Manchester Science Festival

MSF11 podcasts now online!

2012-02-02T10:34:00.000Z

The hubbub of Manchester Science Festival has calmed down and we've unleashed the first two in our series of weekly podcasts, all recorded at events during last October’s Manchester Science Festival.

First off, listen to the lovely Nija Dalal interview the people behind the Microbiology and art exhibition at Madlab, which was launched just before the festival and ran until middle of November. The pieces in the exhibition were produced by science undergraduates at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and members of the Manchester DIYBio group (who run workshops where you can have a go at do-it-yourself bioscience). Professor Joanna Verran led the project and you can find out more on the MMU website.

Secondly, you can hear extracts from Timandra Harkness and Matt Parkers' maths comedy show, Your Days Are Numbered: the maths of death, at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry). Matt was also awarded the Joshua Phillips Award in Science Communication on the evening. Timandra and Matt are currently touring the UK with the show; head over to their website for tour dates and reviews.

You can find all of the podcasts on the Manchester Science Festival website.

Work for Manchester Science Festival: Freelance Project Manager vacancy

2011-12-20T14:14:00.002Z

We are seeking a dynamic Project Manager capable of delivering a mass-participatory experiment across the whole of Manchester following in the steps of Alan Turing and raising awareness of the wonders of maths in nature.

Working with leading science and cultural partners in Manchester, the Manchester Science Festival (MSF) and MOSI (the Museum of Science and Industry) are planning a mass-participatory experiment following in the steps of Alan Turing to raise awareness of the wonders of mathematics within the natural world and get communities working together in a practical approach to science.

Fee for the work (to include all personal expenses): £15,000 (fixed term from January until November 2012)

The closing date for applications is 4pm on Wednesday 3 January 2012.

For a full job description and details of how to apply, please visit the Manchester Science Festival website.

BBC project - Britain in a day

2011-11-09T12:40:00.002Z

Britain in a Day is a unique portrait of twenty-four hours in the life of the UK, filmed by you. On Saturday 12 November 2011 pick up a camera and record your thoughts, hopes and aspirations, then upload your film to the Britain in a Day channel on YouTube. You’ll be helping to create an amazing archive and your film could be included in an historic BBC documentary in 2012.

Check out the below blog with Morgan Matthews, director of Britain in a Day to find out more about the project and how to get involved.

What is Britain in a Day?:

Morgan: BRITAIN IN A DAY is an exciting and ambitious documentary project where we are inviting people across the UK to send in footage shot on one particular day - the 12th November 2011. This is an ordinary day like any other but we aim to capture both the ordinary and the extraordinary events that take place in people's lives every day across the UK. We will edit the footage into one, hopefully remarkable film to be screened on the BBC in 2012.

Why should I get involved:

Morgan: This is an opportunity to capture history and be a part of a unique film-making event. The footage that you capture could be included in a film that I believe will provoke, inspire, surprise and move audiences around the world. Britain in a Day will be a record of our nations, both in the present and in the future. A film about us made by us.

How do I get involved:

Morgan: On 12th November 2011, pick up a camera and film anything that's happening in the 24-hour period from midnight on Friday to midnight on Saturday. Any type of camera will do - whether it's a domestic video camera or your mobile phone - just use the best you have available and start filming on the 12th November 2011. Once you have recorded your footage, upload the unedited clips onto YouTube using the BRITAIN IN A DAY website. If you haven't used YouTube before, don't worry, it's easy - take a look at the 'how to' guide on the BRITAIN IN A DAY website.

Are you looking for any particular clips?

Morgan: I am looking for footage of anything that's happening to you or someone you know on the 12th November 2011. You may be with your family or you may be separated from them. You may be walking in the hills or dancing on the town. You could talk to the camera and create a video diary of all or part of your day, or you can film people you know - with their permission. There may be something wonderful happening to you or your friends and family - perhaps a birth or a marriage, or you may be experiencing something difficult or traumatic - perhaps coping with tough times, a break up or the loss of someone close to you. If you're going to work or staying in on your own, use your camera to show me what you see and tell me what you are feeling. Whether your experience is a momentous occasion or an average day or night, there is meaning, tragedy and beauty in everyday life that we can all identify with - and I want you to capture it for me.

Do you have some suggestions or questions we could think about when filming...

Morgan: Yes. These are just ideas, but you might want to think about the following to get you started:

• What can you see from your window and how would you describe your area?
• What do you like or dislike about the UK?
• What do you see in the mirror?
• What do you worry about?
• What is your vice or your guilty pleasure?
• What makes you happy?
• What is the most important thing in your life at the moment?
• If you are working, show me what you do.
• Show me what you do in the evening

Do I need experience with a camera or making films?

Morgan: This is a project for everyone. Don't let lack of experience put you off, you really don't need to have touched a camera before. Check out the web site for some simple tips and how to videos. It is really easy to take part.

When's the date?

Morgan: Record your footage on 12th November 2011: from midnight on Friday to midnight on Saturday.

Upload your footage by 21 November 2011 at www.youtube.com/britaininaday

For more details on BIAD and to get involved, go to: www.bbc.co.uk/britaininaday and film YOUR day on Saturday 12th Nov.

The environment is a cup.

2011-10-27T13:04:00.000+01:00

Review of The Devil's Garden Q&A event, co-hosted by the Manchester Science Festival and the Manchester Literature Festival.

In a quiet room on the topmost floor of the Manchester Museum, Johan Oldekop, a biologist, begins a discussion of his research in the Amazon. He stands in front of about 30 people, and illuminates the complexities of environmentalism and conservation when placed against indigenous peoples' concerns. “The environment,” he says, “is like a plastic cup. You can squeeze a plastic cup, and it will change its shape, but it can re-form and it will still hold water. But if you squeeze it too hard, it’ll break, and it won’t be able to hold water any more, and importantly, it won’t be a cup.” Why squeeze the cup? Development.

He put it most starkly by telling us about how one village is currently six hours away from the nearest hospital by boat... but if those villagers had a road, they would only be one hour away. They want a road, but conservationists want to maintain the rainforest, and in the heart of the Amazon, Oldekop argues, is where issues of science, progress, humanity and the environment come together. Where do human rights, such as access to medical care, trump environmental concerns, and who should be the beneficiaries?

Oldekop's research focused on the role of rural communities in conservation initiatives and environmental impacts, so his work fits neatly in with today's other speaker, Edward Docx.

The Devil's Garden, by Docx, is about a scientist named Dr Forle, who is based on a river station deep in the South American jungle. Docx begins by telling us that he’s happy to be in Manchester promoting his new novel, because Manchester is his home town.

First, Docx discusses his inspirations that led him to write this book, including Coetzee and Conrad. He describes casting his characters in such a way to maintain conflict. “Conflict is drama,” he says. For example, if there’s a scientist, then there should be a religious person to conflict with the scientist. He tries to imagine his characters as a whole cast, in the round, so that there’s always drama. In The Devil’s Garden, he says, there’s drama because it’s about the conflict between corporations, environmentalists, scientists, missionaries and indigenous people.

But the real issue that his novel is about (and, he says, that every novel is really about) is how we should try to live.

Edward Docx then reads out some short sections of his novel before the floor is opened to the audience for a Q&A. The discussion ranges from eco-tourism to ethics, but most interestingly, one audience member challenges both Oldekop and Docx’s work. By explaining how all the complications and complexity of decisions around environmentalism are so interrelated, they’re essentially saying there’s nothing we can do that would be both fair to everyone and still save the earth. It’s despairing, and shouldn’t we just stop even trying to save this planet? Shouldn’t we just work on finding a new one to colonise, if this is all so complicated that, in the end, we simply can’t figure out what the best route might be?

In response, Oldekop and Docx both recognise the despair in their works, but Docx tempers this sentiment by saying that humans have always been inventive and creative. Art, he thinks, is humanity’s redemption. While his book is dark, he feels it is full of light. If people will re-read the book (which, he says, “is the only way of really reading”!), he thinks they’ll find it suggests there is a future.

And Oldekop agrees, saying that nihilism is dangerous, because if we really begin to believe there’s nothing we can do, then it will stop us doing anything to protect our planet or take care of people.

This post originally appeared on the Manchester Literature Festival Blog.
Words by Nija Dalal. Photograph by Jon Atkin.

2011-10-22T19:18:00.002+01:00

Microbiology and Art
MadLab
Saturday 22 October – 10 November
11am – 5pm
Cost & Booking: Free. No need to book. Drop in anytime.

Last night, I hopped over to MadLab for the launch of the Microbiology and Art exhibition, already mentioned on this blog here. The artworks are lovely and really gave me a new way to think about science, and a new way of engaging with microbiology. The many facets of microbiology, from virii, bacteria, fungi and parasites were considered using artistic media, from photography to jewellery.

Naseerah Ali's Virus Structure

Malaria, by Mbeen Ali, Tona Aderibigbe, Ahmed Chowdhary and Ali Hayat

Emily Robertson's Beauty and the Mini-beasts

The exhibition brought together some really interesting work that explores the creativity that is possible when mixing supposedly unrelated disciplines. It's open until 10 November at MadLab-- be sure to check it out, and tell us what you thought!

Lab coats and goggles at the ready... Manchester Science Festival 2011 begins tomorrow!

2011-10-21T18:24:00.004+01:00

The launch weekend for this year's Festival is going to be immense. BBC Bang goes the theory, Science and engineering extravaganza, Think, feel, move and Gaia Cabaret are some of the events on offer.

Don't miss this year's events, many of which are unique to Manchester Science Festival and you won't get the chance to see them elsewhere.

Bbbbrrrr...
Just in time for the cold weather, we bring you Polar, an amazing concert experience with the Manchester Camerata and beautiful footage from the Polar regions. This Sunday 23 October is the only chance to see Polar in Manchester.

Performances of Polar are at 3pm and 7pm. It's suitable for the whole family so whether you're new to classical music or not, make sure you don't miss this brilliant event. You can book tickets in advance online. Alternatively call 0161 907 5555 or drop into the box office at the Royal Northern College of Music to book tickets.

Share your photos and stories
We'd love to see your photos and hear your stories of from the Festival. Keep in touch by emailing us at info@manchestersciencefestival.com or find us online - details are below!

Manchester Science Festival
22-30 October 2011
At venues across Greater Manchester

Like us on Facebook
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Share your photos on Flickr
Find out more at www.manchestersciencefestival.com

An Elephant Packed Into a Cell?

2011-10-19T13:57:00.000+01:00

Alan Turing and Morphogenesis
MadLab
Sunday 23 October
2pm-3pm
£5 (£3 concessions). Booking advised

Morphogenesis, or the process by which bodies are formed from single cells, is one of the major mysteries of biology. Starting from a single cell, many organisms undergo morphogenesis to become 3D bodies. And that initial single cell does not have an accurate map of what the body will eventually look like—so how does a body form? How is the body of an elephant coded in a single tiny cell?

Alan Turing, in his lesser-known late work, showed theoretically how two types of chemicals might diffuse and react with each other to generate spatial patterns. The equations derived in the 1950s are still relevant today, as biologists are still trying to figure out what exactly is going on during the process of morphogenesis.

To mark the publication of Litmus, Comma's latest science-into-fiction project, Manchester author Jane Rogers and MMU scientist Dr Martyn Amos will discuss the final theorem of one of Britain's greatest scientists, Alan Turing.

Nija Dalal sat down with Martyn Amos to discuss Turing's biological ideas, and the interconnection between science and literature...

Who was Alan Turing?
Well, he’s probably most famous for cracking the Enigma Code. That work directly shortened the war by 2-3 years, so imagine the number of lives he saved! He’s also well-known for his untimely death, as a result of persecution for being homosexual, and he developed the Turing Test for determining if a computer has artificial intelligence. Basically, if a human talks to it and believes the computer is human, then the computer has artificial intelligence.
Turing’s biggest influence is in computability. He essentially founded the field of Computer Science, by placing it in a rigourous framework. Before him, computers were ad hoc machines, put together from components usually for a specific purpose.

He realized we could make a computer that is abstract. A machine that is designed for any type of computation. He revolutionized computation by realizing that computation is not connected to any one thing.

What is Morphogenesis?
This is his least well-known work, probably. It’s what he was working on just before he died.

Alan Turing had a long-standing interest in biology, nature, and natural history, so he grew interested in morphogenesis, which is the process by which a small package (initially just one cell) unwraps itself to form a body. What is in the encoding of a cell that instructs the formation of a 3D body?

Turing believed it was the interaction of chemicals, and he was the first person to apply mathematics to biology.

I think it’s important to recognize that he was truly a cross-disciplinary thinker. He applied engineering principles to answer a biological question!

So, what is Turing’s Theorem of Morphogenesis?
Basically, the theorem uses set of equations that predict the chemical interaction that create the stable patterns we see in nature, like a leopard’s spots. The flux and interactions of the chemicals give rise to stable patterns.

What’s amazing is that when Turing’s equations are rendered visually using computer simulations, we can see the patterns Turing’s equations predict, and they’re familiar. They’re out there, in nature, in the stripes and whorls of animal patterns! They’re called Turing patterns now. But he didn’t have the computational ability to see the patterns predicted by his own equations back then! Turing never saw the Turing patterns! His work was entirely theoretical.

Turing’s Morphogenesis theorem is still very controversial, though. Just because natural patterns look a lot like Turing patterns doesn’t mean they are being caused by Turing’s hypothesized chemical diffusion-reaction interactions. A lot of scientists don’t believe Turing had it right.

You’ll be discussing the relationship between science and literature… can you tell us a little more about that?
Comma Press is publishing an anthology called Litmus, which is about taking scientific ideas and putting them in short stories. Jane Rogers wrote a short story for Litmus, which has a thread of morphogenesis running through it. It’s a really beautiful story, and it shows how science and literature can come together in a way that isn’t necessarily science-fiction… more like science in fiction!

What do you want people to take away from this discussion?
I think I’d like them to know more about Turing and his work, to challenge the idea of him being just a maths nerd. I think it would be great if people came away with a richer understanding of his contribution and a richer sense of him as a human being… and maybe even be a little angry at how he was treated.

A sense of injustice is well-placed when you realize how amazing a thinker he was, and how poorly he was compensated for his immense contributions to knowledge and science.

Curious to learn more about the science behind morphogenesis and see some of those Turing patterns? Here’s a great article with lots of interesting images!

This event is hosted in conjunction with the Manchester Literature Festival.

The Manchester Science Festival 2011 presents
Alan Turing and Morphogenesis
MadLab
36-40 Edge St, Manchester, Greater Manchester M4 1, UK
Sunday 23 October
2pm – 3pm
£5 (£3 concessions). Booking advised.

Out of this world!

2011-10-17T16:41:00.000+01:00

A Spacetacular Manchester Adventure!

Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
Friday 28 October
Bar and activities from 6pm; event starts 7.30pm
£8 (£6 concessions). Booking advised.

Helen Keen’s been defining the razor’s edge between science and comedy since her first full-length show in 2008, called It Is Rocket Science!

This year, the Manchester Science Festival is hosting a night at the museum, featuring a campervan journey into the imagination of Carl Sagan, a specially created planetarium show, and a performance of Spacetacular! – quite possibly the first stand-up comedy/science/fancy dress/variety/quiz show entirely themed around outer space -- co-presented by Helen, quizzing spacemaster Matt Brown and local space scientists from Jodrell Bank!
It’s going to be a special interactive and participatory night, as the audience can bring along their own space memorabilia for show and tell, and everyone’s encouraged to wear space-themed costumes! There will even be free tinfoil & futuristic galvanized steel wire pan scourers to augment/create your look!

Manchester Science Festival blogger Nija Dalal caught up with Helen, to discuss this free-form show that’s designed to inspire through laughter!

How did you come up with the idea for this show?
It’s something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. I’m really interested in space and space science, so I go to talks and events, panels and so on. And they’re great events, where you can really learn a lot about space and science, I love them. But they’re often dominated by white, middle-aged men, which can give people a really narrow impression of the people who study space.

