The Summer Science Exhibition is an annual display of the most exciting cutting-edge science and technology, hosted by the UK’s national science academy The Royal Society.
With hands-on experiments, panel discussions and family activities throughout the week, there’s something for everyone. It’s free entry and open to everyone between 30th June and the 5th July at the Society’s central London headquarters. See the Royal Society’s website for more about the week’s events and exhibits.
Interact on Twitter throughout the week’s events using the hashtag #summerscience.
Single cell science – Department of Chemistry
Scientists often measure how cells behave or respond during experiments by pooling the data from thousands or millions of cells to give an overall picture. This hides the behaviour of single cells, which could hold vital clues for cancer therapeutics and personalised healthcare. This exhibit reveals why differences matter, and showcases the techniques we use to study single cells.
Monopole Quest – Department of Physics
In the Large Hadron Collider the hunt is on for the new physics of magnetic monopoles. It is well-known that magnets have two poles, north and south, but is this really always true? Particle physicists have long suspected that elementary particles carrying a single magnetic pole should exist. This exhibit shows how experiments in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN may make it possible to create and detect such particles, revolutionising physics.
Smart sensing – Department of Computing
Wearable sensors could transform healthcare, from reactive to proactive. Body sensing technology opens a world of possibilities for improving our health. In the elderly, and those with chronic diseases, wearable sensors can flag signs of deterioration so that doctors or carers can take action to prevent a crisis. This exhibit gives an insight into our research to develop intelligent body sensors, and showcases some of the latest innovations.
Sound interactions – Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Why can’t a microphone hear like a human? Humans have a highly developed hearing ability, which scientists are trying to replicate in machines. Humans have evolved the skill to make sense of sounds even in noisy environments, but audio technology can’t do this yet. In this exhibit you’ll find out about research to make machines hear as well as we do so that voice-activated technology, robots and speech recognition systems work reliably.