Events & Exhibition

Science and technology have carved a nice little niche for themselves on TV but are they being shouldered aside to the wee hours on the smaller digital channels to make room for big-audience entertainment?

 

Does the arrival of the BBC’s Bang Goes The Theory herald the return of science to the major channels’ primetime slots? Can science programming be intellectual and understanding?

 

These questions and more will be tackled by a selection of scientists and broadcasters.

Part of this year’s Battle of Ideas Festival.

Renamed and revamped, the UK’s longest-running public science festival returns for a week of talks, tours and workshops. Highlights include a live link to a deep salt mine, where physicists are trying to learn the truth about dark matter, and an exclusive preview of the Da Vinci Inventions exhibition.

 400 years ago, astronomer Galileo systematically explored the sky with his telescope. Find out about his astronomical discoveries with an illustrated talk by Dr Anthony Constable, physicist and science historian. Tickets £3 from
Ealing Central Library, tel: (020) 8567 3670.
Booking is recommended.

 Learn about the ancient and present-day folklore and customs associated with these Christmas plants with Roy Vickery from the South London Botanical Institute.
The Natural History Museum

 Leonardo da Vinci famously drew many ingenious machines, but didn’t build them, so his helicopter, parachute and tank were never tested. For this exhibition, Italian artisans have deciphered his notes and drawings to construct 65 full-scale working models, from the humble ball bearing to the submarine.

But da Vinci the artist is not left out. Giant reproductions of the Mona Lisa will reveal the colours as they would have been seen 500 years ago. And you can walk around a replica Mona Lisa to examine the insignia on the back. There’s also a display on the Last Supper.

If you can’t wait until 14 November, Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, which is hosting the Da Vinci exhibition, will also be one of the venues for the city’s science festival starting on 24 October. See www.manchestersciencefestival.com.

Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester; from 14 November; £20 families, £7.50 adults, £5 concessions; 0844 847 2261
www.mosi.org.uk

The Science Museum’s Feel the Force team take their live show out and about. This one-hour, interactive show is aimed at kids at Key Stage 2 and not only looks at but also demonstrates forces like magnetism, gravity, friction and Newton’s Laws. Tickets are available by calling 0845 300 5264 and cost £5.

The very first Teignmouth Science Festival aims to have something for everyone. During the morning, science songwriter David Haines will lead a workshop for Y5 and Y6 pupils. Four science-inspired songs will be taught, interleaved with a brief talk about the subject-matter by a local science communicator. In the afternoon, Chris Lloyd, author of 'What on Earth Evolved' will wow Y7 and Y8 pupils with an amazing presentation about 100 species that have shaped the world we live in. David Haines will join Chris to sing the songs he composed to accompany the book. Throughout the day there will be science activities and refreshments in the theatre foyer together with the winning entries of the schools 'Earth Art' competition. The festival will conclude with a performance in the evening by Teignmouth Community Choir of David Haines' science oratorio 'Powers of Ten'

World Rubik’s Cube Championship

This is an international competition for Rubik's experts with all sorts of categories: fewest moves, one-handed, blindfolded and even feet-only cubing. Not only are there qualifying rounds with the traditional 3 x 3 cube, but also 4, 5, 6 and 7 x 7 cubes for contestants to battle with. The event kicks off on Friday 9 October in Dusseldorf, Germany with the finals on Sunday 11 before the prize-giving and closing ceremony. 

 Evening lecture, free of charge, to be given by James Moore, author of "Darwin's Sacred Cause". The lecture is followed by a free wine reception in the Grant Museum, on the site of Darwin's London home.
The Grant Museum, UCL, London