When I did my It Is Rocket Science! show, I found the audiences to be really varied, and that’s not necessarily reflected by the people who usually give lectures and talks. A few years ago, I met a researcher named Dr. Sophia Khan. She’s young, she’s glamourous, she’s from Liverpool, and she has worked for NASA. She’s just not the stereotypical space scientist. Whenever I do science-themed shows, I find the people who come along are also a really broad range of people. I think that’s fantastic.

Can you describe the show for me a bit?
It’s a variety night themed around outer space. It’ll have a mix of people, comedians, musicians, and especially for our Manchester show, we’ll be shining a light on local, Manchester-based researchers, and showing off the fantastic work that’s happening locally!

What got you excited about space?
I’m so old that I remember Halley’s comet flying over in 1986. Well, I was very young then, I was only 9, but still I remember it well, because it was so exciting. I’m an only child, and I had kind of a small world. There was just a huge contrast between my world and the infinity of the night sky. The space shuttle launches, I remember were really big things when I was a kid, I guess I just got excited about it all back then.

You encourage people to dress up for this event… what kinds of costumes have people worn in the past?
I think it would be fantastic to be looking out at a sea of silveryness… or anything. Even if people just have a tinfoil crown or a tinfoil wristband…
People don’t have to dress up, but I would love it.

And they can dress up as anything related to outer space, they can be a crew member from Mercury 7, or a character from Star Wars or Star Trek… anything. Space is really flexible that way!

What kinds of objects have people brought before?
There have been a lot of items, but off the top of my head… there was:

A bit of a satellite that fell off… don’t remember how he got it, but I know it wasn’t nefarious!
Mission patches from space missions.
Badges from NASA camps that they went to when they were kids.
And I’ve even seen some space-themed tattoos! (luckily, none of them have been in weird places!)

When you’re putting your science-y shows together, do you think about inspiring people, or just about making them laugh? I guess first and foremost, I want to make an entertaining show! I love weird obscure facts, and I definitely want to share my enthusiasm with the audience.

What can people look forward to?
I think what people will enjoy most is the mix of different things that will be happening. One moment, they’ll hear someone talking quite seriously about their research at Jodrell Bank, and the next moment we’ll be having a competition for Most Creative Use of Tinfoil in a Costume!

You never know what’s going to happen next, just that it’ll all be fun and interesting, because all our guests (even the researchers from Jodrell Bank!) talk about their work in a really entertaining way, and they also do more than just talk!

And they’ll be bringing in really cool physical objects to show the audience as well!

Everyone is sure to have a fun, enjoyable night, and come away enthusiastic about science and outer space!

The Manchester Science Festival 2011 presents
Out of this world: A Spacetacular Manchester Adventure!
MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry), Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4FP
Fri 28 Oct 2011
Bar and activities from 6pm; event starts 7.30pm
£8 (£6 concessions). Booking advised

Primitive Streak at Manchester Science Festival

2011-10-12T19:43:00.006+01:00

Today saw the installation of Primitive Streak for the upcoming Manchester Science Festival.

It was only four months ago I met with the people behind Manchester Weekender and said I had seen some fantastic installations by an artist called Helen Storey at Newcastle Science Festival – I wanted to get Helen to show some pieces in Manchester during the Festival and the Weekender. The Weekender team (Alex!) loved the idea. After a very quick response “Yes!” from Helen Storey and Caroline from the Helen Storey Foundation, the next few days were a blur as we frantically picked up the phone and sent emails to venues around Manchester... we wanted to bring a science inspired fashion collection to Manchester. With the help of city co, we were rushing round the city checking out shops, industrial style spaces, empty retail units and theatres. Debenhams and the Royal Exchange Theatre were instantly excited by the idea and were keen to support us. It was decided to bring seven pieces from the Primitive Streak collection and install them across both venues.

Manchester is such a fantastic place to run a science festival – organisations, scientists, the public are so supportive and open to new ideas, and really come together to make projects like this happen.

Helen carefully selected pieces from the collection to display, which tell the story of the first 1000 hours of human life. Beginning with the Sperm Coat, at conception, each piece is so detailed reflecting different stages of foetus development. They are beautiful creations, accompanied by panels explaining the science behind each one.

After a few months of hard work from the team at the Helen Storey Foundation, Debenhams and Royal Exchange Theatre, the capsule collection was installed today. There are four dresses and a hat at Debenhams Manchester main window, and two dresses in the Royal Exchange Theatre. There is also an exhibition of photos and sketches from the project accompanying the dresses in the Royal Exchange.

The collection looks absolutely fantastic in both venues, and the dresses take on a different personality in each. You have the fast-paced, high street of Debenhams and the calm, grand space of the Royal Exchange. It really brings science to life in a unique and innovative way. Primitive Streak collection was first created to 15 years ago, but looks relevant, cutting-edge and hot off the catwalk. It’s timeless. As well as viewing the installation you can join Helen at an In conversation event at the Royal Exchange Theatre on Sunday 30 October. It's free, but you're advised to book in advance.

This installation is a must-see at the Festival. You can see it from today until Sunday 30 October. Make sure you stop by Debenhams and Royal Exchange Theatre to see the pieces, have a read of the project background and explore the science. I hope you will be as inspired as I was by this amazing collection.

Natalie, Manchester Science Festival Director

See some photos from the install below.

Stand-up mathematician, Matt Parker wins 2011 Josh Award

2011-10-11T11:19:00.003+01:00

Manchester Science Festival and MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) are please to announce that Stand-up mathematician, Matt Parker has won this year’s Joshua Phillips Award for Innovation in Science Engagement (Josh Award). Well known for his comedic maths routines and maths shows, Matt’s media work and innovative practices in promoting maths wowed the judging panel.

The Josh Award recognises up-and-coming talent in the science communication field, and innovative approaches to engage the public with science. The Award includes a cash prize of £1000, a trophy and the role of Science Communicator in residence for the Manchester Science Festival 2012.

Matt will be presented with the Award on Sunday 23 October at the Your Days Are Numbered: the maths of death event he is performing at during Manchester Science Festival (22 - 30 October 2011).

For tickets to Your Days Are Numbered: the maths of death, Sunday 23 October at MOSI and to see Matt presented with the Award, please visit the Manchester Science Festival website.

Majestic Fragility: Our Earth's Polar Regions

2011-10-03T15:21:00.002+01:00

Polar

Royal Northern College of Music
Sunday 23 October
First performance 3pm, Second performance 7pm
Cost & Booking: £10 (restricted view), £20, £25, £30. Booking required. You can also purchase tickets in person at the RNCM

Combining the majesty of the earth’s polar regions with a stunning live orchestral score, Polar is sure to be a unique and thrilling film and musical experience.

The Royal Northern College of Music’s largest screen will host white blizzards and humpback whales, while the Manchester Camera perform a specially arranged score conducted by John Harle.

Polar is an immersive event that will leave the whole family astounded.

Manchester Science Festival blogger Nija Dalal caught up with producer Andrew Glester in the lead up to the Festival premiere.

First off, tell me about Polar. What’s the event going to be like for festival go-ers?Polar is a combination of high-definition footage from the best natural history filmmakers in the world, the same people that make BBC natural history programs. All the archival footage we used is about the Poles, the arctic and the Antarctic. And we worked w/ The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and John Harle to compose the live score. At the Manchester Science Festival, the Manchester Camerata will be accompanying the film with a score by John Harle, made of music written just for Polar, along with other classical compositions.

The thing is, for every BBC documentary that gets made, there’s hours and hours of footage that doesn’t make it into the BBC programs. They’re interested in the showing the exciting 5 seconds of an attack, but we’re interested in the reality of life, which includes a lot of quiet moments.

Because it’s a live show, we have more leeway to do experimental things that you can’t see on television. For example, there’s a sequence in Polar which is about seven or eight minutes long, and it’s just footage of the Aurora Borealis, with a piece of really odd classical music.

We’ve taken footage that they shot for other documentaries but didn’t use, so even though the footage already existed, it’s never been seen before! We’ve made something new out of it.

The screen fills whole back of the Royal Northern College of Music’s stage. Polar is about being transported to world which most of us will never go to in the company of this incredible live music. The most amazing thing about it is that it’s a live event. You can’t see Polar w/out going to see it live.

How did you get interested in the Poles and decide to make this film?

I think Jacques Cousteau was right when he said “It’s easier to protect what you love.” We wanted to make things that inspire a love for our planet. Or the people of our planet, or the wildlife, the nature. And not just our planet, the universe, everything.

As far as choosing to focus on the Poles, well, the magic of the Poles is that so few of us will ever get to go and experience that world. There’s a sense of going somewhere that you could never see, really, or you are very unlikely to see. And with Polar, it’s like being taken on a journey to that world, because of the huge scale of the screen.

The Manchester Science Festival is Polar’s second performance. It premiered at Liverpool in January. What was the reaction like?

Some people have said it was an honour to be at the concert, which was wonderful.

I think the amazing thing for us was seeing how many really young children, 3-5 year olds, were enjoying it. It’s not surprising, though, because the film is very visual, very interesting.

There’s a moment when the polar bear comes on screen for the first time, and you can hear the joy in the audience. Another time, some penguins are falling over and playing, and you can hear the audience just laughing along. Or you see the underwater world of a pod of beluga whales interacting, set to John Harle’s music.

There are moments that aren’t quite so joyful as well. But it’s all part of an emotional experience that’s unparalleled. You sit somebody down with a live orchestra, playing music they would never listen to in their house, you show them footage they’d never see on their televisions… you get something kind of unbelievable. You get these amazing long weird sequences, things that are different, like nothing anyone’s seen before. And those sequences are often people’s favourite parts of the show. Because it’s so different.

The feeling you get from watching Polar is just like nothing else.

Apart from inspiring people to love the planet, you are also interested in the ecological impacts of your productions, right?

Yes, there’s something quite nice ecologically about this film, too. Travelling to these places would have a huge carbon footprint, whereas this footage was already filmed. We just made something new out of things that already existed.

And when we send the show around, we send a hard drive and a conductor. The footprint of the show is very small. I don’t want to shout too much about that, because the lowest footprint is of course no show at all.

I’m interested in low-carbon shows, though. I like the idea of maybe doing a cycle-powered show.

Why did you think of having live classical music played to it? What is the connection between nature film and music for you?

In a way, Polar combines some great interests of mine. I’m a science geek, and I love classical music. I wanted, with Polar, to make something that people come and experience and have a wonderful time.

But the truth is that because the footage is so grand, stark, huge and inspiring, orchestral music just feels right.

What did you learn about the Poles as a result of this work?How do you think this film helps people engage with science?

Here’s how I look at it: I already know what the northern lights are, I’ve read about them.

In a way, I knew what they were, but in another… I didn’t.

I think that even if people know about the northern lights, if they haven’t seen them personally, there’s something visceral to be learned about them by seeing them this way…

The idea of Polar is to inspire people to want to know about the Poles.

I think it’s impossible to sit and look at the northern lights and not want to know what is really going on there…It’s impossible to look at polar bears and not be fascinated about their lives.

It’s near the start of the Manchester Science Festival and it might also be the start of a lot of people’s exploration of sciences.

The Manchester Science Festival presents Polar: An HD journey to the magical frozen oceans at the ends of our earth

Royal Northern College of Music, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RD
Sunday 23 October
First performance 3pm, Second performance 7pm
Cost & Booking: £10 (restricted view), £20, £25, £30. Booking required. You can also purchase tickets at the RNCM.

Beautiful Bacteria, Visual Viruses, Fascinating Fungi!

2011-09-27T20:19:00.007+01:00

Microbiology and Art
MadLab
Saturday 22 October – 10 November
11am – 5pm
Cost & Booking: Free. No need to book. Drop in anytime.

Looking up at the celestial night sky or at Hubble telescope images of the universe around us, the connection between astronomy and beauty is unquestionable.

But other fields of science don’t have such a ready connection between their research subjects and beauty. Take, for example, microbiology. The study of bacteria, viruses, and fungi likely makes most people think, “Germs! Get them off me!” rather than “Ooh, that’s lovely…”

Joanna Verran, though, is out to change all that. For the 2011 Manchester Science Festival , Joanna has put together an exhibit of artwork inspired by and featuring microorganisms and infectious diseases.

After all, many microorganisms are beneficial to us, and gorgeous as well!

Manchester Science Festival blogger Nija Dalal got on the phone with Joanna, to discuss this exciting and intriguing exhibit that brings together science and art.

First off, can you describe what the event will be about?

The exhibit will demonstrate the links between science and art, specifically microbiology. The artworks were produced by science undergraduate students and citizen-scientists to illustrate the often unrecognized connections between art and science

And what exactly is microbiology?

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, the tiny living things like bacteria, virii, fungi. They are incredibly small, and have to be seen through a microscope.

Microbes can be very beautiful and very important… and there are more of them than anything else on the planet! And they’re not all there just to make us ill—many of them play the important role of breaking things down. If they didn’t exist, we’d be over our heads in rubbish on this planet!

Did you know there are 10 times more microbial cells in and on the human body than there are human cells?

That’s amazing! I knew there were a lot, but that’s astounding! What kind of artworks can festival goers look forward to seeing at the exhibit?

There are a lot of exciting artworks being shown. For example, one of my students recreated an X-ray image of a virus using sequins. It’s really beautiful. Another piece is an embroidered quilt about scarlet fever, and it also draws on Little Women, because a character in that book, Beth, dies of scarlet fever.

There are also some fascinating photographs. Overall, the exhibit will be a very visual, very artistic way to engage with science. Hopefully, people will find a new way to think about science and microbiology, because art can help to communicate scientific understanding in an unexpected way.

The exhibit features work by your undergraduate science students and by a group called DIYBIO… What is DIYBIO?

DIYBIO is a Wellcome Trust Funded group, run by MadLab (Manchester Digital Laboratory) and Manchester Metropolitan University. The group exists to encourage citizen-run science. DIYBIO held a competition among their members for artworks that related to microbiology. The winning submissions are in the exhibit.

They’ve developed an interactive microbe map of Manchester, which can show visitors where different microbes were found around the city, mostly probably from people’s hands.

So could it be that people who come to see the exhibit may have unwittingly contributed to it?

Absolutely. You may be seeing your own microbes on that map!

Why did you choose to use academic and amateur work?

Science students tend to get pigeonholed into just doing science work, and this lets them use other talents, brings in different talents and provides a different way of communicating science. For the person looking at the work, it could be a less threatening way of looking at science.

What do you think art offers microbiology? Can art sometimes show things in a clearer way or a more dynamic way?

I think the artworks make people look at science differently, think about the message differently. That can be very interesting.

Do you think art can help people get interested in microbiology?

Yes! Microbiology is a really interesting subject and this gets people to look at it in a way that’s more accessible and helps you to make links you wouldn’t otherwise. You’d never think of the similarity between something like an xray of a virus and a cultural product like sequins, but once you’ve seen the artwork, you can see how beautiful and sparkly the original xray image looks.

I really hope this exhibit inspires people to do and think about science and art as interconnected.

The Manchester Science Festival 2011 presents Microbiology and Art
MadLab,

36-40 Edge St, Manchester, Greater Manchester M4 1, UK

Saturday 22 October – 10 November
11am – 5pm
Cost & Booking: Free. No need to book. Drop in anytime.

Don't try this at home!

2011-09-26T19:32:00.003+01:00

We got the chance to grill the BBC Bang Goes the Theory team and we've been putting their questions and answers up on our blog. This week, it's Dallas' turn... don't try this at home!

What's your favourite science fact?
Space is big. Really big…

What's the most dangerous experiment you've ever done?
Typing this in the bath.

What's the most dangerour / extreme / exciting thing you've ever done?
I went diving in raw sewage in Mexico City. Human waste, animal waste, it was truly grim. Unblocking your own loo is bad enough, but unblocking a loo that 20 million people have been using is truly awful. For a day I was a human sink plunger.

How did you become a science TV presenter?
A strange combination of circumstances, chance encounters, a favourable alignment of the planets, hard work, and luck. There is no official career path to becoming a TV Presenter. The short story is that I devised a TV science series in America which I ended up presenting. From that I went on to present The Gadget Show on Channel Five and then on to the BBC to do Bang and my other BBC projects. That’s the abridged version at least. The upshot is, I have the best job in the world, and I’m incredibly lucky.

