Manchester Science Festival returns

THE Manchester Science Festival, which runs from 22-30 October, launched its programme as Dr Steve Rossington from the University of Salford gave a preview of his Louder Than Bombs science show.

Dr Steve Rossington/Natalie IrelandSteve’s show at Salford Lads Club is one of over 150 events in venues throughout Greater Manchester.

Manchester Science Festival celebrates its fifth birthday with a packed programme of comedy, debates, art/science events and family fun.

Highlights on the first weekend of the festival include Polar, a stunning cinematic portrait of the Polar Regions with a live orchestral soundtrack performed by the Manchester Camerata. Presenters from Bang Goes the Theory Live Experience will test, stretch and explode science with audiences at the Campfield Market Hall at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry).

A striking textile exhibition called Primitive Streak by artist Helen Storey, which shows the first 1000 hours of human life, is part of an extensive cultural programme which features visual art, dance, music and performance. Highlights include an experimental space evening with BBC comedienne Helen Keen (Out of this world: a Spacetacular Manchester adventure) and a textile QR code exhibition at Cornerhouse (QR3D).

Bang Goes the TheoryCutting-edge science and controversial topics will also be explored in a series of talks and debates such as Fukushima and the future of nuclear energy, Field of genes: DNA testing to find future Olympic champions and The Devil’s Garden.

Festival Director Natalie Ireland said: “This year’s festival is packed full of a fantastic range of events to engage all the family, many of which you would never expect to see in a science festival. From the extreme sports of the Science Junkies, to the science involved in a dance performance the festival aims to demonstrate that science can be fun and inspiring, and affects so many different aspects of our lives. We want to encourage more curiosity about the world we live in and to show Manchester’s unique contribution to science. The Festival is your opportunity to question the experts. From Dalton, Joule and Rutherford, to the Nobel Prize winning discovery of graphene, Manchester is at the very heart of science in the UK.”

Manchester Science Festival also has a successful community programme, which runs parallel to the main events. This programme includes activities in community venues and work to engage the wider community about science and technology.

For full listings and information visit www.manchestersciencefestival.com.