Brighton and Hove sets the stage for fun and fascinating science at festival

Brighton’s Palace Pier will be transformed into a spectacular science showcase during this year’s festival, and visitors will be able to experience science on the boardwalk, as researchers, artists and entertainers display their research.

There will also be a host of talks, debates and performances which festival organisers say will ‘allow guests to immerse themselves in accessible, cutting-edge and impactful research’.

Co-hosted by the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex, the festival returns to the city for the first time in 34 years. This celebration of science takes place in venues across the city from Tuesday, September 5 to Saturday, September 9.

Festival-goers are set to discover the latest in the race to build a super-fast quantum computer, what the future holds for Artificial Intelligence and why one man decided to be the first person to donate his entire genome to the public.

Star speakers include Lauren Laverne, who will record a special Late Night Woman’s Hour on Thursday for Radio 4 to mark Ada Lovelace Day, with a panel of guests who will discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in science and technology.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili, will produce another Radio 4 recording, transmitting his Life Scientific show with Professor Lucie Green live on Friday. And a special screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho will be followed by a panel discussion with Adam Rutherford, author, broadcaster and a former editor of Nature, neuroscientist Uta Frith and media historian Tim Snelson.

On Wednesday, there will be a flight on the i360 with chief engineer John Roberts, who will give a short talk and guided tour of the construction exhibition.

Other events include ‘In Conversation’ discussing the clean eating revolution, and ‘Can You Feel the Music?’, which will allow the public to enter unique listening environments with Joanne Armitage through vibrating installations and bone-conducting headphones.

Ivvet Modinou, British Science Festival director at the British Science Association, said: “Every year we welcome the brightest and most talented speakers and researchers to the British Science Festival. We are thrilled that this year will be no different. The programme has shaped up to include a wide variety of people from all backgrounds covering an eclectic bunch of topics, from dance and film, to artificial intelligence and the environment.”

Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor at the University of Sussex, said: “We have really enjoyed developing this magnificent programme with the British Science Association and the University of Brighton.

“From quantum computing, to consciousness science, the reintroduction of species into the wild and the latest wearable technologies, University of Sussex academics are making huge leaps in scientific research and discovery around the world. We can’t wait to share our latest findings and carry out some experiments with festival visitors. There’s a good mix of the fun and the more serious but everything will be thought-provoking.

“I know the whole city is invested in making this a fantastic event.”

Debra Humphris, vice-chancellor at the University of Brighton, said: “This year’s British Science Festival will be taking place in a dynamic, creative and diverse city that has the capacity to surprise, delight and challenge in equal measure. Much like the programme for what I am sure is going to be a fantastic festival. This coming September marks the 25th anniversary of the University of Brighton and I can think of no better way to kick off our celebrations than by co-hosting this wonderful event.”

For the festival full programme, visit: www.britishsciencefestival.orgPrestigious awards

Seven top UK researchers have handed awards their cutting-edge research, and will give talks on their research at the British Science Festival.

They will join Professor Brian Cox (winner in 2006), Maggie Aderin-Pocock (winner in 2008), and Richard Wiseman (winner in 2002) as Award Lecture recipients.

The winners and their respective Awards are as follows: Joanne Armitage (University of Leeds) for digital innovation; Pankaj Chandak (Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital and Kings College London) for agricultural, biological and medical sciences; Dr Imogen Riddell (University of Manchester) for physical sciences and mathematics; Dr Rebecca Williams (University of Hull) for environmental sciences; Dr Richard Middlemiss (University of Glasgow) for engineering, technology and industry; Dr Harriet Over (University of York) for social sciences; and Dr Emily Cross (Bangor University) for science and the arts.