What do you think will be the next big discovery in science?
From what I understand, physics is on the brink of some exciting conclusions: The nature of dark matter (the missing matter of the Universe); confirmation of the existence of the elusive Higgs boson which will help complete the Standard Model of particle physics; perhaps a theory that will unify quantum mechanics (the strange physics of the subatomic world) and relativity (physics of really big stuff like galaxies). Not only will these things reveal more about the nature of reality, but no doubt throw up new, exciting questions and mysteries. That’s the really exciting bit of science – the stuff we don’t yet know. Exciting times.

What's the best thing about your job?
When people ask me what my favourite food is.

What's your favourite food?
All of it.

Questions from the fans

What is the most you've ever eaten in one sitting and what is the most that one person can actually eat?
I recently went to Amarillo in Texas. There’s a restaurant there where they serve a 72 oz steak – just over 2 kilograms of meat. Terrifying. If you eat it it’s free. But not only do you have to eat the steak, you have to eat the baked potato, the bread roll, the coleslaw and all the other stuff that it comes with. When I was there, there was an interstate BBQ rib eating contest going on. I’ve never seen more meat being consumed in my life. A truly awesome display. I had the salad. Followed by a 72 oz steak.

Do aliens exist?
“Sometimes I think we’re alone. Sometimes I think we’re not. Either way the implications are staggering.” That’s a quotation sometimes credited to Arthur C. Clarke, and sometimes to Buckminster Fuller, but it nicely sums up my daily ruminations on the subject. The short answer is, of course, we don’t know for sure, but you’d have to be a brave person to bet that the only life in the Universe is here.

BBC Bang Goes the Theory LIVE experience will be at Campfield Market Hall, near MOSI on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October. Get your tickets booked now!

Bang Goes the Theory is on BBC One on Monday evenings at 7.30pm.

The Midland Future Manchester Young Writers Competition 2012

2011-09-16T11:42:00.003+01:00

Manchester Literature Festival, Manchester Science Festival and Manchester Children’s Book Festival present the Midland Future young writers competition. Young people aged 12 – 16 are invited to write a fictional short story set at least 10 years in the future.

We are seeking North West based scientists to write scenarios about their work and vision of the future, to inspire young people who wish to enter a writing competition about future Manchester.

Scientists would need to outline one specific development they think will have a significant impact on future society, drawing on their own or other scientific research.

Topics

Possible relevant topics include:
- possible effects of future climate change on the city
- how will advances in technology change the way we communicate / travel / work
- how will medical advances affect the health and quality of life of future residents
- what effects will a changing population demographic have on life in the city

Scenarios
Scenarios need to be:

- a maximum of 500 words (i.e. so it fits on a double sided A4 sheet).
- aimed at 12 - 16 year olds – the tone needs to be suitable for 12 years +
- written in an engaging way as we are trying to spark their imaginations

Scenarios could include ideas such as a scientist’s "dream invention" and what their "nightmare invention" would be. Other ideas not mentioned here are also welcome.

Workshops
We are also seeking some scientists to participate in schools workshops. Accompanying a writer, who would lead a creative writing workshop, scientists would speak to students about their work and the future of science, and be there to answer questions about their ideas. The students would participate in creative writing, supported by the writer.

There will be 4 – 6 workshops in schools between November 2011 - February 2012 (dates tbc) and each will last half a day. You can commit to one or more workshops. As well as the time commitment involved in going into the school, scientists will need to spend time preparing their session, liaising with the writers via email to help draw up a session plan. This stage of the process will be fully supported by us.

Successful applicants will be invited to attend the teacher launch of the Midland Future Manchester writing competition which will be led by competition judge Julie Bertagne, author of futuristic teen novels ‘Exodus’, ‘Aurora’ and ‘Zenith’. This will be an opportunity to meet like-minded scientists, writers and teachers in advance of the project. This will be held on 11 October 4pm - 6pm.

Please send a brief statement of interest and experience of working with schools, writing and/or public engagement to Cathy Bolton, Manchester Literature Festival Director: director@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk by Tuesday 4 October.

Bang Goes the Theory - we grill the presenters!

2011-09-14T13:22:00.001+01:00

We got the chance to grill the Bang Goes the Thoery presenters recently. Over the next few weeks we're posting our questions and their answers on the Manchester Science Festival blog! This week it's Liz's turn...

What's your favourite science fact?
Em... the techtonic plates on our planet are moving apart at the same rate as our finger nails grow and a tiger can tell different tiger scents apart by using the vomeronasal organ in its nose, something that we humans cannot do.

What's the most dangerous experiment you've ever done?
Taking part in a submarine rescue drill in Norway which involved going down to 100 metres in a submarine rescue system pod, 'mating' with a distressed submarine on the sea floor and opening our two respective hatches to transfer the submariners into our pod. At one point the two pilots of our pod had to lock an internal hatch, that separated the rest of us from them, to make sure that if anything went wrong during the transfer they would be okay. Apparently we were expendable but they were not!

What's the most dangerous / extreme / exciting thing you've ever done?
Wingwalking and doing a loop which involved accelerating towards the ground at ridiculous speeds in order to be able to climb high enough to do the loop, all to investigate what a gale force wind feels like. It was pretty extreme but very exciting and surprisingly enjoyable once I got over the panic - It is very peaceful up there in the skies.

How did you become a science TV presenter?
I was very lucky to be asked to audition for Bang Goes The Theory when I was just finishing my Masters in Wild Animal Biology - I hadn't even done my final exams - I still have to pinch myself every day.

What do you think will be the next big discovery in science?
That's a tough one - science can be on the edge of a big discovery at any time, that's the beauty of it. There is still so much to learn about many aspects of human biology and chemistry, as well as that of all living systems, the planet, the physics of the Universe... We are tantalisingly close to discovering life supporting planets other than our own thanks to incredible telescopes like the ones on Mauna Kea in Hawaii for example. Scientists are now saying it is not a question of if, but when we make that discovery.

What's the best thing about your job?
I get the chance to see first hand, how scientists are working on the latest technology and research for all types of science. It makes me want to get back into the lab! I am in awe of the passion and dedication of these unsung heros who all work to improve every aspect of our lives, whether it be the technology that propels our world into the future, or the latest research on cures for disease- a lot of which we take for granted. I also love the roadshows because it gives us a chance to meet some of our viewers and talk all things science with all age groups. It's a real treat to meet the scientists of the future.

What's your favourite food?
I am a big fan of Italian and Japanese food- if there was only one thing I could eat it would have to be Gyoza. I am a bit of a dumpling freak...

Questions from Bang Goes the Thoery fans
When your hands are really cold, why do they hurt when they warm up?
I suspect it has something to do with the fact that all the tiny blood vessels in your hands shrink due to the cold, which can be quite painful in itself, and they vasodilate or expand again when the hands get a chance to warm up, allowing the blood flow to increase again, and that can be a little painful too.

Do aliens exist?

It depends what you mean when you say aliens. I do think there are life forms out there, but how sophisticated they are remains to be discovered. I suspect the funny eyed egg head is unlikely to ever grace our planet.

The Bang Goes the Thoery team will be in Manchester from 22 - 23 October with thier LIVE roadshow. We can't wait! Book your free tickets now!

Catch Bang Goes the Theory on BBC1 on Monday evenings.

Knit a Microbe! Nexus Art Cafe

2011-09-13T09:58:00.002+01:00

As part of the Manchester Science Festival and Golden Ratio exhibition at Nexus Art Cafe, we are inviting all needle-clackers to contribute a microbe to our Golden Ratio colony!

Come and knit in the cafe, use this events page to organise a group knit, or drop by our Crafternoons sessions every Sunday at 3pm. You can drop your woolly microbe off at the Nexus counter, labelled with your name and contact details if you would like them back! They will then be displayed as a part of the Golden Ratio exhibition, which runs from 30th September - 20th November.

Please make sure your microbes are ready by 25th September so we have time to hang them all!

You can find the microbe patterns here, courtesy of Manchester Science Festival.

You can use the Nexus Facebook page to organise meets with other knitters, or join our Crafternoon group.

Bang Goes the Theory - we grill the presenters!

2011-09-05T13:02:00.002+01:00

We couldn't be more excited that the Bang Goes the Theory LIVE experience is coming to Manchester Science Festival this year!

We got the chance to catch up with the presenters of the show and asked them loads of questions. Over the next few weeks, we'll pop the questions and their (sometimes hilarious!) answers on our blog. The first presenter we put to the test is Jem!

What's your favourite science fact?
I love the fact that an ancient Greek fellow managed to pretty accurately figure out the size of the world using sticks, shadows and logic.

What's the most dangerous experiment you've ever done?
Myself and the two guys I work with do many, many experiments in the process of building all we do for Bang. And there are quite a few that there’s no practical risk-free way of doing. You’ve just got to use your most considered judgement and hope you’ve got it right.

On-screen wise, going all the way round on a swing was the only experiment I didn’t even tell my family about. The window for success was pretty small. On reflection, I’m not even sure I should trust own engineering that much.

What's the most dangerous/extreme/exciting thing you've ever done?
I remember surfing one reef break in south west Australia that was both big and sucked pretty dry over the rocks. It struck me as amazing how you never really notice the muscles in your feet then when you really need them you can feel hundreds of them doing everything they can to make sure you stay upright.

How did you become a science TV presenter?
For years I worked behind the scenes building experiments and machines for a bunch of other science shows, and when the camera was swung in my direction I just tried to smile and be myself.

What do you think will be the next big discovery in science?
Using unimaginably small aerials to turn infra red radiation directly into usable electricity.

What's the best thing about your job?
The simply astonishing opportunity it gives me to meet and talk with some wonderfully experienced scientists and engineers.

What's your favourite food?
Chips

Questions from Bang Goes the Thoery fans

Why do some kettles whistle when they boil?
When water gets to 100 degrees and turns into steam it expands about 800 times. There’s no room for that in the kettle so it rushes out of the spout. When the steam coming out moves quickly enough through a specifically designed chamber (the kettle whistle) it sets up a vibration. This vibration causes the air in the rest of the room to vibrate, which can then wobble your ear drums. If those are wobbled at the right rate (about 1000 times per second) you interpret that as a whistling sound.

Do aliens exist?
I’d be amazed if they didn’t.
BBC Bang Goes the Theory LIVE experience will be at Campfield Market Hall, near MOSI on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October. Get your tickets booked now!

Bang Goes the Theory is on BBC One on Monday evenings at 7.30pm.

Microbiology and art competiton – call for entries

2011-09-01T18:35:00.000+01:00

Art provides an opportunity for visualisation and communication of science…
During the Manchester Science Festival 2011, MadLab will be hosting its first science themed exhibition, on the subject of Microbiology and Art (Oct 20 – Nov 11). Items on display will include a range of different representations of links between microbiology and art – photography, jewellery, embroidery, music, painting and so on – produced by science students from MMU. In addition, the Manchester Microbe Map, produced by the intrepid members of DIYBIOMCR will be on display alongside the MMU AIDS banner, and an open call for work.

Take part in the exhibition. Here’s how.
Think about the obvious links between microbiology and art – deterioration of cultural heritage, images of infectious disease, the beauty of microscopic images, disease in history, literature – and the not so obvious.

Search the subject online, you may be surprised!

If you are inspired to produce your own artwork, then submit it to hwayoung@madlab.org.uk by the 30th September.

Please include with your submission:

1.title

2.description (inspiration)

3.size

4.medium

Any questions or queries can be directed to the above contact.

A panel of judges will select one entry to join the exhibition.

Timescale

Submission deadline : 30th September

Winner announced : 7th of October

Exhibition launch : 22nd October

This event is part of the Manchester Science Festival 2011 and DIYBIOMCR. This blog was originally posted on the MadLab website.

Manchester Science Festival: Spacetacular – participants needed!

2011-08-24T14:20:00.001+01:00

Spacetacular! is quite possibly the first stand-up comedy/science/fancy dress/variety/quiz show entirely themed around outer space!

We’re looking for participants for this event at Manchester Science Festival that blends comedy, science and stories about space. The event will be held on Friday 28 October at MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) for an adult audience.

Hosted by Helen Keen (creator of BBC Radio 4’s space comedy hit It Is Rocket Science) and finishing with a prize quiz by Londonist Editor & all round space nerd Matt Brown, previous sell out shows in London & Edinburgh have featured both comedians and scientists (& people who are just plain enthusiastic) talking to a friendly tinfoil-clad audience about their love of space.

The aim of the show is to celebrate the cosmos as widely and inclusively as possible - and in a fun way. So we’re looking for a people who would like to talk for 5-10 minutes about what they love most about space. Topics can be as broad as you like, as long as they’re vaguely space-y/science fiction-y.

We’ve previously had Prof Andrew Jaffe talking about space telescopes & Sheila Kanani of UCL making a comet in a bucket, as well as writer and Wired journalist Leila Johnston talking about her worries about Star Trek.

We encourage the audience to dress up (and have costume-making tinfoil & silvery things at the door…) and to keep things as inclusive as possible, we also have audience 'open spots' in the final section when anyone can bring a space related object (last time: a tattoo, a NASA space camp medal + a bit that had 'dropped off' a satellite...) and talk about their own enthusiasm for the Universe... (seems appropriate as space science and astronomy are of course areas where enthusiasts and amateurs can make quite a big contribution!).

If taking to the stage isn’t your thing, we’re also looking for space-related scientists to bring some objects, demonstrations or hands-on activities to engage the audience prior to the show. Doors will open at about 6pm for the audience to grab a drink, enjoy the planetarium and talk to scientists about space, before the show begins at about 7.30pm.
• If you’re interested in a stage slot, please email info@manchestersciencefestival.com by Thursday 1 September with a brief overview of what you do and what you’d like to talk about.

• If you’d like to participate the hands-on drop in part of the night please email info@manchestersciencefestival.com by Thursday 1 September with a brief overview of what you do, what you’d like to do on the evening and the topic. If you’re participating in MOSI’s day time programme and would like to stay on for the evening, that would be great and we’ll shout you some dinner!

• Please also tell us if you have had previous experience of engaging with the public.

Science fun in the sun

2011-07-28T21:59:00.005+01:00

So we have well and truly embarked on our summer science busking programme. Every year, the Festival team and volunteers are just itching to get out and try our science tricks and demonstrations with willing members of the public!

We were at Manchester Mega Mela at the weekend and hundreds of people were crammed into the arts and crafts tent getting henna tattoos, making hats, dancing and enjoying science! We had a few new science busks to t

ry out and the "cloud in a bottle" was definitely the crowd pleaser - it has the wow factor and everyone was so interesting in learning about the weather and clouds. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and asked loads of questions. It certainly helped us practise the new busks and we had a really fun day.

We've got a few more summer busking slots lined up at the Manchester Picnic, the Caribbean Carnival and Stockport Farmers' Market. Here's hoping it stays sunny! See you there!

The Golden Ratio: call out for submissions

2011-07-21T14:54:00.000+01:00

A call out for submissions from artists who love science, and scientists who love art.

Nexus Art Cafe is currently accepting proposals for work exploring a crossover or relationship between science and art, to be exhibited at a showcase during Manchester Science Festival. All formats of work will be considered, from vector art to video installation, paintings to pie charts. We are interested in the ways that imagination and knowledge can work together to create something special. Brains and beauty, if you like.

The exhibition itself will run from 22nd September-20th November 2011. Closing date for submissions is Sunday 7th August.

For more information, or to submit your work, please include no more than three images and up to 500 words about your work and send to submissions@nexusartcafe.com.

Join in QR-3D

2011-07-01T11:53:00.001+01:00

QR-3D is an experiment in textiles and digital technology.

QR codes are grid-like images used in the same way as barcodes. They can be read by mobile phones and contain text, usually an internet address.

What happens when those codes are recreated in textiles? Does the texture of the thread and fabric stop the codes from working? How far can textiles be manipulated before the functionality disappears?

QR-3D invites anyone, anywhere to join in and find out. Simply choose a website, turn it into a QR code and recreate it in textiles.

