Top Manchester University Scientists Visit Salford Students

11 January 2010

School pupils and students from Salford City College met up at the Eccles Centre on Thursday 10th December for a very special Science Society event. Top science lecturers and researchers from The University of Manchester delivered interactive and informative workshops on subjects ranging from Engineering to Life Sciences.

One of the highlights of the evening was a workshop delivered by Dr. Tim O’Brien, Senior Lecturer and Head of Outreach at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, who is known for his research into exploding stars, as well as his work on television. Jodrell Bank is a world leader in radio astronomy and Dr. O’Brien’s workshop on ‘Cosmic Explosions’ provided an expert insight into this fascinating world.

Dr. Tim O’Brien said of his workshop “What I want people to go away with is an understanding that everything around us consists of materials created inside stars. They essentially form what we are made of and that is why it is important to understand what happens when stars explode.”

Other workshops during the evening included a lively talk on Electrical Engineering featuring balancing robots and remote controlled cars, a workshop on the physics behind the motion of spin, talks on the life sciences including first hand stories from current research scientists and a challenge from the Material Science department to see which students could build the strongest but lightest bridge.

Future Science Societies are planned throughout the year and are open to any Year 10 and 11 pupils as well as students from the college.

Pictured are (left to right) Mike Brown (Head of Science at the Eccles Centre), Dr. Tim O’Brien (Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester), Ben Bird (student at the Eccles Centre), Sam Haymen (student at the Eccles Centre) and Anthony Carter (student at the Eccles Centre).