astronomy

Peter Barham

Peter Barham is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Peter Barham rather than just read about it. In short: Peter Barham (born 1950) is emeritus professor of physics at the University of Bristol. He was visiting professor of Molecular Gastronomy at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Key takeaways

Peter Barham belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Peter Barham to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Peter Barham from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Peter Barham (born 1950) is emeritus professor of physics at the University of Bristol. He was visiting professor of Molecular Gastronomy at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Early life Barham was born in 1950. He received his BSc from the University of Warwick, and his MSc and PhD from the University of Bristol.

Career Barham's research at the University of Bristol is concerned with polymer physics. He found ways to connect his research with his love of penguins, including the creation of silicon-based flipper bands which can be used for monitoring penguin populations. The silicone bands are designed to minimize the potential impact of carrying an external marking device and are currently in use on African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) at Bristol Zoo, UK and in the wild in South Africa. More recently, together with colleagues in the Computer Science Department at the University of Bristol, he has developed a computer vision system for the automatic recognition of African penguins. This system in 2008 was undergoing trials in South Africa. Barham has contributed to the development of the new science of molecular gastronomy and has authored the book The Science of Cooking (ISBN 3-540-67466-7). He has collaborated with a number of chefs including Heston Blumenthal, the chef/owner of The Fat Duck and also a proponent of molecular gastronomy. He is editor-in-chief of a new journal, Flavour, which covers the science of molecular gastronomy. In 1994 he appeared as the Scientific Cook in a regular feature on Channel 4 food magazine series Food File, in which he explained some of the chemical mysteries that take place during the cooking process. Barham contributes to the public understanding of science by giving public lectures on molecular gastronomy and penguin conservation biology. He has addressed audiences in both the UK and further afield. Titles of previous public lectures include "Ice cream delights", "Why do we like some foods and hate others?", "Kitchen disasters and how to fix them" and "A passion for penguins". He has also written articles for several national newspapers, makes frequent television and radio appearances, and was scientific advisor to the Discovery Channel series Kitchen Chemistry. He won the Kelvin Medal and Prize in 2003.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Peter Barham

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Peter Barham claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Peter Barham before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Peter Barham ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Peter Barham

In research: Peter Barham appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Peter Barham in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Peter Barham is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1950 births, Alumni of the University of Bristol, Alumni of the University of Warwick, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Peter Barham outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Peter Barham in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Peter Barham means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Peter Barham out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Peter Barham in simple terms?

Peter Barham (born 1950) is emeritus professor of physics at the University of Bristol. He was visiting professor of Molecular Gastronomy at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Why does Peter Barham matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Peter Barham?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Peter Barham.