This year’s Science Festival Brochure is out on 7 February and whilst mums the word on the details till then we can tell you this year’s programme is bigger, more diverse and entertaining than ever. For those who think of science and cringingly recall labouring over tedious equations and learning long Latin genera names in school, do not despair. We take a broad approach to science and no matter where your interests lie there’s bound to be something that appeals in our fantastic line-up. This includes over 70 events for adults; sure to be entertaining, fun nights out with a difference!

This year our event’s themes include food, sport, technology, music, film, the environment, philosophy, psychology…even comedy, all with a scientific twist! Furthermore we’ve taken science out of the lab and lecture halls and into some of the hottest venues in the city such as Ghille Dhu, Summerhall and The Jam House. Meet other festival-goers, take part in genuine experiments and gets hands-on with some really cool stuff. Forget dull lectures with old fogies talking at you, think lively, interactive, sociable science fun!

To get a copy of our brochure sent straight to your inbox upon its release sign up to our Newsletter or to request a print copy (or multiple copies) by post email jo@scifest.co.uk. 

Okay, whilst a cyanide-tipped, nerve-triggered, dart-shooting device is unlikely to be ‘in the stores for Christmas’, there are a lot of cool bond-like gismos and gadgets out there to choose from! This week we take a look at just a few, guaranteed to light up gadget-lover’s eyes as the wrapping paper is ripped and ravaged come Christmas morning!...Well who wouldn’t be excited to receive a water jet pack?!

Not exactly on the affordable end of the scale…more of an actual James Bond type thing than something for us regular Joes, but still we thought this Jetlev-Flyer was too cool not to mention. For anyone who has $130,000 (that’s about £83,000!) to spend we think this water-powered jet pack would make an awesome gadget gift.

(Please note: EISF accepts awesome gadget gifts…)

Another eye-widening idea, which is fun and far more budget friendly, is a LED tap light. Okay so the response upon unwrapping may not be quite as fevered as receiving a jet pack, however the cool concept of this gadget will moments later sink in and should result in a rush to the nearest tap to test! Attach the light and it should light up the water flow and get this…the water will run red when hot, blue when cold!

Next a niftly little gismo which solves an age-old problem. Who doesn’t love a hot chocolate at Christmas? And well, who doesn’t hate when some of the powder settles in an undrinkable sludge at the bottom of your mug?? Well chocolaty dregs no more! This self-stirring mug solves all your sedimentary beverage problems! Even if you didn't know you had any this makes a fun gift to give and receive.

Our final little gem isn’t a gadget in itself but rather the sacred guide to DIY gadgetry! Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius was first released in 2004 and has developed a bit of a cult following amongst gadget-nuts. Filled with ‘MacGyveresque’ fun, this book is a great gift idea for anyone who likes to get inventive and resourceful with bits n’ bobs! If they already have it, fear not, the follow-up More Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius is also guaranteed to keep us grown-up kids regaled over the holidays!

Hope this selection-box of fun gadget and gismos helps to cross a few names off your shopping list this Christmas. Remember to come back and check out next week’s Science Selection-Box Blog which will cover great gift ideas for wee ones full of wonder!

We’ve scoured the internet for the coolest, fun, science-related gift ideas and each week we’ll present a selection to appeal to a different audience. This week, as names are pulled from hats in workplaces around the world, our blog will focus on inexpensive wee gifts (under £10), ideal for secret Santa. These thoughtful little novelties also make for fantastic stocking fillers for friends and family!

I'm  sure most would agree that no Christmas party is complete without a few drinks…and drinks simply aren’tcomplete without ice. What’s that got to do with science you ask?  Well, what if the ice-cubes weren’t cubes at all, but rather in the shape of pi! A pi ice-mould would surely make a really cool (lame pun-intended) present for the math-mad this Christmas! 

It’s been quite a journey, which is probably best summed up by the Science Communicators: the groups of undergraduates who have been polished and molded into presenters in a learning curve so steep they should have been given a safety harness. They were made to perform in front of groups of (often rowdy) children, developing people management, public speaking skills and patience throughout the most intense science festival any of us have ever seen.

Of course some found it harder than others, just as the festival itself wasn’t perfect. Some discovered they preferred the organisational side of things, whereas others excelled at leading workshops into new exciting places. Some may never do science communication again but, as far as I could see, even those initially least interested will have taken something very special from this experience to use in their future career.

