'Extreme' scientists to give lecture

A TEAM of "extreme" scientists from the Capital are to take part on the prestigious Royal Society's 350th anniversary celebrations in London.

The group will be talking to the public about their extreme conditions research, which involves subjecting a range of materials to high temperatures, pressures and magnetic fields and finding out what impact these conditions have on their structures and properties.

Much of our planet, and the universe outside it, is under what scientists describe as "extreme conditions" – very hot, cold or under high or low pressure. Materials behave very differently under these extreme conditions.

Colin Pulham, professor of high-pressure chemistry, said: "The aim of our research is to try to understand what changes occur in the molecular structures of materials, such as pharmaceuticals, explosives, propellants, and to identify what effects these changes have on the behaviour of the material under study.

"These studies enable us to make better predictions about how these materials behave under a range of conditions, and this information will help us and other groups design better, safer materials in the future."