On Friday 28 February 2020, year 10 went to the Apollo theatre in London to attend a series of scientific lectures called GCSE Science Live. The topics ranged from all aspects of science from theories about time travel, to concepts about finding a sustainable carbon free future. Alongside lectures given by professors, researchers and engineers, an official GCSE examiner explained to us the structure of exam questions and how to prepare for them.

In my opinion, the most interesting part of the event was the lecture delivered by Professor Jim Al-Khalili about the theoretical possibility of time travel. I learnt that it is physically possible to travel to the future as long as time effectively slows down i.e. when you’re moving at the speed of light or when you are near a strong gravitational pull (like that of a black hole). However, travelling into the past  is dependent on the existence of passable wormholes throughout space and according to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, if space bends then so does time, which opens the possibility for past time travel.

In conclusion, I found the day interesting and helpful as it gave me an insight into the theoretical aspect of science whilst also going in depth to explain our world and how it works/what is happening to it. The examiner’s section of the event helped me with preparation tips towards the upcoming exams, whereas the lectures enlightened me on prospects for my future.

– Issy Cervera-Sotunde, year 10