There were some emotional farewells on Saturday. Seeing the rise of confidence and enjoyment in most communicators revealed something we knew deep down from the start: culture differences are just surface issues. Friendships and respect formed between people from internationally diverse backgrounds because we were, at the end of the long, long days, just people trying to make children happy and excited about science. Working together it was a job successfully done.

It was crazy. It was often intimidating, especially when several thousand people turned up to see our beloved shows (it’s hard being awesomely popular). But it’s definitely feeling like an au revoir. This isn’t the end of science festivals in this part of the world but, as a Team Leader, it’s been a pleasure to be a piece of the beginning. 

I was working on Dino Dig where, about 10 minutes after opening, an enthusiastic child bounded up to tell me how much he loved dinosaurs, and how excited he was about coming to visit our show. Hurrah! They love us already! The science communicators were charmed by his glee, and I felt justified in whittering on about how this was one of the best jobs in the world.

Our first show went well, with just a couple of things we knew we could smooth out during the day. Just before we gathered our sparkly new presenters round for a debrief, I glanced outside our dino tent to see if it had got any busier. Man, had it got busier.

The hall in ADNEC is a big place. Like, a few houses could fit in it big. And it appeared to be completely filled with everyone in Abu Dhabi, plus a few more for good measure. Word on the street afterwards was that we had played host to 5,000 customers, but at a first glance it felt like several zeros could be added to that already pretty substantial number. Around the room, enthusiastic audiences were milling around the shows, falling over each other to get a piece of this new, strange festival.

The hours passed, the children were shown the science and the buzz seemed to heighten, even after the much-talked-about royal visitor had left. We got back to the hotel that night, slightly shell-shocked and counting limbs but...the best word is probably impressed. Our local communicators had stepped up to the challenge in ways that gave us maternal pride, and we were part of a festival that people were stampeding to be a part of. We’re a long way from Edinburgh, but one day closer to really understanding how this festival’s gonna roll.

Phew. 

View pictures from the Abu Dhabi Science Festival on Flickr

www.abudhabisciencefestival.ae

Training’s probably the wrong word. This was a weekend of preparation. All of the team leaders from Edinburgh International Science Festival are passionate about science communication and know their stuff when it comes to tricking grumpy young children into learning some facts. We were brought together to answer questions which were hovering in the air about cultural differences and how not to offend all our new workmates. The basic conclusion? Be nice, listen, observe and you’ll be ok pretty much anywhere in the world.

Science communication is a language which transcends culture. Ok, so that sentence doesn’t stand up to excessive scrutiny, but it sounds good. Basically, although vocabulary will vary around the world, we’re going to be heading to the Abu Dhabi Science Festival with a heap of shows full of internationally known symbols: smiley faces, encouraging body language and a dinosaur waiting to be dug up.

Our role out there will be supporting a new generation of science communicators who’ll be delivering these shows, made up of freshly trained undergraduates. A team of experienced tutors, led by Tom ‘Dr Bunhead’ Pringle, went to a select group of universities and skilled up groups of students. Around 600 students were taught the power of taking scientific concepts and translating them in order to engage and excite young visitors to their blooming new science festival.

In the meantime, the team leaders are ordering Dirhams and reading guide books, preparing to take the energy of Edinburgh on a plane to a place where, we now know, we shouldn’t show the soles of our feet. Exciting times await.

Whether you were Billy no mates or the most popular kid in the playground, competing about how many friends you had was definitely something that we used to leave behind with our school days. But with the launch of popular networking websites like Facebook, where users are racing to add more and more friends to their profile, this competitive feeling has crashed back into our adults lives!

But have you ever been a teeny bit suspicious that someone can't possibly be genuine friends with every single one of their hundreds of Facebook friends? Well your hunch was right! Professor Robin Dunbar has devised a theory called Dunbar's Number, which uses evidence from our collective past to show that humans can only sustain an average of 150 social contacts. This is because human beings are the product of our evolutionary history and this history colours our everyday lives.

Prof. Dunbar is one of the most respected evolutionary psychologists in Britain, he currently teaches at Oxford and is the author of several interesting science books, for example The Human Story and Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language. His writing is popular because he writes about complex evolutionary theories in an expressive and accessible way.

