Around 50 A-level students from Portsmouth and beyond visited the University of Portsmouth yesterday (20 June) to attend the 2013 Cosmology Masterclass hosted by the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation.
The morning started with an “Introduction to Cosmology” lecture by ICG’s Dr Karen Masters, giving an overview of the cosmology that students may encounter in their A-level studies. The attendees were then given the opportunity to put their new-found knowledge to the test in a problems session run by Jeremy Thomas, Acting Head of Physics at The Portsmouth Grammar School. ICG members Edd Edmondson, Jen Gupta, Cullan Howlett, Rafal Szepietowski and Gong-bo Zhao were on hand to answer questions and chat about cosmology research at the ICG. Finally Dr David Bacon from the ICG gave an inspiring “Frontiers of Cosmology” lecture, explaining how the LOFAR and SKA radio telescopes will help scientists answer some of the biggest questions about the Universe.
The Cosmology Masterclass was organised by the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth Education Liaison and Outreach Team and Jeremy Thomas from The Portsmouth Grammar School. The next Masterclass is planned for December 2013 at The Portsmouth Grammar School, to which external schools and colleges are also invited. Please contact the ICG Outreach Officer, Dr Jen Gupta, on jennifer.gupta@port.ac.uk for further details.