Instructions for all of these steps are included in the project's website http://www.qr-3d.weebly.com/

Some of the works created will be selected for the exhibition QR-3D, held at Cornerhouse during Manchester Science Festival.

The deadline for submitting your work is Sunday 31st July so get making.

Image: Do Androids Dream of Electronic Embroidery, Rachel Rose

Do you know a rising star in science communication?

2011-06-15T22:52:00.004+01:00

Zena, a STEM Ambassador, science busking at MSF 2010.

We're on the hunt for the best science communication talent in the UK and nominations for the 2011 Joshua Phillips Award for Innovation in Science Engagement are now open.

Steve Cross, winner of the 2010 Josh Award.

The Joshua Phillips Award (or Josh Award) is intended to recognise and nurture the finest practitioners in science communication who, whilst being young professional science communicators, have already demonstrated exceptional potential for innovation in the relatively new field of public engagement with science.

The Award is open to anyone who is recognised as an up-and-coming talent in science communication, with innovative and new ideas.

The successful nominee will receive a personal prize of £1,000 and be appointed as “Science Communicator in residence” at the Manchester Science Festival 2012.

For more information about the about and to download the nomination form head to the Manchester Science Festival website.

Joshua Phillips Award for Innovation in Science Engagement 2011

2011-06-14T17:02:00.004+01:00

Nominations for the 2011 Joshua Phillips Award for Innovation in Science Engagement are now open.

The Joshua Phillips Award (or Josh Award) is intended to recognise and nurture the finest practitioners in science communication who, whilst being young professional science communicators, have already demonstrated exceptional potential for innovation in the relatively new field of public engagement with science.

The Award is open to anyone who is recognised as an up-and-coming talent in science communication, with innovative and new ideas.

The successful nominee will receive a personal prize of £1,000 and be appointed as “Science Communicator in residence” at the Manchester Science Festival 2012.

Previous winners include Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists, Karen Bultitude from the UWE , Bristol (middle), David Price from Science Made Simple (left) and Steve Cross from UCL (right).

Make a nomination

Find out more more about the Josh Award and how to nominate someone.

Nominations must be received by Sunday 28 August 2011.

Science and theatre meet at the Contact

2011-06-08T11:42:00.004+01:00

When I decided to book myself a ticket to the first Manchester showing of Reykjavik last night the last thing I expected was to end up dancing, in a Tyvek suit, with strangers, to Sting’s Walking on the Moon.

At the beginning of the show, the audience dons white Tyvek suits and goggles, and embarks upon a meandering journey, from memory to memory of the main character who describes himself as ‘Y’.

Played by Jonathan Young, Y tells you the story of his past relationship with S, who he met in Paris. She was married with two children, but ends the marriage and together they move to S's homeland, Iceland, to begin a new life which is threatened by patterns of the past. The story is illustrated with vivid flash-backs to key events and connected experiences. The audience perspective flits from the fly on the wall to becoming the set. In some memories you observe from the edge of the stage, which is transformed into a runway or a swimming pool; in other memories you are a statue in Rodin’s garden or a dancing at a late night party.

These immersive scenes are conjured with lighting, sound and minimal props that plunge you into the past. I loved the parallels between this use of sensory prompts and how specific sights, sounds and tastes can trigger specific memories.

Patterns are mentioned a lot in the dialogue, emphasized with the set, and in a hand out distributed at the end of the performance, Dr Hugo Spiers (a neuroscientist at UCL) discusses the parallels between these patterns and those of memories. Y reflects on how patterns of cracks in glacial ice form and reform through thawing and refreezing; Spiers writes how patterns of memories are not fixed but can be shifted each time they are recalled, altering what you remember from initial experiences.

Reykjavik is absorbing, playful and meditative. The scientific angle is not obvious, but the play provides for some interesting reflection on what and how we remember, and what is lost.

You can catch Reykjavik at Contact from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 June 2011, 7pm & 9pm.
Head to Contact's website to book tickets.
Reykjavik is part of Lost & Found, a festival of interdisciplinary arts and performance in Manchester.

Funded by Wellcome trust, created in collaboration with the neuroscientist Dr Hugo Spiers, and produced by Time Won't Wait.

Emily Wiles - Manchester Science Festival Officer

International Year of Chemistry Celebration Event!

2011-05-20T18:26:00.004+01:00

As part of the International Year of Chemistry we are hosting a chemistry themed day as part of the Museum of Science and Industry's "Meet the Scientist" programme as well as a Manchester Science Festival 2011 Trailblazer!

In the Museum's Power Hall there will be hands-on chemistry experiments for you to try all day (from 10:30am to 3:30pm). Things like freaky hand (see picture), making plasma, making toothpaste for elephants, coke and mentos explosions and magic sand (is it magic or nanotechnology?) to name but a few.

We are also hosting a special, one off chemistry show. How long can you make a bubble float?
How fast can you make it sink?
Explore the wonderful world of molecules; find out about all the gases in the air we breathe, and what happens when we cool them down, and heat them up.
You can do all that for yourself, but there are some things only a trained chemist can do (without being put in jail for arson!): See some more spectacular experiments in the Learning Loft: find out about the nature of colour, where it comes from, and how chemists make it; find out about the importance of chemistry to finding new fuel technologies, and all about digestion, combustion, and explosion, with memorable flashes and bangs amongst some rarely-seen demonstration-experiments. What does 400 calories actually look like? Find out in the learning loft, 2-3pm , this Saturday! Learning has never been more fun! Spaces are limited for this show so (free) tickets are available from the MOSI information desk.

The event is run with the help of chemists from the University of Manchester and the Royal Society of Chemistry. We look forward to seeing you all there tomorrow.

Vote for Manchester Science Festival

2011-05-05T12:23:00.015+01:00

Help us to win £5000 to put towards creative programming for young people as part of Manchester Science Festival. All you need to do is vote for us on the Co-operative’s ‘Join the Revolution’ website.

Last year we had a really strong programme of innovative events that engaged the local community with cutting-edge science. We want to continue this for the fifth Manchester Science Festival, with a particular focus on involving hard-to-engage young people who may not normally have an interest in science. We also want to actively engage young people in development and delivery of events, empowering them to make some of the decisions about the Festival.

All you need to do is vote for us on the Co-operative’s ‘Join the Revolution’ website. Anyone can vote for their chosen cause and whoever has the most votes by 29 May is awarded the funding. It takes a few clicks to register and then you’re free to vote.

Vote now and help us to make Manchester Science Festival 2011 the most creative and diverse programme yet.

Once you've voted please share this on Facebook and Twitter.

MadLab - Love to learn

2011-04-21T15:25:00.009+01:00

Here’s a quick update on two new projects that MadLab have added to their plethora of creative/techy goings-on. If you love to learn about science/techy/crafty things then read on...

Omniversity
This spring, Madlab launched the Omniversity, a series of professional training courses at the MadLab lead by some of the sharpest minds and most cutting-edge practitioners in digital and future-looking sectors in the country.

Topics covered will include progressive technologies like Arduino, an open source programming tool that can be used to make interactive electronic objects and is a favourite with artists and crafty hackers. It’s designed to be easy to use, so you don’t need a background in programming to work it out. To get an idea of what you could do with this tool, check out Hacknmod.com for an inspiring list of weird and wonderful Arduino-based creations).

The Beginner's Guide to Arduino course will be starting on June 4th 2011 – head over to the Omniversity site for details or follow their tweets @Omniversity.

DIYBIOMCR
Madlab and MMU have been awarded a Wellcome Trust grant for public engagement and have launched 12 month DIYbio project in Manchester, riding on the wave of the popularity of community labs that have been springing up over the last couple of years. DIYBio is “dedicated to making biology an accessible pursuit for citizen scientists, amateur biologists and biological engineers who value openness and safety.” Anyone can get involved, you just need passion and an inquisitive mind! Head over to the DIYBio page for details of projects and how to get on board.

Messages from space - Gagarin celebration at MOSI

2011-04-13T14:56:00.005+01:00

We had a brilliant time yesterday. We were making and launching rockets with the museum's fabulous presenters and 'sending' messages to and from space at MOSI, all in celebration of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space 50 years ago. Kids were asked to write messages that they would send back to Earth if they were the first person in space. Here are our favourites...

Festival Director, Natalie Ireland, making rockets.

"I have reached the moon. Let's get cake when I come back."

"Hello Mum. You are the Jupiter in my solar sytem. XXX"

"In the future we may discover bacterial life on Europa. Please can I be alive to see that."

Check out the rest of the photos on our Flickr group. Thanks to everyone who came along and participated. We had over 200 messages and they were all fantastic!

50th anniversary of Yuri Gargarin's flight into space

2011-04-01T15:23:00.004+01:00

It’s been three weeks since our last post, so here’s some epic history to make up for our absence.

Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space when he lauched from Kazakstan on April 12th 1961, and this month we’ll be honouring the 50th anniversary of this mission by taking part in a nationwide day of rocket launching - Rockets for Yuri. Come and make rockets and send them off into the sky with us at the Museum of Science and Industry. We'll be there between 11-1pm and 2-4pm but there will be other activities, including Planetarium shows, at the museum throughout the day. Check out the Festival website for details.

After orbiting the earth and returning safely, Gagarin promptly commenced a world tour. This included a visit to Manchester and Trafford three months after his flight and we’ve managed to uncover some photos of this appearance.

Gagarin on Chester Road, near the Manchester United football ground.

Taken by Bill Wilcox, an amateur photographer, working for Smith's Autos on Chester Road in Stretford.

Gagarin greets the crowds in Manchester

Yuri Gagarin and Bernard Lovell

Hands on science at Manchester Metropolitan University

2011-03-07T15:25:00.001Z

Ever wondered what muscles sound like? Can you tell the difference between a human and a computer? Want to play with magic sand? Interested in forensics and crime scenes?

This fun-packed day of real science is for you and all your family. Enjoy extraordinary experiments, use the latest lab technology and get up-close and personal with real scientists and technicians. There’s robots, racing cars and even an ant colony! Activity stations will be running throughout the day, so drop in anytime between the hours of 11 and 5 and stay for as long as you like...

Light refreshments available for purchase, or bring your own picnic lunch!

Workshops
As well as all of the fabulous fun stuff there are also practical workshop sessions on "Build a Morse code communication device" and "Make your own DNA necklace" running throughout the day (booking required details on the website below).

For more information and to reserve a free ticket go to the Nano Info Bio website.

Look out for more exciting science-related events and activities at the 2011 Manchester Science Festival running from 22 – 30 October www.manchestersciencefestival.com

19^th March 2011, MMU John Dalton Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 5GD.

Open 11am – 5pm

The Hidden Science Map - update!

2011-02-28T16:29:00.001Z

The Hidden Science Map is coming on in leaps and bounds. The designs for the site are looking very good and all the various science bodies that have been contacted about the project have been very supportive. It's a bit nerve wracking to start something 'national' (gulp) from scratch, so to have the mega-force that is the Manchester science community behind it from the off has felt very warm and fuzzy, big thank you.

There's a way to go before the map, with pins, appears for us (and more importantly young people in search of careers information) to play with, but now the questionnaires are all up for you in a rough format. There are separate questionnaires for working science people, students or those in training, retired science people, and organisations or teams within organisations. (Science in this context very much includes technology, engineering and maths.)

They are in rough format, just to collect information so that the map has pins when it launches.

If you'd like to put yourself or your organisation in pre-launch, have a photo ready to upload that you like, and remember you don't need to give your full or real name. Make a cup of tea (or coffee, anything really)
and settle for about half an hour to answer the questions that will form your profile on the map.

The questionnaires can be accessed from the Science Council website.

The other development last week is that the Norwich Research Park turned out in the cold for a very impressive 200 person 'Portrait' of themselves for the map. Massive thanks to all of them and to the BBSRC's Dee Rawsthorne who organised it, and Andrew Chapple who took this film of proceedings.

The picture will, eventually, be dotted with profile pins. Do not be daunted by this very special image! Place portraits of smaller work teams, in the warm, also very welcome. If you do make one of these place-portraits soon for your organisation/team please keep hold of it until further notice.

If you're planning a Big Picture like this, please get in touch, as it would be great to record the process and the final photography, and I can offer you some advice too, based on how your image will be finally presented.

Please get in touch with Katie Walsh if you have any questions.

Seeking Perfection

2011-02-17T16:46:00.005Z

How far would you go to make yourself stronger, more intelligent or more beautiful? Would you get a chip in your brain? Would you be a guinea pig for stem cell therapy? These are some of the questions that young performers explored in the Seeking Perfection project, funded by the Wellcome Trust, last Autumn.

In the run up to the Festival in 2010, we worked with Nowgen, Contact and the University of Manchester to delve into the exciting mix of science, ethics and performance. Together, we worked with a group of young performers and science undergraduates to create a short, thought-provoking performance based on the theme of Human Enhancement.
First came a series of workshops with researchers and ethicists from Manchester and across the UK, including Dr Mark Gasson (the first man to be infected with a computer virus), covering the research into and bioethical concerns about Human Enhancement.

The performance was shown alongside a debate at the Zion Arts Centre.

Over a period of 4 weeks, the group came together to debate, research and think about how researchers are pushing the boundaries of what it means to be human. Using the science and ethics as the theme and inspiration, the group created a short performace incorporating ideas from these discussions. A mix of acting, music, rap and circus skills, the performance brought together an exciting mix of performance styles. This was premiered on stage in the Manchester Arndale, the city's busiest shopping area, taking science to the streets and engaging people who might not attend a Festival event. The performance was then run alongside a debate chaired by Sarah Chan.

Most of the group who developed the final performances hadn’t studied science after their GCSEs but said that they were amazed by the research they discovered and really enjoyed getting to grips with science again.

“I’ve learned more about science… I didn’t really pay attention in school to science. Now I’ve got involved with this it’s opened my eyes more to where science is going to in the future.”

“I thought when I finished science at school I would never have to think about science again,
and I’ve learned it’s around us all the time and I should maybe pay more attention – I might blink and the world could be a completely different place.”

We captured the project on video which you can see below. It gives highlights from the project and the performance and interviews with some of the participants and project leaders.

Thanks to Andy Miah for the photo of the event at the Zion Arts Centre. You can see more on his Flickr profile.

If you would like a copy of the project evaluation for Seeking Perfection, please get in contact with Natalie Ireland, Festival Director.

The Hidden Science Map – calling everyone working in science in Manchester!

2011-02-03T09:51:00.005Z

Think back to when you were sixteen… what did you think you could do with a science degree? Did you think about becoming a brewer, bioethicist or a clown that uses the medium of balloons to explain geometry?

A new project led by the Science Council aims to uncover ‘hidden’ careers in STEM subjects so that teenagers can see that they are surrounded by science, at all levels and being done by all sorts of people, which will hopefully persuade them to continue to study science.

The Hidden Science Map aims to make a real variety of interesting STEM careers visible to teenagers.

How can I get involved?
This pilot project is developing a website, set to launch on 10 March 2011, which will present photos and profiles of people in ‘hidden’, surprising, interesting, in fact all STEM careers across the UK. These profiles will be dotted across a Google-based map, set to eventually cover the whole country but starting in a few cities with a strong science community, including Manchester.

The project leader, Katie Walsh, is looking for anyone and everyone who studied science, technology, engineering or maths post 18, and uses their qualification in their work life to upload a profile and picture.

The map will have another layer of organised portraits of STEM places of work, featuring lots of individual STEM workers there, if you’d like to plan and submit one of these for your organisation please get in touch with Katie, otherwise any individual STEM people should stand by for further info of how to upload a profile and picture when the Hidden Science Map is open for business in a week or so.

Katie Walsh can be contacted at the Science Council via email: K.walsh@sciencecouncil.org.

My favourite place: The intersection of art and science

2011-01-27T10:49:00.009Z

Inspired by Prof John Hyatt’s talk about cymatics at MKC’s Innovation Boardroom event the other week, I thought I’d take a little exploration into the world of art inspired by science.

