The Edinburgh International Science Festival

The 24th Edinburgh International Science Festival programme was set in motion today, at a launch at the National Museum of Scotland, one of the main venues being used throughout the festival.

Festival Director Simon Gage attributed the scale and variety of this year’s programme to four factors. First, following the success of last year’s Festival, key staff were asked to help organise a similar event in Abu Dhabi. This proved to be a great success, allowing the Edinburgh International Science Festival to invest into this year’s programme.

Simon also thanked Deputy Director Amanda Tyndall, who joined the team last year, creating a programme which she hoped would “shake it up a little”, with an increased number of events targeted at adults as well as children. Dr Gordon Rintoul, the Director of National Museums Scotland was also praised for the Chambers Street venue’s return ‘in force’, with the museum playing host to many innovative and interactive events, as well as educational ones.

Lastly, Simon introduced Cabinet Secretary for Culture & External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, thanking her for the £180,000 investment as part of the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund. She went on to describe the Festival as a platform which helped to nurture future talent and celebrate our scientific achievements.

And indeed, this year’s programme has benefited from the sum of all these parts, containing a wide variety of informative, entertaining and original activities for festival goers of all ages.

The full programme is available online and the box office is now open. Events and activities which caught our eye include the day pass to the City Art Centre, which will be packed full of activities for children for the duration of the Festival, including the Rampaging Chariots robotic fun and games. Kids will also have the chance to don their scrubs as part of the popular ER medical-themed event.

Professor Richard Wiseman

In this Olympic year, motion, movement, sport and dance are themes which combine in many of the events, including The Dancing Brain, a light-hearted look at the science of dance taking place every day in the National Museum of Scotland Auditorium; and the InMotion series of activities which take place in the same venue’s newly-refurbished Grand Gallery.

And the theme of innovation is perhaps best demonstrated by Power From The People, an installation which will see Arthur’s Seat illuminated by power generated from walkers and runners in Holyrood Park.

A more academic source of illumination is offered by Edinburgh E2, an all-day event featuring scientists, artists, musicians and authors discussing ideas and innovation at the National Museum of Scotland on 31 March.

Professor Richard Wiseman is involved in numerous events throughout the Festival, including an opportunity to separate the fact from the fiction of Firewalking; and a conversation with ‘psychological illusionist’ Derren Brown on 21 April.

And of course there’s more: much more. The physics of DJing and computer animation; worlds of bubbles and jungle safaris; a whole range of activities looking at the science of food…it’s safe to say that whatever your area of scientific interest, there will be an event which appeals.

Taking place at events across Edinburgh, including the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh Zoo and the Royal Botanical Gardens: from 31 March to 15 April the Edinburgh International Science Festival will turn the city into a laboratory packed with innovation, invention – and fun for all ages.

Tickets for all events are on sale now.

Edinburgh Spotlight loves living in ‘Festival City’ and already has all these dates in its calendar – here’s the rundown of 2012′s festivals.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest TBC for 2012

Paranormal investigations, celebrity ghost hunts and other spooky goings on at The Real Mary King’s Close.

Ceilidh Culture 16 March – 25 April

Edinburgh’s traditional arts festival, featuring music, dance, storytelling and more.

International Science Festival 31 March- 13 April 2012
The International Science Festival features a host of fun and educational events, lectures and attractions celebrating all things scientific.

Beltane Fire Festival 30 April 2012
Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival and Edinburgh plays host to some colourful and exciting celebrations to mark the date.

Imaginate Festival 7 – 14 May 2012
The Imaginate Festival is Edinburgh’s children’s festival and has loads of plays, activities and fun things to do for youngsters of all ages.

Leith Festival 8 -17 June 2012
Come and celebrate all things Leith at this festival, featuring music, dance, art and other exciting events.

Edinburgh International Film Festival 20 June – 1 July
The Edinburgh Film Festival is an internationally-renowned event on the movie festival circuit and attracts premieres and stars from all over the world.

Edinburgh International Magic Festival 29 June – 6 July 2012

2012 will see Edinburgh host the third International Magic Festival with a range of performers show-casing their magical talents.

Edinburgh Art Festival August 2 – September 2
Edinburgh Art Festival celebrates the visual arts in all its diversity, from world-class exhibitions to strikingly original installations.

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival 28 July – 6 August 2012
Get your gladrags on and party to the sounds of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, a popular event which attracts international talent.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 3 - 27 August 2012
Getting bigger, better and – some may say – weirder every year, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the highlight of many a festival-goer’s calendar.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 3 – 25 August 2012
Selling out months in advance, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a spectacular event taking place on the Castle Esplanade.

The Edge Music Festival TBC 2012
Adding alternative music to the August festival mix, The Edge Music Festival attracts A-list bands as part of its programme.

Festival of Spirituality and Peace TBC 2012

The Festival of Spirituality and Peace features music, dance, talks and other events highlighting humanitarian issues and causes.

Edinburgh International Festival 10 August – 2 September 2012
The one that started it all, the Edinburgh International Festival is a feast of world-class music, dance and theatrical performances.

Edinburgh International Book Festival 11 - 27 August 2012
This literary event attracts major names in the writing, publishing and political fields to the serene Charlotte Square Gardens setting.

Edinburgh Mela Festival 31 August  - 2nd September 2012

Celebrating the cultural diversity of the city, the Mela Festival brings colour and exotic flair to Edinburgh in August.

