Andrew Szydlo

Szydlo was born in London, England to Polish parents, and attended Latymer Upper School, and then Imperial College London and University College London. He currently teaches – since September 1972https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-szydlo/86/1b9/526 LinkedIn Entry. Retrieved 15 June 2015. – September 1972 – December 1974: Chemistry, Science, DT, Mathematics at Cardinal Manning School, Highgate School; Jan 1975 – today: Chemistry at Highgate School – chemistry at Highgate School, a private school in North London. He holds MSc, PhD, DIC, ACGI, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, of which he is also a CChem. In 2020, Szydlo was awarded a Pearson National Teaching award for Lifetime Achievement.{{Cite web|url=https://www.teachingawards.com/award-winner/dr-andrew-szydlo/|title = Dr Andrew Szydlo}}

An expert on the history of alchemy, Szydlo is the author of the standard work on the Polish alchemist, Michael Sendivogius. The thesis of his book "Water that does not wet hands": The Alchemy of Michael Sendivogius,Published by the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1994. which argues that Sendivogius' role in the discovery of oxygen has not received proper attention, has won widespread acceptance within the academic community. He advanced this argument in a leading article for History Today, co-authored with Richard Brzezinski, entitled "A New Light on Alchemy".Vol. 47, issue 1: http://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=13491&amid=13491 His work on seventeenth-century science is an ongoing project to which he hopes to devote further attention. In 2015 he published Schoolmaster's Diary, a photo diary celebrating four decades of school life seen through his chemistry teacher's lens.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2015/11/26/chemistry-teachers-photo-diary-celebrates-four-decades-of-school-life-and-epic-haircuts-5527687/|title=Chemistry teacher's epic photo diary celebrates four decades in the classroom|date=26 November 2015}}

File:Szydlo at RI.jpg (March 2009)]]

He frequently gives public lectures in the United Kingdom on topics including the History of Chemistry. Recent performances at Cambridge University,{{cite web|url=http://talks.cam.ac.uk/talk/index/12836.htm|title=talks.cam : Fireworks and Waterworks! Lecture & demonstration.|publisher=University of Cambridge}} Durham University,{{cite web|url=http://www.rsc.org/events/|title=Conferences and events|website=rsc.org}} University College London,{{Cite web |url=http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/schools/events.html |title=UCL Chemistry – Contact Pages |access-date=11 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925144615/http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/schools/events.html |archive-date=25 September 2006 |url-status=dead }} the Royal Institution,{{Cite web |url=http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayEvent&id=837 |title=The Royal Institution of Great Britain | Schools event: As if by magic |access-date=10 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612053325/http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayEvent&id=837 |archive-date=12 June 2011 |url-status=dead }} Cheltenham Science Festival{{cite web|url=https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/news/2013/12/science-and-maths-festive-extravaganzas-bring-the-fun-of-the-science-festival-to-pupils-across-the-country/|title=Science and maths festive extravaganzas|website=Cheltenham Festivals}} and Hampton Court{{cite web|url=http://guerillascience.org/|title=Home|first=Guerilla|last=Science|website=Guerilla Science}} have received much acclaim: writing in the journal Chemistry & Industry on Szydlo's performance at Cambridge, John Wilkins remarked that "Dr Szydlo exceeded all expectations; he raced through vast tracts of practical chemistry, history, alchemy, the discovery of oxygen, the internal combustion engine, and on occasion, introduced music too. His lecture was interspersed with flashes, bangs, colour changes, detonations and eruptions, keeping the 350-strong crowd on the edge of their seats throughout." This lively, multi-media approach characterises Szydlo's performances, which include experiments drawn from a wide repertory, ranging from the chemistry of colour to pyrotechnics and high explosives. He has also appeared at several festivals as part of the Guerilla Science team. He also lectures regularly at secondary schools throughout the United Kingdom, and has remarked that he often finds the audiences he addresses at under-privileged schools the most inspiring.Personal communication with the author. These lectures are sometimes featured in the local press.e.g. 'Smoke and steam fire up and enthusiasm for science', Ham & High, 12 March 2009. Szydlo also regularly gives talks for the wider community, including such institutions as the Stuart Low Trust,{{cite web|url=http://www.slt.org.uk/?s=szydlo|title=Search Results for "szydlo" – The Stuart Low Trust}} Haringey Council Cared for Children, and the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. His recent Webinars for students in Turkey and Tunisia have been very well received.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khFBDxe33f4 | title="Mystery of Chemistry" Webinar by Dr. Andrew Szydlo | ChemTalk' #2 | website=YouTube }}{{cite web | url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aymenlabidy_its-with-great-honor-and-privilege-for-me-activity-6950725424423301120-XJxl | title=It's with great honor and privilege for me to be the coordinator and – Aymen Labidi on LinkedIn }} He has also been invited to give numerous lectures and demonstrations abroad, including Poland, Mauritius (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and Namibia (2016). Szydlo has the highest rank (Harcmistrz) in the Polish Scouting Association, and has regularly participated in its activities since 1965.

