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Radioactivity workshops – Spring 2014

Richard Hornby

I’m pleased to be able to announce details of my Spring 2014 Radioactivity workshops.
What are the workshops?
This series of workshops, at all levels, enable students to have a visual appreciation of radioactivity, and also do some hands-on practical activities which aren’t usually included in the classroom timetable.
The plan for the sessions is similar for each level, however the higher levels also examine the mathematical relationships featured in GCSE and A-level syllabuses.
Topics involved in the session include:

What is radioactivity?
The difference between random and stimulated emission
Seeing radiation: the cloud chamber
Uses of radiation (including measuring the atom and nuclear power)

The levels are tailored to a specific level, so please sign up for the level that you are working towards!
Where and when
The sessions will take place in Antioch House, 66 Crossgate, Durham, DH1 4PP on Saturday, 1st March 2014.  The timings of the exact sessions is subject to confirmation, however they will be between 10.30am and 3pm. General interest and GCSE-level sessions are one hour, and the A-level session is one and a half hours.
You can find Antioch House opposite St Margaret’s Church at the bottom of Crossgate, just up from the junction with South Street.  It is a short walk from the Market Place across Framwellgate Bridge and to the left.
Parking is restricted in central Durham (Pay & Display). On-street parking for SMALL cars is available outside, but is very tight to get into, and fills up quickly on Saturdays. A better parking option is available in The Gates multi-story car park, which is a short walk away.  If you wish to Park & Ride, or travel by bus, the Bus Station is a few minutes walk away.
Cost
The cost for the workshop is calculated by sharing the total expenses between the number of people attending, and will be different for the A-level workshop due to its extra length.  The cost of the workshop will be confirmed on 15 February 2014, but will be between £10 and £20 per student. Payment will be taken online.
Interested?
To sign up, visit my workshops page at https://mallard-days.com/what-i-do/workshops/ and fill in the form.  Filling in the form commits your attendance at the workshop, so if you have any queries, please contact me!

Science this week – elemental creation and radioactivity

Richard Hornby

Science in the North-East this week is headed up on Thursday by the Institute of Physics North East Branch’s annual Gareth Roberts Memorial Lecture, held at Newcastle University in memory of the branch’s former Secretary. This year’s talk is by Dr. Marialuisa Aliotta from Edinburgh University, whose talk “A journey through stellar lives” will ask questions such as “Where do elements come from?”, “How and where were they created?” and “Why do some stars explode while others die away almost unnoticed?” This talk will be fantastic for people of all ages who have an interest in the stars, the night sky, and the Universe.
The second half of this week also contains the opening of signups to my annual “Radioactivity” workshop. More details about this will be in a separate post, however it will be held in Durham on Saturday, 1 March 2014. Three groups (one focusing on A-level work, one on the requirements for GCSE, and a final “general interest” group) will examine what radiation actually is, how it behaves and what it can be used for, before seeing some radioactive sources in action first-hand. The sessions are all very enjoyable, and should provide a real insight into radioactivity.
Also, for people who missed them last week, or are eager for more, there are a few more Stargazing Live activities in our region:

Skylights, Wynyard Planetarium, Friday
Stargazing at Saltholme, Saturday FULLY BOOKED
Rosetta Space Night, Centre for Life, Monday

And finally, I was looking on the internet this week, and I found this:
Thanks to MinutePhysics, we have a lovely explanation of why Euler’s Paradox isn’t a paradox at all – really useful for A2 students around this time! (source)