Lise Meitner:The Battle for Ultimate Truth. Bringing attention to the discovery of'nuclear fission', Meitner's humanity and impact on the world.

The primary aim of Lise Meitner:The Battle for Ultimate Truth is inspire more young girls to want to pursue Physics and to see it as a viable option post 16 - at A level and beyond. We propose to introduce and explain, through structured workshops the Maths and Physics that Lise Meitner used to provide the theoretical explanation of nuclear fission. We will also tell the story of Lise Meitner (1878 - 1968) by means of a play. Through the workshops and the play we will enthuse our audiences, notably those not previously interested in Physics, and provoke a curiosity in the underlying Maths.
Working in partnership (with a state funded secondary school and a science communications company) we will communicate through applied maths and physics workshops, historical references, and theatre.
We will engage young audiences and the general public with nuclear physics through the study of one woman's journey through science. We will create a model project suitable to tour to schools, libraries and science festivals across the UK, linking to current research and thinking and with Dr Helen Heath from Bristol University (MA(Oxon), PhD(Bristol), CPhys MInstP, SFHEA based at HH Wills Physics Laboratory),as our confirmed scientific advisor. Dr Heath's research is in the area of Particle Physics. She is a currently working on the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) experiment at the LHC and the NA62 rare kaon decay experiment that are both based in CERN, Geneva. Helen's input will assure the project is up to date and accurate.

Initially our audiences will be from a school setting (at Queen Elizabeth's Academy in Crediton) and at a local science festival (at Sidmouth). By working with students from Queen Elizabeth Academy, Crediton we will trial our play and workshop ideas and hone the script to be pitched appropriately for families and young people. Phase 2 we tour the package to other schools and festivals. Lise Meitner, whose crucial role in discovering 'nuclear fission' led to dramatic changes in world history, is an inspirational role model whose scientific achievements are set against a compelling period in history including:
1. fin de siecle Vienna
2. World War 1
3. the Weimar Republic
4. the emergence of the Third Reich
5. World War 2
6. the dawning of the nuclear age

Our day-long participatory workshops (lasting approximately 3 hours) and performance piece (lasting an hour) will introduce Meitner's story and demonstrate the associated mathematical and physical concepts in a lively and engaging way through games, exercises, photographs, debate, performance and digital media. When placed in a school setting the offer is cross curricula and works with a vertical study group.

The impact of the project will:

- inspire more young girls to want to pursue Physics and to see it as a viable option post 16 - at A level and beyond
- inspire and enthuse audiences, especially those not previously interested in Physics
- introduce and explain the Maths Meitner used to explain nuclear fission
- through an episodic dramatic structure, tell the story of Lise Meitner (1878 - 1968)
- work in partnership with a local state- funded secondary school who will share in the process (working with students and teachers to calibrate expertise and knowledge)
- give students the opportunity to influence the development of ideas around the form and content of the show
- alongside collecting qualitative data, investigate how young people learn -The outcomes we are looking to interrogate are: participant enjoyment and enrichment, improved knowledge and understanding, motivation to access knowledge for new skills, increased self-confidence and questioning and a consideration, particularly in girls, of the possibility of doing something with Physics in their lives. We are interested in whether participants feel welcomed, supported and respected in their learning and the effect of the partnership delivery.

Daisi (with a team of six - director, 3 x project managers, administrator and finance) will promote the activity - we will tap into our existing networks (universities, colleges, a county-wide network of schools, artists, educators and cultural organisations) and inform our partners, Queen Elizabeth's Academy, Crediton, Sidmouth Science Festival of every press release, tweet and facebook entry so they can re-tweet and send news wider. We will also tap into the networks of our existing funders - Babcock,Devon County Council and the Institute of Physics. Our adviser, Dr Helen Heath will assist with this dissemination through her academic networks at Bristol University and beyond.

We will keep the project alive as it develops - through press releases and social media.

We will create a PR strategy for the activity employing print, social media and direct e-bulletins. Daisi has twenty years experience of marketing projects... 'A good story' is the key to a sustainable marketing campaign, and this activity is being delivered a) through an interesting and innovative partnership, and b) it will describe fascinating science through a compelling and moving story:
- Meitner's story illustrates personal consequences of Hitler's rise to power- she fled to Germany in 1938- had she stayed, as an Austrian Jew, her demise was almost inevitable.
- She was the first woman in Germany to become a professor of Physics
- Her discovery was a catalyst for Einstein's letter to Roosevelt in 1944 where he explained the catastrophic implications of Germany developing an atomic weapon before the Allied forces, which led directly to the Manhattan Project .
- As a pacifist, she refused a place on the Los Alamos Project
- Otto Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of nuclear fission in 1945. Meitner's role was overlooked

The PR process will continue though the rehearsals and the two days of delivery at Queen Elizabeth's Academy and Sidmouth Science Festival in early October where the visit coincides with Ada Lovelace Day.

We will share our evaluation report online, through our partners and through science communications outlets. We are approaching media scientists including Radio 4's Inside Science presenter Dr Adam Rutherford to report on the project's aspirations and achievements and we will continue to promote the project to the science community. Alison Harper MSc , PhD student at University of Exeter School of Business will publish her evaluation report and the project will welcome other interested academics to write a paper on the project.


Our aspiration is to tour the piece around science festivals, theatres, educational and cultural establishments throughout 2017 /18. Daisi will actively look for opportunities to present this model project at conferences and other 'science meets arts' networking events .