Physics Team at St Mary’s Celebrates World Metrology Day

The Applied Physics department at St Mary’s University, Twickenham recently commemorated World Metrology Day with science experiments and talks at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) as part of its Open House event. St Mary’s, which offers an undergraduate Applied Physics programme in conjunction with the NPL, attended the annual Open House event, which attracted more than 5,000 visitors from across London who were keen to get a glimpse into the world of science. Organised to celebrate World Metrology Day, the event allowed members of the public to get an insider’s view of the Laboratory, which is the UK’s National Measurement Institute and a world-leading centre of excellence in physics. Staff and current undergraduate Applied Physics students attended the event to demonstrate a range of experiments to eager visitors. Physics Lecturer Elisabetta Canetta said, “It was extraordinary to witness the interest in physics that people of any age, from toddlers to adults, showed. The breath of questions that the visitors asked us was incredible ranging from simple ones, such as what is an electric field, to quite deep ones (e.g. what are gravitational waves). Teenagers also displayed a keen interest not only in physics, but also in pursuing a career as physicists. “The event was a true success and made visitors from local communities and London areas aware of the high level of physics that the Applied Physics staff and students at St Mary’s University can offer.”