Field trips

This morning we visited the Louvre, and caught a glimpse of the seemingly endless masterpieces that it holds. It is strikingly rich in history, diversity, and breadth. A few short hours was not nearly enough time to experience all of the wonders within the museum’s walls, and it is definitely somewhere that I will need … Read more

For our first day in France we visited the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie. The site fills three stories devoted to scientific inquiry, containing a vast array of interactive displays and thought-provoking exhibits. There was a genetics exhibit with an entire wall dedicated to the Human Genome Project. Every gene on every chromosome was … Read more

Departure day was filled with lots of reminiscing and tough goodbyes, but also with many promises of future travels across the globe. I extended an ever-open invitation to Canada, and assured my fellow participants that the west coast would be waiting. After a bittersweet morning, those of us continuing on to the CERN programme made … Read more

Today marked the final day of LIYSF. The closing address was given by Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE, who shared his work in the exciting new field of quantum biology. There is strong evidence that much of life behaves quantum mechanically, including enzymes using quantum tunnelling, plants using quantum coherence, and animals using quantum entanglement. Evidence … Read more

The lecture that I attended this morning was titled ‘Is it possible to build a star on earth? (with humongous lasers)’ by Dr Kate Lancaster. I was originally drawn to this lecture because of its intriguing title, but I was not expecting Dr Lancaster to reveal that a star on earth is in fact becoming … Read more

This morning we travelled all the way to Cambridge. We were first given a guided tour through the campus, and learned about the university’s vast history. I was in awe walking past the colleges where so many great scientists have studied, including Stephen Hawking. The campus is really lovely; the aged stone buildings stand among … Read more

‘Lighting the Way to a Healthier Brain’ was an inspirational lecture led by Professor Clare Elwell and Dr Gemma Bale this morning.  These two incredibly successful medical physicists combine science with healthcare in order to monitor brain activity in an unconventional and nonintrusive way. Their work has proved particularly impactful for newborns with brain injuries … Read more

Dr Matt Sinclair was a LIYSF participant in 2004, and returned this morning to give a specialist lecture on machine learning in medical image analysis. Through the using of artificial intelligence in medical imaging, his company is improving outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease. I find his work particularly intriguing due to its ability … Read more

Today I visited the University of Oxford. The streets were alive with students and tourists, and so very full of the school’s extensive history. I made sure to visit the bookshop, and made what I believe will be my best purchase of the trip. The Museum of Natural History was exquisite. It is home to … Read more

Today proved a particularly special day for me. I had the honour of hearing from and working with Dr Alice Pyne: a physicist and engineer turned biological researcher. Her work focuses on understanding the complex nature of the DNA structure from the most fundamental level, and holds future impacts for antibiotic and cancer treatments. Dr … Read more