A Little-Known 18th Century English Polymath – Professor Alan Zinober – 15th June 2020

A polymath is ‘a person of great and varied learning’ and this certainly described the Reverend John Michell ( 25 Dec 1742 – 12 April 1793). Michell was a natural philosopher and a clergyman and seems to be almost unknown although he was: The first person to suggest that earthquakes are caused by movement of … Read more

Cosmic rays, pyramids, volcanoes and railway tunnels – an introduction to muon tomography.    Prof Lee Thompson. 16th March 2020 

Muons are like the big brother of electrons but they are heavier and much more penetrating.  About 1000 pass through the room every second. They are generated when cosmic rays interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere to form secondary rays called muons. We all know that X-rays are used to look at body parts … Read more