Light Express at the Theatre

100 pupils from Bitterne Park Secondary School came to the University and Nuffield Theatre for a day of Light and Sound workshops with the School of Physics and Astronomy, The Institute of Sound and Vibrational Research and Nuffield Theatre's Education department.

Steve Elsmere, Anna Kapinska, Dr Keith Wilcox, David Cutler, Mohammad Belal and myself ran the Light Express Show - demonstrating how lasers carry our voices and data across the internet and mobile phones.

Here are some quotes From Bitterne Park Year 8 pupils about the science visit to Nuffield & ISVR 010208 “awesome”, “brilliant” and “fun” were words that many used to describe the day.

“I couldn’t believe how much lasers help you out in your everyday life, for example using a mobile phone and the internet.”
Tom Gooch

“I liked it when the lasers came up above our heads and the tank showing the laser being reflected.”
Shannon Thorne

“It was fascinating how different coloured lasers can be used to form interesting patterns.” Kirsty Hunt

“Educational but fun.”
Hollie Upson

Mark Dymock a Lighting Designer for The Nuffield ran inteactive Lighting workshops in the Nuffield Theatre to show students how science was used behind the scenes.

“Interesting to see what we could do with our drama skills combined with science.”
Rachel Nevill

“It is amazing to see how many skills can be combined in a theatre performance.”
Ethan Bligh
“It was great fun finding out what it’s really like in show business.”
Turner Crosby
“It is interesting to know what happens behind the scenes in the theatre.”
Chloe Cross
“I found out how science is important to everyday life and how important it is.”
Tom Millard
Dr Steve Dorney did a sound workshops for the students - demonstrating how glass wobbles and why whales use bubbles to capture fish.

“It’s cool that you can measure sound in so many different ways.”
Danny Foster

Dr Dorney also took the students to the anechoic chamber in ISVR.

“I liked the room we went to with the square foam where it was quiet inside.”
Saila Hannan



“It was really fun learning about and seeing lasers and playing with the glasses, but really interesting as well. I learned how lasers can transport information and that vibrations can make things move and make weird sounds”.
Patara Parker

“It was really, really good with all the experiments and stuff.”
Daisy Andrews

Thanks to Sharon Lawless and the staff at Bitterne Park school for organising the event - and to the pupils for being so positive about the day! Photos by Sharon.

A pinch of fibre

Here are some wonderful new photographs, taken by Andy Vowles in our Cartographic Unit here at the University of Southampton.

The photos show Light Express laserist and sensor specialist Mohammad Belal, holding a fibre optic fabricated at the Optoelectronics Research Centre. (ORC)

To get technical - the laser system used to illuminate the fibre is a professional light show system combining the three primary colour lasers; a green red diode laser and green and blue ND: YAGs.









With thanks to Rachael Abbot of the ORC who helped to commission the photo - and aided with the art direction. The image will now be used by the University's marketing department for our website photos.