Gravity Fields homecoming for top physicist
An international Gravity Fields festival line-up of speakers, presentations and events will include one of the top physicists in Europe - Grantham born and educated Professor Valerie Gibson.
The blonde, bubbly academic, whose parents still live in Grantham, defuses any remaining myths that professors of high energy physics are staid and buried in their laboratories.
As the UK spokesperson for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Professor Gibson's opening presentation 'The High Energy Frontier' at Grantham Guildhall promises updates from Geneva on the CERN Higgs boson particle quest which has captivated the scientific world.
That will position her well for an entertaining and challenging debate on 'Let's Particle' at Harlaxton Manor later in the week. She teams up with colleague and old sparring partner Dr Hugh Hunt, senior lecturer in engineering at Cambridge University and architect of a mass boomerang making event on Sunday.
Prof Gibson, a governor of the King's School, says that she has a sense of following in Newton's footsteps.
"All my life I have followed one of the greatest scientists of all time, from my home in Grantham to Trinity College in Cambridge," she said. "I was only the second person from Grantham to sign the college fellows 'big book' at Trinity. The first was Isaac Newton.
"Fascination with Newton and his achievements spans the world. Who would have thought that prime time television such as Bang Goes the Theory and the Big Bang Theory would captivate millions in this modern era.
"Gravity Fields is a long overdue public acknowledgement of a man whose legacy stretches from the first reflecting telescope to the everyday cat flap for his cat at Cambridge. He has been an inspiration not only to me but also countless others to follow his path of scientific discovery, and a festival such as this cannot fail to inspire a whole new audience."
Gravity Fields is supported by SKDC and has received Arts Council England funding
The High Energy Frontier; Grantham Guildhall Theatre.
Friday 21 September 21. 6pm
Lets Particle; Harlaxton Manor. Thursday 27 September. 6pm
