solving this problem, including:
sinθ ≈ θ for small θ
and
Calculate the maximum time it would take such a stick to fall over and hit the ground if it is placed in a state compatible with the uncertainty principle. Assume that you are on the Earth’s surface. [10 marks]
Hint: Consider the two possible initial conditions that arise from the uncertainty principle.
Solution
We can imagine this as an inverted pendulum, with gravity acting from the centre of mass and at an angle θ from the unstable equilibrium point.
[Award 1 mark for a suitable diagram of the system.]
We must now find the equations of motion of the system. For this we can use Newton’s second law in its rotational form τ = Iα (torque = moment of inertia × angular acceleration). We have another equation for torque we can use as well
where r is the distance from the pivot to the centre of mass and F is the force, which in this case is gravity mg. We can then equate these giving
Substituting in the given moment of inertia of the stick and that the angular acceleration
We can cancel a few things and rearrange to get a differential equation of the form:
we then can take the small angle approximation sin θ ≈ θ, resulting in
[Award 2 marks for finding the equation of motion for the system and using the small angle approximation.]
Solve with ansatz of θ = Aeωt + Be−ωt, where we have chosen
We can clearly see that this will satisfy the differential equation
Now we can apply initial conditions to find A and B, by looking at the two cases from the uncertainty principle
Case 1: The stick is at an angle but not moving
At t = 0, θ = Δθ
θ = Δθ = A + B
At t = 0,
, A=B
This implies Δθ = 2A and we can then find
So we can now write
or
Case 2: The stick is at upright but moving
At t = 0, θ = 0
This condition gives us A = −B.
At t = 0,
This initial condition has come from the relationship between the tangential velocity, Δv which equals the distance to the centre of mass from the pivot point, and the angular velocity . Using the above initial condition gives us where
We can now write
[Award 4 marks for finding the two expressions for θ by using the two cases of the uncertainty principle.]
Now there are a few ways we can finish off this problem, we shall look at three different ways. In each case when the stick has fallen on the ground .
Method 1
Take and , use then rearrange for tf in both cases. We have
Look at the expression for cosh−1x and sinh−1x given in the question. They are almost identical, we can then approximate the two arguments to each other and we find,
we can then substitute in the uncertainty principle as and then write an expression of , which we can put back into our arccosh expression (or do it for Δv and put into arcsinh).
where and .
Method 2
In this next method, when you get to the inverse hyperbolic functions, you can take an expansion of their natural log forms in the tending to infinity limit. To first order both functions give ln 2x, we can then equate the arguments and find Δx or Δv in terms of the other and use the uncertainty principle. This would give the time taken as,
where and .
Method 3
Rather than using hyperbolic functions, you could do something like above and do an expansion of the exponentials in the two expressions for tf or we could make life even easier and do the following.
Disregard the e−ωt terms as they will be much smaller than the eωt terms. Equate the two expressions for and then take the natural logs, once again arriving at an expression of
where and .
This method efficiently sets B = 0 when applying the initial conditions.
[Award 2 marks for reaching an expression for t using one of the methods above or a suitable alternative that gives the correct units for time.]
Then, by using one of the expressions above for time, substitute in the values and find that t = 10.58 seconds.
[Award 1 mark for finding the correct time value of t = 10.58 seconds.]
If you’re a student who wants to sign up for the 2025 edition of PLANCKS UK and Ireland, entries are now open at plancks.uk
Several years ago I was sitting at the back of a classroom supporting a newly qualified science teacher. The lesson was going well, a pretty standard class on Hooke’s law, when a student leaned over to me and asked “Why are we doing this? What’s the point?”.
Having taught myself, this was a question I had been asked many times before. I suspect that when I was a teacher, I went for the knee-jerk “it’s useful if you want to be an engineer” response, or something similar. This isn’t a very satisfying answer, but I never really had the time to formulate a real justification for studying Hooke’s law, or physics in general for that matter.
Who is the physics curriculum designed for? Should it be designed for the small number of students who will pursue the subject, or subjects allied to it, at the post-16 and post-18 level? Or should we be reflecting on the needs of the overwhelming majority who will never use most of the curriculum content again? Only about 10% of students pursue physics or physics-rich subjects post-16 in England, and at degree level, only around 4000 students graduate with physics degrees in the UK each year.
