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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S80714/01
Title: PPA: Tripping the Light Fantastic
Principal Investigator: Dholakia, Professor K
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Organisation: University of St Andrews
Scheme: PPE PreFEC
Starts: 01 June 2004 Ends: 30 November 2005 Value (£): 84,337
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Lasers & Optics
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
A mini exhibition will be developed, based on the work of the optical trapping group in St. Andrews. The main aim is to convey the excitement of using light to propel spaceships, move biological samples and cool atoms. Using professional exhibit designers, the exhibition will demonstrate the basic principles involved in, as well as letting the visitors engage with, optical tweezers and several other related high tech exhibits that convey the interplay between light and motion through momentum interaction. The exhibition will be portable enabling it to tour specially selected venues so that maximum exposure to the public can be achieved. Accompanying graphics and handouts will help to publicise the exhibit and give further information. A website will include information on all the venues as well as flash simulations of the exhibits, explanations, puzzles and a chat area enabling visitors to ask questions relating to what they have seen. We will conduct extensive discussion with school teachers and education professionals, after which the target audience will be finalised, but at this stage it is most likely that the exhibition will be targeted at S1/S2 level, which is considered the best age to aim at when promoting the concept of a science career. Thorough monitoring from science centres, as well as user evaluation, counters and web statistics will enable the success of the exhibition to be monitored on a constant basis.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.st-and.ac.uk