The Times Cheltenham Science Festival Brochure 2012

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Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

WELCOME TO THE TIMES CHELTENHAM SCIENCE FESTIVAL 2012 From Festival Director Kathy Sykes

RE:Generation is this year’s Festival theme, and we will be discussing it in the broadest of terms — everything from medicine and technology, to renewable energy sources, the recovery of the economy, the ethics of bringing about change, and more.

Society is ever-changing and so is its science.

Cheltenham Science Festival will be leading the discussion about these thought-provoking issues.

Audiences will be challenged, entertained and participating in exciting debates and discussions, learning about the latest scientific developments, and considering the topics that affect us now and will affect our grandchildren in the decades to come.

Read on to discover the full Festival line-up (a complete listings starts on page 7).

A RE:Generation stamp will pop up from time to time, letting you know which events will cover this year’s theme. Also, don’t miss my co-director Mark Lythgoe as he introduces a new (and rather unusual) competition on page 6.

We love to hear your views too, and that’s why we came up with the idea for the Talking Point — it’s a wonderful place to go after an event, to continue conversations and to talk to our speakers in a more informal way. Do go along if you get the chance.

Mark and I will also look forward to seeing you in our Festival feedback session on Sunday afternoon (How Was It For You? page 41) when you can let us know what you thought about the Festival and your ideas for next year.

See you at this year’s Festival!

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CONTENTS P4-5 Festival Guest Directors Marcus Brigstocke and Maggie Aderin-Pocock introduce their scientific passions.

P6

Festival Director Mark Lythgoe on Cheltenham’s exciting ‘Can You Scan It?’ competition.

P7

Full Festival Programme.

P24

Your pull-out guide to the Festival.

P45

Family Fun.

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MEMBERS GET 10% OFF EVENTS PLAN YOUR PERFECT SCIENCE FESTIVAL USING OUR HANDY PLANNER IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS BROCHURE

P48

Education Programme.

P55

How to book.

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Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

GUEST DIRECTOR

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE

‘‘

There are so many questions in life, which seem likely to remain unanswered, and yet our thirst for knowledge and to further our understanding of the world we share with each other and with the beasts and with Jeremy Kyle is unquenchable. We want to know… who we are — what we can achieve — why we behave like we do — what prevents us from doing the things other creatures can do — where we come from — where we are going — what we are made of — what we can make — what we can control — what controls us — why we make music — why we dance — why we kill — why we watch Jeremy Kyle and what our future might look like?

Science seeks to answer all of these questions because science is arrogant like that. Science keeps on searching for answers to the most perplexing and challenging problems we face unsure if it will ever find the answer because science is humble like that. Our scientists question not only what we are sure we don’t know but also the things we imagine we do know and I like that.

It can be frightening to let go of ideas that have comforted us through the ages but the lust for scientific, verifiable, evidence-based understanding is hard wired into humanity. So innate seems our desire for the answers to all our questions that

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‘WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE WHEN WE DIE?’ ‘IS THERE LIFE AS WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND IT SOMEWHERE OUT IN SPACE?’ ‘IS THERE ANYTHING GUIDING OUR EXISTENCE BEYOND CHANCE AND OPPORTUNITY?’ ‘WHY IS JEREMY KYLE?’ it takes oppressive, systematic dishonesty on a massive scale to prevent people from seeking them.

I am delighted and honored to be a part of the Cheltenham Science Festival. My own research and understanding of Climate Change and how we might seek to mitigate its worst effects have given me opportunities to meet some truly remarkable (and some truly awful) people and I hope to get to know more of both of these types at the Festival — particularly at my ‘Marketing The Apocalypse’ event where we plan to sell the end of the world to you. It shouldn’t be any more difficult than selling drinking water to a person who has a tap… I cannot wait to meet and seek to understand some of the great thinkers and researchers and provocateurs at this year’s bring-and-buy-knowledge, and hope to come away with enough half-remembered facts and alarming tit-bits of statistical miss-information to ruin almost any dinner party. I hope to see you there. Perhaps we’ll learn something even if it’s just how little we know.

For more details about Marcus’s events see pages 15, 36, 39, 43

’’

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

‘‘

When I was offered the opportunity to become a guest director at this year’s Festival my mind reeled.

So many interesting areas of science it was hard to focus on just one, but after much procrastination I decided to go for my childhood favourite and source of my livelihood: Space.

At the Festival I’m doing a series of events called Generation Space, which explore space in our lives today and tomorrow and discuss how far we have come in the 55 years of the space era and how far we might expect to get in the near future.

In a climate of credit crunches and a worldwide recession satellite missions and space probes are going from strength to strength currently contributing $0.25 trillion to the global economy and expected to rise to $1 trillion in the next 10 years. We investigate how these missions are changing lives and our understanding of the universe. But what is the future of humans in Space? Is it still a game for governments or will commercial enterprise be the way of the future and which countries are leading the way?

