School of rock that unravels the great mysteries of science
Wednesday, 31 January 2007
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A science lecturer is hoping that rock music will strike the right chord for around 300 secondary schoolchildren at Queen's University today.
Dr Mark Lewney, winner of the 2005 Channel 4 FameLab competition to discover the next generation of gifted science communicators, will use rock guitar music to explain the mysteries of physics to an audience of 15 to 18-year-olds from across Northern Ireland.
The lecture, entitled Rock Guitar in 11 Dimensions: Starts, Strads and Superstring, was organised by the Institute of Physics in Ireland.
Dr Lewney will also deliver the Tyndall Lecture in Waterford, Carlow, Dublin, Galway, Cork and Limerick.
During his lecture, Dr Lewney will explain the physics of rock using riffs from Vivaldi to Queen, reveal the secret of the Stradivarius and show how string vibrations might lie at the heart of the answers to the questions about the Big Bang and the dimensions of the universe.
Local organiser, Queen's professor Bob McCullough, said: "This event should be both very entertaining and informative. Physics is the study of the deepest mysteries of the cosmos, ranging from subatomic particles to outer space, and it has tremendous practical applications in everyday life.
"Demonstration lectures like Dr Lewney's have a vital role to play in enthusing and exciting our young people about the wonders of physics and encouraging them to think about a career in science."
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