One argument often levelled at me is that learning this is “useful”, to which I retort – in a similar vein to the student from the first paragraph – “In what way?” In the 40 years or so since first learning Hooke’s law, I can’t remember ever explicitly using it in my everyday life, despite being a physicist. Whenever I give a talk on this subject, someone often pipes up with a tenuous example, but I suspect they are in the minority. An audience member once said they consider the elastic behaviour of wire when hanging pictures, but I suspect that many thousands of pictures have been successfully hung with no recourse to F = –kx.
Hooke’s law is incredibly important in engineering but, again, most students will not become engineers or rely on a knowledge of the properties of springs, unless they get themselves a job in a mattress factory.
From a personal perspective, Hooke’s law fascinates me. I find it remarkable that we can see the macroscopic properties of materials being governed by microscopic interactions and that this can be expressed in a simple linear form. There is no utilitarianism in this, simply awe, wonder and aesthetics. I would always share this “joy of physics” with my students, and it was incredibly rewarding when this was reciprocated. But for many, if not most, my personal perspective was largely irrelevant, and they knew that the curriculum content would not directly support them in their future careers.
At this point, I should declare my position – I don’t think we should take Hooke’s law, or physics, off the curriculum, but my reason is not the one often given to students.
A series of lessons on Hooke’s law is likely to include: experimental design; setting up and using equipment; collecting numerical data using a range of devices; recording and presenting data, including graphs; interpreting data; modelling data and testing theories; devising evidence-based explanations; communicating ideas; evaluating procedures; critically appraising data; collaborating with others; and working safely.
Science education must be about preparing young people to be active and critical members of a democracy, equipped with the skills and confidence to engage with complex arguments that will shape their lives. For most students, this is the most valuable lesson they will take away from Hooke’s law. We should encourage students to find our subject fascinating and relevant, and in doing so make them receptive to the acquisition of scientific knowledge throughout their lives.
At a time when pressures on the education system are greater than ever, we must be able to articulate and justify our position within a crowded curriculum. I don’t believe that students should simply accept that they should learn something because it is on a specification. But they do deserve a coherent reason that relates to their lives and their careers. As science educators, we owe it to our students to have an authentic justification for what we are asking them to do. As physicists, even those who don’t have to field tricky questions from bored teenagers, I think it’s worthwhile for all of us to ask ourselves how we would answer the question “What is the point of this?”.
Our guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast is the Turkish quantum physicist Mete Atatüre, who heads up the Cavendish Laboratory at the UK’s University of Cambridge.
In a conversation with Physics World’s Katherine Skipper, Atatüre talks about hosting Quantour, the quantum light source that is IYQ’s version of the Olympic torch. He also talks about his group’s research on quantum sensors and quantum networks.
Each year, the International Association of Physics Students organizes a physics competition for bachelor’s and master’s students from across the world. Known as the Physics League Across Numerous Countries for Kick-ass Students (PLANCKS), it’s a three-day event where teams of three to four students compete to answer challenging physics questions.
In the UK and Ireland, teams compete in a preliminary competition to be sent to the final. Here are some fiendish questions from past PLANCKS UK and Ireland preliminaries and the 2024 final in Dublin, written by Anthony Quinlan and Sam Carr, for you to try this holiday season.
Question 1: 4D Sun
Imagine you have been transported to another universe with four spatial dimensions. What would the colour of the Sun be in this four-dimensional universe? You may assume that the surface temperature of the Sun is the same as in our universe and is approximately T = 6 × 103 K. [10 marks]
Boltzmann constant, kB = 1.38 × 10−23 J K−1
Speed of light, c = 3 × 108 m s−1
Question 2: Heavy stuff
In a parallel universe, two point masses, each of 1 kg, start at rest a distance of 1 m apart. The only force on them is their mutual gravitational attraction, F = –Gm1m2/r2. If it takes 26 hours and 42 minutes for the two masses to meet in the middle, calculate the value of the gravitational constant G in this universe. [10 marks]
Question 3: Just like clockwork
Consider a pendulum clock that is accurate on the Earth’s surface. Figure 1 shows a simplified view of this mechanism.
1 Tick tock Simplified schematic of a pendulum clock mechanism. When the pendulum swings one way (a), the escapement releases the gear attached to the hanging mass and allows it to fall. When the pendulum swings the other way (b) the escapement stops the gear attached to the mass moving so the mass stays in place. (Courtesy: Katherine Skipper/IOP Publishing)
A pendulum clock runs on the gravitational potential energy from a hanging mass (1). The other components of the clock mechanism regulate the speed at which the mass falls so that it releases its gravitational potential energy over the course of a day. This is achieved using a swinging pendulum of length l (2), whose period is given by
where g is the acceleration due to gravity.