Scottish Story Telling Festival 19-28 October
Celebrating the great Scottish oral tradition, the Story Telling Festival showcases the talents of national bards, poets and tale-spinners.

Edinburgh’s Christmas TBC – late November – End Dec 2011
Edinburgh sparkles at Christmas and features events, attractions and shows for all the family to enjoy during the festival season.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 30 December 2012 – 2 January 2013
End the year with the biggest street party in the world!

 Part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival

By Freda O’Byrne

An introduction by Richard Wiseman, guest curator of the Science Festival, jokingly warned us of all the possible hazards we were possibly going to face that evening – strobe effects, asthma inducing smoke clouds, explosions, raging fires but all in the pursuit of knowledge which, of course, was what made it all worth the risks. “He’s very good, that guy” – my son commenting on  Dr Wiseman’s stand up routine style introduction.

We were then handed over to Jacqueline Akhavan (Jacqui), Head of Centre for Defence Chemistry at Cranfield University where she is responsible for the delivery of education and research in propellants, pyrotechnics and high explosives together with chemical defence, fuel technology, detection, and environment impact.

Her galloping lecture started with some quick fire questions that Jacqui asked of herself  to get our minds engaged. How are fireworks made ? What makes them fizzle, crack and pop?  How do they produce their different colours and effects? All would be revealed, were were promised and never would we watch a firework display again without understanding what made it all happen.

I was sitting with my 14 year old son and I could see that he was immediately hooked (particularly with Jacqui being an explosives expert for the Defence Academy UK), as was I. In fact the combination of Jacqui’s charm, her very cool credentials, sense of humour and the fascination the subject held for those assembled meant that it was a very engaged audience who embarked on this particular journey of discovery.

Practical demonstrations performed by Shavi Akhavan – explosions of course of all types -  illustrated the facts. What made a firework – fuel and oxygen. What made the colours? Red – potassium chlorate (KClO4 -  here I get nervous in case I make an error but I understood her to say that the -ate suffix indicated that therein contained was the necessary oxygen for combustion); green – barium, white magnesium or titanium. And how do we make them crackle? I don’t know I think to myself, but I want to know. And Jacqui tells us – it is the thick oxidised coating on the titanium flakes which is burning off – it crackles, simple.

Her energetic teaching style – posing questions then offering answers, examples, anecdotes and also (most importantly to my son and his friend) demonstrations kept us engaged and focussed.  She emphasised the dangers  of using and working with fireworks and explosive materials.  She explained how her work environment has special flooring and controlled humidity (wet towels on the radiators!) and that workers wear cotton clothing all in a bid to avoid the fatal electrostatic spark that could spell disaster.

A few questions were taken from the floor but time prevented more being answered:
How do they synch firework displays  to music?  By using electronic ignition and increasingly computers to control timings.
How do they make the waterfall effect?  Turn a fountain fireworks upside down and allow the metal flakes that make the sparks tumble downwards.
And how do they make the hearts in the sky?  By packing a firework in the shape of a heart with cylinders so that it expands outwards in the heart shape as the packets ignite.

Only an hour later we all left – entertained, educated and with not a few of us excited by this glimpse into the world of a working scientist.

Although it wasn’t March’s ‘Supermoon’, April’s full moon was almost as impressive:

We took this video from a camera in a fixed position on a tripod – the movement you see is caused by the moon’s orbit and the earth’s rotation: a suitably scientific fact seeing as it’s the Edinburgh International Science Festival!

By Freda O’Byrne

The title of the lecture was ‘The science behind dog training’ and consisted of two parts; the first consisted of a powerpoint presentation on the psychology behind different approaches to dog training and the second was a demonstration by the dog stars of  Auchinlay Dog Agility Group.

The evening was enthusiastically, in fact entertainingly, introduced by Richard Wiseman, professor in “public psychology” at the University of Hertfordshire and the Science Festival’s first Guest Curator.

He welcomed animal behaviourist and trainer Elaine Henley, principal lecturer on Animal Behaviour at Glasgow Metropolitan Colleges onto the stage for the first part of the evening – the science bit. Elaine gave us an overview of the developments in psychology relevant to dog training – we all remember Pavlov and his dogs but we also met a fellow called Skinner who advocated a form of training called Operant Conditioning  – basically I think I understood what was said to mean that if we make a mistake – we try to remember it and do things differently next time. Similarly if what we did works – we do it again. It is learning due to the natural consequences of our actions. Something I am still working on for myself never mind my dog!

Elaine then went on to talk in some depth of reward based training which does what it says  on the tin – gives a  positive response immediately during or after a desired behavior.  For example, when a dog sits down he is rewarded as soon as his rear end touches the ground. We were told timing must be immediate in that we had five seconds to respond to a positive behaviour and three seconds to a negative one or the dog will not understand the connection. Furthermore consistency of commands and cues is essential if the dog was to understand us – they read signals and sounds but do not speak english or any other language we were firmly reminded.
There is no doubt that Elaine is a very engaging and experienced animal behaviourist but her delivery and connection with the audience was hampered by the over use of the powerpoint screen. Her presentation contained almost too much information for the time she was allocated.

When she finished the floor was opened up for questions from the audience and this section was fascinating and far too short. We learnt that the collie chasing shadows should be brought to the vet to rule out any illness first, that Lottie’s eyes should be washed by an adult only in incremental stages and be accompanied by a treat each time to help her accept the activity and that the long legged Parson Jack Russell, who got stuck down rabbit holes, needed to be even thinner than he already was.

