Skip to main content

About the series

The Department is host to six major lecture series, plus the Saturday Morning Science programme which sees some of the University’s top experts explore their specialist subjects across the scientific spectrum in public talks aimed at high school students and adults alike.

The Grubb Parsons Lecture 2023

Prof. Heino Falcke, Radboud University, NL

Principal Investigator of the Event Horizon Telescope

‘The Event Horizon Telescope: Imaging Black Holes’

The inside of black holes is shielded from observations by an event horizon, a virtual one-way membrane through which matter, light and information can enter but never leave. Does such an event horizon really exist? Can one see it? In 2019 the Event Horizon Telescope made the first ever image of a black hole. The speaker was one of the pioneers of this experiment and the talk will review the results of the Event Horizon Telescope, its scientific implications, and future developments.

The Sir Gareth Roberts Lecture 2023

Chi Onwurah MP

Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Digital 

‘A Life in Science, Engineering and Politics’

Chi Onwurah MP has had a highly successful career in science, engineering and politics. Chi attended Kenton Comprehensive School in Newcastle, then studied Electrical Engineering at Imperial College. Before entering politics she held senior positions in telecoms and software, culminating in her appointment as Head of Telecoms Technology at OFCOM. 

Chi chairs various All Party Parliamentary Groups including Diversity and Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, and is Vice Chair of the Internet, Communications, and Technology Parliamentary group.

Video library

This is the image alt text
Video gallery" class="u-h-full u-flex u-flex-col u-items-center u-justify-center u-bg-white u-text-primary u-transition hocus:u-shadow hocus:u-text-primary u-no-underline u-p-2"> Christmas Lecture videos

Key Organisers

Professor Del Atkinson, PhD

Sir Gareth Roberts Professor of Applied Physics, Department of Physics
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 33 43592
Room number: PH148

View staff profile

Prof Martin Ward, Bsc. Msc. DPhil. MA(Cantab.)

Temple Chevallier Professor & Chair of Astronomy
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 33 43797
Room number: ocw103

View staff profile