Each time the pendulum swings, it rocks a mechanism called an “escapement” (3). When the escapement moves, the gear attached to the mass (4) is released. The mass falls freely until the pendulum swings back and the escapement catches the gear again. The motion of the falling mass transfers energy to the escapement, which gives a “kick” to the pendulum that keeps it moving throughout the day.
Radius of the Earth, R = 6.3781 × 106 m
Period of one Earth day, τ0 = 8.64 × 104 s
How slow will the clock be over the course of a day if it is lifted to the hundredth floor of a skyscraper? Assume the height of each storey is 3 m. [4 marks]
Question 4: Quantum stick
Imagine an infinitely thin stick of length 1 m and mass 1 kg that is balanced on its end. Classically this is an unstable equilibrium, although the stick will stay there forever if it is perfectly balanced. However, in quantum mechanics there is no such thing as perfectly balanced due to the uncertainty principle – you cannot have the stick perfectly upright and not moving at the same time. One could argue that the quantum mechanical effects of the uncertainty principle on the system are overpowered by others, such as air molecules and photons hitting it or the thermal excitation of the stick. Therefore, to investigate we would need ideal conditions such as a dark vacuum, and cooling to a few millikelvins, so the stick is in its ground state.
Moment of inertia for a rod,
where m is the mass and l is the length.
Uncertainty principle,
There are several possible approximations and simplifications you could make in solving this problem, including:
sinθ ≈ θ for small θ
and
Calculate the maximum time it would take such a stick to fall over and hit the ground if it is placed in a state compatible with the uncertainty principle. Assume that you are on the Earth’s surface. [10 marks]
Hint: Consider the two possible initial conditions that arise from the uncertainty principle.
Answers will be posted here on the Physics World website next month. There are no prizes.
If you’re a student who wants to sign up for the 2025 edition of PLANCKS UK and Ireland, entries are now open at plancks.uk
Physics takes us from the far reaches of the universe to the subatomic scale. A passion for physics also takes us further than we imagined possible, building skills that set us up for life, no matter what path we follow in our careers.
If you’re a physicist or physics professional, your drive for the subject is invaluable. By sharing your passion, you show others how far physics could take them. It can be intimidating, but outreach is vital for nurturing the next generation of physicists, promoting public understanding of science and building a skilled physics community.
Outreach is also an important part of the mission of The Ogden Trust – a UK-based charitable organization that promotes the teaching and learning of physics. The trust has been supporting university physics outreach since 2005, with nearly all universities in England that offer physics undergraduate degrees – and several in Scotland and Wales too – having worked with the trust.
As well as providing funding for public engagement and outreach initiatives, the trust also supports universities through the Outreach Officer Network and annual Outreach Awards. So as a physicist, how can you get involved in outreach? Here are some tips and case studies to inspire you along your journey.
Starting out strong
Just as collaboration and shared tools are vital for physics research, there is also a wealth of support that physicists interested in outreach can draw on. No matter how ambitious your idea is, remember that others have been in your position before. Accessing shared resources and training will make starting out much easier (see box on the Physics Mentoring Project).
You could begin by signing up for The Interact Symposium, a biennial event for physical scientists seeking to gain new skills and share their experiences of public engagement. Run by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Institute of Physics (IOP), The Ogden Trust, the Royal Astronomical Society and the South East Physics Network (SEPnet), a bank of resources from the 2024 symposium is available online, including lots of examples of successful projects.
Meanwhile, many departments in universities, schools and workplaces have a specialist outreach co-ordinator whose experience you could tap into. If there isn’t, you might have a more experienced colleague who can advise you and share community or school links. You could also contact your local IOP branch committee or join the IOP’s Physics Communicators Group.
As with any scientific endeavour, it’s important to do your research. Attending local science festivals and community events will give you great ideas and inspiration. One day, they may even provide an opportunity to deliver your own outreach.
The Physics Mentoring Project
Set up in 2019, the Physics Mentoring Project is a collaboration across Wales – led by Cardiff University – that mentors school students, encouraging them to continue studying physics. It has so far delivered more than 7000 hours of mentoring in 36% of all secondary schools in the country.