You can catch Prof. Dunbar this Tuesday 19th April 2011, where he will be giving a fascinating talk entitled How Many Friends Does One Person Need? You will learn the secrets of human society as he explains the reasons behind why we act they way we do. Everything from why 150 is the magic number to why all babies are born prematurely and even the science behind the lonely-hearts columns.

Event starts at 8pm at Informatics Forum. Suitable for 14+.

Be amused, inspired and learn something new with our amazing selection of events! Our highlights for the weekend are…

Where do art and science meet? Line Digital presents Under The Hood, a show exploring the innovative ways in which the arts and digital sectors can collaborate. Drop in for free, between noon to 6pm at Inspace, and discover the processes involved in creating amazing interactive online experiences. Suitable for 14+.

Made in Scotland tells the story of Scotland’s dramatic landscape, as it drifted from the South Pole to its current position and explains how its geological union with England and Wales has helped us understand the workings of our planet. A must see for geography fans. Free entry, 4pm at Informatics Forum. Suitable for 14+.

Explore the spectrum of mind-altering substances available across the globe, from coffee to hashish with High Society. Find out the history of drugs in medicine, religion and recreation and how international trade in them has shaped our modern world. 8pm at Informatics Forum. Suitable for 14+.

On Sunday, you can amuse yourself with the science of comedy hosted by the witty Robin Ince and indulge in a little comedy science with the marvellous Improbable Research guys! Their mission is to make you laugh and then make you think…

If your dog has a mind of its own, The Science of Dog Training is for you. This show will teach you the tricks of the trade and explain the science behind having an obedient dog. You can even catch a wonderful demonstration from the canine stars of the Auchinlay Dog Agility Group. 7.30pm at George Square Theatre. Suitable for 16+.

Don’t miss the rare screening of Luc Besson's cult classic The Big Blue, 8.30pm at The Filmhouse. This beautiful and contemplative love story tells the story of a man torn between life on land and the perilous underwater world of free diving. Suitable for 14+. Tickets can be purchase from the Filmhouse box office on 0131 228 2688.

For a full list programme details check out our What's On page.

Dr Mark Lewney was once described as "A cross between Einstein and Jimi Hendrix" by CBBC. Learn more about the winner of NESTA FameLab® and guitar physicist who blows your ears with rock guitar and blows your mind by Superstring Theory.

Dr Mark Lewney is a guitar physicist and a part-time science presenter who can handle questions on physics, climate, energy, space/time or philosophy.  Mark has appeared on Radio 4’s Material World as a guitar expert, on BBC's Newsnight as a "physics evangelist", and on CBBC’s Xchange! as the “Rock Doctor.” Mark also delivers amazing physics and maths KS3, KS4, GCSE and A Level talks and presentations for schools and colleges, all complementing the national curriculum for science.

In 2007 Mark presented his guitar physics 3 Minute Wonder on Channel 4. Also, an extended guitar science lecture was recorded by the Cool Acoustics team at Loughborough University, and he also appeared in a BBC Money Programme special on patents and inventions, entitled Britain’ Brilliant Ideas Boom, and on the ONE show, both broadcast last November.

You can join Mark on 16 April in Music: An Explanation By a Guitar Hero as he performs his own composition and takes you on a tour through the science of music. Find out the processes that take music from the vibrations of the instrument, through the ear and then on to the brain. Test your musical ear, learn the secret of Stradivarius and discuss the ultimate question: what is the purpose of music? All of this will be happening at the Edinburgh International Science Festival in Informatics Forum. Don’t miss out!

(Suitable for ages 14+)

In partnership with the Filmhouse, we're screening classic cult cinema, award-winning documentary and some fascinating rarely seen big screen explorations of our environment. Dive under the sea with our compelling selection of films...

You can still catch the amazing documentary Between the Folds directed by Vanessa Gould, today (Tuesday 12^th April) at 6.15pm!  Discover the remarkable artistic and scientific creativity that fuels the art of origami and fuses science and sculpture, form and function, and ancient and modern. At this screening, you will also get the chance to watch a stunning short film before hand, revel in Russian master animator Garry Bardin’s wondrous stop-motion film from.

Wednesday 13^th April brings the phenomenal The Films of Jean Painlevé. He began his pioneering work in the 1920s, documenting and dramatising the private lives of animals in the coastal waters of his native France. This programme features highlights from his long career as a poetic observer of underwater life.This screening, also, includes an introduction and a post-screening Q&A for further discussion of this cinematic great.

