Blood, Comedy and Computer Games Kick Off 22nd Edinburgh International Science Festival

3rd – 17th April 2010

This April you can join the search to make artificial blood, prop up the Blood Bar, find out whether BLOODHOUND will keep the land speed record in Britain, and even watch an autopsy on a cow. Alternatively you could investigate human, animal and machine intelligence; find out whether faulty equations caused the economic meltdown, discover how robots play football or giggle at the psychology of comedy.

The Edinburgh International Science Festival will be bringing the very best of popular science and a stellar line up of entertaining scientists and thinkers to the city. This year’s programme will engage with new audiences, offering over 200 events encompassing comedy, film, music and drama as well as experiments, activities, workshops, exhibitions and talks. The Festival takes place from 3rd to 17th April in 30 venues around the city including the Jam House, Festival Theatre, Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Scotch Whisky Experience.

The City Art Centre plays host to much of the Family Programme, together with Discover Science at the National Museum of Scotland, the Botanics, Edinburgh Zoo, Scottish Seabird Centre and Dynamic Earth. As well as some old favourites, a new floor about the human body at the City Art Centre will include a brand new ER where children can scrub up as doctors and nurses, the Blood Bar where they can make their own scabs, mix up a gooey blood milkshake and even touch a real heart, and What are Scientists Made Of, where they can build their very own virus.

Big Ideas, the programme of debate and discussion, is bigger and better this year, and brings fascinating, sometimes controversial, entertaining and interesting events with international guests, world thinkers and award-winning writers. Richard Dawkins returns to talk about Darwin and natural selection, Consultant Psychiatrist Raj Persaud invites Graham Farmelo, biographer of Paul Dirac (the British physicist and founder of quantum physics) into the Psychiatrist’s Chair, Professor James Ironside asks what should happen to our brains after we die and Mark Lewney explains the physics of rock guitar.

Simon Gage, Director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, said “This is a show stopping line up, a festival programme to match the very best science festivals in the world. 2010 offers a stellar collection of the country’s best science presenters, performers, filmmakers and comedians. Whether it’s watching a cow autopsy, climbing into a giant artery, laughing at a night of stand-up after analysing cocktails, this festival lets you rip the white coat off science to reveal the bizarre, the intriguing and the occasionally mind blowing.”

Minister for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop said: “As Europe’s largest public celebration of science and technology, the Edinburgh International Science Festival is a wonderful testament to Scotland’s great history of invention and innovation. The Expo funding of just over £50k will help the festival to continue to inspire us all and nurture future talent, maintaining our enviable position as one of the most creative and innovative nations.”

The Festival has a wide network of funding partners who share its vision and mission, without whose generous support the event would not be possible. The Festival is delighted to welcome new funders in 2010 as well as welcoming back many long standing supporters including Wolfson Microelectronics, who will be supporting a new Video Games Workshop for teenagers and Selex Galileo who will bring their fantastic Rampaging Chariots event to City Art Centre. With support from a grant from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund, Wee Wonder World will return to the City Art Centre and a new experience, Sonic Dreams, will be brought to St Andrew Square.

David Windmill, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Zoo said “The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is delighted to be part of this year’s Science Festival, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to our exciting programme of events happening at Edinburgh Zoo including our popular children’s sleepover and a cow post-mortem.”

Professor Stephen Blackmore, Regius Keeper at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh commented: “There’s always a lot on at the Botanics during the Science Festival but this year will be really special with an extended programme and the new John Hope Gateway as a superb venue”.

Stephen Allen, Head of Learning and Programmes, National Museums Scotland said “Once again, National Museums Scotland is delighted to be a part of this collaborative festival that embraces all that is exciting and dynamic about science. For ten days over the course of the festival, we will have fun revealing the secrets of science at daily children’s events at the National Museum of Scotland. Additionally, the National Museum of Flight will run a cabin crew school for kids. We are also pleased to announce a limited number of behind the scenes tours at the National Museums Collection Centre at Granton.”

Janet Paterson, Deputy Director, SIBE, said “'University of Edinburgh staff and students can't wait to welcome visitors to the Science Festival with events at the Museum and Adam House for Discover Science 2010.”