Next onstage was Eric Ferguson animal welfare officer for Clackmannshire Council who founded ADAG Auchinlay Dog Agility Group over 25 years ago to enable pet dog owners to train in Agility. Eric has also played a leading role in the development of Scotland’s new Dangerous Dogs Act. What was very striking was the variety of dogs taking part – a staffordshire bull terrier, a collie, a beagle, a poodle, a border terrier, a portuguese terrier, a rescue dog – all types and personalities and all very highly motivated to obey instruction from their owners.

The dogs performed obedience exercises with astonishing accuracy and timing, ran an agility circuit including jumps, tight turns, a tunnel and a platform on which they had to lie still for five seconds mid race with glee, and approached a game of flyball like furred rockets.

What was extraordinary was how focused the dogs were all the time – despite having several hundred people cheering and shouting encouragement. Eric made a comment which stood out to me – he said that the first step was to enjoy your dog, find ways of playing with it and then build from that.

Again the question and answer section brought a cascade of responses from the floor and after a farewell greeting from Richard Wiseman, the audience were then encouraged to come down, meet the dogs and talk to the presenters. It took the technical staff asking folk to leave the building for fear of incurring overtime costs to eventually tear us all away.

The final assignment of the Edinburgh Science Festival for our junior reviewers, although the Festival continues until 22 April 2011.

By our family reviewers – the McNaughtons

We’d opted to go on the Volcanic City Walk as no matter what you do in Edinburgh, the geology of the city is important to your cross-city travels.

We met up at the Edinburgh city plan sculpture at the Mound.  Angus Miller is the expert geologist from Geowalks who was leading this tour round the centre of Edinburgh to show us the essential elements of the very rocks that built our city.  He pointed out that travelling east-west through the centre of Edinburgh is easier than travelling north-south because of the hilly nature of our city.

A walk through Princes Street Gardens

The walk took around 1.5 hours and took us on a stroll through Princes Street Gardens where we contemplated the volcanic activity that had created the volcanic plug on which Edinburgh Castle sits, and marvelled at the thought of the great ice floes which once swept over this land gouging out the valley which subsequently became the city’s cess-pit and then latterly the beautiful Gardens.

We learnt about the difference between sedimentary and igneous rocks using practical examples and even getting to try our hand with a rock file.  We were guided past a gift from the Norwegian people – a metamorphic rock which now rests in West Princes Street gardens as a testament to the friendship between the two countries.

Down into the Grassmarket and back up Granny’s Green Steps – a necessary diversion as the rock-workings to make the north-facing castle rock safe were blocking Johnston Terrace.  From there we caught a glimpse of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags.  Angus also offers tours of this part of Edinburgh, as well as throughout Scotland and throughout the year.

Interesting Volcanic City Walk

On the way we contemplated the different types of rock which had been used to build the city’s houses and shops, and looked at the impact that pollution had had on some of the sandstone.  We also learned about the different hues of sandstone which were quarried in parts of Edinburgh and found out that a favourite sandstone building of ours (the former Craigwell Brewery) had been built with red sandstone which must have been brought from much further afield as the more usual pale brown/yellowish sandstone is more typical of local quarries.

One junior reviewer said “This was much easier to understand than our geography lessons.” and the other said “I really liked using the stone file to cut the sandstone.”

This particular walk was suitable for all ages, although not all abilities as there was a section of steep steps to conquer.  Angus Miller is a knowledgeable and friendly guide and we’d thoroughly recommend his walks as an introduction to the geology of our country, or if you simply want a guide to help you explore with a different view of the world.  He adapted his talks well to the age ranges in his group and was able to give practical examples which helped us to understand the theory as well as responding to questions being asked.

Our guide Angus

An early morning family excursion for breakfast at Edinburgh Zoo

By our family reviewer – Freda O’Byrne. 

7.30 on Friday morning found my son and I welcomed through the gates of Edinburgh Zoo by Graham Catlow, Animal Project Design Officer.  The reason we were there so early in the day was because we had answered  the ‘early bird’ call to join a guided tour before the park opened to the general public.

The tour started with a stroll past the Chilean Flamingoes and the astonishingly coloured Scarlet Ibis, towards the Budongo Trail. This is a specialised chimpanzee enclosure which incorporates three cutting edge living pods and an extensive outdoor climbing frame offering its inhabitants lots of space for exploration. 

A Budongo resident

As we stood and watched the somewhat startled inhabitants – “they are surprised to see visitors so early” – Graham told us the story of the development of the centre and its links to the Budongo Conservation Field Station (BCFS) in the Budongo Forest in Uganda, how it offers an unprecedented living space for the primates, a world class visitor experience,  and a scientific research facility for students of St Andrews University to study chimpanzee behaviour.  It was stressed that the animals were offered the opportunity to engage with the students and take part in research activities but were free to decline if they so wished, they were never forced to take part nor constrained against their will.

He also described how they built a community of monkeys to inhabit the Trail by bringing together different social groups from Edinburgh and from Holland and building the group slowly over time, making sure that the dominant males had time to get to know each other and above all that all animals were kept safe during the process.

Within a few moments of this conversation beginning were were transformed from sleepy eyed (at least in my case) visitors looking at animals to a group that was being willingly educated about the complex social, cultural and environmental issues that are intrinsic to good conservation practice. We learnt that conservation was not just about breeding programmes within zoos but was also about zoo staff going out and working with different projects around the globe. For example the Budongo Trail was named after the BCFS conservation project in Uganda which is managed and funded by the RZSS and staffed by local people.

