Hurrah the Manchester Science Festival returns for 2017 (Thursday 19 October – Sunday 29 October) and you can see our researchers involved in a host of events and activities. Here are some just of the highlights where you can see them in action:
Sentinel – Thursday 19 October 2017, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, Waterside Arts Centre (booking required, fee)
Sinewy synths, ethereal vocals and electro rhythms meld seamlessly with lasers and cutting-edge lighting & data visualisation for this captivating world-premiere performance inspired by climate change and forced migration. Written and performed by Richard Evans, whose previous musical credits include work with James and indie chart-topping new wave act St Vitus Dancers, this inspiring show will be followed by an in-depth panel discussion with climate scientists, evolutionary biologists and immunologists about the show’s compelling, challenging and thought-provoking themes. Sentinel is part of the Aeon: Miracle smartphone app project.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/sentinel/
Science Spectacular – Saturday 21 October 2017, 11am – 4pm, The Whitworth Building & Manchester Museum (drop in, free)
Join our scientists for a fun-filled day of challenges, experiments, and interactive demonstrations. Explore the science of bubbles, dance with robots, get hands-on with bugs, and fungi and land yourself some moon rock. With more than 40 interactive science activities on offer, it really is an event for all the family. What’s more, you’ll also get to chat with the amazing scientists and engineers behind some of the world’s greatest discoveries.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/science-spectacular-3/
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Quantum of Science – Saturday 21 October 2017, 4:00pm – 5:00pm, School of Chemistry (booking required, fee)
Scientific phenomena have never been quite so… explosive. Join Dr Frank Mair, a world-renowned chemist from the University of Manchester as he takes you on a whistle-stop tour of science and sound. Learn how waviness is the root of magnetism, why quantum physics is so badly behaved and just what it is that makes fireworks quite so fiery. You’ll leave us having discovered the very quantum of science.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/quantum-of-science/
Aeon: Patient X – Saturday 21 October 2017, various times, Michael Smith Building (booking required, fee)
There’s an outbreak – a deadly contagion grips Arcadia Life Sciences, and members of the public are urgently needed to help scientists identify the carrier of the virus behind the pandemic. Welcome to Aeon: Patient X, an immersive theatre experience from the team behind Aeon: Live at MSF16. This event stars Paul Warriner (World’s End, Inspector George Gently) and Angela Costello (Churchill), blending real science, augmented reality and a smartphone app to show you all about the science of contagion. You’ll be guided through the event to uncover viral traces, working your way towards the source of the contagion: Patient X.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/aeon-patient-x/
Noisy Library – Saturday 21 October – Friday 27 October 2017, various times, John Rylands Library (drop in, free)
If walls could talk…would a library have much to say? Find out for yourself at The John Rylands Library. The brainchild of electroacoustic composers David Berezan and Guillaume Dujat, hear the spaces around you come to life with sound, inspired and created by the building itself. Climb staircases through melodies of the sea, influenced by the library’s luminous lantern gallery. Hear the Library being ‘played’ in a multi-channel electromagnetic sound installation, designed by the ‘electrical veins’ of the library itself. The symphonies behind the tomes and the stones mean you’ll certainly never judge a book by its cover again.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/noisy-library/
To Space and Beyond – Monday 23 October – Friday 3 November 2017, various times, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre (fee incl. in admission)
The space aces of Jodrell Bank present a live science show that’s out of this world. Learn how the on-site Lovell telescope has been pushing back the final frontier since the ’60s, tracking the Soviet rocket Sputnik 1 and monitoring the first manned space mission to the moon, Apollo 11. Take part in an interactive science show that’ll explore the history of space exploration, the present state of the space industry and the future of space travel, covering everything from unmanned orbital missions to reusable spacecraft and space tourism.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/to-space-and-beyond/
Pi: Meteorite Hunt – Monday 23 October 2017, 10:30am – 4:00pm, Museum of Science and Industry (drop in, free)
Spotting rocks from space is easy when they’re still hurtling through the sky. But once they’ve landed, how can we tell them from other boulders, stones or pebbles? Try out some space sleuthing yourself by trying out the tricks and techniques used by astro-geologists from the Earth and Solar System team at the University of Manchester.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/pi-meteorite-hunt/
Pi: Killer Fungus – Tuesday 24 October 2017, 10:30am – 4:00pm, Museum of Science and Industry (drop in, free)
Mushrooms aren’t always fun, guys. They can be deadly – and so can yeasts and moulds. Join us as we spotlight just how deadly fungal infections can be. You can also take part in “Outbreak!,” an app-based, problem-solving, role-playing game, in which players will battle a fungal pandemic. You’ll have the opportunity to get up close and personal: play fungal infection computer games, explore fungal disease with 3D printed fungi and a human manikin, join in arts and crafts activities and view a time-lapse video of fungal infection spreading. Get to know the real Fungus the Bogeyman.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/pi-killer-fungus/
Science@Central – Wednesday 25 October 2017, 11:00am – 4:00pm, Central Library (drop in, free)
Central Library is a mysterious, secret-filled place. Who knows what hidden knowledge lies between the pages of its many books? Read up on the spirit of scientific investigation and come find out for yourself, discovering how science has affected the story-lined corridors of Manchester Central Library over the centuries. Get elbow deep in moonrocks and meteorites, dig around in our archives, meet a real-life conservator, learn the fascinating history of science in the city and get hands-on with the collections (as well as some Lego robots) in the afternoon.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/science-central-2017/
A Masterclass in Movement – Wednesday 25 October 2017, various times, Manchester Museum (book on the day, free)
Science’s sprightly toes are tapping with this dance and science masterclass, inspired by the Manchester Museum’s collections. This family event will show how science helps us understand what happens in the brain and body when we dance, and how dance can help us to move better, feel better and interact with others. There will be an opportunity to try out some dance moves, use your imagination, and even measure your own movement. Accompanying parents, guardians, grandparents and great grandparents welcome.
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/a-masterclass-in-movement/
The Great Energy Escape – Wednesday 25 October – Sunday 29 October 2017, 11am – 4.30pm, Manchester Museum (booking required)
Crystal Maze meets Breakout in this brand new interactive game from Carbon Co-op and Energy Democracy Greater Manchester. Drawing on energy data produced by the real lives of people from across Greater Manchester, the game is a race against time for participants to reduce emissions and keep the lights on under pressure. Based on the systems that make, use and share our energy, this game explores current issues and dilemmas which you must solve through compromise and collaboration
See: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/event/the-great-energy-escape/
And of course you can find these events more on the Manchester Science Festival website: http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/