Speaker profile

The incredible story of the most successful telescope ever constructed - what started as a white elephant became the World's observatory - discovering the secrets of planetary formation, observing galaxies' life cycles, and that's just the start. Find out what cause the project to end up thirty-six times over budget (at launch), how they managed to get the main mirror wrong - and what was done to turn it into the science behemoth it is today. Suitable for all audiences, but particularly aimed at amateur astronomers and other science enthusiasts.

An in-depth look at the construction and subsequent success of one of the most underrated projects in astronomy. Whilst Hubble and James Webb grab all the headlines, ALMA has been quietly gathering phenomenal data that is helping to unlock the secrets of black holes, dying stars, gravitation and much, much more. Discover how scientists built a telescope 16km wide with cables accurate in length to within nanometres, all at 5000m altitude - and with an international team from three separate continents. ALMA has to be seen to be believed - this is your chance! Suitable for astronomical society audiences and other semi-technical audiences, though no particular knowledge is assumed.

The science and chances of the end of mankind! An irreverent look at just what's out there that threatens our species with mass (or indeed complete) extinction. With a tongue-in-cheek look at the real chances, what might happen and what we can do about it. Very popular with school children (especially teenagers), and ideal for school assemblies - expect a jolly good laugh and of course, we slip in a little science along the way!

A look at the most significant observatories around the World - what made them great and what it took to make them a reality. From the small and clever to the extremely very large - we look at the incredible scientific capabilities our ground-based network of telescopes has given us. Suitable for astronomical society audiences in particular.

For new astronomers, getting the right advice on equipment and observing can be a minefield. Many people approach astronomical societies for help... but end up getting twenty different opinions that only add to the confusion! This talk seeks to sort the wheat from the chaff where advice is concerned, and shows how to assess an individual's aspirations and observing style, and translate that into the advice they need. It covers the full range of telescopes and mounts, including the latest automated astrophotography platforms like the SeeStar and Celestron Origin. Aimed at astronomical society audiences.

A one-hour version of Neil's spectacular Tour of the Universe show that toured large venues around the UK in 2014. Join space scientist and astronomy entrepreneur Neil Phillipson for a mind-blowing big-screen presentation. Neil will take guests on a mesmerising Tour of the Universe, from our nearest neighbour planets, out to the stars and beyond. He'll guide us through the vast majesty of our own galaxy before zooming out once more to reveal the astonishing beauty of Laniakea, home of the Milky Way and 100,000 of our galactic neighbours, revealing the immensity of the Universe at its grandest scale. For this presentation, Neil is available to travel with a very big screen (5 metres), laser projector and sound system that gives real impact to the stunning graphics, if your venue is large enough. Aimed at general audiences of all ages - no prior knowledge assumed.

Neil explains the incredible achievements of the post-Moon era – showing how the vast body of work the scientific community has done since the Moon landings has led us to the moment when we shall, at last, become a space-faring civilisation, ready to explore and colonise the Solar System and beyond – bringing vast benefits to Earth and transforming society for the better. He presents a bold vision of a better future – one in which innovation and progress flourish while war, poverty, illness and hunger are finally relegated to history. Suitable for all audiences.

See how the Universe unfolded before the eyes of its discoverers, from the wisdom of the ancients through the age of observation to the age of exploration. A full multimedia presentation lasting approximately one hour. Suitable for general audiences - no prior knowledge assumed.