By Matt Owens
Yesterday (Wednesday 26 November) was the screening event for the Environmental Physics 2014 video competition, in which we asked GCSE and A-level students to put together a one minute video describing an aspect of the physics of light. The topic was chosen in support of UNESCO’s upcoming international year of light event.
The judges with second place winner, William Tyrrell
The entries covered a huge spectrum of topics [groan – Ed], as showcased below, from students all over the UK. The judging panel comprised a space physicist, a stratospheric physicist and a scientific outreach expert (with a murky past in astrophysics). Using the new video wall facility, the panel and audience considered five shortlisted videos. After much deliberation (and cake), the following winners were announced:
First place:
Embla Hocking (Exeter Mathematics School) for her video, “Why can we see pink?”
Prize: iPad Mini and a cloud chamber for detecting cosmic rays to her physics department
Second place:
William Tyrrell (King’s College, Wimbledon) for his video, “Light speed”
Prize: £100 of Amazon vouchers
Third place:
Philippa Copeland (Havant Sixth Form College, Southampton) for her video, “Lenses”
Prize: £50 of Amazon vouchers
Runners-up:
Mo Awe (Putney High School) and Alex Bytheway (Rydal Penrhos, North Wales) for their entries on “Gamma Rays” and “Photosynthesis,” respectively.
Prize: £20 of Amazon vouchers.
A big thank-you to everyone who took part and we hope for an equally successful competition in 2015!