And it is this immersive detail that makes this early morning guided tour so special. We learnt about modern day animal conservation through the life stories of individual rare and endangered animals, about conservation and research partnerships with other projects in Europe and further afield, about collaborative breeding and environmental conservation projects in Africa and South America that the RZSS funded, about a data exchange programmes with the USA -  the list went on and on.

Sumatran tiger

Over the next hour and a half we met a Sumatran Tiger, the delightful Sun Bear brothers from Cambodia, sleepily dignified Wombats, the extremely endangered Lion Tamarind monkey, the Grey Legged Douroucouli or Night Monkey, the powerful Wolverines and the hugely entertaining Penguins who were queuing in an orderly fashion to be fed. Graham’s calm, passionate exposition of the painstaking work of the zoo and its staff to protect these creatures which often took years to complete or even see a result held us all engrossed for the entire tour.

We finished our morning in the Mansion House where we were invited to partake of bacon or egg morning rolls, hot tea and coffee and fruit juices with Edinburgh Zoo staff. After the tour we were encouraged to linger on and spend as much of the rest of the day visiting the zoo as we wished.
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This was a thoroughly enjoyable, thought provoking start to our day – and my son’s verdict?

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“One of the best things so far in the Science Festival – worth getting up for!”

The Edinburgh International Science Festival continues until 22nd April 2011.  You can read our other reviews here.

We are absolutely loving this year’s Science Festival.  After the amazing day of fun we had last year at the City Art Centre, our younger reviewers couldn’t wait to get back to experience all that this venue has to offer.

By the McNaughtons

Science Festival fun

Edinburgh’s City Art Centre is the main venue for the Edinburgh International Science Festival, which runs from 9 – 22 April 2011.  It’s a convenient location, in the centre of the city, with easy access from Waverley Station too for visitors coming from out of town.
We’d heard that it was likely to be busy, and that an early start was recommended, but hadn’t quite prepared for arriving when the building was deemed to be ‘at capacity’ and queues were forming to wait until it was safe to let additional visitors in. The board with all the workshop times on it looked to be filling up rapidly, but there are plenty of non-scheduled drop-in activities to get involved in, so we headed up to the World of Bubbles to see what was going on.

This was a lovely activity area – truly suitable for all ages, and with a bubble recipe prominently displayed so that enterprising parents could jot it down and save this for a summer’s day activity in the garden too.  Our young reviewers were soon busy with various different shaped wands trying their hand at making sausage shaped bubbles, and the intriguing cube-shaped bubbles as well as trying their bubble blowing skills at the light tables where the sport was to create a bubble-within-a-bubble.

Bubble fun

Our younger reviewer writes: “One of the workshops that I did was the Adventure-Bot (Using Lego Mindstorms pieces).There were three challenges to do.The first one was to put a ball launcher on the bot then direct it through a computer. The next challenge was to collect the pieces of gold. The last challenge was to put the fake gold where you put the real gold. Then after we had a little free play . 
Our older junior review writes: “I really liked the Blood Bar. I wasn’t too sure about it at the beginning but when we got in to the swing of it I had a lot of fun. I learnt a lot about blood. Like the colours of it and it is lighter when more oxygen is in it and it is darker when there is less. I also learnt that they use ultrasound to see the arteries which are deeper in your body. And if you are brave enough then you can even touch a real heart (don’t worry its a sheep’s heart not human).

Not gory at all

I also did a picture developing drop-in workshop were you can make your own black and white picture. You design on a board using lots of little bits and pieces, then you go in this black and white room and you put the picture paper under it and switch the light on for six seconds. Then you put the paper into different trays of liquid. These are the chemicals that help develop the picture. When you’ve done that you will have a really cool picture!

A great day out

We also did “Rampaging Chariots”, which you may is think not for girls but actually they are way better than the boys!. If you like robots and remote control cars, then why don’t you try a combination of the two?  Great fun and for all ages.”

The City Art Centre has so much going on that we only managed a fraction of the activities during our day there.  The only complaint was that the building did get a bit hot, but there is a cloakroom to leave your outdoor clothes and it’s a good idea to make use of it.

There are lots of hands-on activities and workshops going on at the John Hope Gateway at the Royal Botanic Gardens as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.  Our junior reviewers were lucky enough to be able to participate in three of the workshops to give you some idea of the range of exciting things going on there.

Pongy Potions

Having watched a display demonstrating the powers of Superglue while waiting, our reviewers were eager to exercise their senses of smell and taste at the Pongy Potions table.

They had to don aprons and blindfolds, and play scientist and guinea pig. Each was given a Starburst and told to hold their nose. Then they had to eat the Starburst and try to guess which flavour it was. Who knew sweetie eating was so scientific? Our two reviewers were unable to identify the flavours in the blindfold, nose-holding test, which proved the importance of the role of smell in tasting food.

Next they had to guess which smells were fake and which were real when given a drop of essence on a piece of paper.  They fared better with this, but still didn’t get perfect scores.

Then it was the turn of horrid smells – this was optional if you were a little wary, but our reviewers smelt them all, even the really horrid ones!

Lastly, there was a choice of making perfume or bubble bath with a selection of scents to choose from. This was good fun, and they rushed home to have a big bubbly bath.

