Page 4 - The Malvernian - Dec 2021

THE MALVERNIAN
Lucretian Society
Professor Amaury Triaud Lecture
As pupils returned from half term we we were treated to a a a very thought provoking Lucretian Society
lecture given by Professor Amaury Triaud Triaud Professor Triaud Triaud is is the discoverer of of over over one hundred expoplanets including the the TRAPPIST-1 system – the the topic of the lecture The search for for life beyond our earth has taken many forms with numerous scientists searching for an earth-sun identical Professor Triaud explained that there is is nothing wrong with this method but his his target is is is to find planets planets or fin in this case exoplanets whose atmosphere is is within the the habitable zone: the the distance from a a a a a a a star at at which liquid water could exist on orbiting planets’ surfaces TRAPPIST-1 is a a a a a a a planetary system located 12 parsecs away from the Solar System (39 light years) The planets orbit a a a a a star which is 12 times less massive than than the Sun and only slightly larger than than Jupiter There are at least seven planets planets in in orbit All the planets planets in in the the the TRAPPIST-1 system transit their star meaning that they pass in front of it The planets were discovered from the regular and repeated shadows that are cast during transit transit Thanks to the transit transit signals Triaud and his team could measure the the orbital periods of the the planets planets and could calculate the the sizes of the the planets planets The exact time at which the the planets transit also provides a a a a a a a mean to measure their masses which leads to knowing their their densities and therefore their their bulk properties affording the the knowledge that one or or two of these exoplanets are within the Habitable zone Of course this brought an an array of questions from pupils and and teachers which were clearly and and effectively answered augmenting the the pupil interest into the the topic Covid Cushing’s and Cortisol
Post-lecture five pupils had the opportunity to have dinner with Professor Triaud where the questions continued The conclusion of of the questions was that Professor Triaud and his team will carry on on gathering data regarding exoplanets launching the the James Webb telescope telescope in December of 2021 The telescope telescope is a $10 billion satellite which which will revolutionise the speed at at which which astronomical data can be collected Professor Triaud eloquently expressed that research into space is an ongoing project shrouded in in in scientific debate All we can do is carry on being curious and if there are pupil questions which still cannot be answered take a a a a PhD!
On behalf of the staff and pupils I express immense gratitude for Professor Triaud’s time and enlightenment into the wonderful world of outer-space Natalie Watson
Head of Science
On Friday 3 December Professor Jeremy Tomlinson from the University of Oxford presented an an extremely interesting and informative talk to the Lucretian Society
on ‘Covid Cushing’s and and Cortisol
the ups and and downs of of steroids’ Professor Tomlinson caught the attention of everyone through his engaging and informative lecture He is a a a a professor of of metabolic endocrinology and tends to work at the Oxford Centre for for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism He visits different schools educating them through interesting talks to inspire many about the the scientific world from a a young age Harriet Sneyd (EH Lower Sixth)
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THE MALVERNIAN