Festival to put science under the microscope

Inverness Science Festival 2016 kicks off later this month with a range of free events around the city. The week long programme includes a chemistry show at Culloden Academy, dinosaur-themed book sessions at Inverness Library, a chance to learn about insects at Simpsons Garden Centre and a session on mountains at Tiso on Henderson Road.

The festival will also feature a public lecture series, with talks on the forensics of crime scenes, clouds and climate change, the effects of sugar on the body and the contributions of Highland scientists.

The finale of this year’s festival is a Family Day at Inverness Leisure on Saturday 7 May. There will be a range of activities to get involved with, including opportunities to build your own 3D printer, learn about astronomy, interact with robots and race balloon cars.

A series of school events will run alongside the public programme. Pupils will have the chance to learn about a range of scientific topics, from the impact artificial intelligence is having on the world to Inverness Museum and Art Gallery’s archaeological collections.

Inverness Science Festival is organised by the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) team at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Speaking about the event, the university’s STEM administrator, Dr Evelyn Gray, said: “Last year’s festival exceeded our wildest expectations. Since then, we have been working hard to develop a whole new range of stimulating science sessions for 2016. We are hoping to see some familiar faces as well as welcoming lots of new participants. I would urge everyone to take a look at the Inverness Science Festival website as there’s bound to be something that captures your interest!”  

Inverness Science Festival 2016 takes place in venues around Inverness from Friday 29 April to Saturday 7 May.