As part of a physics enrichment trip, we went to see the Diamond Light Source at Harwell Science and Innovation centre which is the UK’s national synchrotron light source. At the start we listened to an insightful talk about the different uses of the synchrotron light in scientific research, ranging from its uses in the healthcare industry with drug development to its uses in palaeontology with identifying fossils. However, the magic of science truly came to life when we took a tour around the machine which accelerates electrons to near light speeds so that they give off light 10 billion times brighter than the sun. It was incredibly inspiring talking to the different scientists about how they use this amazing technology to further research or work towards solving a range of different problems for a better future. I felt that the trip truly helped develop my understanding of physics and its application in the real world.

Jigya