A Zed & Two Noughts on Thursday 14^th April, is the dark and perversely comic story from controversial director Peter Greenaway. A must see this film tells the tale of twin zoologists and their search for the meaning of life through their obsession with evolution and decomposition. Frank Hepburn, of BBC Scotland, will introduce this film and lead a post-screening Q&A.

One not to miss is Jacques Perrin and Jacques Culzaud’s ecological documentary-drama Oceans, is filmed in underwater locations across the globe. Part thriller, part meditation, this film brings the vanishing wonders of the sub-aquatic world to our attention. Come along on to the screening on Friday 15^th April at 6.15pm forintroduction and a post-screening Q&A.

Catch Luc Besson’s awe-inspiring celebration of the beauty and wonder of the world beneath the sea, Atlantis on Saturday 16^th April at 4pm. This documentary explores the thrilling and mysterious world of ocean as you’ve never seen it before. On Sunday 17th April at 8.30pm enjoy a rare screening of Luc Besson’s cult classic The Big Blue (Le Grande Bleu) with a memorable soundtrack by Eric Serra. This beautiful and contemplative love story, starring Jean-Marc Barr, Rosanna Arquette and Jean Reno, tells the story of a man torn between life on land and the intense and perilous underwater world of free diving. Which will he choose?

Don’t forget Filmhouse’s Ticket Deals! Get 15% off if you book three (or more) films in this season. These packages are available online, in person and on the phone, on both full price and concession tickets

Kids are invited to celebrate 2011, the International Year of Chemistry with TV's most extreme scientist from Brainiac, Blue Peter and The Slammer. Dr. Bunhead in Pyromania will blow their minds with flaming experiments, pyrotechnic displays and explosive feats. Join in with his Guinness World Record attempt to create the longest glow-in-the-dark necklace ever made. Usher Hall, Saturday 9^thApril 2011. Suitable for ages 7+.

The whole family can indulge in some street science with our Tricycle of Tricks. Our scientific buskers will dazzle you with their mind-boggling explosions, weird and messy demonstrations. If you’re shopping along the Royal Mile this weekend keep you eyes peeled for our Street Science team or keep up-to-date with their movements on Twitter @EdSciFest.  

Also, taking place this weekend, is a selection of exciting talks by some of the world’s most inspiring scientists. Dr. Bonnie Dunbar has achieved more in her life that most! She has pursued and accomplished her dreams, as well as the dreams of NASA. She has spent more than 50 days in space and flown more than 1,300 hours as a pilot and co-pilot. Come along to Storytelling Centre 7pm Saturday 9^th, for your chance to meet this inspirational woman. Suitable for ages 16+.

Come along to Science Theatre and celebrate the works of Edinburgh Medal 2011 winner Carl Djerassi, the co-inventor of the contraceptive pill and also a talented playwright. He will be joined by Nigel Townsend, the artistic director of the renowned Y-touring theatre company to share clips, readings and discuss the possibilities of science theatre. Free for all, Traverse Theatre, Sunday 10^th April, 8pm.

You can even enjoy a rare screening of Luc Besson's underwater cult classic, The Big Blue at 3.45pm on Sunday 10^th April. Starring Jean-Marc Barr, Rosanna Arquette, and Jean Reno, this film is a beautiful and contemplative love story. It tells the story of a man torn between life on land and the intense and perilous underwater world of free diving. Will he choose his earthly love, or will the aquatic paradise of his dreams call him to the sea? Tickets are available online and at the Filmhouse. Rated 15.

For full details of all events this weekend, check out our website...

Inside Nature's Giants gets under the skin of the largest animals on the planet. Most wildlife documentaries show how animals behave, but by exploring their anatomy, this series reveals how these creatures really work.

Featuring everything from the giant squid to the monster python, Dissections Uncut will offer you an even more detailed look at the inner magic of these incredible species.

Dissections Uncut
10 April - 12pm - 1 hour
Informatics Forum
£8/£6

Of course it is not for our benefit that plants produce these vivid displays of colour. Flowers with bright petals attract insects to help pollinate and reproduce. At Natural Chemists you can use plant dyes on t-shirts and pieces of fabric in the same way that civilizations have done for thousands of years. People have always used the coloursand perfumes of flowers for similar reasons as plants: to appear more attractive.

