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I enjoy giving public talks - to astronomy societies, schools, festival audiences etc. Below are links to PDF versions of four such public talks, that I have given several times. Requests welcome. Warning - the files are quite big. The Sun, the planets, and the stars (4.5MB) This is a simple introduction to the solar system and the stars for primary school children. Our Place in the Universe (3.1MB) This looks at the scale of the Universe, its incredible violence, its complexity, and examines how we feel as human beings in the face of all this. Cosmic Explorers (10.5MB) This goes over the history of mapping the sky, and how our resulting conception of the universe has altered. It then examines recent redshift surveys that have made 3D maps of the Universe, and new attempts to map the dark matter in the Universe using gravitational lensing. Eyes on the Sky (2.8MB) This is a talk about telescopes, how they work, and the life of the observational astronomer. It takes a pretty broad definition of "telescope", including X-ray mirrors, radio interferometers, and the Earth as a neutrino telescope. I also have a talk about black holes and quasars, called Hunting the Dragon, but I haven't given it for a few years, so its still pre-powerpoint - all on viewgraphs ! I plan to update it some time soon. Visitor Centre InvolvementsThe ROE Visitor Centre offers shows with an inflateable planetarium (unofficially known as Mr Blobby) for a modest price. It can take about thirty small or twenty large children at a time and we have a standard show that lasts about 20-30 minutes and can be repeated for several groups during a visit. This is organised by the Visitor Centre, but do feel free to contact me as well. The Visitor Centre also organises a regular series of "Winter Talks" and Friday night public observing sessions. |