Students at any of the eight participating universities who have a post-16 qualification in a physical science can sign up as a mentor. All receive a weekend of intense interactive training that covers mentoring theory, relationship building, and session planning, as well as safeguarding and health and safety.
Now in its seventh year, the project has developed into an active network. Mentors have access to an online community with peers and the project team. There are also “lead mentors” who give extra support to a small group of mentors (both new and experienced).
“[My] confidence in public speaking and the confidence in articulating points has come on leaps and bounds,” reported one mentor on the project. “Mentoring helped me understand a bit more about what teaching will be like,” added another.
Originally aimed at 15 and 16-year-olds, the project also mentors 17–18-year-olds doing A-levels and focuses on alternative routes into physics. Optionally, mentors can even take a Level 4 Unit in Increasing Engagement with Physics Through Mentoring, accredited by Agored Cymru as part of the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales.
The Physics Mentoring Project won an Ogden Outreach Award in 2022 for “supporting undergraduate ambassadors”.
Strategic thinking
So, you’ve tried outreach for the first time and are eager to do more. It’s tempting to jump straight in. But before making any big commitments, it is worth making a long-term strategic plan.
Your department might have an engagement-specific strategy or other priorities that could be linked to your activities. If there is a dedicated outreach or public engagement professional in your organization, they can advise on this. If your workplace doesn’t have a strategy for outreach and engagement, you could advocate for one to be written (see box on the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, UK).
In the UK, the quality of research in higher-education institutions is assessed by the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the results of which informs research funding allocations. Part of the exercise considers the impact of research on people, culture and environment. In REF 2021 around half the impact case studies submitted featured outreach and engagement activities.
In 2021 The Ogden Trust released the Taking a Strategic Approach to Outreach guide. In partnership with the STFC, the trust also funds an annual leadership training course for outreach and public engagement which equips academics and teaching staff with the skills to plan and deliver effective outreach.
The Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation
A feel for cosmology Students using 3D models of galaxies as part of the Tactile Universe outreach programme, which delivers events and resources to engage the visually impaired community with astronomy. (Courtesy: Glenn Harris, 2019; Coleman Krawczyk, 2023)
In 2017 the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) at the University of Portsmouth, UK, introduced an outreach and public engagement strategy, which has since guided significant changes in Portsmouth. The strategy was a short, easy-to-use resource, intended as a working document that could be updated if needed. It outlined outreach and engagement goals over a five-year period, with budget and staffing allocated accordingly.
A crucial part of the process involved consulting people across the department, particularly the ICG directors and those doing innovation and impact work, as well as external supporters of the department’s outreach and public engagement.
Since the strategy was introduced, the department has created a new school outreach programme focusing on a small number of schools where the need for outreach is greatest. The ICG has also invested significantly in Tactile Universe, a project that engages visually impaired school pupils with astronomy research (see pictures).
Thanks to this new approach, outreach and public engagement have become firmly embedded in the ICG. An updated OPE strategy was introduced in 2022.
At this point, you should also consider whether you have all the resources you need. It is often possible to deliver activities with equipment from your institution but, as you do more, the cost of travel, time and equipment can add up. You may be able to fund activities from your existing budgets, particularly if they are closely related to your work. However, you may also need to consider external funding opportunities.
Engagement funding is available through a number of organizations. For example, the STFC has created the Spark awards (£1000–15,000), Nucleus awards (£15,000–125,000) and other grants to engage the public with STFC science. The IOP public-engagement grant scheme awards £500-4000 to improve young people’s relationship with physics. The Royal Academy of Engineering, meanwhile, has its Ingenious grant scheme, which offers funding of £3000–30,000 for projects that engage under-represented audiences.
Remember that while one-off outreach activities can spark your audience’s interest, building long-term partnerships is often more effective. Outreach work with schools is ideally suited for this kind of approach – in fact, regular interactions with a school can tackle systemic inequalities in UK STEM education (see box on Orbyts).
Orbyts
Out of this world Students participating in the Orbyts outreach programme, where universities partner with schools on research projects. (Courtesy: Orbyts)
Orbyts links university researchers with pupils in some of the most deprived areas of the UK, empowering them to do original research. Projects last a minimum of five months and involve regular meetings between pupils and researchers. Orbyts projects currently run in three universities across England and received funding from The Ogden Trust to scale their approach.