The sweet scent of flowers is also used to attract butterflies, bees and birds for pollination. We use these smells for countless applications, from delicate perfumes to minty chewing gum. During the Natural Chemists day you will be able to use all sorts of fragrant herbs to make potpourri bags with fabric and ribbon.

It’s not all fashion and fragrance though: some plants STINK. The stench of rotting flesh or the odourof dung can also appeal to insects. There are even plants with an altogether more predatory streak…

There is nothing more menacing than the vicious Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) with its row of teeth-like barbs jutting into the air, ready to trap its prey. Carnivorous plants use ingenious methods to catch and eat insects in order to survive in the poor quality soils they inhabit. At Natural Chemists you’ll see a Venus flytrap and other carnivorous plants in action.

Natural Chemists
Real Life Science Studio – John Hope Gateway – Royal Botanic Garden
9 April – Admission Free – Suitable for ages 5+

Drop in any time between 10am and 5pm. There will also be short talks at 12pm and 2pm.

To find out more about what is going on at the Natural Chemists day or if you’re interested in the wonderful world of plants visit growingcuriosity.wordpress.com/

Robin Ince rose to fame when he began running the Book Club night at The Albany, London in 2005. The club got its name from Ince's attempts to read aloud and humorously criticise books found in charity shops, jumble sales, and even the odd skip. Audiences were invited to discover whether hideous prose and ghastly poetry are more fabulous than great literature?

Ince is best known as the ringleader of the pro-science branch of the standup world. Currently, he is touring with Uncaged Monkeys, the first ever national science tour celebrating the universe and the wonders that lie within it. Where Ince will introduce the public to the great contemporary minds of science: including Professor Brian Cox, Dr Ben Goldacre, and Simon Singh amongst others. Also, Ince has been successfully touring the country with excerpts from his latest book Robin Ince's Bad Book Club, based on his brilliant comedy night.

You can revel in Ince’s unique brand of humour at Edinburgh International Science Festival. The Big Bang Machine: Engineering the Large Hadron Collider at Informatics Forum, 9^th April 2011 8pm investigates how this world’s biggest scientific experiment - a 27km machine that recreates the beginnings of the universe - actually works. Ince will be joined by Professor Jon Butterworth and Dr Lyn Evans to discuss the fascinating engineering challenges of the project. Suitable for 14+.

Funny Way to Make a Living at The Jam House, 17^th April 2011 2.30pm is organised by Science Festival 2011 Guest Director, Richard Wiseman. Ince and friends conduct live experiments into the science of comedy and laughter. Following last year’s sell-out event, the team set out to reveal the secret of timing, discover if people are born funny, and find out if computers can tell jokes. Don’t miss this unique combination of performance, improvisation and research.Suitable for 18+.

Sharp, entertaining, and always a tad cantankerous Robin Ince is always a delight to witness. Don’t miss out!

Described by The Washington Post as "the nation's guru of academic grunge" Marc Abrahams is the celebrated editor and co-founder of the science magazine Annals of Improbable Research (AIR). It's packed with genuine, improbable and humorous research culled from more than 20,000 science, medical, technical and academic journals. He sums up his career philosophy as writing about research that makes people laugh, and makes them think.

In addition to editing AIR, Abrahams writes on a wide variety of science, technology, medical topics for a series of international newspapers and magazines such as The Guardian, Cómo Ves and The Harvard Business Review to name just a few. He is also the author of popular science books such as The Man Who Cloned Himself, Why Chickens Prefer Beautiful Humans and The Ig Nobel Prizes.

Abrahams is the father and master of ceremonies of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, which honours scientific achievements that make you giggle. The prizes are handed out by genuine Nobel Laureates at a fun and lively gala ceremony held each October at Harvard University. Each ceremony premiers a mini-opera based on aspects of science and mathmatics, for which Abrahams writes the librettos. You can watch a snippet of one of their amazing operas below…

You can join Abrahams as he discusses some unique research at Improbable Research:Make People Laugh, Then Think at The Jam House, Edinburgh on 17^th April 2011, 7.30pm. Together with some Ig Nobel-winning scientists, Abrahams will talk you through how swearing relieves pain, why named cows give more milk…and lots more. Suitable for 18+

Or come along to Improbable After Dark immediately following Improbable Research at 9.30pm, for a darkly comic hour of scientific discovery. Find out what locusts think of Star Wars and why ostriches lust after humans along with some more controversial research not suitable for those of a sensitive disposition.