File:Andrew Szydlo experiment for LIYSF.jpg

More recently, he has collaborated with Andrea Sella of University College London and the author Hugh Aldersey-Williams in Elements, an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection,{{cite web|url=https://wellcome.ac.uk/press-release/kill-or-cure-its-elementary-wellcome-collections-late-event|title=Kill or cure? It's elementary at Wellcome Collection's late event – Wellcome|website=wellcome.ac.uk}} where he spoke about the Dutch alchemist Cornelis Drebbel, situating Drebbel in a broader scientific and historical context and illustrating the talk with lively experiments.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/elements-explode-at-new-science-exhibition-2266647.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/elements-explode-at-new-science-exhibition-2266647.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Elements explode at new science exhibition|date=12 April 2011|website=The Independent}}{{cbignore}} Aldersey-Williams has worked with Szydlo before, both as a pupil at Highgate School, where he recalls Szydlo as 'a man of many talents ... always liable to whip out his gipsy violin mid-lesson',Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Periodic Tales: the curious lives of the elements, Viking (2011), pp. 120–123 and in writing his recent book Periodic Tales, when he recruited Szydlo's expertise in an attempt to recreate the experiment that discovered phosphorus.

Seven of his recent lectures at the Royal Institution: Magic of Chemistry (2014),{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g8lANs6zpQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/0g8lANs6zpQ |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=The Magic of Chemistry – with Andrew Szydlo|last=The Royal Institution|date=4 June 2014|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Blaze of Steel (2015),{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na7Bp4frYGw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/Na7Bp4frYGw |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Blaze of Steel: Explosive Chemistry – with Andrew Szydlo|last=The Royal Institution|date=11 March 2015|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Fireworks and Waterworks (2016),{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRBVfqhPQQ8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/HRBVfqhPQQ8 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Fireworks and Waterworks – with Andrew Szydlo|last=The Royal Institution|date=17 February 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Bonfires with a Bang (2017),{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYZT3opLedc&t=14s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/OYZT3opLedc |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=The Chemistry of Fire and Gunpowder – with Andrew Szydlo|last=The Royal Institution|date=24 January 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Chemistry of Coal (2018),{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qi4rrQoruQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/1Qi4rrQoruQ |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Andrew Szydlo's Chemistry of Coal|last=The Royal Institution|date=19 December 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Metal Mayhem (2019){{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1uqxeXxSU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/kR1uqxeXxSU |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Metal Mayhem – with Andrew Szydlo|last=The Royal Institution|date=2 November 2019|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} and The explosive History of Hydrogen (2022){{Citation |title=The explosive history of hydrogen – with Andrew Szydlo |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2wi6T4P9-U |access-date=2023-06-08 |language=en}} have been made available on YouTube. His Tedx talks at Newcastle and Manchester have received widespread acclaim, as has his appearance at the 15 Seconds Festival in Graz (2019).{{Cite web|url=https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_szydlo_from_atoms_to_boom|title = From Atoms to Boom| date=14 November 2018 }}Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211210/NM3ckZPQecA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20191207025359/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM3ckZPQecA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM3ckZPQecA&ab_channel=TEDxTalks| title = An Explosive Passion for Teaching Chemistry {{!}} Andrew Szydlo {{!}} TEDxManchester | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211210/UOEX7IUMYaM Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210503182307/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOEX7IUMYaM Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOEX7IUMYaM&ab_channel=FifteenSeconds| title = Andrew Szydlo: From Atoms To Boom {{!}} Fifteen Seconds Festival 2019, Graz, Austria | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} He is also featured in the Royal Society of Chemistry's 175 Faces of Chemistry.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906223028/http://www.rsc.org/diversity/175-faces/all-faces/dr-andrew-szydlo-dic-acgi-cchem-frsc/|archivedate=6 September 2019|url=http://www.rsc.org/diversity/175-faces/all-faces/dr-andrew-szydlo-dic-acgi-cchem-frsc/|title=Dr Andrew Szydlo DIC ACGI CChem FRSC – 175 Faces of Chemistry|website=rsc.org}}

