Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2014 Sparks will fly: how to hack your home

Professor Danielle George 2014 Christmas Lectures
The Christmas Lectures are a British tradition where a scientist presents a series of lectures for children about a particular subject. In 2014, Professor Danielle George gave the lectures, titled “Sparks Will Fly: How to Hack Your Home”. In this article, we will explore the life and work of Professor George, as well as the content of her Christmas Lectures.

The Christmas Lectures
The Christmas Lectures have been a British tradition since 1825, when Michael Faraday gave the first series of lectures. The lectures have continued every year since, with a break only during World War II. They are now broadcast on national television and watched by millions of people around the world.
In 2014, Professor George was selected to give the Christmas Lectures. Her lectures focused on how we can use everyday objects to create new technologies and how we can “hack” our homes to make them more efficient and interactive.

Lecture 1: “Sparks Will Fly”
The first lecture in Professor George’s series was titled “Sparks Will Fly”. In this lecture, she explored the history of electricity and demonstrated how we can create sparks using a Tesla coil. She also showed how we can use an old-fashioned gramophone to amplify sound, and how we can use a camera flash to take high-speed photographs.
Lecture 2: “Taking Control”
The second lecture, “Taking Control”, focused on how we can use technology to control our environment. Professor George demonstrated how we can use a smartphone to control household appliances, such as lights and heating. She also showed how we can use sensors to detect motion and control devices such as a fan or a robot.
Lecture 3: “The Power of Three”
The third and final lecture in the series was titled “The Power of Three”. In this lecture, Professor George explored how we can use the principles of physics to create new technologies. She demonstrated how we can use a laser to transmit data wirelessly, and how we can use radio waves to control objects.
Professor Danielle George’s 2014 Christmas Lectures were a fascinating exploration of how we can use technology to hack our homes and create new technologies. Her lectures were engaging and accessible to people of all ages, and she demonstrated how we can use everyday objects to create new and exciting projects. Professor George’s passion for science and engineering is truly inspiring, and her lectures will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of young scientists.