Both events are suitable for ages 18+ only.

Henry Nichols is a freelance science journalist, who writes eloquently about a variety of issues surrounding genetics, evolutionary biology, the history of science and great animals throughout mankind’s history for high-profile journals, magazines, and broadsheets, like the Guardian and New Scientist. In the last few years, he has carved a niche out as the panda expert du jour. 

Nicholls published his second critically acclaimed book The Way of the Panda: The Curious History of China's Political Animal in 2010. It tells the rich and curious story of the panda from its ‘discovery’ 140 years ago in the highlands of China, to its present international status as endearing icon of the World Wide Fund for Nature, to charting the emergence of modern China onto the global stage. The Financial Times lovingly described this book as “somewhat like Gone With the Wind, with the sweeping events of Chinese history in the background and pandas playing the roles of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler".

It seems the whole world had gone panda mad, when the exciting news broke that two giant pandas were coming to live in Edinburgh Zoo! Tian Tian and Yangguang, who were born in 2003, will be the first pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. They will be flown over from China and set up home in a newly kitted-out enclosure where the zoo's gorillas used to live. The pandas are a breeding pair and are expected to arrive within the next year, on a 10-year loan to the zoo. Giant pandas are endangered and experts reckon there are now only around 1,600 left in the wild in China. The ambassador of China to the UK said: "Pandas are a Chinese national treasure. This historical agreement is a gift to the people of the UK from China." Despite its tiny population and notoriously reclusive nature, this unique species has become not only a worldwide brand for conservation but an emblem for the political relationships of their native China. With the imminent arrival of pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, author Henry Nicholls, explores the political significance and curious history of these rare and beautiful creatures in an enlightening talk The Way of the Panda at Informatics Forum 21 April 2011. Suitable for 14+.

We, also, have exciting events coming up at the Edinburgh Zoo, because when the sun goes down, the zoo comes alive! 9 year olds and up can sleepover overnight at the Zoo and learn all about the animals' after dark behaviour. Or young and old can get involved with our photography workshop where you get the chance to get up close and personal with the zoo's animals and learn how to take amazing photographs with the help of our knowledgeable guide. A must for snap-happy youngsters and animal enthusiasts.

Simon Singh is an extremely popular and sometimes controversial author, journalist and TV producer who specializes in science and mathematics. In 2003, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to Science, Technology and Engineering in Education and Science Communication.

Singh shot to fame in 1996 when he directed his BAFTA award-winning and Emmy nominated documentary Fermat's Last Theorem, which explores the world's most notorious mathematical problem. The film was memorable for its opening shot of middle-aged mathematician, Andrew Wiles fighting back tears as he recalled the moment when he finally realised how to resolve the fundamental error in his proof of the Fermat's Last Theorem. This celebrated mathematical problem was also the subject of Singh's first book of the same name, the first mathematics number one bestseller in the UK!

His latest boo is Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial is co-authored with Edzard Ernst, the world’s first professor of complementary medicine. Described by The Sunday Times as a ‘fearless, intelligent and remorselessly rational’ read, it discusses popular treatments, including acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal medicine.

On 16 April, Singh will be appearing at the Science Festival. In Scottish Homeopathy: Sugar Pills or Medical Miracle? he will explore why Scots spend more on homeopathic medicine than anyone else in the UK and whether homeopathy is a value for money treatment option or a risk to public health. Join us at Informatics to share your views and hear Singh's passion for the pursuit of truth in public health matters.

(Suitable for ages 14+)

Professor Robert Winston not only has one of the best loved moustaches on TV, he is one of the world's most respected scientists and pioneers in fertility research. When he is not undertaking important research or being active in the House of Lords, he wants to enthuse the public in the wonders of science. He is a beloved TV personality and author of popular science books for both adults and children.

Spectacularly cutting a pig in half to demonstrate how the human body works, Prof. Robert Winston appeared on Jamie Oliver’s Dream School. An inspiring TV show aiming to persuade a group of young people who've left school with little to show for the experience to give education a second chance by pairing them with some of Britain's most inspirational individuals. He has, also, just released his new book Science Experiments, which includes a range of fun experiments kids can do at home, like make glowing plants and metal detectors.

