QI appearance of superconducting levitating train
QI, the popular TV programme on BBC 2, looks at things that are ‘quite interesting’.
This Friday’s episode, ‘Levity’, sees Stephen Fry looking at levity, levitation and lights with Josh Widdicombe, Sue Perkins, Frank Skinner and Alan Davies. They will be joined by Professor Andrew Boothroyd from the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics who will be demonstrating the superconducting levitating train – seen working here http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/lab-camera-action/maglev-train . This cool piece of kit was developed using funding held by Dr Judith Hillier, Department of Education, and Professor Andrew Boothroyd as a Science in Society Award from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). This was awarded for the development of two workshops on magnetism and superconductivity which now form part of the outreach programme of the Department of Physics. Judith and Andrew, together with other members of the Physics Department and physics teachers from local Oxfordshire schools, planned and resourced the workshops which have been very successful with school students and teachers alike. To find out more about the schools outreach programme at the Department of Physics, go to http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/about-us/outreach.
Our superconducting levitating train can be seen on QI: 10pm, BBC2 on Friday 24th October 2014.
