Bolton Science Students Enjoy Fusion Lecture

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Physics was brought to life for students from across the borough in a fascinating talk about how the reaction that powers the sun could provide a clean energy source for the future.  Dr Melanie Windridge delivered a lecture entitled "Powering the Future: Fusion" at Bolton Central Library as part of the Ogden Trust Partnership series of lectures and events and was enjoyed by Year 11, 12 and 13 students from Bolton School Girls' Division and Boys' Division, Canon Slade, St Catherine's, Thornleigh and Bolton Muslim Girls' School. 

The talk focused on the need for new energy resources and how physicists are trying to replicate the fusion reaction that powers the sun in experiments at places such as Joint European Torus (JET), the world's largest fusion experiment at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy.  Dr Windridge related much of the presentation to everyday physics that takes place in the classroom as she talked about the potential for harnessing the energy produced in the fusion reaction as a future alternative to fossil fuels. 

The talk was one of a series of events organised by Mr Brendan Ickringill, Ogden Physics Teaching Fellow for the region and based at Bolton School, which are aimed at encouraging young people to go on and study Physics or Chemistry at university.  Students from Thornleigh and Bolton School Boys' Division also recently attended a lecture at The University of Manchester about Biomedical Imaging: Where Physics and Medicine Meet. 

Dr Windridge has a PhD in Fusion Energy from Imperial College and has spent much of her time at the Joint European Torus (JET) research facility at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy.  In 2010 she was the Institute of Physics Schools' Lecturer and spoke to over 10,000 students about fusion.  She has made many TV and radio appearances.