In recent years, he has appeared in six television serials: as a chemistry teacher in That'll Teach 'em (Channel 4, 2006){{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813905/|title=That'll Test 'Em|publisher=IMDb}} and Sorcerer's Apprentice (CBBC, 2007);{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007t0wc/broadcasts/2007|title=Sorcerer's Apprentice – Next on – BBC – CBBC|publisher=BBC}} as a science historian in Absolute Zero (BBC4, 2007);{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/absolute-zero.shtml |title=BBC – BBC Four Documentaries – Absolute Zero |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114222034/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/absolute-zero.shtml |archive-date=14 November 2011 |url-status=dead }} as a chemist in Generals at War (National Geographic, 2009);{{cite web|url=http://natgeotv.com.au/tv/generals-at-war/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110409005123/http://natgeotv.com.au/tv/generals-at-war/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 April 2011 |title=Generals at War – National Geographic |publisher=Natgeotv.com.au |access-date=26 May 2019}} in Big, Bigger, Biggest (Channel 5, 2009);{{cite web|url=https://channel.nationalgeographic.com/|title=Channel Homepage|website=National Geographic Channel|access-date=26 May 2019|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702115933/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/|url-status=dead}} and as "The Doc" in Secrets of Everything (BBC3, 2012).{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012zyk7|title=BBC Three – The Secrets of Everything|publisher=BBC}}

Music is a passion, and he is an accomplished player of instruments including the violin, piano, bugle and accordion. The string quartet Alchymic Quartet by Graham Waterhouse, with whom he played duos when teaching at Highgate School, was inspired by his chemical experiments;{{cite web

| url = https://www.arbc.de/Waterhouse/pdf/2022-11-05%20GW60.pdf

| title = GW60 – Festkonzert

| website = Graham Waterhouse

| date = 2022

| language = de

| pages = 4, 11

| access-date = 8 December 2022

}} he performed them for the premiere on 4 November 2022.{{cite web

| url = https://www.gilching-news.de/landpartie-mit-neuer-musik/

| title = Landpartie mit "neuer" Musik

| website = Gilching

| date = 26 October 2022

| language = de

| access-date = 28 December 2022

}} Another passion is photography, a field in which he has considerable expertise. He has exhibited his own photographs, and recently contributed a preface to a book of photographs published by the artist Stephane Graff.Stephane Graff, Professore, Istanbul (2010) Other interests include Polish dancing, automobile engineering, meteorology, beekeeping, and mycology. Amongst his pupils, he is renowned for lessons which incorporate unusual and spectacular experiments, and for bursts of theatricality such as blowing fire and cooling hot drinks with liquid nitrogen before tasting them. His lecture and television performances reflect his broad cultural interests and distinctive character.

Additionally, he has a passion for automotive engineering, running a school automotive society where he teaches students about auto engineering using old Triumph Heralds.