Furry Crystal Monsters

Our younger reviewer said that the workshop taught about different crystals in the world.  During the workshop the participants made a crystal garden in a bottle (although they weren’t allowed to take it home as it contained dangerous chemicals).

Our older reviewer thoroughly enjoyed Furry Crystal Monsters, the age limit of 8+ was about right, the talk was interesting and they got to bring home the Crystal Monsters to grow at home – they worked overnight and when our reviewers woke up in the morning the Monsters were glistening with little crystals.

Electroplationstation

This workshop showed how electricity was used to pass through a solution to change the colour of a copper coin by coating it with another metal.  The workshop commenced with a discussion of how electricity conducts, then a balloon was used rubbed to create static electricity and attract salt particles to stick to the balloon.  At the end of the workshop a 2p coin (copper) was turned into a silver colour.

Our reviewers really enjoyed this workshop but unfortunately their coins were not as good as they could have been – they think the solution was maybe not quite strong enough.
The age range was given as a guideline of 10+, but our 9 year old participant was quite happy doing the workshop and others there looked even younger.

Recommended: 4 stars for hands-on fun – various age ranges for different activities

New event for Edinburgh

Scotland’s Sustainable Living Week encourages us all to “do something different”.

The First Foot is a brand new ‘way of life’ festival for Scotland, an independent event and partner of the Edinburgh International Science Festival will take place from 15th to 22nd April 2011.

There’s a line up up of interesting eventsin Edinburgh, kicking off on Friday 15th April with an event with wildlife photographer Peter Cairns.

On Saturday 16th April, there is a great free event at The Mound where everyone can help build a huge LEGO sculpture with a conservation theme.  Starts at 10am.  We are also looking forward to the Sustainable Gardener’s Question Time at the Botanics where advice will be given on how to make your garden (or allotment) sustainable.

A full list of events can be found on the First Foot website and you can follow them on twitter and ‘like’ them on facebook.

I’m a Nitrogen Molecule – Get Me Out of here!    Adam House.

By our family reviewers - the McNaughtons

What do travelling, food and cow poo have in common? This was the theme for our research at the Edinburgh International Science Festival on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

We were a bit worried about the mention of poo in the programme as we’re still traumatised by one of the shows we saw at this venue during the Fringe Festival last year. But at least this time, poo was only being mentioned, rather than dancing in front of us!

Edinburgh Science Festival

The workshop was billed as being suitable for 8+ and we do agree that this was the right age range as it was important to understand a bit about science and be able to read well for the activities.  However the upper age range was probably about 11 as our 12-year old (almost 13) found the activities were geared to the younger participants.

The first activity was a game of tig to demonstrate how greenhouse gases act. Then everyone was split into different groups and moved round a series of 4 different activities, each aimed at demonstrating a different use or issue relating to nitrogen.

First of all, our junior reviewers got to work fishing from a gloopy green pool to show the effects of too much nitrogen in water. Algae love nitrogen, so multiply quickly in polluted water – using up all oxygen & killing fish and other plants.

The next demo was about the use of nitrogen as a fertiliser.  As it is not all used up when plants grow, some gets left in soil and it becomes pollution.  We got to burst some balloons to show how nitrogen escapes into air.  We were then given some balloons and decorated tags with our names.  As the activity didn’t take very long, we were given a word search.  Our younger reviewer wandered off and didn’t do the wordsearch, but played with his balloon.  Our older reviewer worked diligently, but only found 3 words before it was time to move on.

Our third activity was about biodiversity – showing how some areas are more sensitive to changes in Nitrogen levels than others. eg heathlands where heather doesn’t like nitrogen as much as grass.  We participated by playing a card game.
The final activity was a skittles game to demonstrate Climate Change.  After an explanation of the purpose of anti-oxidants our younger reviewer enjoyed knocking down the anti-oxidants (skittles) with the balls (nitrogen oxides) to bombard the lungs (represented by a bucket).

We then gathered to review what we’d learned and get prizes.  There was chocolate for everyone, and Percy Pigs for those with nut allergies.

This was an enjoyable activity for 8 – 11 year olds and the helpers from Edinburgh University were fun.

Dr Bunhead at the Usher Hall – Edinburgh Science Festival 9 April 2011: Pyromania

By our family review team, the McNaughtons

 
Helen (aged 12  3/4) says: We arrived at the Usher Hall where there were people standing giving out multi-coloured glasses and glow sticks. When you first looked though the glasses you could see loads of different colours of light.  Alex loved them so much he wore them all the time we were waiting to get in.

When the doors finally opened we managed to get near the front and what a great mistake that was.  (If you don’t like loud bangs the front isn’t for you.) With lots of noise and large bangs the show got off to a great start, and there was much more to come.

The theme of the show was fire. Dr Bunhead explained the science of fire in ways all ages would find both amusing and interesting. He shows you little things are more flammable than bigger things using iron and iron filings as an example.

There were lots of funny bits too, like sending a hamster into space using a rocket launcher and rocket fuel (no real hamsters were harmed in the show so don’t worry!!).

We saw Dr Bunhead before at the Edinburgh Fringe. We knew we were in for a treat the second time because we enjoyed it so much when we saw him in the summer.

Alex ( aged 9) says: Everything in the show just goes BOOM! I really liked it when Dr Bunhead set his head on fire using hydrogen bubbles! When someone from the audience came up to help pop balloons full of gas it was very LOUD and exciting.  I’d like to see Dr Bunhead again because he’s just amazing.

