Physics can teach us so much about the world in which we live, from the largest galaxies to the smallest subatomic particles. This practical and interactive course will look at some of the most exciting and strange ideas in physics – you will never look at the world the same way again! What would it feel like to fall into a black hole? Do you want to find out about particles that are streaming through your body right now – some of which should not even exist? What is dark matter, or the even more mysterious dark energy? During this week, you will find the answers to all these questions and more!

In the optics lab, we will build spectroscopes that allow us to split up the light that reaches us from the stars. This is how astronomers know what the stars are made from as well as how old they are, and even how they are moving through space. We will also construct a basic telescope to see how Galileo first discovered the moons of Jupiter.

We will build detectors to enable us to view invisible particles and learn about how Einstein’s theory of relativity affects our results. We will also discuss dark matter and the even more mysterious ‘dark energy’ which together make up over 95% of the Universe. We currently communicate with satellites using radio waves, but soon we will be using lasers. You will investigate this by constructing your own laser transmitter and receiver to send messages across the room. Finally, we will learn about some of the 4000 currently known planets and how astronomers can find them.