Taking physics to the masses

Research by Cardiff University has helped transform perceptions, teaching practice and public awareness of astronomy.

To your average schoolchild, physics is often thought of as a subject that is boring, difficult and exclusively for boys.

Though highly regarded by employers and an avenue into a range of amazing careers, students are less inclined to study physics at A-level compared to other science subjects. Furthermore, just 20 per cent of students taking A-level physics are girls versus 50 per cent for chemistry and 55 per cent for biology.

This is despite the fact that when girls do study physics, they tend to outperform boys.

To combat these issues, Professor Gomez and the outreach team from the School of Physics and Astronomy have been engaged in an extensive programme of outreach activities over the last 10 years to help demystify the subject and transform people’s perceptions.