I’m still wearing my FX Spex Rainbow Glasses because when you look through them everything goes multi-coloured.
 

Susan (mum) says:  Dr Bunhead is able to engage the audience using a mix of comedy, science and fun.  He has everyone on the edge of their seats as not every experiment goes to plan and this adds to the excitement of any show.  With a mix of serious science stuff and pure fun, he always puts on an exciting show and we wondered if the Usher Hall really knew what they were letting themselves in for with so many flames and bangs going off on stage.  It is a large venue, and wasn’t full for the evening performance, but we’re sure everyone in the audience had a great time.

The effect of putting our rainbow glasses over the iPhone while photographing the spiral staircase in the Usher Hall

Zombie Science IZ : A spoof lecture on the undead

9th and 10th April, Scottish Storytelling Centre

By Freda O’ Byrne

Supported by the Wellcome Trust and developed in partnership with Dr Kevin O’Dell and Dr Katie White of Glasgow University, Time-Tastical’s most excellent lecture sets out to explain how a Zombie outbreak might occur, its effect on humans and, most importantly, how to stop it.

Delivered by Dr Austin (Austin Low), Scotland’s leading expert in Zombieism and Head of the Zombie Institute of Theoretical Studies (ZITS), the lecture features a multi-media presentation, live demonstrations involving (sometimes hilarious) audience participation, a polished patter worthy of any stand up comedian and a finely tuned sense of the ridiculous.

The show is divided into three ‘modules’; the first plunders the audience’s collective knowledge of Undead literature, films and video games to establish the symptoms normally associated with fictional Zombieism. Dr Austin then leads the audience in a process of scientific elimination – which of these conditions are untrue and which can we accept as signifiers of the Zombie condition? 

The second looks at both factual and fictional causes of Zombieism and links the notion of an infected person becoming a host, to the science behind prion diseases – a group of progressive conditions that affect the nervous system in humans and animals.

The final ‘module’ explores ways of preventing and curing Zombieism. Initially by exploring a melee fighting approach involving blunt weapons, then by moving on to a more sophisticated strategy involving projectiles and finally, (science here again) to the use of modified viruses to transport genetic material into diseased cells.

And it is here that there is some doubt about how much learning about the science behind the show is achieved. Lost amidst laughter the main point – that viruses may be used to carry modified genetic material into the cells of an infected body to cure it of disease – needed to be more strongly made if the aim is to educate young audiences about the science behind gene therapy. This is to some extent ameliorated by the excellent programme which is presented in the form of suitably stained and spattered “Course Notes” and includes a course outline with illustrations of the main points.

The show is superbly entertaining. Dr Austin is quirky and engaging, a delicate mixture of innocence and darker undertones and his lecture is in fact a highly accomplished and polished stand up comedy routine.

Photo exhibition in St Andrew Square until 1st May 2011 (free)

We popped down to St Andrew Square this morning and took our time admiring the different photographs.

This amazing (free) event is part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival. The photos featured are spectacular images from Scottish seas and beyond by renowned photographers, that start at the surface of the ocean and travel downwards to look at sharks, coral reefs and the creatures of the deep.

Suitable for all ages, make sure to take advantage of this unique opportunity to see one of the most beautiful collections of underwaters photographs available.

Each photo is individually credited with background information on both the picture and the animal.  This is a great place for children (and adults) to learn about creatures of the sea.  The mini-Spotlight members loved last year’s photos and always wanted to visit when they were in the area.  Be prepared for lots of questions if taking children!

As our photos show, the exhibtion is popular with shoppers and office workers who walk through this square every day.  A great addition to a lovely green space in Edinburgh.

Fantastic photos

Steve Bloom first exhibited here in 2010 with his Spirit of the Wild photos and he told us:   “Edinburgh has always been one of my favourite cities, and to see this exhibition here in St Andrew Square is an honour and a privilege,” Steve said. “I am very fortunate to have travelled the world photographing wildlife and it’s wonderful to bring them into the heart of the city”.

We are sure he is equally delighted to come back in 2011.

Keep checking back as we capture the exhibition in various weathers over the next few weeks.  You can buy drinks from the kiosk that’s situated inside St Andrew Square.

You can see what else is on as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival on their website. Ticket are available online and in person at the Edinburgh Fringe shop in the High Street.

Open 8am – 6pm daily.

Suitable for disabled? Yes, St Andrew Square is accessible, but the photos are displayed on the grass.

Into the Deep

Dugong by Daniel Selmeczi

9 -22 April 2011

Edinburgh International Science Festival 9 – 22 April 2011

 Packed programme launched this morning.  

The Edinburgh International Science Festivaltoday launched a packed programme for 2011 where visitors can travel from outer space to the deepest depths of our oceans, join in a Guinness World Record Attempt, experience a new hands-on Chemistry exhibition, enjoy the BBC’s Big Bang Theory Roadshow and meet a real live, space walking astronaut – all in the centre of the city.  

Guest Director, Richard Wiseman

Running from 9 to 22 April 2011, the Science Festival celebrates its 23rd Anniversary by welcoming guest director Richard Wiseman and introducing new venues and partners and offering an exciting expanded series of events for adults.   

With over 200 events taking place in 38 venues across the city on topics ranging from Aardman Animation to the Large Hadron Collider via the Internet, the Pill, the Science of Miracles and the psychology of dog training, the Science Festival offers debate, discussion, information and entertainment for kids of all ages – from toddler to octogenarian.  

