Physics Undergrad Research Conference

Just before I went for Christmas break (2015) I received an email from Imperial Physoc (Imperial College's Physics Society) about a Physics Undergrad Research Conference. The conference will showcase the research work, internships and other cool things that undergrads had been up to. The event would be held at Imperial College and co-hosted by Event Horizon (UCL's Physics Society). As soon as I heard about this I was in two minds about it: one half of me wanted to say no because I didn't think I had anything good to show but the other half of me wanted to show undergrads that you don't have to do a research project to benefit from summer work and broaden your network of connections, you can achieve this by doing an Outreach project too. I wanted to showcase the Pop-O-Matic project (see previous blog posts to learn more about it or check out the Facebook page here and my Twitter @MBerboucha with the hashtag #Pop-O-Matic) at the event and show the undergrads that would be attending that I've gained lots of skills and connections doing an Outreach project which is something they probably haven't considered before. So I plucked the courage to apply by telling myself that I have nothing to lose. Then one day, when I had completely forgotten I had applied I received an email that congratulated me for gaining a place to talk at the conference! I'm not going to lie I was excited but had huge butterflies in my stomach! So then I began planning my talk and thought...

...but I didn't want to do a simple presentation - I didn't think this would showcase the project properly and I wanted to do it in video form just to jazz the conference up a bit. So I made a start on my video and added lots of pictures and videos I took of making the Pop-O-Matic from previous blog posts and tweets and compiled them into a short video summarising the work I did, the skills I learnt and the people I met. 

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Two weeks before the conference my new shiny lasers for the Pop-O-Matic were ordered and arrived! I fitted one of the lasers into the shiny new Pop-O-Matic casing I shall be using at the conference and it looked AWESOME!! The lasers were pretty #MIGHTY !

A week before the conference the interlock system was set up and fitted into the Pop-O-Matic. The interlock system for the pop-o-matic involved using two microswitches where when the lids are taken off the laser switches off. So in case of the unfortunate case where the Pop-O-Matic is dropped and the lids come off the laser can switch off and save the potential victims from eye damage. 

Here's a video of me soldering the interlock system together:

After that, I had to power up the laser so below I am connecting the laser to a power supply:

Then I had to attach the interlock system as well as the laser to the central aluminium/optical rail:

And ta-dah! It was time for the laser to be aligned and also time for its first test run!

Slo-mo balloon pop!

Assembling it all together

Second test run

After this a second test run was done and the Pop-O-Matic was ready for its first reveal at the Imperial College and UCL Physics Undergraduate Conference!! I was so excited to show off the new Pop-O-Matic which six months ago was just a drawing in my lab book!!

Whilst balancing lectures and building the Pop-O-Matic I squeezed in time to make a poster and slides for my talk at the conference. After lots and lots of rehearsing it was finally the big day! I had crazy butterflies and was super nervous!

I went and got the shiny, new Pop-O-Matic from the lab and brought it on a trolley to where I would be for my poster session and I set it up. The first comment I heard was from an undergrad who called the Pop-O-Matic a death ray!

Quick test before poster session

Speaker badge making it official #Nervous

The poster was also put up and the visitors, mainly undergrads from Imperial and UCL, started to gather around the posters. I had quite a few people at my poster who were just as enthusiastic about the Pop-O-Matic as I was! It was great fun and a lot of balloons were popped!

Poster session

First reveal of the new Pop-O-Matic

After the poster session it was time for my talk - ahhh! Was so nervous! I took my shiny new, Pop-O-Matic with me to the lecture theatre and set up whilst the speaker before me had his Q&A session. I set it up and already I could hear comments on the laser. I then gave my talk and even made the audience laugh which woke them up a bit (it was almost 9pm on a uni day so I was surprised that I managed to make them laugh).

My talk

The talk was over and it was a huge relief I could finally reduce the tension and I had a great time giving my talk! It was great that I could spread the message about Outreach projects and someone at the end told me that I gave an inspiring talk which made me feel amazing because I was super nervous and I wasn't sure if I'd done a good job. 

It's honestly amazing to know that one of the Pop-O-Matics is finished and that it can begin its Outreach journeys! Out of the four new Pop-O-Matics that will be made two will stay at Imperial College for events on campus, one will go to the University of York where Dr. Lancaster will use it for events there and the last one will either stay at AWE or Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The Pop-O-Matic I used at the conference has already been booked for an event (Science Festival in Belfast (13th Feb)) which is SO COOL! #Awesomeness 

I would definitely recommend any undergrads to try out an Outreach project, maybe you've been unsuccessful in a research placement application then an Outreach project is a great alternative. As you can see from the videos above I've learnt a myriad of lab skills and I've met so many new people, broadening my connections network. I would also recommend other physics societies to host a conference too - it's been a huge learning curve and provides an opportunity for undergrads to experience what it's like to present at a conference. The Imperial College and UCL Physics Undergraduate Research Conference will be an annual event so for any Imperial and UCL undergrads out there, definitely show off your work next year!

Shout out to Professor Roland Smith, head of the Plasma Physics Group at Imperial College London, for offering me this project and to all the amazing plasma peeps that have helped me during my Pop-O-Matic build! They were amazingly friendly and I'm so glad I accepted this project - I would certainly do it again if I was given the chance!