My current favourite has to be Rachel Sussman, who creates beautiful photography with a strong and inspiring message. Here she is at TED last year, talking about her current project, The oldest living things in the world. This voyage of artistic and scientific discovery has taken her to the far corners of the planet to capture images of the oldest organisms alive. She's covered quite some ground, including some of the most extreme environments on the planet, such as Siberia’s premafrost and Namibia's super-arid Namib Naukluft desert.

Double-click to view in full screen... otherwise you'll miss half of the presentation!

You can also hear her talking about her project on last week’s BBC Human Planet podcast… she’s on at around 21:00.

Emily Wiles - Manchester Science Festival Officer

Science on the stage, in film and on paper

2011-01-20T11:22:00.013Z

The National Science Museum takes to the stage to communicate science through the medium of theatrical performance with Science Museum Live on Tour, starting on the 29th January at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. Suitable for ages 7 and upwards, you can expect experiments, explosions and excitement. Did you catch Dr Bunhead at MSF in 2009? This show is created by the same team, who also produced Brainiac. They’re touring the country - other dates in the North West include Preston, Buxton and Bradford - check out the Science Museum's website for full dates.

Love sci fi? Never Let Me Go, which will be screened soon at the Cornerhouse, is based on the powerful and moving novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, with plenty to make you ponder about what it means to be human. Keep your eyes peeled for the release of the screening dates!

There’s also been a bit of a shout-out for Sci-fi lovers to join the MadLab Sci-fi book club who meet every Tuesday at Madlab. Interested? Follow the chatter on twitter with the hashtag #mcrsf.

Emily Wiles, Manchester Science Festival Officer

MSF Innovative boardroom event with Manchester: Knowledge Capital

2011-01-13T15:20:00.011Z

We’re feeling rejuvenated after Monday’s Innovative Boardroom session, which was run by the lovely Kate Pickering and her team from Manchester: Knowledge Capital (MKC). Grabbing the chance to escape from the confines of the meeting room, partners, organisers and new faces came together to collaboratively create some brilliant new ideas for MSF 2011 in a structured session.
We don’t want to give too much away, but one of our favourite events developed was a Haunted House filled with interactive workshops about the science of fear, gore and all things scary. We’re all planning to use inspiration from these ideas for programming for the festival, with organisers being able to take an event and develop it themselves.
MKC brought along illustrator Paul Chappell, who created brilliant visual interpretations of our ideas on the go. Here’s one that Kate snapped during the event.

The idea generation kicked off with a talk by Professor John Hyatt, a local artist, musician and academic at MMU whose artwork takes inspiration from science. He’s also the artist who designed the ‘windmills’ in Manchester’s Exchange Square.

John talked to us about his current passion, Cymatics (visualising sound waves by studying the movements of vibrating media such as sand), and created a beautiful simile, comparing the movements of the vibrating sand in his work (see video below for an example) to the progress and common purpose of everyone involved in the Festival. He also gave examples of generating event ideas from scientific themes (my personal favourite was ‘Shake, Baby, Shake – science, music and aesthetics’, inspired by Cymatic research).

If you missed this session but would still like to organise an event, don’t fret - it’s not too late! Just contact Natalie Ireland.

Emily Wiles, Manchester Science Festival Officer

Stargazing @ MOSI this weekend

2011-01-12T12:53:00.003Z

MOSI have concocted a brilliant programme of events around the BBC Two Stargazing Live programme this Saturday (15 January), including a workshop where you can make your own constellation projector, a talk by the Gresham Professor of Astronomy, Ian Morison in the Planetarium and an outdoor stargazing event (let’s pray for clear skies!). Check out the MOSI website for full event details.

And if you're looking for something crafty to do on Sunday, keep yourselves busy with making a constellation night lamp with this lovely guide at instructables.com.

Emily Wiles, Manchester Science Festival Officer

Bring on 2011!

2011-01-06T09:52:00.008Z

Happy New Year! We’re back, raring to go and have bravely committed ourselves to writing one blog a week for our New Year’s resolution. We’ll be here to ramble and write on everything from neutrons to neurons, with a particular emphasis on activity in Manchester.

Let’s start by shaking off the Christmas cobwebs and having a peek at what’s going on science-wise in the neighborhood this month!

For an epic Saturday trip, hop on the train to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, where the World Premier of Polar will be hosted this weekend. This show combines stunning footage of Earths’ Arctic and Antarctic regions and a live orchestral soundtrack arranged and conducted by John Harle.

BBC 2 are currently running a new series, Stargazing LIVE, presented by Brian Cox and Dara O Briain, to inspire a generation to look to the skies and learn to stargaze. This started on Monday and a programme of live events around the country have been arranged to compliment these broadcasts. To experience this first hand, head down to MMU’s John Dalton building on 13th January for a talk from Dr Paul Ruffle about the birth, life and death of starts, hosted by Manchester Astronomical Society. Image by John Gray (Eoepaidh on Flickr), taken in the Outer Hebridies.
MOSI will also be running an event later in January - more details next week!

Let us know what you think of any of these events and we look forward to seeing you at events in 2011.

Emily Wiles, Manchester Science Festival Officer

Manchester Science Festival 2011 Innovation Boardroom

2010-12-20T13:09:00.006Z

Join us at this creative session led by Innovation Manchester to generate ideas and connections for the 2011 Manchester Science Festival.

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” Mary Lou Cook

Any group can have a brainstorming session, but how do you make it truly productive? Sometimes we all need a little help to think of new ideas that can really work.

On Tuesday 11 January 2011 at the Museum of Science and Industry from 10am to 2pm we will be engaging in a special creative session: the Innovation Boardroom.

The Innovation Boardroom acts as your guide to be productively creative. We combine fast and furious idea generation with collaborative working that builds partnerships to get great results.

Join us at the Manchester Science Festival's Innovation Boardroom to:
- Make new connections with others involved with the Festival
- Generate great ideas that will have life beyond the Innovation Boardroom session
- Get a freshness boost in creativity, helping you tackle the everyday in a different way
- Combine forces to make the Manchester Science Festival 2011 the best it can be

Please note this is not a funding opportunity.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Natalie Ireland, Manchester Science Festival Director: n.ireland@mosi.org.uk with your name and organisation, detailing your/your organisation's experience of science engagement and why you are interested in the session.

Manchester Science Festival 2010 - reflections and thank you

2010-12-10T18:21:00.009Z

Manchester is an amazing place for a science festival. There’s so much rich industrial heritage and iconic scientists to draw inspiration from and so much innovation and exciting research happening in the city, it provides a unique backdrop. The fourth Manchester Science Festival has just taken place and since it began in 2007, so many people have got behind the Festival, sharing their ideas, creativity and passion for science. It’s a real thrill to be putting science at the heart of the cultural calendar in Manchester.

A huge thank you goes out to all the funders, partners, organisers, speakers, researchers, community groups and volunteers who made this year’s Festival happen. The Festival is a huge partnership effort and we’re proud to work with so many (over 75!) different partner organisations. This year’s Festival was particularly exciting and so many great projects came together to create an inspiring and innovative programme. In fact there was such an action packed programme of event, it’s hard to pick a particular highlight to shout about. However, there are a few projects we’re particularly chuffed about and thought they were worth a mention.

This year we embarked on an ambitious community programme. As well as science busking, we delivered kitchen science workshops through each of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs. We put young people at the heart of the Festival, inviting them to get involved in the development and delivery of key projects. 18 year olds with no previous interest in science got together to work with scientists, ethicists and artists to explore the topic of human enhancement and develop creative performances for the public. We also added a twist to the Dragon’s Den. As part of the Manchester Beacon Science Festival Community Awards scientists pitched their creative event ideas to a panel of ruthless dragons (teenagers), who chose which project to fund and work with to shape and deliver an event. The winning idea, the bacteria party saw students sharing their work, getting hands-on, eating bacteria shaped cake and playing games with the local community. It was such a fantastic event and exactly the kind of programming we want to encourage as part of the Festival.

We really provided some unique experiences for people this year with projects like Super K Sonic Booooum, an immersive experience where you could experience what it’s like to be in neutrino observatory. Unsuspecting members of the public donned their wellies and lab coat and jumped aboard a boat to see what it’s like to be a particle physicist in Japan. The installation explored some really serious and exciting science, as well as being fun and giving you the chance to experience an environment you would never dream of seeing.

We welcomed over 80 volunteers who assisted at events and went to venues throughout Greater Manchester, entertaining the masses with science busking – fun, hands-on science demonstrations that capture the imagination as you’re on the commute or out shopping. They were passionate, enthusiastic and committed. A huge thank you goes to our volunteers who are helping to inspire our future scientists!

This diverse and innovative programme could only be put together by the people in Manchester for the people of Manchester. Manchester is a truly original science city and I hope you enjoyed this exciting, passionate and ambitious Festival. So thank you for coming and getting involved and we'll keep you posted on the blog with plans for next year!

Natalie Ireland,
Manchester Science Festival Director

Winter greetings from the Manchester Science Festival team!

2010-12-08T14:55:00.013Z

Struggling for ideas of how to fill your holidays with science? Fear not - the festival team have been compiling brilliant ideas. Read on!

If you’ve got children to entertain over the break why not discover some fun, wintery science activities you can do in the kitchen? Check out these instructions on how to make jewellery with ice cubes or learn about how ice melts with London Science museum’s activity about coloured ice balloons. Alternatively, you could wait until Christmas dinner and demonstrate the siphoning effect at the dinner table with your napkin.

Curl up with a few books from MSF 2010’s speakers. Check out Frank Close’s latest publication, Neutrino, which charts the detection and research into the elusive particles that are emitted by the sun and ever-so-difficult to detect. Have a gander at Jim Al-Khalili’s Pathfinders, which reveals the hidden history of the Arabic scientific revolution that took place between the more celebrated Ancient Greeks and Italian Renaissance.

Have an alternative Christmas meal and bring molecular gastronomy to the table. Take a peek at Stefan Gates’ latest book, The Extraordinary Cookbook, for inspiration. This tome is packed with eccentric and fun recipes, from poaching fish in your dishwasher to making gin and tonic jelly that fluoresces under UV light. Photo - Stefan Gates at Gastronuts, Manchester Science Festival 2010.

Don’t forget to check out the Waterside Arts Centre’s current exhibition, Altered States, which explores artist’s responses to biomedical research through media including installation, sculpture, photography, film and printmaking. This exhibition runs until Saturday 8 January. Photo - Hinged Crucifix by Susan Aldworth.

Emily Wiles, Manchester Science Festival Officer

BBC Presenter Stefan Gates at Manchester Science Festival on: The Extraordinary Cookbook

2010-10-30T09:47:00.004+01:00

Stefan Gates is the award-winning presenter and co-writer of Full On Food for BBC2, Cooking in the Danger Zone for BBC2 and BBC4, Gastronuts, a children’s programme for BBC1 and CBBC, and most recently Feasts for BBC4 and Stefan Gates on E Numbers for BBC2. He will be doing two FREE events at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester) on 30 October as part of this week’s Manchester Science Festival. Gastronuts (at 2pm on 30 October) is with gastronutty chemist Andrea Sella: indulge in harebrained experiments, crazy cooking and eat the world’s weirdest food (family audience). Stefan’s Extraordinary Kitchen (at 7pm on 30 October) is a wild workshop of culinary adventure and food science (adult audience). This month Stefan published The Extraordinary Cookbook (details below), and will demonstrate some of these ‘flights of fancy’ recipes, such as toffee fondue or fluorescent jellies.

Stefan has written four books – Gastronaut, In the Danger Zone, 101 Dishes to Eat Before You Die and Stefan Gates on E Numbers. Stefan appears regularly on UKTV’s Market Kitchen, Five’s The Wright Stuff and BBC2’s Something for the Weekend. www.thegastronaut.com

To reserve your free ticket for Gastronuts or Stefan’s Extraordinary Kitchen go to msf-gastronuts.eventbrite.com or msf-kitchen.eventbrite.com.

Manchester Science Festival - Nobel prize winners, comedy, craft and more

2010-10-27T15:15:00.005+01:00

We're half way through this year's Manchester Science Festival. It's been a cracking week so far, so thanks to everyone who's come along and got involved. There's loads more on offer until the end of October for familes and adults. Here's our top picks!

Meet Manchester’s newest Nobel Prize winner
Join us tonight for an evening of Manchester science, as part of the Royal Society’s 350th Anniversary ‘Local heroes’ programme in the North West. some of our region’s Royal Society Research Fellows Prof Andrew Sharrocks, Prof Barbara Maher, Dr Alexander Oh and recent Nobel Prize winner Dr Konstantin Novoselov, chaired by Prof Dame Nancy Rothwell FRS will discuss their work on the latest developments in biomedicine, climate change and environmental pollution, and particle and condensed matter physics. The event is at 7pm tonight at MOSI. Tickets are free and you can book here.

Laugh your scientific socks off
We've teamed up with Manchester Comedy Festival to see the lighter side of science at some of our comedy gigs. Tomorrow Helen Keene takes a trip to the arctic (well, Islington Mill) to entertain us with stories of an expedition to this cruel environment in The primitive methodist guide to arctic survival.

Rosie Wilby’s will be educating the adults about the Further Science of Sex on Friday night. Do aphrodisiacs work? Why do we kiss? What’s going on in the brain when we fall in love? Spoof experiments and handmade props galore!

We’ve also got comedy for the younger ones! The Punk Scientists have travelled all the way from London, yes, London to entertain us with their mad and explosive world of science tomorrow! You can also catch crazy multi-media show Parannoyance packed with magic and storytelling on Friday. Both at the Comedy Store.

Get creative
Head to Longsight Library tomorrow or Manchester Museum on Saturday to see Wriggling rangoli. As part of the Manchester Beacon Science Festival Community Awards, ‘Inspired Sisters’, a group of Asian women from Longsight will be demonstrating the beautiful art of rangoli, looking at the science of infectious disease.

Get those knitting needles out and join us for a spot of knitting with your science. Bee knitting will run on Saturday at Manchester Museum. Learn about bees and biodiversity, and pick up a new skill.

Science Junkies
One of our headline shows, Science Junkies is action packed, adrenaline fuelled fun for the whole family! Find out about the physics and physiology of extreme sports and see some extreme sports in action! This Sunday at the Zion Arts Centre.

Please do put any pictures and feedback up on our Facebook page or send us a Tweet.

Dragon's den bacteria party

2010-10-25T13:38:00.005+01:00

A Dragon’s Den-style teenage panel has selected a ‘Bacteria Party’ as its winning idea presented by scientists as part of the Manchester Science Festival’s community awards. The ‘Bacteria Party’, which will be held on 25 October, was an idea presented by the ‘B team’ from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Manchester, and includes cake and goodie bags alongside games, interactive exhibits and poster displays to celebrate the good and bad sides of bugs, germs and bacteria.

A panel of three young Dragons (17-19) judged four pitches made by academics in the fields of biology, medicine, technology, chemistry and physics. Each had to present a fun idea about science which will be created into a community-focused event during the Manchester Science Festival.

The winning team includes two academics and a team of eight masters students of pharmacy. The young Dragons from the Den have planned and prepared the event with the winning group and invite visitors to come and join in the fun. At the event there will be five stations to teach the public about antibodies, as well as different germs good and bad. Each participant gets a passport and a stamp at the station.

Sarah Evans of the Dragons Den Decides said: “The Bacteria Party is a great idea to help promote understanding of science and have some fun at the same time. The team at the School of Pharmacy did a great presentation and convinced the Dragons that this was the event that was most likely to inspire the local community to learn about science. Do come along and party with us on 25 October, and learn about the good as well as the bad sides of bacteria and how it affects our lives.”

Other contestants included a scientist form University of Salford, who wanted to run an event to show young people how to make ice cream the old fashioned way. Another team from University of Manchester wanted to demonstrate the dangers of a bad diet to our brains and the effect of lifestyle choices to having a stroke. A scientist from University of Manchester wanted to run an event to demonstrate the different senses and how they could be used to document scientific research.