Excellent events

The opening event on Saturday 9 April will feature TV’s most extreme scientist Dr Bunhead who we reviewed  during last year’s Fringe .  As part of his heart-stopping, multi-themed barrage of explosions and experiments in the Usher Hall, Bunhead is calling for his audience to become part of the live Guinness World Record attempt to create the longest glow-in-the-dark necklace ever made.  

A series of events telling the story of our oceans will be headlined by Into the Deep, a free exhibition of photographs in St Andrew Square which has been curated by Steve and Kathy Bloom. Open from 25 February to 30 April, Into the Deep features spectacular images by some of the world‟s most respected underwater photographers, which take visitors on a journey from the water‟s surface to the ocean floor. Steve Bloom’s Spirit of the Wild photos were extremely popular last year with residents and tourists alike.  

In addition, The Filmhousewill be showing a number of underwater films including Luc Besson‟s The Big Blue, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starring Kirk Douglas, while Dr Alan Jamieson explores Beyond the Abyss: Life in the Deepest Places on Earth in an event at the Informatics Centre.  

Fun for all the family

The family programme centres around the City Art Centre where all seven floors will be jam-packed with activities, workshops, performances and hands-on experiments. New for 2011 are the World of Bubbles workshops where ‘bubbleologists’ will make round bubbles square, make children disappear into their own bubbles and generally make bubbles fun. The City Art Centre also sees the return of some old favourites such as ER, Unwrapping the Mummy, Dr Clot‟s Blood-Curdling Adventure, Nina and the Neurons and Rampaging Chariots.    

Family fun at the City Art Centre

The Scottish Storytelling Centreis a new addition to the Science Festival and will be presenting a series of events for young people showcasing children‟s science authors including Professor Lord Robert Winston and Paul Collicutt, and providing interactive storytelling sessions.  

The Family events continue at The Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh which will present a varied programme of walks, activities and exhibitions for all ages whilst Discover Science is a fun, family-friendly event created by the University of Edinburgh at the National Museum of Scotland and Adam House on Chamber Street. Events will also take place at Edinburgh Zoo, the Scottish Seabird Centre, Our Dynamic Earth and the Royal Observatory.  

The 2011 programme is full of exciting events, so put the dates in your diary and get involved.   

Hard copies of the programme will be available around town and downloadable ones from the Science Festival’s website. 

You can read our reviews of the 2010 Science Festival here.  

You can find all the details on the official website. The Edinburgh Science Festival are also on twitterand facebook.

We have already highly recommended the Edinburgh Science Festival and another visit today with a mini Spotlight member proved to be a roaring success.

We had pre booked 3 events, but managed to drop into a few others which require no booking.  First stop was in the ER workshop where the helpful staff explained all about cysts, keyhole surgery, cleaning wounds and taking blood.  The excellent nurse Kate talked the mini surgery team through the various procedured and then everyone was allowed a turn to try them out for themselves.

Using an endoscope in the ER workshop

After deciding she definitely wanted to be a surgeon, she attended the excellent ‘Unwrapping the Mummy’ workshop where she learnt about ancient Egypt and preserving bodies.

Unwrapping the mummy

Once this workshop was finished, she wanted to be ‘someone who wraps up mummies’ followed by another swift change of career after visiting the Jungle workshop.

Once our chosen 3 workshops were over, we dipped in and out of various places, including the excellent blood bar where she learnt to make scabs and gooey blood.  All of them are hands on activites and really good fun.

Gooey blood

We had our lunch in the picnic area on the first floor before making a DNA bracelet and inventing a chocolate cake making machine on the ground floor.  We were there for 5 hours in total today before she was too tired to concentrate any more, but was enthusiastic for returning another day.

The events at the City Art Centre finish on Saturday, but I really urge you to attend before this excellent festival finishes.

Making a DNA bracelet

Full details on the Science Festival website and in our previous article.

Suitable for disabled?  Yes, building is completely accessible.

Friday 9th April 2pm and 6pm

Steve Bloom

By popular demand wildlife photographer Steve Bloom has agreed to host two talks at Edinburgh International Science Festival this week to tie in with his ‘Spirit of the Wild’ exhibition at St. Andrew Square.
 
He will present two informal and entertaining events describing some of the highlights of his career and how he managed to capture some of the world’s most incredible images of animals in their natural habitats.
 
Both events will take place on Friday 9th April at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, George Street.
 
Steve will be discussing his career and current exhibition at a family event (recommended for children aged 8+) at 2pm and again at an adult event from 6pm, with opportunities for a Q & A session and book signing with the award winning photographer.
 
Tickets can be booked online at www.sciencefestival.co.uk  or by telephoning the box office on 0131 553 0322.  You can read our review of his current exhibition in Edinburgh which runs until the end of May 2010.

Sonic Dreams

Sonic Dreams opened today in St Andrew Square as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival and is open every day from 10am to 8pm, until April 17th.   The audio feast is a fusion of science and art and is an incredible acoustic experience which takes visitors into a 3D sound lab and transport them on a fantastical journey of sound to the heart of other places around the world.

Performances take place daily every 20 minutes and it costs £2 to enter this remarkable experiment.  Seating only 12 people, it’s advisable to buy your ticket as soon as you arrive in St Andrew Square so you are allocated a time as you cannot buy tickets in advance.   Whilst you’re waiting, you can have a look at the magnificent Steve Bloom Spirit of the Wild exhibition.

