Inverness Science Festival goes virtual

With many events cancelled due to lockdown measures, the organisers of Inverness Science Festival have vowed that this year’s show will go on - virtually.

The annual festival, which usually takes place in venues around Inverness, will now be hosted online, with video lectures, children’s activities, competitions and a virtual pub quiz. Running from Friday 1 to 16 May, the event aims to inspire people to learn more about science and to develop a passion for subjects such as biology, chemistry, astronomy and physics.

Organisations including the Institute of Physics, Whale and Dolphin Conservation and Bubblestring are providing a range of family resources and try at home activities. Children can learn how to make giant bubbles or design a dolphin friendly fishing net. They can also complete mini challenges like building a paper airplane or taking part in a scavenger hunt.

Festival talks include a lecture by Dr Anthony Luke from Inverness College UHI on the Big Bang, stars and supernovas and a video from Dr Ryan McLean, a University of the Highlands and Islands post-doctoral researcher, on how the immune system and brain interact in surprising ways.

The festival will draw to a close on Sunday 16 May with an online pub quiz where participants will be encouraged to test their knowledge on a range of scientific topics.

Inverness Science Festival is organised by the University of the Highlands and Islands science technology engineering and maths (STEM) team. Speaking about this year’s event, Dr Samantha Clark, STEM Development Manager, said:

“While we have had to cancel our physical events this year, we didn’t want to miss an opportunity to inspire people about science. We hope our new virtual festival helps to provide some informative entertainment for children and adults alike while we all spend more time at home. The new online format means that people don’t have to be in the Inverness to enjoy the events and activities, the festival can now be accessed from anyone across the globe!”

To see the full programme of online events and activities, visit the Inverness Science Festival website at www.uhi.ac.uk/isf or follow Inverness Science Festival on Facebook and the #InvSciFest hashtag on Twitter.