The Dragons Den Decides is a youth participatory project as part of the Manchester Beacon Science Festival Community Awards. Manchester Science Festival is now in its triumphant fourth year and has quickly become the most popular science festival in the UK! As well as exploring all aspects of science, this year the Festival celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity. The Festival brings together universities, museums, unusual venues and community spaces to inspire people from across the region and learn more about why science is amazing, great fun and an essential, accessible part of everyday life.

The Bacteria Party is supported by the Manchester Beacon. The Manchester Beacon combines the complementary strengths of The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Salford with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and Manchester:Knowledge Capital. The Manchester Beacon engages staff, students, community groups and local businesses in the design and delivery of activities that use engagement to break down the barriers between universities and local people.

The event runs this afternoon from 3pm at the Zion Arts Centre.

Salford Science

2010-10-25T10:28:00.003+01:00

It's the third day of Manchester Science Festival and Salford have an explosion of science today.

First up, get your helmet at the ready and climb the wall as families find out about the physics and physiology of climbing. RockOver Climbing Centre are running a day of Climbing Science from 10.30am - 3pm.

Next up, something for Families 11+, teenagers and adults... find out about devices that researchers make to improve people's lives and the work that goes on at the University of Salford.

This evening there's a play at the Lowry about the only British Nobel Prize winner in science, Dorothy Hodgkin. Hidden Glory: Dorthy Hodgkin in her own words shows how her personal and scientific life were fully intertwined.

We'll be dropping into all three events today so we hope to see you there!

Change to today's programme to Science, the Universe and everything at MMU

2010-10-24T11:20:00.001+01:00

Please note there is a last minute change today's programme. Science, the universe and everything at MMU is not running at it's full capacity. Please note the following activities only will run on Sunday 24 October (as different from previously advertised):

Super K Sonic Booooum (11am - 4pm)
Magic Science busking (10am - 4pm)
Laptop orchestra (afternoon only)
The robot dog will also make an appearance.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/whatson/everything

Manchester Science Festival launches with a boom!

2010-10-23T08:37:00.005+01:00

Manchester Science Festival is here!
Manchester Science Festival starts today and we're very excited about what we've got in store for you! Forget about the cold October days and warm up over the next 9 days as we bring you the best science Manchester has to offer, as well as fun, creative, innovative and hands-on events. We have events for adults, families, young people and community groups. Here's our top pick for the launch day and a few tasters of the rest of the week.

Launch day
To kick off the Festival in style we have teamed up with the Manchester Literature Festival to bring you Carbon Diaries author Saci Lloyd. Saci will be at MOSI talking about a world affected by climate change and rationing our carbon usage. This event is suitable for teenagers.

Our headline event Super K Sonic Boooum is an amazing design installation exploring particle physics. Head down to MMU and don your wellies and safety suit and experience a journey through the awe-inspiring neutrino observatory.

Join us for an adventure in light and sound this Saturday evening at Rutherford's Lights - a physics inspired musical performance with pianist Richard Casey.

Manchester Science walks
Take your journey at a more leisurely pace and explore the science of the city by foot. There are walks covering a whole range of interesting science, looking back at Manchester's industrial heritage and delving into the lives of Manchester's most mad inventors.

Science Junkies
Do not miss the adrenaline fuelled Science Junkies live show at the Zion Arts Centre on Sunday 31 October. Packed with stunts and science, the show will be a real treat for the whole family.

There are over 200 events to choose from across Greater Manchester throughout the Manchester Science Festival. Check the MSF website for the full listings and up to date information: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/

Follow, like, read and tweet: Find us on Facebook and twitter.

Comic communicator wins science award

2010-10-21T13:47:00.003+01:00

A science communicator with a comic touch has won this year’s Joshua Phillips Award for Innovation in Science Engagement (Josh Award). The award will be presented to Steve Cross at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry) on 28 October as part of the upcoming Manchester Science Festival (23– 31 October 2010).

Steve, who was born in Stockport and is now based in London, is the Head of Public Engagement at UCL (University College London) and helps to develop the skills of scientists to share their work in an accessible and lively way. Steve runs the monthly Bright Club in London – where researchers (including himself) perform comedy routines about science to the club’s mainly non-scientist audience. Topics range from chemistry and climate change, to sex, to astronomy in the style of Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy. A Manchester Bright Club based on the same ideas has also opened recently.

Steve’s work, which is part of the national Beacons for Public Engagement project, helps to break down barriers between scientists and members of the public and to inspire people to learn about the everyday relevance of science. He regularly puts out podcasts (with 1500-2000 downloads per week). He also brought together scientists, a writer and bands to create music about the life of a scientist. Science communicators traditionally focus on work with young people, but Steve has also helped researchers to reach out to parents through ‘science soirees,’ held at parents’ evenings to help encourage sceptical parents about the variety and fun of a science career for their child.

Steve said: “I’m really surprised and overjoyed to win the Josh Award. When I was starting out in my career Josh was always pushing the envelope making science enjoyable and interesting in unexpected ways. Putting enjoyment into public engagement is very much at the centre of my ethos and I’m glad that is recognised in this award. With Bright Club we wanted to test the idea that anyone can make their work funny and engaging for a few minutes. We work with researchers to help them develop their own style of humour to deliver their work. So we end up with scientists with a delivery style that can be dry, witty, camp or fun, depending on the individual. It’s all about how to connect with your audience.”

Manchester Science Festival director Natalie Ireland said: “I’m delighted to announce Steve as this year’s Josh Award winner. He has used some fantastically innovative methods to engage people with science who may not normally be interested, and has helped to develop the skills of hundreds of scientists to present their work in an accessible and fun way. This is really the spirit of the Manchester Science Festival and we are already discussing ideas about what to do with next year’s festival.”

From chemical explosions to the science of circus acts, the Josh Award is open to anyone in Britain involved in using creative ideas to make science inspiring and relevant to a mainstream audience. Previous winners for 2007, 2008 and 2009 include Naked Scientist radio presenter doctor Chris Smith, science communicator Karen Bultitude and science communicator David Price of science made simple. The award is now in its fourth year.

The Josh Award is named after Josh Phillips, who was MOSI’s first science communication officer, and died in a road accident in November 2006. Josh was renowned for his innovative and fun approach to getting people of all ages interested in science. The Award includes a cash prize of £1000 and a trophy and the role of science communication officer in residence for the Manchester Science Festival 2011.

Seeking perfection - still opportunities to be involved

2010-10-14T09:35:00.004+01:00

There's still chance to get involved in our Seeking Perfection project - a project for young people exploring the topic of human enhancement and creating performances, music and drama in response. We're working with Contact Theatre, the University of Manchester and Nowgen to bring this exciting project together. Sessions have gone brilliantly so far with loads of discussion about science, technology, the future and ethics, and loads of ideas about the performance and what it might look like. There's a session this Saturday for all who want to move forward on the project - so be there at 4pm to have your say and get creative!

More information on the MSF website.

Interview with Brian Cox

2010-10-13T11:14:00.003+01:00

We got the chance to interview Professor Brian Cox when he was in Manchester recently in advance of Manchester Science Festival. Brian is a particle physicist from the University of Manchester and TV presenter of the show Wonders of the solar system. We chatted to Brian about science, the future and social media. We'll upload clips from the interview this week. In this video Brian talks to us about social media: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/msfonline

Last week, scientists rallied at the HM treasury against funding cuts to science. You can get behind the Science is Vital campaign and sign the petition.

Mad Science joins the celebrations at the Manchester Science Festival

2010-10-11T14:08:00.004+01:00

Mad Science are extremely proud to be part of the Manchester Science Festival 2010, having been invited to deliver fun science workshops at community venues in each of the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. For the past few months we have been working closely with community groups in each borough to find suitable venues and get word out to the local community that the Festival is ‘coming soon to a venue near you!’ These events are for everyone and we really want people to have as much fun with science as we do every day!

So what will you see at the Mad Science events? Well, we are currently working hard putting the final touches to our show ‘Up, up and Away’ which looks at the amazing properties of air as with air pressure stunts, hoverboard rides and even the odd explosion thrown in for good measure! We love this show and are sure it will be a real crowd-pleaser! Everyone who comes along will be able to watch the show (venue capacity permitting) but the first 60 people (grown ups and kids) to arrive at each event will also be given a ticket to take part in hands-on science activities following the show. We have a range of activities in the pipeline with kitchen chemistry and cool chemical reactions being a theme. One thing we know people love is carrying out their own chemical reactions, so workshop participants will all get the chance to make and take home their own ‘ickey, gooey Mad Science Slime’ a great eerie concoction as we approach Halloween!

Check out the Manchester Science Festival website for full event listings.

IOP engagement grant scheme

2010-10-05T18:43:00.004+01:00

IOP engagement grant scheme provides up to £1000 to individuals and organisations running physics-based events and activities in the UK and Ireland. Apply by 8 November 2010 for a grant for public engagement activities.

Boat busking a sailing success!

2010-10-04T10:01:00.004+01:00

This weekend we went busking on a boat! We wanted to bring some science to the Manchester Weekender, so we took David Price from Science Made Simple along the River Erwell for some science busking on a boat. It was lovely weather and the passengers loved it!

Listen to a podcast of David talking about his science busking here.

Busking on the boat at The Manchester Weekender

2010-09-29T13:44:00.017+01:00

The science busking continues tomorrow at the Manchester Weekender!

David Price, winner of the Josh Award in 2009, will be representing Manchester Science Festival on the Manchester by Boat trip. Manchester Food and Drink Festival are running this event and it sounds brilliant – a boat party along the river Erwell, complete with snippets of history and food!

Have a look at the Food and Drink Festival website for full details of this event and the Creative Tourist website for the rest of the Weekender's shenanigans.

Photo: David Price busking at Bury Market

MSF shortlisted for a How Do Public Services Award

2010-09-23T14:15:00.003+01:00

Manchester Science Festival has been shortlisted for a 2010 How Do Public Services Communications Award. MSF submitted a nomination in the best low budget campaign category, for the successful 2009 PR campain led by the University of Manchester in partnership with the Festival team. The Festival team are excited to be nominated and looking forward to the awards and seminar on 9 November.

MSF 2010 online event programme live!

2010-09-15T12:05:00.006+01:00

Manchester Science Festival is back!

Last year was our most successful Festival ever, welcoming over 100,000 people to events around Greater Manchester. We’re back with a programme that promises to be even more exciting and packed with scientific treats.

The online events programme is now live! Head to our What's on pages to view the programme by theme, date, audience or venue to see what’s on offer at Manchester Science Festival 2010.

Alternatively, check out these highlights...

We’ve got half term sorted to keep the whole family entertained. It’s the international year of biodiversity, so release your inner explorer at one of our many wildlife workshops, expand your mind with the magic of maths or check out our Chemistry show in British Sign Language. For a real treat take the whole family to one of exciting headline shows brought to you by Gastronuts’ Stefan Gates or the amazing Science Junkies. And don’t forget to look out for our famous science buskers out and about at a town near you!

Check out our programme for teenagers and young people. You could be the next Kate Moss and design gorgeous accessories from recycled materials. For the more adventurous, feel the full force of the physics of adrenaline-fuelled sports like rock climbing and free falling. Discuss black scientists and the space programme or the issues surrounding Facebook and social media. And remember that girls can be geeks too – check out the Girl Geek Tea Party and Hidden Glory, a performance about Britain’s only female Nobel prize-winner in science, Dorothy Hodgkin.

And for adults, relax and soak up the science at one of our evening or weekend events… experience the paranormal with the Alpha Project, listen to sweet music at Brian Eno’s Apollo and Rutherford’s Lights, or debate the future of human enhancement. Be a film buff and discuss the science behind some classic horror and sci-fi films, laugh your socks off at our science stand-ups, find out more about Islamic science or get a dose of adrenaline exploring the universe at Super K Sonic Boooum.

We look forward to welcoming you back to what is now the UK’s most popular science festival, so delve into the programme, choose your events and we hope you enjoy your journey of discovery. Don’t forget most events are free! Sit back, hold on tight and enjoy the ride!

Trailblazing across August

2010-08-26T15:55:00.024+01:00

We've had a busy month making monsters and lava lamps, and knitting microbes. We're also very excited to announce that the programme is almost ready to be released into the wild. To be the first to hear when it's out, sign up to our newsletter.

Our monster-making activity at the Night at the Victoria Baths was enjoyed by dozens of families. Kids learnt about how animals have evolved and adapter to their environments, and then imagined their own environments and created a monster that was perfectly adapted to this world. Here's a selection of some of their creations.

The Mad Scientists' Tea Party was also tons of fun - a whole day of radioactive cupcakes, giant bubbles and herbal tea. We had a team of STEM Ambassadors on hand to deliver kitchen science activities and about 300 people dropped by during the day. Smashing. Photos by Kinopablo.

We also joined the hundreds that made it on Jamaica Day for microbe knitting and science busking. Photos on left by JayDay.

Science busking and microbe knitting at Jamaica Day

2010-08-18T14:10:00.001+01:00

On Saturday 21 August Manchester Science Festival is heading to Jamaica Day at Longford Park and Stadium. Jamaica Day is a community Festival with loads of activities for the whole family. We'll be there science busking to the masses and knitting microorganisms! So come along and try a fizzy rocket, hear the secret sounds of the oven shelf, learn about the germs on your body and knit your very own virus.

11am - 3pm Saturday 21 August, Jamaica Day, Longford Park and Stadium

This event is free and there’s no need to book – just turn up!

Mad Scientists' Tea Party - this Saturday!

2010-08-12T11:24:00.006+01:00

Manchester Science Festival are gearing up for the Mad Scientists' Tea Party. Here's a sneak preview of some of the activities we'll be running this weekend...

Make a monster!
Last week at the Family Friendly Film Festival's Night at Victoria Baths we ran an exciting monster-making activity and loads of kids learnt about amazing animal adaptations. Everone had so much fun that we want to run it again on Saturday! Photos from this event are now on our Flickr page.

High Peak Community Arts are bringing their Camera Obscura! This exciting installation, which is housed in a yurt, will enable you to see the world outside from inside the tent. Have a look at their website for more information.

Marbella Cupcakes, of Manchester Creative Collective, will also be there on Saturday. Come along to sample their new range of herbal teas, made from herbs from local allotments (the peppermint infusion is being made as I write this!).

Flissycakes are providing us with hundreds of delicious science-themed cupcakes, with flavours ranging from 'exploding' (containing compressed carbon dioxide for an explosive sensation!) to 'radioactive' (with brazil nuts, which contain low levels of radium). If you like the sound of these, have a look at their website.

Mad Scientists Summer Tea Party flyer!

2010-08-06T00:09:00.003+01:00

Night at the Victoria Baths - Monster House

2010-07-29T11:23:00.001+01:00

Manchester Science Festival will be at the “Night at Victoria Baths” on the evening of 5th August, as part of the Family Friendly Film Festival. The night will be filled with monster-related activities before a screening of Monster House at sunset. We’ll be there running fun science activities in the basement, where kids can find out about amazing animal adaptations and create their own monsters to take home!
Unfortunately, this event is now fully booked, but go to www.familyfriendlyfilmfestival.org.uk for more Family Friendly Film Festival events and watch this space for programme information for Manchester Science Festival for similar events in October!

Mad Scientists Tea Party - Saturday 14th August 2010

2010-07-27T15:50:00.003+01:00

On Saturday 14th August 2010 Manchest Science Festival are holding a tea party in Cathedral Gardens (ouside Urbis!).

Have some chemistry with a cuppa! Come down and nibble a radioactive teacake, watch lemons levitate and learn about the science behind tea and coffee. There will be plenty of fun science experiments and arty activities for all ages. Come dressed as a Mad Scientist - the best dressed wins a prize!

This event is free and there's no need to book - just turn up!

Wellcome Trust grant for human enhancement project

2010-07-22T17:41:00.006+01:00

The Wellcome Trust has awarded a grant to Manchester Science Festival, Contact Theatre, Nowgen and The University of Manchester to produce a creative human enhancement project for the 2010 Manchester Science Festival. This project brings together a vibrant team of young people, scientists, ethicists and artists to explore human enhancement (i.e. physical, genetic and cognitive improvements). The team will explore the latest biomedical research and the young people will develop performances (such as street dancing and science busking) that will get people thinking about the ways in which they might potentially improve their brains and bodies in the future. The project will culminate with public shows and events during October's Manchester Science Festival this year.