So far, Orbyts has created over 100 partnerships between researchers and schools, enabling more than 1500 school students to undertake research projects. Topics have included life in the universe, black holes, quantum computing and cancer. Here are some comments from those involved.
“In a tough year with significant professional challenges to overcome, this has been a real “get me out of bed in the morning” kind of project.” Orbyts partner teacher
“The high-level provision offered by the Orbyts researchers raised enthusiasm and interest in STEM disciplines among our students. The researchers introduced our students to Python programming, as well as analysis and interpretation techniques of large data sets, skills that are of fundamental importance at research level in all areas of physics and STEM. Several of the female students taking part in Orbyts decided to apply to physics at university. They were inspired by the content and the overall experience, as well as by the high-calibre female researchers from Orbyts who visited our school every week for several months and acted as role models for them. Most of the students who took part in 2021/22 are now studying physics, engineering or material science at universities. Their participation in Orbyts was pivotal in making informed decisions about their academic future.”
Physics and maths teacher, Newham Collegiate Sixth Form, UK
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have been a part of Orbyts for the last two years. It has helped me gain invaluable skills and develop as a researcher in more ways than I ever expected. Orbyts has enabled me to gain confidence and ownership in my research, as well as providing opportunities to project manage and improve my public speaking and teaching skills in a proactive yet fun way. Working with students on an Orbyts project has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my research career. It has been incredible to see the students become more confident in their work and become enthusiastic researchers themselves across the short 14-week programme.” Shannon Killey, space physics PhD student, Northumbria University
You should also think about your target audience. A lot of physics engagement takes place in schools but partnerships with community organizations can reach those who may not attend science festivals or talks. There may be an increased willingness to engage in physics outside of the classroom, where it can capture the imagination of young people who find a school environment challenging (see box on My Place, My Science).
My Place, My Science
My Place, My Science is an initiative to support young people of African and Black Caribbean heritage in the UK to enjoy science and build cultural connections. It is a partnership between the physics, rheumatology and biochemistry departments at the University of Oxford, the History of Science Museum and the community organization African Families in the UK (AFiUK).
Launched in 2023, My Place, My Science has delivered a programme of activities where participants learn about topics including stargazing, magnets and sickle cell disease. It was also the winner of the Ogden Outreach Award for Engaging Communities in 2024.
“AFiUK has a deep understanding of local needs, priorities, and challenges,” says Sian Tedaldi, outreach programmes manager in Oxford’s physics department. “This understanding continues to shape and inform the development of the project. They have provided a familiar and trusted organization for participants, leading to greater participation and impact.”
“I have developed a toolkit of interactive activities to engage audiences with planetary research. I have been able to reach thousands of young people, families and adults through my work and have engaged with traditionally under-represented groups within physics, such as girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. I love talking to young people about space and the opportunity to speak with the enthusiastic and curious AFiUK community has been incredibly rewarding.” Katherine Shirley, planetary-physics postdoc at the University of Oxford
Steps to success
As with any activity in which you are investing your time and energy, it is important to know whether you are achieving your outreach goals. Having a clear strategy will give you a clear idea of what success looks like, but effective evaluation should also be built into your project from the start.
This will also be valuable if you have to justify the time and money spent on a project or make funding applications. The STFC has a useful public engagement evaluation framework that you can follow. The Ogden Trust has also published an evaluation toolkit for working with young people that uses the science capital framework.
Bear in mind that evaluation doesn’t always mean surveys and quantitative data. You might instead get verbal feedback from participants or ask someone else to observe you. In a university, you could consult colleagues in education or social-science departments who are familiar with such methodologies. For larger projects or those for REF or business cases, you could turn to an external evaluator to provide an independent perspective.
Crossing divides University outreach officers at a meeting of The Ogden Trust’s Outreach Officer Network. The network provides an opportunity for outreach professionals to share good practice. (Courtesy: Katka Photography, 2022)
Physicists know that their subject impacts everything from space exploration to sustainable technology, but unfortunately many people don’t think physics is for them. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, in particular, struggle to see themselves as future physicists. Outreach can make a real difference by showing that you don’t need to belong to a specific group or demographic to be a physicist – all you need is a passion for the subject.
For more information about The Ogden Trust or to sign up for its Physics Outreach Network newsletter, visit its website or e-mail outreach@ogdentrust.com.
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