Chemistry & Physics

University of Edinburgh

Will there be any metals left by the time you are 50? Imagine a world without metals: No cars, no phones, no TV, no tins of baked beans... Quite a different place. As the global population soars and the planet’s natural resources dwindle, it is vitally important from an economic and environmental perspective that we make better use of our metal reserves. Through lectures and workshops led by academic staff, and hands-on laboratory experiments run by our students, you will learn why metals are so important, where they come from and when they will all be used up. We will examine the environmental impact of industrial-scale metal extraction and purification techniques, and why it is important that we develop a more sustainable approach for the use of metals right now. Is it possible to secure the future of the baked bean tin? Come and find out.

The Physics programme aims to give you a sense of studying Physics at a university level, and also introduce a flavour of the scope of modern Physics in unexpected areas. The topic areas to be covered include astronomy (the strange unexplored worlds round other stars), particle physics (what goes on at CERN?), statistical physics (from flocking birds to the spread of language), and computational physics (exploring physics on big computers). There will be one session dedicated to each topic and you will have time to discuss the topics in groups and with staff. You will also take part in a group project in an area of modern physics, where you will work with young researchers from the School of Physics & Astronomy to produce a poster presentation.

22 June 2020 - 27 June 2020

113 across all programmes PROGRAMME PLACES

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: