Speakers

'Physics Meets Engineering - Big Science, Experimental Infrastructure, and Industrial Spin-out'

Dr Edward Daws, Reader in Gravitational Waves and Dark Matter Physics

The labels assigned to academic disciplines - Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Computer Science, etc, are seen by some as immoveable monoliths of academia. As an modern experimental scientist, however, I am acutely aware of how reliant on engineers we scientists are to implement the ambitious instruments necessary to conduct our research. Were I a theorist, I would be relient on other engineers to build the supercomputers on which I would solve my equations. In turn, engineers are turning to scientists in fields as diverse as environmental engineering and quantum computing. My own research has led me to take this further and learn for myself portions of digital signal processing, FPGA programming, microwave electronics, and vector motor control. To me, engineering, computer science and physics intersect, and that intersection is one of the most fruitful places to conduct modern research. I hope to persuade some of you to agree with me, and perhaps to encourage others to cross what I regard as somewhat artificial boundaries between the disciplines