For more information please contact Kate Dack at Nowgen (kate.dack@cmft.nhs.uk) or look at the Manchester Science Festival website in the Autumn.

Josh Award 2010 - Call for nominations

2010-06-23T15:29:00.002+01:00

Nominations for the 2010 Joshua Phillips Award for Innovation in Science Engagement are now open. The Josh Award is an annual award that recognises excellence and innovation in science engagement. The winner will be announced and presented with the award at the Manchester Science Festival in October.

The award is open to anyone involved in science engagement, who is recognised as an up and coming talent, with innovative and new ideas.

Previous winners include Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists, Karen Bultitude from the University of the West of England and David Price from Science Made Simple.

Download the Call for Nominations and Nomitation Form on the Festival website, to find out more about nominating someone.

Nominations must be received by close of play, 10 September 2010.

Picture: David Price winning the Josh Award in 2009

We need you! Volunteer for Manchester Science Festival...

2010-06-23T15:24:00.003+01:00

Manchester Science Festival takes place from 23 – 31 October, with the schools programme taking place on the 19 and 20 October. Over 200 events will take place in venues across Greater Manchester.

We are now seeking volunteers to help at events and get out and about science busking. Volunteering for the Festival is a great opportunity to meet new people, get some science engagement experience and develop some great skills for your CV. More info about what opportunities are available, what to expect and how to register can be found on our volunteer pages.

We're hiring!

2010-05-13T16:38:00.001+01:00

Festival Officer
Fixed Term (maximum of five months)
Full-time, 36.25 hours per week, Mon - Fri
Salary £18,500 per annum

Manchester Science Festival is seeking a Festival Officer to work within the Learning Department at MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry).

Reporting to the Festival Director, you will support the development and delivery of the 2010 Manchester Science Festival. You will liaise with Festival partners, co-ordinate administration for the Festival and assist with marketing, communication activities and the event programme.

To succeed in this role you will be educated to A-level standard or equivalent in a science subject. You will hold a clean UK driving licence and have a good general knowledge of science. Previous experience of working with a variety of organisations coupled with some experience of planning and running events is desirable. You will possess good interpersonal, organisational and team working skills. You will be computer literate with knowledge of Microsoft Office and other relevant computer applications and editing websites.

To download an application pack and full job description, please visit the MOSI website: www.mosi.org.uk/about-us/vacancies, e-mail recruitment@mosi.org.uk or alternatively call 0161 606 0105 to request an application pack.

Closing Date: Wednesday 26 May 2010, 4:00pm.

MSF goes east!

2010-05-10T15:55:00.004+01:00

On the 24 May Manchester Science Festival is heading east to the Shanghai Science and Art exhibition. We'll be busking and running activities about the science of sound at this popular event. This opportunity follows a visit from the Association for Science and Technology in Shanghai to the Manchester Science Festival last year, where doctors from Shanghai contributed to our Biomedical Exhibition. Stay tuned to the blog, facebook, twitter and flickr as we keep you posted whilst we're there!

The event is also part of the 2010 World Expo which we also hope to visit and bring some ideas home for the 2010 Manchester Science Festival.

Debating matters competition - NW Final

2010-02-11T09:15:00.003Z

Debating matters competition - North West and North Wales 09/10 Final

Debate is crucial in addressing issues that face society today. Debate is crucial in science. By debating issues in science, you can explore a topic from all angles, how it could affect society and find out how people really feel about a particular issue. At school I found it hard to debate issues (and sometimes still do!), often being the person who could see an argument from all sides and did not have one particular standpoint. This meant I was good at playing devil's advocate, but sometimes found it difficult to display the passion that other pupils did.

The NW regional Final of the Debating Matters competition is an opportunity for schools in the region to sit in on the final, watch lives debates and input from the audience. If I had had the chance to go to something like this at school, I think it really would have given me more confidence in debating issues and therefore feel more confident standing up and having a viewpoint.

The regional final is open to all schools, to join the audience and join the debate. The competition is keen to engage new schools, who have not previously been involved. The regional final is taking place at the Bridgewater Hall this year. To find out more about attending, check out the regional page on Debating Matters website. There are also some really great guides to the topics up for debate.

http://www.debatingmatters.com/

Hopefully see you there!

Natalie, MSF Director.

Animation 10

2010-02-09T14:49:00.001Z

The 3rd Annual UK Schools Computer Animation Competition 2010 is open to all UK schoolchildren aged between 7 and 19.

- Pupils are invited to create an animated film using their computer, and submit it to the competition.
- On-line submission is now open!
- Entries can be from individuals, or groups (of up to 4 members).
- All entrants will receive certificates, and winners will receive prizes ranging from laptops to gift vouchers.

Winners will be invited to the Animation Festival and Prize giving day at The Lowry, Salford Quays.

For full details, and to register your school's interest, please visit the Animation10 website or for enquiries email: Animation@cs.man.ac.uk

Submissions close: Thursday 1 April 2010

We're the UK’s most popular science festival!

2010-02-01T15:08:00.004Z

Manchester has UK’s most popular science festival

Over 100,000 people flocked to the 2009 Manchester Science Festival (MSF) – making it the most popular event of its type in the UK.

The Festival, which took place in October, was a week-long celebration and exploration of science, technology, engineering and maths.

Packed with over 150 events taking place across Greater Manchester, the Festival focused on the relevance of science to our everyday lives, its history and the work taking place in the region today.

Only launched in 2007, MSF is one of the UK’s newest and freshest science festivals – and last year’s event saw attendance increase by a massive 56 per cent from 65,691 in 2008 to 102,288.

Visitors came from the region, the UK and overseas to enjoy a total of 317 events, exhibitions, school workshops and community projects created by 57 organisations.

Events were held in 48 public, cultural, community, academic, educational, social, indoors and outdoors locations.
In total, 43,112 people attended events, 58,374 visited exhibitions and 802 took part in the schools programme.
The majority of events were free and a number were fully booked, including;

Dr Bunhead's crash test jelly babies - Manchester Central
The Luck Factor with Richard Wiseman - MOSI
Nick Arnold : The Horrible Science Show – Zion Arts Centre
Childhood obesity debate – John Rylands Library
Geek girl dinner - Sweet Mandarin restaurant
Human evolution talk by Steve Jones – Bolton Museum
Blood, vampires and science debate and film – Cornerhouse
Robot hack day – MadLab

Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson said: “Science festivals like Manchester's are fantastic at putting science in front of the widest possible audience. They convey the wonder and importance of science and engineering to people at all ages.”

Natalie Ireland, Festival Director, said: “Manchester is a great science city, boasting legendary figures like Rutherford and Turing, so it’s only right that it has a great science festival for everyone to enjoy and participate in.

“We’re absolutely thrilled with the attendance figures and it’s a great credit to everyone involved in the Festival, many of whom gave up hours of their time to help run events.

“Huge thanks must also go to our partner organisations and our funders, whose support allowed us to run a very successful and enjoyable week of events.

“We’re certainly not resting on our laurels and we are already busy planning our programme for Manchester Science Festival 2010, which promises to be bigger and better than ever.

“We’re always keen to get feedback and improve what we offer, and I would encourage anyone with ideas and suggestions for future Festivals to get in touch.”

The 2009 Festival was supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), MOSI and Siemens.

George Baxter, Director of Science and Innovation at the NWDA, said: “Science and innovation are at the heart of the NWDA’s vision to build and sustain a knowledge based economy in the Northwest. Encouraging young people to take up science at further and higher education level is vital to this, and as last year’s visitor figures show, the Manchester Science Festival is proving an enormous success in engaging young people with science. The Agency was pleased to provide its support to the event, which we hope will help to inspire the next generation of budding scientists.”

Manchester Science Festival 2010 will take place from Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 October.

Notes to editors

Festival Director Natalie Ireland is available for further comment on 0161 606 0129.

Photographs from the 2009 Festival are available on request. For more information please contact Alex Waddington, Media Relations Officer, 0161 275 8387 or 07717 881569.

We've been nominated to for a Shorty Award!

2010-01-14T12:45:00.002Z

The annual Shorty Awards recognise people and organisations on Twitter. We've been nominated in the #science category. We have loved to using Twitter over the last year or so to shout about Manchester Science Festival and also tell you about other science news and events we spot going on in and around Greater Manchester. If you enjoyed the Festival and liked following us on Twitter, please give us a vote in the Shorty Awards.

Follow us on Twitter: @mcrscifest

Vote for us in the Shorty Awards

Thanks for voting for us and supporting Manchester Science Festival!

Ice ice baby... Happy Christmas from Manchester Science Festival

2009-12-22T13:35:00.013Z

With Christmas day fast approaching, many of you out there are pondering on fun activities to do before the presents are opened to keep bright minds occupied, or even what to do after Christmas to burn off those turkey dinner calories and get your eyes away from Christmas repeats. Well look no further, to help you on your quest, we at McrSciFest HQ, have a couple of ideas for you to try, all science related of course...

1) Get creative and crafty and try making the amazing ice cube necklace. ABC Australia always have great hands-on science activities and this is just one of our favourites, particularly for the Festive period.

2) Get your walking shoes on and get on a scientific stroll around Manchester. Why not try it on Christmas day when the city will be quiet and hopefully covered in now. We have a couple of options on the MSF website.

3) Microbe knitting! Our patterns are still available to make your very own knitted microbe and if you're quick enough you can pop some string on the top and get it on the tree! We just can' get enough of them. Cute, cute and more cute! Find the patterns on our interactive pages.

4) There's also loads going on in our fair city over Christmas. Check out Manchester Made Easy's blog which lists their top 10 things to do in Manchester. On the list in the new Da Vinci - the genius exhibition at MOSI. We love MOSI and the exhibition is really interesting - something for all ages. Be warned - you could spend a whole day there so don't turn up at 4pm like we did! It's fab!

We hope you enjoy our little suggestions over Christmas. We'll be back with more treats, trailblazers and of course the 2010 Manchester Science Festival next year!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Manchester Science Festival x

Ice cube image courtsey of http://msp163.photobucket.com/albums/t292/courtneycolucci/Ice_cubes_openphoto.png

MSF Volunteer profile

2009-11-25T11:04:00.008Z

Hello, my name's Carol and, amongst other things, I'm a scientist, a STEM Ambassador, and for the October half-term I was a volunteer Science Busker for the Manchester Science Festival. You may have seen me, and fellow buskers, in Piccadilly Train Station, the Trafford Centre, or out and about in Bolton. We had lots of different hands-on puzzles and experiments for you to try out. One of them was the *straw oboe* - a simple but effective demonstration of sound, vibration and pitch changes. All you need is a plastic straw, a pair of scissors and a lung full of air, and with a bit of practice, and a few friends, you can create your own straw oboe band! To check out me and an enthusiastic festival-goer trying out our straw oboes, watch our little You Tube video. For more information about some of the busking experiments that you can try at home now the Festival's over go to Try this at home page of the Festival website.

To find out more about becoming a STEM Ambassador, where you will have the opportunity to volunteer for the 2010 Manchester Science Festival, visit the Stemnet website.

http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/

Image courtesy of MonkeyJunkie on flickr.

Plastics: Ask the Experts

2009-11-16T10:08:00.005Z

Visitors to Plastics: A valuable resource posed some interesting questions to the Manchester Polymer Group. Here are the questions and some answers:

Vimto Vicky says heya and smile

Becky advises us to try and stop global warming by not using as many aerosols and to hang our washing outside to dry (if is not raining)

Very useful comments Becky. However it is good to note that ozone depletion chemicals previously used in aerosols are now no longer used under an international agreement.

Am from Stockport “Why haven’t all new houses/builds got solar panels/cells”

Another good question. There may be cost and public acceptance issues that need to be addressed.

Daniel Lewis from Chorlton “Do you use solar power, hydropower, geothermal power or wind power more”

Assuming that your question relates to plastics production and recycling operations, hydropower is used in those countries that have the geographical capability and have invested in this technology. As far as we are aware solar and wind power can also be used for less power demanding operations. Investment is also starting in an Energy from Waste plant in Cheshire.

Annie “Why do things melt”

Melting is the result of enough heat energy being transferred into a material, such as chocolate, to turn it into a liquid. So when you eat chocolate, it melts in your mouth because the temperature of your mouth is higher than the temperature at which chocolate melts.

Rebecca from Chorlton “Where do plastics come from”

Hannah from Chorlton “Why is plastic such a common material”

Plastics come from crude oil or gas after refining and account for 4% of the fossil fuel resources. They appear to be in common use because they are very versatile and can be used in many different ways.

Isobel “Why cannot we recycle all plastic”

Good question. It is possible to recycle all thermoplastic type materials (but not the thermosets such as light switches etc). However it comes down to the economics and, in some cases, it costs more to generate the recycled plastic in comparison to the new material. This situation will probably change in the near future.

Christie and Alexa “How many times can a piece of plastic be recycled”

Plastic can be recycled many times. Tests have shown that reprocessing can be carried out ten times without any influence on appearance and performance. This depends on good separation and cleaning of the different plastic types. In reality some fresh plastic will be added at a low level to ensure good performance of the article.

Melon “When is the plastic taken and how can we take it there to be recycled”

Emily from Chorlton “Do you have to recycle to bins”

Jay who is 4 years old “Which recycle bin do you put plastics in”

All of Greater Manchester now collects plastic bottles via your BROWN bin

Arrianne who is 7 years old “How many chairs does it take to make a key ring”

Actually a key ring only uses a small amount of the plastic from a chair. A chair will probably make something like 200 key rings.

Thomas, 8 years old “What happens if you leave your plastic in the rain”

Ben from Stockport “Why do my toys turn white when I leave them in the garden”

Most plastics are water resistant and it is one of the reasons for their wide use.

However some of the pigments that are used to give nice bright colours are not very stable in sunlight and bleach.

Roof Tile – “What about the cost and weathering. Are they fire resistant?”

The roof tiles made from recycled plastic are fire resistant and have passed weathering tests. They are more expensive than conventional tile material but have a much lower carbon footprint.

Georgia “How many machines [for recycling plastics] have been sold and how long do they last for”

David replies “Hmmm a very simple question but not so easy to answer!! We manufacture such a wide range of equipment, and coupled with the fact that the press and shredder are only now really going into production. Here are some figures based around our core product and relevant machinery:

Manufacturing totals something like 36,500 including Heat press, Shredder, Injection Moulder, Vacuum Formers and Line Benders.

Our products are generally regarded as very robust and even in the classroom environment we still repair machines which are about 30 years old, most people change due to modern advancement rather than the machine wearing out, so I guess we could safely put a figure of about 20 years

Manchester Polymer Group would like to thank all of the children and adults who posted such a varied and challenging list of questions.

2009 Josh Award winner announced

2009-11-01T12:11:00.005Z

David Price from Science Made Simple has won this year's Joshua Phillips Award for Science Engagement. David is well known for his science busking, training and engaging presentation style. He was presented with the Award on Thursday at MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) at the Manchester Science Festival. Natalie Ireland, Festival Director said: "We're delight David has won this year's Award. David used to work at the Museum of Science and Industry and so it's very fitting that he has now won this Award. We are really looking forward to working with David over the next year". David will be presenting the Science of Sport on Sunday 1 November at MOSI on the lasy day of the Festival.

On the shoulders of giants

2009-10-30T21:56:00.005Z

"On the shoulders of giants". The phrase Teresa Anderson used to describe our Bright Idea's speakers' inspiration for their work talking on Thursday evening an the University of Manchester, reflecting Issac Newton's famous words.

Tomorrow the people of Manchester have the opportunity to find out more about the great works of scientists from Manchester and this amazing, innovate and inspirational city of firsts.

Chris Norwood from Manchester Tourguides will lead an interactive walk around the city, complete with actors! To find out more, check out his blog ttp://4evrmanchester.wordpress.com/

Get yourselves along on Sunday 1 November at 11am. The tour starts at Manchester Museum. £5 adults, £2 child.