Edinburgh International Science Festival is offering you a chance to experience an informative and inspiring talk from Prof. Robert Winston. Get Your Brain Buzzing, 11 April 2011 at The Scottish Storytelling Centre 2pm, will get your brain cells buzzing as he takes you through his daring experiments you can find in Science Experiments. From learning how to make a balloon rocket or glow in the dark jelly - science will never be boring again! Suitable for 10+.

Bad Ideas: An Arresting History of our Inventions11 April 2011 at George Square Theatre 6pm. Human beings are clever. But have our ideas and their impact left us vulnerable? Prof. Robert Winston outlines the threats now faced by humanity as a result of our inventions and explores how a healthier relationship between science and society could secure mankind’s future on Earth. Suitable for 14+.

A football fanatic and a lover of classic cars, Prof. Robert Winstonis a brilliant communicator and an inspiring cultural icon.

Launching today is National Science & Engineering Week, a national celebration of science, engineering and technology running from 11th - 20th March 2011with captivating events and activites all around the UK.

Our favourites in Scotland include Wonderful Woodlands, 12th - 13th March 2011, where the whole family can learn about the UK's trees, woodlands and wildlife with the John Muir Trust and there is even the opportunity to make a fantastic animal mask! You can brighten up your lunchtimes with City Centre Science Busking, run by University of Strathclyde students who will be performing mini experiments around the city centre of Glasgow at 2pm everyday from 14th - 18th March 2011.

Digital Natives, a multi-sensory event on 18th March 2011 promises to be entertaining and inspiring. Performance and technology collide in an evening of experimental dance, sound, film and visual arts. Part of Women in Science Festival 2011, Dundee's annual festival to celebrate and encourage women in science, technology, engineering and maths, this event is a must see.

If you have ever wondered how the gigantic castles or cathedrals of Scotland where built, the Medieval Construction Science Show at Aberdour Castle is for you! Historic Scotland's free interactive show investigates the science and technology behind Medieval buildings, following the impressive journey of a block of stone from a quarry to the top of an arch. You can also catch this fascinating show at Blackness Castle 8th - 9th April as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

You can also get involved at home, with a range of interesting online projects including Your Hidden Reality poll. British Science Association want to discover what kind of world UK citizens want to live in by knowing your hidden realities and dream parallel worlds.

Musical Moods is another online sound experiment, to find out if our familiarity with TV programmes affects our emotive connection to its theme music. Run by leading acoustics expert Professor Trevor Cox and BBC Research and Development, this research hopes to pioneer a brand new way of classifying TV programees within the BBC's vast digital archive. Indulge in your music passion with Geek Pop a virtual music festival featuring musicians, artists and comedians inspired by science, watch performances online and download their podcasts at your lesiure. Your ears will be pleased!

Check out British Science Association's website for full programme details.

As well as all our fascinating (and very grown up) talks and debates, for Science Festival 2011 we've also come up with plenty of ways for you to have some fun and recapture your youthful sense of adventure.

Following the immense success of last year's event, on Thursday 14 April we'll once again be opening up our flagship family venue, City Art Centre, for an evening of kid-free entertainment. Take a tour through the jungle, blow bubbles, build turbines and mix up a blood-curdling milkshake.

And so convinced are we that our family events really are for all the family, we'll be holding another evening just for adults at our brand new family event - Atomise. Celebrating the International Year of Chemistry at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Atomise offers scientific fizz and fascination like you've never seen before featuring workshops, shows and interactive demonstrations. Join us for Atomise Later - set off the Chain Reactor, concoct a pongy potion and explore our forest of crystals by night.

Don't let the kids have all the fun - join in, get your hands dirty and discover sensational science!

Tickets for both events include entry into all workshops and a glass of wine. Book online by following the links below or call our booking hotline on 0131 553 0322. You can also buy tickets in person at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe shop on the Royal Mile.

City Art Centre Without the Kids, Thursday 14 April, 7.30pm-9.30pm, £10/£8 - book now!

Atomise Later, Tuesday 19 April, 7-9.30pm, £15/£12 - book now!

Download a copy of our full Science Festival 2011 programme here, or request a paper version by emailing your details to marketing@scifest.co.uk.