The making of graphene
Description of chemical vapour deposition to make large area graphene samples
More details | Watch nowC60+ in space – a 28-year detective story about the Diffuse Interstellar Bands – Part 2
The presentation the solution to this long-standing puzzle occurred at a most serendipitous moment. John Maier, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Basel reveals the momentous details.
More details | Watch nowC60+ in space – a 28-year detective story about the Diffuse Interstellar Bands – Part 1
John Maier, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Basel, describes the journey from the prediction of C60+ in 1987, through tentative assignment of its electronic spectrum by Radioastronomy, measurement in a neon-matrix and finally, in....
More details | Watch nowGlobal Warming Revisited
Because of the following statement from the American Physical Society: “The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth's physical and ecological systems, s....
More details | Watch nowNMR in Biology, Chemistry and Medicine
For the discovery of the physics phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1952. NMR has then been used in a wide range of fundamental studies in physics, and in the 1960....
More details | Watch nowCatalysis at Surfaces: From Atoms to Complexity
This lecture addresses the question if spatio-temporal self-organisation of matter which is so characteristic for living systems can also be verified with a simple inorganic reaction in which the observed phenomena of complexity can be traced back to....
More details | Watch nowPhysical perspective on cytoplasmic streaming
Professor Ray Goldstein FRS is the Schlumberger Professor of Complex Physical Systems at the University of Cambridge. Here he describes a biological example of topological inversion, with relevance to engineering problems in human technology.
More details | Watch nowBioinspired membrane-based systems
Directrice de Recherche Patricia Bassereau, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche Laboratorie Physico-Chimie, France, speaks on bioinspired membrane-based systems for a physical approach of cell organization and dynamics: usefulness and limitations.
More details | Watch nowThe Fundamental Aspect of Chemistry in 1 Minute, the Periodic Table, and Angular Momentum in Quantum Mechanics
A brief explanation of quantum mechanics, and how it is related to the periodic table and all of life
More details | Watch nowMicrowave + Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Thiacarbonyls, Phospha-alkenes and -alkynes, Boron Sulphides C=S, C=P, B=S, etc.
Molecular Spectroscopy: Rotational, Vibrational, Electronic All on One Sheet: My ABCÉ System
Dr. Kroto describes his ABC system for spectroscopy, a systematic method that can be applied to vibrational, rotational, and electronic spectrocopies
More details | Watch nowPart 1: Selective Microwave Heating Design and Theory
In part one of this three part series, FSU chemist Dr. Gregory Dudley, puts forth the controversy that surrounds microwave chemistry research, he outlines physical theory of microwave chemistry, and discusses the research teams central design hypothe....
More details | Watch nowNatural Selection and the Future of Life
In his lecture Professor Christian Rene de DuvŽ gives a rough overview on the history of life starting about 3.5 billion years ago with the first cells up to the appearance of the first primates 70 million years ago, and he states that all organisms....
More details | Watch nowInfections in the Etiology of Human Cancers
During the past century a number of chemical and physical risk factors for human cancers have been identified. Only relatively recently, mainly during the past 30 years, infectious agents have been identified as important human carcinogens. Besides....
More details | Watch nowWhich Way For Physics?
This talk describes a new approach to the problem of characterising physical reality, one with the potential to fill in gaps in the conventional understanding of nature. It is based on a different view from the usual one of structure at the finest l....
More details | Watch nowThe Impact of Big Science on Astrophysics
The Chandra and Hubble Telescopes are in space and each costs (through operations) several billion dollars. VLT is on the ground but over 20 years of operations will also cost in excess of a billion. They all fall therefore in the category of what ....
More details | Watch nowThe Development of Particle Physics
Particle physics mainly developed after World War II. It has its roots in the first half of the previous century, when it became clear that all matter is made up from atoms, and the atoms in turn were found to contain a nucleus surrounded by electro....
More details | Watch nowThe Optical Frequency Comb – a Really Versatile Tool
The Optical Frequency Comb concept and technology exploded in 1999-2000 from the synthesis of advances in independent fields of Laser Stabilization, UltraFast Lasers, and NonLinear Optical Fibers. The Comb was developed first as a method for optical....
More details | Watch nowStructural Biology and its Translation into Practice and Business: My Experience
As a student in the early 1960s, I had the privilege to attend winter seminars organized by my mentor, W. Hoppe, and by M. Perutz, which took place in a small guesthouse in the Bavarian-Austrian Alps. The entire community of a handful of protein cry....
More details | Watch nowThe Big Challenges
During the entire 20th century, physical sciences have advanced to such a degree that we can extrapolate how they can be applied, even in a fairly distant future. Even if we leave open the (likely) possibility of spectacular new discoveries and inv....
More details | Watch nowThe Development of Particle Physics
Particle physics mainly developed after World War II. It has its roots in the first half of the previous century, when it became clear that all matter is made up from atoms, and the atoms in turn were found to contain a nucleus surrounded by electro....
More details | Watch nowCatalysis at Surfaces: From Atoms to Complexity
Catalysis by solid surfaces is, among others, of importance for the chemical industry (e.g. the Haber-Bosch process) as well as for environmental chemistry (car exhaust catalyst). Surface physical techniques enable investigation of the underlying e....
