From the lab to your living room - how Hull helped develop the LCD 

22 October 2012

The University of Hull’s contribution to one of the biggest inventions of the 20^th Century will be celebrated during a special lecture on Wednesday 24 October.

Liquid crystals are now used in everything from televisions and mobile phone screens to domestic cleaning creams. However, their widespread use only came about after a team of researchers at the University of Hull led by Professor George Gray, FRS, CBE developed a form of liquid crystals. 

The Ferens Distinguished Lecture entitled: ‘Liquid Crystals: How a Hull invention helped to change the way we see electronic information’, will be delivered by Professor Peter Raynes FRS, who was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Hull.

<Professor Peter Raynes FRS

Prof Raynes has worked on liquid crystal materials and displays throughout his research career, and for many years worked closely with Professor Gray and his Liquid Crystal Group.

Prof Raynes said: “The University of Hull has been the source of so many breakthroughs in this highly specialised field of molecular chemistry, and I am really looking forward to taking the audience on a journey of discovery.”

University of Hull Reader in Organic Chemistry, Dr Mike Hird, still works with liquid crystal technology. He said: “Hull has a really long affiliation with liquid crystal research and inventions. Most people in this country carry around examples of this on a day-to-day basis in their mobile phones, but not many of them realise that it was scientists here in Hull that enabled those technologies.”

The Ferens Distinguished Lecture will take place on Wednesday 24 October at Middleton Hall, Hull Campus, starting at 6pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.