End of the Line

2009-10-30T16:15:00.010Z

Imagine an ocean without fish.
Imagine your meals without seafood.
Imagine the global consequences.

This is the future if we do not stop, think and act.

The British Science Association are working with the Marine Conservation Society to offer you a showing of the film 'End of the Line'. The film premiered at the Sundance Festival earlier this year. Filmed over two years, The End of the Line follows the investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts politicians and celebrity restaurateurs, who exhibit little regard for the damage they are doing to the oceans. One of his allies is the former tuna farmer turned whistleblower Roberto Mielgo – on the trail of those destroying the world's magnificent bluefin tuna population. Filmed across the world – from the Straits of Gibraltar to the coasts of Senegal and Alaska to the Tokyo fish market – featuring top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials, The End of the Line is a wake-up call to the world.

Following the film there will be a Q & A session with Sam Wilding a Fisheries Officer for the Marine Conservation Society.

View the trailer for the film here -
http://endoftheline.com/

When: Sunday 1st November, 13.30 – 15.30
Where: The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL
Who: Free. Open to everyone. The film is certified as PG and some scenes may by unsuitable for young children. Book a seat on 0161 275 2648.

Primate Communication

2009-10-29T16:16:00.003Z

Human language is one of our most remarkable capacities. Trying to discover how this ability evolved is an extremely difficult challenge as spoken language has left no fossil remains. One way to approach this problem is to compare human communication to non-human primate communication. This allows us to identify elements of language that evolved a long time ago and are shared with other primates and those which are novel inventions that are unique to humans.

Katie Slocombe has undertaken a great deal of research into primate communication. This has involved some quite unusual fieldwork and lends itself wonderfully into a talk packed with entertaining tales from the jungle and a number of quite strange noises (some of which are made by Katie herself!). Katie has also put together an interactive game that you will be invited to play to see how well you would survive as a chimpanzee.

At the British Science Festival this year Katie was awarded the Charles Darwin Prize. This was particularly fitting as we are celebrating Darwin200 this year. It is 200 years since Darwin was born and 150 years since the groundbreaking publication of Darwin’s ‘On the origin of species’. Charles Darwin gathered the evidence that living things change over time - they evolve. Since his time, this idea has formed the basis for the science of biology. Darwin also suggested how evolution happens; his discovery of evolution by natural selection has been called "the single best idea anyone has ever had".
As part of the festivities marking these anniversaries The Manchester Museum are holding a Darwin Extravaganza all the way through to August 2010.

Audience: Families (11+)
Venue: The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, M13 9PL
Date: Saturday 31st October
Time: 2 – 3 pm

Bright ideas - event this evening

2009-10-29T12:51:00.002Z

To launch the Royal Society 350th Anniversary ‘Local Heroes’ events programme in the North West, some of Manchester’s Royal Society Fellows and Research Fellows will discuss their work and share their thoughts for the future. Four professors – Dame Nancy Rothwell, Stephen Furber, Robin Marshall and Andre Geim – will join us to focus on the latest developments in neuroscience, computer technology, particle physics and nanotechnology. Expect an inspiring and thought-provoking evening, as we reflect on this key Festival theme.

This event will be held this evening, at 7pm at University Place at the University of Manchester.

Please book online if you would like to attend, but spaces will also be available on the night.

Please note the line up alteration from advertised.

Drunk in Time

2009-10-29T09:47:00.000Z

On Friday evening, you are invited to broaden your cultural horizons with a trip to the pub. Start the weekend with historian James Sumner on a light-headed stagger through scientific understandings of alcohol since 1600, as Isaac Newton, Humphry Davy and others ponder the great questions: Is wine alcoholic? Does rotting fish belong in beer? And what’s more harmful – microbes, or thunder?

James is a lecturer in the History of Technology at the Centre for the history of Science, Technology and Medicine. He had a most enjoyable time as a PhD student researching beer-brewing in the 1800s. He has gone on to consider the role and image of the computer in everyday British life.

The Lass O’Gowrie is a pub well-worth a trip – James says so and he is a man who knows his beer!

Audience: Adults

Venue: The Lass O’Gowrie, 36 Charles Street, Manchester

Date: Friday 30^th October

Time: 6 – 7 pm

Cost: Free!

Working Memory - The new IQ

2009-10-27T15:40:00.002Z

Would you like to learn how to make your brain grow?
Dr Tracy Alloway is currently researching working memory (our ability to remember and manipulate information) and playing a major part in increasing our understanding of how the brain works. Tomorrow she is going to be telling us, at the Manchester Museum, how the brain responds to training and what the best training tools are. Join us for an opportunity to try a sampler of a working memory brain trainer.

Dr Alloway, of Stirling University, won the Joseph Lister Award for this lecture at the British Science Festival in September this year. She is quoted as saying: ‘Working memory impacts on every aspect of how our brain works and, as a consequence, every aspect of our lives: from securing our survival, to making savvy business decisions, and controlling our emotions.’

Alloway developed the world’s first standardized working memory tests for educators – the Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA) and the Working Memory Rating Scale. The AWMA is the first tool for educators to screen individuals for memory impairments and to date has been used to screen over 4000 children in the UK.

Audience: Adults
Venue: The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, M13 9PL
Date: Thursday 29th October
Time: 12.30 – 13.30

Cost and Booking Info: Free. To guarantee a seat please reserve your place by calling the museum on 0161 275 2648

Didsbury SciBar

2009-10-27T09:30:00.003Z

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Didsbury last night to hear Fred Loebinger tell us nothing at all about the sex lives of quarks and leptons and lots about the other properties of these sub-atomic paticles. Fred did a fantastic job at highlighting the work Manchester researchers have done over (many) years in pushing the boundaries of particle physics. Those of us who were there will, I am sure, eagerly await news from CERN later on this year (before Christmas we were promised!). Will they find evidence of squarks or winos (yes, really)?

Thank you Fred and thanks to all of you who came along, carried chairs, asked questions and took lead roles as colourful quarks in the bear pit.

http://www.scibar.info/

How, where, who, when, what?

2009-10-26T09:13:00.007Z

Do you think you know your neutrons from your electrons? Fancy a trip to the pub after a long day at work?
Test your knowledge at the science-themed pub quiz brought to you by the the British Science Association. Make the most of all the information your have absorbed throughout Manchester Science Festival and you could win some fabulous prizes. If you discover you aren't going to be the next Einstein, we will still be on hand to dazzle you with table-top experiments, free goodies, and of course there will be plenty of beer to help you drown your sorrows or celebrate your swattiness.
The quiz is taking place on Tuesday 27th October, from 8 pm, upstairs at Kro Bar on Oxford Road (opposite the students union). Entry is free!

Pandemic event - Monday 26 October

2009-10-25T17:24:00.006Z

The recent outbreak of swine flu (H1N1) means news stories are in the papers and on our TVs every day. The number of new cases doubled last week to 53,000 and the NSH has been told to “brace itself” and prepare for increased pressure to cope. The first vaccination programme begins this week, where the first 14 million people seen as a priority, receive the new vaccine. Manchester Science Festival is holding an event, Pandemic, tomorrow at 6.30pm at the Museum of Science and Industry giving you the chance to find out more about swine flu, strategy in the North West and an opportunity to ask your questions.

Professor Joanna Verran, a microbiologist from Manchester Metropolitan University and Dr David Baxter, Lecturer in public health from the University of Manchester, will join us. This event will be chaired by Professor Michael Warbouys, from the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine.

This is your chance to find out all you want to know about pandemics and ask the experts your questions.

Pandemic
Monday 25 October, 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Museum of Science and Industry
Booking advised http://msfpandemic.eventbrite.com/, but seats available on the evening

Tick, tock, the clocks have changed.

2009-10-25T09:59:00.003Z

Quick note to say the clocks have changed now winter is setting in... they've gone back an hour, so make sure you turn up to any events at the right time!

Baba Brinkman's on his way.

2009-10-23T16:23:00.002+01:00

Here at Manchester Museum, we’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of pop rapper Baba Brinkman. Who? Come and see. He’s the only guy we know who can rap his way through thousands of years of evolution in a matter of minutes.

His movements are being tracked as we speak. He’s currently high above the sky speeding his way to the Museum and should be with us by 6pm tonight. Drinks will be available while you wait and the best bit is, it’s free.

Why not prepare yourselves for this entertaining evening and gen up on all that evolution stuff in our exhibition Charles Darwin: evolution of a scientist.

See you later in the Museum foyer at 6pm. Baba will be waiting to greet you.

Busk a Move

2009-10-23T08:53:00.010+01:00

Warning, warning, the Manchester Science Festival Buskers have broken free and are out and about around the city spreading their fun, and a little magical brand of science.

First sightings seem to have placed the purple t-shirted ones in Piccadilly station, please feel free to approach them - they don't bite, although they may hand you a program for events occurring during the festival. So if you hear their call of straw oboes or see some balancing tricks, just head over and see if they're simple yet spectacular science can brighten your day.

Remember to keep up to date by checking our website and hearing us tweet

Planets, Stars and Space Rocks

2009-10-22T10:45:00.002+01:00

Is there anything that you want to know about space but haven’t got anyone to ask? Come along to the Manchester Museum and ‘Ask an Astronomer’. We are going to be spending the day trawling through the universe looking at all sorts of exciting things from constellations of stars, special bits of equipment that are used by real astronauts, and rocks which have fallen to the Earth from outer space. There are going to be a number of different things happening for people of all ages including listening to sounds from space and creating your own starry myth.

Where: The Manchester Museum

When: Wednesday 28^th October, 11.00 – 4.00

Who: suitable for all ages

MSF schools programme over for another year!

2009-10-21T20:59:00.009+01:00

We've been a bit quiet on the old blog this week as we've been at the MSF School's programme. For the last two days year 8 students have been making the loudest of noises, the grossest of slimes and the biggest of bangs at Pure nightclub and Odeon cinema at the Printworks in Manchester. It was so much fun, the kids were enthusiastic and the activities on offer were fantastic.

We had loads of hands-on fun in Speedy Science, making crafty creatures,

science busking, exploring the deep sea, racing the world's first computer, Baby, and getting on the BBC green screen. Workshops ranged from CSI to Egg crash madness. And then Steve Rossington's explosive (literally!) chemistry show, really packed a punch.

A massive thank you to those involved, especially the students for

making it such an enjoyable two days.

We'll be back with more for schools next year, but in the meantime, check out some pics on flickr and get along to the main festival programme starting on Saturday.

Does it rain more at the weekend? Help us find out!

2009-10-16T15:42:00.011+01:00

We want you to help us investigate! Make your own rain gauge and measure rainfall in your garden during Manchester Science Festival. We need your results to find out if it really does rain more at the weekend rather than during the week.

Find out more and check out our online pack for you to measure rainfall at home and take part in our rain experiment:

http://www.manchesterrain.com/

Andy Russell who is running the experiment will then run an event at MOSI for those who want to come along to find out the results or get advice from the expert!

Manchester, the gateway to the North and beyond!

2009-10-14T10:05:00.004+01:00

Manchester has often been considered the gateway to the North of England, but it is much more than that. It has a vast array of strong heritages, one of the first things that springs to mind is that of the Music, the city has spawned bands such as Oasis, The Stone Roses and Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, but there is more to this city than music; today marks the opening of Media City in Salford and thus brings about the future of the city as a media haven. However throughout it's history Manchester has been a world leader - whether it was in particle physics or in music, and it is this fact that the 2009 Manchester Science festival hopes to celebrate with it's events revolving around Manchesticity.

Manchester’s history though is not simply built on the back of celebrities or academics but it is steeped in the swat of it's workers; the industrial revolution shaped Manchester and it was Manchester that was at the forefront of transportation developments from railways to canals. All this history is evident today at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

It was with all this in mind that the 2009 Manchester Science Festival decided to make Manchesticity one of it's themes.

(image from http://north.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conMediaFile.79888)

Quiz time!

2009-10-11T16:00:00.002+01:00

Does your local pub run a quiz? If so, we would like to make their planning easier and give them a free pack of questions.

There are a range of question rounds to allow everyone to flex their brain muscles and show off the facts that they have stored away for a rainy day. The rounds include 'All about Manchester', 'A Pub-lovers Round' and an 'Astronomical Music Round'.

If you would like to get a copy of the quiz please get in touch with Natalie Lane of the British Science Association (natalie.lane@britishscienceassociation.org).

Darwinism vs. Creationism?

2009-10-09T09:43:00.006+01:00

Thomas Dixon will argue on Monday at the Manchester Museum, that we've become accustomed to seeing Darwinism as being fundamentally in conflict with faith. In this trailblazer for the Manchester Science Festival he will explore how conflict can arise, by unpicking the cultural, legal and political factors which have fuelled the confrontation between evolution and Christian creationism in America over the last fifty years.

This is just one of many trailblazing activities that are going on in the build up to the 2009 Manchester Science Festival; and one of a number of talks and presentations revolving around Darwin and his life and work, so check out website for more information.

Thunderbirds are....GO, well maybe but only if the science works

2009-10-07T10:32:00.005+01:00

On Monday 26th October 2009, we discover if the vehicles of the fictional and futuristic (it was set in 2065) International Rescue would work in reality. Could Thunderbird 1 actually fly at 15000 mph, could Thunderbird 3 actually fly into space and back successfully. The only problem we have to contend with is making sure these secrets aren't exposed to the villainous Hood, but we're pretty sure our Festival Assistants could handle him if he showed up.

As well as Thunderbirds Dr Phil Atcliffe of the University of Salford,will explore the practicality, space, and air worthiness of vehicles from a number of other Sci-Fi TV series.

This event will be taking place at Deans Activity Center in Swinton from 18:00 till 20:00, and although free you'll need to book here. Don't forget this is just one of a number of events happening in Salford for the 2009 Manchester festival of Science.

Image courtesy of http://internationalrescue.tripod.com/thunderbirdsarego/id2.html

Microbe knitting patterns live!

2009-10-04T16:50:00.004+01:00

Science and knitting?

That's right... we have a knitting event at this year's Festival. We'll be knitting microorganisms and learning about the science of swine flu, the common cold and more. If you can't make it or want to help though, we need a selection of finished products before the event for photos and as examples on the day:

Download our amazing microbe knitting patterns (PDF 2MB)

Please send your finished products to: Knitted Microbes, Manchester Science Festival, Museum of Science and Industry, Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4FP or drop them at reception with "Knitted Microbes, Manchester Science Festival" labelled on them. Be sure to include your details so we know who's helped! You can also upload your own pics to our flickr group!

MSF Science buskers at the ready...

2009-09-24T17:35:00.005+01:00

We've been training up our fantasic, enthusiastic science buskers this week. Our volunteers, which have been recruited as Stem Ambassadors, have been getting to grips with science demonstrations and tricks to prepare themselves for science busking. We'll be getting out and about on the streets of Manchester in the weeks running up to and during the Festival to entertain the crowds and engage the unsuspecting with science.

Check out some pictures on the BBC website and keep your eyes peeled!

SCREAM AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS

2009-09-21T12:41:00.014+01:00

The Manchester Science Festival is set to begin with a bang or should that be a screech as the interactive Scream experiment goes live tomorrow. It aims to find the best scream and also uncover why some screams may be scarier than others. Check this video our to see our Festival Director talking about the science behind the experiment, and see Kid British taking part. Keep an eye out for some press coverage tomorrow, and keep checking http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/scream

Image credit goes to www.joannebalcaen.ca/screaminggirls/

Website - new look and event listing live!

2009-09-18T17:45:00.002+01:00

Get yourself to our new look website pronto to check out the events programme which has just gone live! Loads of events to choose from... Dr Bunhead and Nick Arnold are our headline shows for families, as well as loads of workshops, fun exhibitions and more. For adults, try a walk or two, check out some of our author talks or join in one of our many debates. There's a packed programme for the whole family. We're excited - hope you are too!

http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/

Programme going live soon!

2009-09-16T14:20:00.004+01:00

It's all go here at MSF towers. Our full events listing will be going live on the website over the next few days and we've got a really exciting programme lined up. Keep your eyes peeled for our lovely Festival programmes around Manchester too! And a science busker or a few...

http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/