More details | Watch nowControlling Photons in a Box and Exploring the Quantum to Classical Boundary
The founders of quantum theory assumed in 'thought experiments' that they were manipulating isolated quantum systems, obeying the counterintuitive laws which they had just discovered. Technological advances have recently turned these virtual experi....
More details | Watch nowPowering the Future
Some seeds of what to do in the climate/energy controversy are contained in what will be. In this talk I shall ask everyone to jump over contemporary politics and make a mental journey to a time, several centuries from now, when nobody uses carbon-....
More details | Watch nowFive Decades of Lasers, Six Decades of Progress, and a Proposed Space Experiment to test Einstein’s Assumptions
Even though this is the 51st year of the Laser, progress in its control and application in precision measurements is still accelerating. The Optical Frequency Comb technology exploded in 1999-2000 from the synthesis of advances in independent field....
More details | Watch nowMaterial Characterization: It Takes A Lot of Tools to Solve the Problem
Jonathan Christian discusses what it means to be a material/physical chemist. He shows how a physical chemist characterizes materials using his research into Chromium 3+ polyoxometalates.
More details | Watch nowIt’s magnetic resonance – but not as you know it
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is routinely used in hospitals to image internal structure and blood flow within the human body. Research has shown that it is possible to harness these techniques to study non-biological systems, with many applicatio....
More details | Watch nowWatts New with Clean Energy? Batteries Included
This talk shows how scientists use structural and modelling techniques to help understand the fascinating properties of crystalline materials.
More details | Watch nowCarbon storage: caught between a rock and climate change
Bakerian Prize Lecture by Professor Herbert Huppert FRS Institute of Theoretical Geophysics at the University of Cambridge. Since the formation of the Earth, the global mean surface temperature, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane content of the at....
More details | Watch nowThe edges of the universe: black holes, horizons and strings
The visible universe has edges, known as event horizons, which surround a black hole or a region of space speeding away faster than light. Event horizons are governed by a strikingly simple set of quantum laws which imply that black holes are at on....
More details | Watch nowTravelling waves II
The wave equation and its physical origin. Power in a wave and its relation to intensity in radiation.
More details | Watch nowThe Science of Love
A brief look into the physical, biological, chemical and behavioral attributes that humanity shares with other members of the animal kingdom focusing on studies done on Jamaican dancers, Belding's ground squirrels, human MHC and others.
More details | Watch nowFT-ICR. The Key to Unlocking Nature’s Isotopic Zoo
Alan G. Marshall, Florida State University's 2006-2007 Lawton Professor, will speak on 'Reading Chemical 'Fine Print': The Key to Unlocking Nature's Isotopic Zoo' as he delivers the Tenth Annual Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Lecture.'Natur....
More details | Watch nowFuel cells and their efficiency
The last 2 million years of human evolution
Human evolution can be divided into two main phases. Evidence points strongly to Africa as the major centre for the genetic, physical and behavioural origins of humans, but new discoveries are prompting a rethink of some aspects of our evolutionary o....
More details | Watch nowMulti-field problems involving multi-fracturing solids.
For many problems involving multi-fracturing solids and/or particulate media, the system response is governed by the presence of an additional phase, either gaseous, liquid or both, or by the need to consider other physical phenomena, such as thermal....
More details | Watch nowNanotubes: The Materials of the 21st Century
Carbon nanotubes, some 1000 times smaller than conventional carbon fibers, have tensile strengths 100x that of steel and conduct electricity like metals. They promise a revolution in structural and electrical engineering.
More details | Watch nowOn the Air
Michael Garrett discusses the physical properties of gases and demonstrates how air is liquefied. Liquefied gases are a key resource for survival with an amazing range of applications and there are now few industries which are not in some way depende....
More details | Watch nowArchitects of the Microcosmos
In thistalk Harry Kroto explains that molecules have structures that are every bit as real in the mind of the chemists who create them, as are the edifices of brick, steel and concrete designed by architects and built by engineers.
More details | Watch nowStates of Matter
John Murrell discusses the basic physical principles relating to the gaseous, liquid and solid states with the aid of models and demonstrations. Attention is drawn to phase changes and subtle features involving intermediate phases such as liquid crys....
More details | Watch nowCrystallographic electron microscopy
Born in Lithuania, Aaron Klug, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1982, tells us about his early life and education growing up in Durban, South Africa. He developed an early interest in physiology and anatomy but did not find his teacher very inspiring and ga....
More details | Watch nowRichard Ernst
Nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr), a powerful technique for determining molecular structure, has totally revolutionised chemistry. From its inception half a century ago, its potential as an analytical tool for identifying compounds was clear, albeit l....
More details | Watch nowRam Rao
Prof. C.N.R. Rao was born and brought up in Bangalore, India where he developed his interest in science. He studied for his Ph.D at Purdue University in the US but returned to India to continue his career. He has had numerous visiting positions abroa....
More details | Watch nowRudolph A. Marcus
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1992 'for his contributions to the theory of electron transfer reactions in chemical systems'. We ask Marcus to explain how he works and he replies that he draws pictures in order to visualize problems. On relig....
More details | Watch nowC-60, the Celestial Sphere that Fell to Earth
In 1985 an experiment, designed to unravel the carbon chemistry in Red Giant Stars, revealed the existence of C-60 Buckminsterfullerene (the third allotropic form of carbon). The story of the discovery and the way its symmetry relates to the natural ....
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