Overview

At the start of the second world war the British believed that, through ingenuity and scientific prowess, they alone have a war-winning weapon: radar. They are wrong. The Germans have it too. They believe that their unique maritime history means their pilots have no need of navigational aids.

Flying above the clouds they, like the seafarers of old, had the stars to guide them, and that is all that is required. They are wrong. When German planes appear to be following electronic highways in the sky, the need for radio countermeasures and advances in radar became desperate.

This event tells of the development of radio warfare, the attacks and counter attacks, and the scientists who led the fight.

Speaker

Tom Whipple, Science Editor, The Times

Tom is the science editor at The Times. He covers everything from archaeology to zoology. He joined the paper in 2006, shortly after graduating with a degree in mathematics.

During the course of his job he has visited the tunnels below Cern and the top of Mont Blanc above it. He has seen the inside of the world's hottest sauna and the world's most irradiated nature reserve. He has interviewed Stephen Hawking and Jedward. He has been arrested in three different countries.

As well as The Times, he has written for the Guardian, and The Economist. He was named science journalist of the year for his coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Time

18:00–20:30 GMT.

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Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.