1. A New Light on Alchemy (1997){{Cite web |title=Alchemy: New Light on a Dark Art {{!}} History Today |url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/alchemy-new-light-dark-art |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=www.historytoday.com}}
2. Teaching experimental chemistry in English schools (2012){{Cite journal |last=Szydło |first=Zbigniew A. |date=2012-12-01 |title=Teaching Experimental Chemistry in English Schools / Nauczanie Chemii Doświadczalnej W Angielskich Szkołach |url=https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/cdem-2013-0001 |journal=Chemistry-Didactics-Ecology-Metrology |language=en |volume=17 |issue=1–2 |pages=7–25 |doi=10.2478/cdem-2013-0001|doi-access=free }}
3. Michael Faraday the educator (2017){{Cite journal |last=Szydło |first=Zbigniew A. |date=2017-12-01 |title=Michael Faraday the educator - an essay to commemorate the 150 th anniversary of Faraday’s Death |url=https://www.sciendo.com/article/10.1515/cdem-2017-0002 |journal=Chemistry-Didactics-Ecology-Metrology |language=en |volume=22 |issue=1–2 |pages=43–57 |doi=10.1515/cdem-2017-0002 |issn=2084-4506|doi-access=free }}
4. Two English Chemists/Authors/Teachers: John Read and James Riddick Partington (2018){{Cite journal |last=Szydło |first=Zbigniew A. |date=2018-12-01 |title=Two English Chemists/Authors/Teachers: John Read and James Riddick Partington |url=https://sciendo.com/article/10.1515/cdem-2018-0003 |journal=Chemistry-Didactics-Ecology-Metrology |language=en |volume=23 |issue=1–2 |pages=47–69 |doi=10.1515/cdem-2018-0003|doi-access=free }}
5. History of Fire (2019){{Cite journal |last=Szydło |first=Zbigniew A. |date=2019-12-01 |title=History of Fire |url=https://www.sciendo.com/article/10.2478/cdem-2019-0002 |journal=Chemistry-Didactics-Ecology-Metrology |language=en |volume=24 |issue=1–2 |pages=23–43 |doi=10.2478/cdem-2019-0002 |issn=2084-4506|doi-access=free }}
6. Hydrogen - Some Historical Highlights (Mar 2021){{Cite web |title=ResearchGate |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350277579_Hydrogen_-_Some_Historical_Highlights}}
7. Chemical Electricity (Dec 2021){{Cite journal |last=Szydło |first=Zbigniew A. |date=2021-12-01 |title=Chemical Electricity |url=https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/cdem-2021-0001 |journal=Chemistry-Didactics-Ecology-Metrology |language=en |volume=26 |issue=1–2 |pages=5–29 |doi=10.2478/cdem-2021-0001|doi-access=free }}
8. The beginnings of chemistry: from ancient times until 1661(2022){{Cite journal |last=Szydło |first=Zbigniew A. |date=2022-07-01 |title=The beginnings of chemistry: from ancient times until 1661 |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/pac-2022-0203/html |journal=Pure and Applied Chemistry |language=en |volume=94 |issue=7 |pages=869–888 |doi=10.1515/pac-2022-0203 |issn=1365-3075|doi-access=free }}
9. Science Curiosities Cabinet And The Chemical Showcase (2023){{Cite journal |last=Szydło |first=Zbigniew A. |date=2022-12-01 |title=Science Curiosities Cabinet And The Chemical Showcase |url=https://www.sciendo.com/article/10.2478/cdem-2022-0007 |journal=Chemistry-Didactics-Ecology-Metrology |language=en |volume=27 |issue=1–2 |pages=79–103 |doi=10.2478/cdem-2022-0007 |issn=2084-4506|doi-access=free }}

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Szydlo, Andrew}}

Category:Alumni of Imperial College London

Category:Alumni of University College London

Category:English chemists

Category:English people of Polish descent

Category:Schoolteachers from London

Category:People educated at Latymer Upper School

Category:Living people

Category:1949 births

Category:Science teachers