The rise of Physics

The Institute of Physics said the number of UK students applying to study for a Physics degree has risen by 40% over four years, whilst Oxford University said it had seen applications rise by a third over five years. Applications for Physics and Astronomy at Manchester rose by 37% between 2008 and 2014, while its postgraduate applications increased by 40%. Laura Prichard, an astrophysics PhD student at Oxford, said that although movies may “push the realm of reality”, they are inspiring the children she speaks to at outreach events. She said that, “The easiest way to convey how cool a subject is, is to make it into a huge blockbuster.”