A magnetic talk proved one of the strong attractions at a special event in Bury for potential scientists of the future.

Pupils from schools in Bury met leading university research scientists at the annual science ambassadors dinner held at Bury Grammar School Girls.

Students who had shown a flair for science in years 9, 11, 12 and 13 from the two Bury Grammar Schools, Holy Cross College, and Woodhey, Castlebrook and Derby high schools were all invited to the event, which also welcomed 13 eminent academics.

An after dinner speech was given by Dr Rich Haley, an academic in low temperature physics at Lancaster University, who described how in his laboratory he can reach a temperature lower than any within the human universe.

In addition, he conducted a live experiment to levitate a magnet using superconductivity at liquid nitrogen temperatures, and demonstrated how the levitated magnet could follow a miniature running track shaped pathway.

Bury Grammar School Girls Headmistress Bobby Georghiou said the students were inspired by his talk, as well as conversations with the other scientists.

The dinner is held as part of the Ogden Trust Bury Schools science partnership, which brings together five Bury schools in a bid to harness academic achievement in science.

Mrs Georghiou said: "This was the eighth Ambassadors’ Dinner and it concluded a wonderful partnership between the Ogden Trust and our Bury Schools from which a whole school generation of young people have benefited.

"Our students have become passionate about science, inparticular physics, and all the opportunities it holds.

"They had the opportunity to meet some inspiring scientists and I do believe the time will come when we hear that future great inventions had their roots in Bury. It has been a great privilege to be involved in the partnership."

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