Physics experiments that changed the world – with Suzie Sheehy

Twentieth-century physics has changed the world - and some of the most important discoveries happened right here at the Royal Institution. Watch the Q&A here: https://youtu.be/gEHXJEFSftE

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Join Suzie as she brings physics down to earth, and explains how scientists can walk into a lab and discover ground-breaking things about our universe. She uses stories, demonstrations, and a bit of Ri history, to explore how physics experiments have impacted our lives. From the discovery of X-Rays, to the history of women in physics, to the race to split open the atomic nucleus.

This talk was recorded at the Royal Institution on 3 May 2022.

0:32 Introduction
0:52 Physics at the turn of the 20th century
4:35 Predicting the future in 1900
7:57 Wilhelm Röntgen and the discovery of X-rays
14:22 J.J. Thompson and the discovery of the electron
24:09 Harriet Brooks and understanding radioactivity
29:51 Victor Hess and discovering cosmic rays
33:30 C.T.R. Wilson's cloud chamber
41:10 The women who pioneered particle photography
45:55 The first particle accelerator
54:32 The emergence of big science after WW2
57:40 Helen Edwards and the superconductor
1:03:27 Hope for the future

Suzie Sheehy is a physicist, academic and science communicator who divides her time between her research groups at the University of Oxford (where she is a Royal Society University Research Fellow) and the University of Melbourne (where she is Senior Lecturer). Her research focuses on developing new particle accelerators for future applications in areas such as medicine and energy.

An award-winning public speaker, presenter and science communicator, Suzie is dedicated to sharing science beyond the academic community. She has delivered professional lectures and keynote presentations, written and delivered live shows to tens of thousands of students, is an expert TV presenter of Impossible Engineering for Discovery Channel and in 2018 delivered her first TED talk as part of TEDx Sydney, which has received over 1.4M views.

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