The Perfect Place For Inquisitive Minds
Bright sparks will love the Orkney International Science Festival
WHILE Orkney is a regular haunt of naturalists, archaeologists and historians, it opens its doors to another field of expertise when its Science Festival opens on September 5.
The venues vary from St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, to the 75-seat Gable End Theatre on the island of Lyness.
In a distinguished list of speakers, Nobel Prize-winners Sir Paul Nurse and Peter Higgs – of Higgs boson fame – are the two headliners. Both will feature at “In Conversation” events, with audience members encouraged to take part by asking questions.
One of the presentations will be from world-famous molecular biologist, Professor Ford Doolittle, who will travel from Canada and deliver a talk on evolution, while renowned professor Karim Labib will present evidence of the first living creatures on Earth, which lived a mindboggling three billion years ago.
This year’s theme is young people, and one group of eight youngsters, some from Orkney and others from elsewhere in Scotland, will feature heavily in the organising and running of the events, along with more youngsters who will be given the opportunity to assist.
In fact two young Orcadians, Lucy Leech and Hope Laing, will carry out the official opening of the festival.
Special events will aim to encourage youngsters to recycle in creative ways. There will be an upcycling fashion workshop helping participants to reshape their wardrobe, while saving the planet in a fun, engaging and imaginative way.
The festival will also play host to people from all across the world, with two young Uzbek TV presenters coming along to discuss the history and science of their