2 May 2018 12:53

Professor Roger Jones is to curate the Physics Pavilion at the Womad Festival 2018 to help inspire the next generation of physicists.

This is the third time the Pavilion has been staged at Womad with the help of Lancaster University, CERN and the Institute of Physics. 

Professor Jones said: “Once again I am happy to be the curator of the Physics Pavilion at WOMAD, which we initiated three years ago as an opportunity to bring physics to a broad audience at a cultural festival and has gone from strength to strength.” 

This year, the Physics Pavilion features everything from science comedy to the physics of football and black holes and revelations. 

In the Physics of Gin, Dr Anne Pawsey offers a fascinating, hands-on exploration of the science of the nation’s current favourite tipple, looking into the physics of alcohol, the influence of ice, and what actually happens when you shake a Martini – strictly for adults only. 

Staying in the kitchen, The Physics of Food will shed a whole new light on how to cook ‘scientifically’; prepare to be intrigued and tantalised as Professor Peter Barham (The Science Of Cooking), top chef John Watson and chef/scientist Dr Andy Chapman will show audiences how to cook meat like a scientist, how to taste wine, whether to add salt or not and how best to cook vegetables, all peppered with delicious samples. 

The Physics Of Football kicks off with Dr Ken Bray bringing his invaluable knowledge of the beautiful game to WOMAD. After a summer of World Cup fever, footie loving festival-goers can learn about everything from the science behind the swerving free kick to why Germany has won 84% of their penalty shoot outs and England only a dismal 14%. 

Matthew Shribman’s incredibly popular online series Science In The Bath sets up camp at WOMAD, taking festival-goers on an adventure of curiosity unravelling the mysteries of life and the universe.  

Comedian and writer Gemma Arrowsmith performs her one-woman show ‘Earthling’ a character sketch show about the future of mankind and physicist Jasper Kirkby tells us all about the CLOUD experiment at CERN, the increase in greenhouse gases and what the experiment could mean for climate change. 

The Big Fat Physics Quiz Of Everything hands the knowledge over to the crowd as, armed with interactive voting handsets, they set to answer all manner of questions in order to win some CERN prizes and this year the Physics Pavilion doubles up as an art gallery with Science Art, showcasing some of the work of physicist and photographer Michael Hoch. 

Learn all there is to know about neutron star mergers with Professor Andrew Levan, Amanda Franklin talks about tractor beams, Claire Lee delves further into black holes and the project co-ordinator at CERN’s MEDICIS facility Thierry Stora will explain how they are developing the use of unique radioisotopes in the hope of finding new ways to treat cancer. 

This year’s festival takes place at Charlton Park in Wiltshire from July 26 -29.