I took a seat on one of the small stools inside the pitch black, soundproof room, with 7 other people.  There is a member of staff that sits inside with you and the fire exit is the only light that can be seen in this very dark venue once the experience starts.

I don’t want to spoil the places you are taken to through this audio masterpeice, but it’s fascinating to work out what directions the sound is coming from and where it’s moving to.  The sounds I heard took me back to places from my world travels as well as every day noises I hear.   Despite the creators spending a long time writing and designing Sonic Dreams, when I was taken into the future to Princes Street in 2012 with ‘the sounds of the trams’ I had to let out a little laugh.  2014 maybe.

Dates aside, this is a wonderful journey into the world of 3D sound and an experience that shouldn’t be missed as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival.

It’s hard to say what age group Sonic Dreams is suitable for  as the room is completely dark and 20 minutes in duration.  I would personally recommend it for anyone aged 7 + (younger if they have no fear of the dark and can sit still for 20 minutes).  If you are at all claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, then Sonic Dreams is not suitable.

Suitable for disabled?   Yes, there is ramp access and room for wheelchairs within.

You can find more details about Sonic Dreams here.  

Sonic Dreams information

Edinburgh Science Festival 3rd – 17th April 2010

I was very excited after the launch of the Edinburgh Science Festival programme in February and today, the City Art Centrein Market Street opened for budding young scientists with fun workshops, shows, hands-on activities and exhibitions. 

City Art Centre, Market Street

Edinburgh Spotlight has a full day planned with a mini member of the team next week, but couldn’t resist having an early peek at what was on offer.  You need to buy a day pass and can do this online or at the ticket office.  Three bookable activites are included in the price of a ticket, but the popular ones book up fast, so purchase it as early as you can. 

There is a board at the ticket desk showing which activities have spaces for the rest of the day.  There are some events which are offered on a ‘drop in’ basis only, so lots to do if your turning up on the day. 

Book your activities as early as you can

All the staff members I encountered  today were friendly, approachable and enthusiastic to questions that were coming their way from the young audience members.  The whole of the City Art Centre is well signposted with what is happening on each floor and at what time.  The building is fully accessible for wheelchairs and buggies, making this a suitable venue for anyone to explore. 

Rampaging Chariots

There are ample toilets and seating areas for parents whilst their youngsters explore the world of science.  The City Art Centre cafe offers a wide selection of drinks, light snacks and cakes, but there is also a ‘picnic area’ on the first floor allowing visitors to enjoy a packed lunch and their own drinks. 

Dr Clot experience

There is also the ‘Wee Wonder World’  suitable for those aged 0-6 and everything here is non-bookable, so just drop in and out around food times and attention spans! 

The organisers of the events at the City Art Centre have thought everything out extremely well and all the children I saw today were satisfied with what was on offer.  I know that the mini members of the Spotlight team are going to have a great day out and I will enjoy the experience as well.  

Highly recommended from us. 

A patient in the ER room

Day Passes
Please note that adult and child passes need to be purchased to allow admittance to City Arts Centre.  Children under the age of 3 do not require day passes. Once in the venue you have unlimited access to the events.  Adults are not required to attend events. 

Adults £6.50, Concessions £5.00.  Children 7+ £8.50 and 3-6 years £6.  Unders 3s are free. 

Suitable for disabled?   Yes the whole building is accessible for wheelchairs and has disabled bathrooms.

Spirit of the Wild

Spirit of the Wild is a free outdoor exhibition which opened today in St Andrew Square and forms part of the International Science Festival.  Steve Bloom‘s photos have appeared in many places throughout Europe, but this is the first time they’ve been seen in Scotland.

The photos represent 10 years’ work for Steve, who has travelled the word to capture some quite unique images. Each of the 60 pictures, arranged in two circles around the Square’s Melville Column, is displayed on a large board with an information panel beneath: useful for younger viewers who may have lots of questions about swimming elephants and flying sharks!

Absorbing the stunning images

Wild bears

Edinburgh Spotlight had the pleasure of meeting Steve Bloom this morning who was a very friendly and humble man.  I appreciate photography; also having been to many of the countries he has visited to capture his shots, I know that it must have taken many painstaking days and weeks to get the individual images he wanted – in some challenging conditions.

Steve Bloom

“Edinburgh has always been one of my favourite cities, and to see this exhibition here in St Andrew Square is an honour and a privilege,” Steve said. “I am very fortunate to have travelled the world photographing wildlife and it’s wonderful to bring them into the heart of the city”.

It was a pleasure to see so many people enjoying this exhibition on the opening day in the March sunshine.  I plan to take the mini-members of Edinburgh Spotlight here this afternoon, and having bumped into my 81 year old neighbour, can vouch for the fact it is suitable for all ages – and a great way to introduce people to the Edinburgh Science Festival.

There are so many fanastic pictures in this exhibition, I really urge you to visit the next time you are in this part of town.  We will be spending more time in St Andrew Square over the next couple of months, taking in the true beauty of this collection over and over again.

Pandas

The exhibition runs from the 12th of March to the 16th of May 2010.  It is free of charge and open from 8am to 6pm daily.

The Edinburgh International Science Festival runs from 3rd to 17th April and presents over 200 events in 35 venues around the city.  Full details of the programme of events, workshops, activities, films, performances and experiments can be found on www.sciencefestival.co.uk.

Suitable for disabled?   Yes, St Andrew Square is accessible by paths but to look at the inner circle photos, you would require to move onto grass.