Can space tourism ever be cost effective?

How long will it take for us to go back to the Moon, on to Mars and then beyond? Is the era of people in space dead?

’’

GUEST DIRECTOR

DR MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK

HAVE WE REACHED THE FINAL FRONTIER? WILL WE FIND THE HIGGS BOSON? HOW DO WE KNOW DARK MATTER EXISTS? ARE NEUTRINOS FASTER THAN LIGHT? For more details about Maggie’s events see pages 35, 36, 40, 47

5

Images produced by a MRI scanner: satsuma, bumblebee and asparagus

MRI: CAN YOU SCAN IT? with Festival Director Mark Lythgoe

EGGS, APPLES, INSECTS, PLANTS – CAN YOU SCAN IT? Bring an object with you or choose from a selection of fruits and veggies we have and we’ll scan it to see what interesting images it makes. Prizes will be awarded every day in our Can You Scan It? competition!

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to look at almost any part of the body. It is most often used to study the brain, the heart and blood vessels and internal organs. MRI scanners use powerful magnets that act on the water molecules inside these body tissues and then produce an image.

Normally, MRI scanners are great big things that take up a whole room and are off limits to the public.

But we’ve got access to a new table-top version which will allow us to scan lots of unusual objects quickly and easily. And we want you to play with it!

Objects with high water content scan best, so think: fruits and veg, bottled pop, just don’t bring any metallic objects. (They are attracted to the magnets and get stuck!) There will be loads of fun ready-toscan fruit and veg to choose from, but better yet – bring your own!

6

Can You Scan It? Visit the Discover Zone and find out!

Brain Scan Live: Mark teams up with Evan Davis, psychologist Richard Wiseman and fellow neuroscientist Derek Jones to see if we can tell when someone is lying by using an MRI scanner. See page 40 for more information.

TUESDAY 12 JUNE

DOES THE SUN CAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE? S1 Pillar Room 12.45 – 1.45pm £7 (£6) Climate sceptics suggest that our climate is warming due to natural changes in the sun’s intensity and research suggests that sun spot cycles have caused mini ice ages in the past. But is the sun the cause of our current global warming? Solar scientist Lucie Green discusses the latest research with paleoclimatologist Mark Maslin as they explore our star and its impact on our planet.

3D PRINTING LIVE: MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE?

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

DARK MATTERS

FUTURE BUILDINGS

S3 EDF Energy Arena 2 – 3pm £7 (£6) Res

S5 ExperiTent 4 – 5pm £7 (£6)

No-one’s ever seen dark matter, not even a single particle. So why do astronomers insist that it’s all around us? Is it just a figment of their imagination? And how come particle physicists are so excited by it when they don’t even know what they’re looking for? Particle physicists and 2009 FameLabbers Andrew Pontzen (BBC Stargazing Live) and Tom Whyntie introduce this mysterious ‘stuff ’ and its wider implications for science.

What if we could easily transform our buildings into mini power stations that generate, store and release all the energy they need? What if we could coat existing buildings with a material that absorbs and releases solar energy?

What if buildings were made from living, breathing organisms that could absorb carbon dioxide? Discover the future of architecture with Dave Worsley and Rachel Armstrong, who are developing game-changing materials that will force us to think very differently about our homes and cities.

SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER: EMERGENCY RESCUE S4 Pillar Room 2.45 – 3.45pm £7 (£6) The incredible spoon-billed sandpiper is hurtling towards extinction faster than almost any other bird species.

Last year, in perhaps one of the most challenging conservation missions ever undertaken, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust collected eggs from the spoon-bills’ breeding grounds in far eastern Russia and brought them to Slimbridge in Gloucestershire for a captive breeding programme. Join Director of Conservation Debbie Pain to hear the fascinating rescue story and discover how conservationists make tough decisions about when to interfere with nature.

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

THE OPTIMISM BIAS S6 EDF Energy Arena 4 – 5pm £7 (£6) Res Your brain is hard-wired to have a positive attitude, influencing your financial, professional and emotional decisions.

So why are we so bad at predicting what will really make us happy? Neuroscientist Tali Sharot explores how your brain generates hope and what happens when it fails, how anticipation and dread affect your outlook and how emotions enhance your memory.

Go online to read an article by Tali Sharot about The Optimism Bias at cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

S2 Winton Crucible 2 – 3.15pm £7 (£6) Res 3D printing is revolutionising the way we make things: in the motor and aviation industries complex parts are already made more cost-effectively, and soon it will be available in the home. Need a spare part for something?

Simply scan the original and print it yourself. Engineers Mark Williams and Richard Hague bring their laser scanner and working 3D printer to show you the possibilities, and one lucky audience member will have their threedimensional object printed live!

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TUESDAY 12 JUNE TWINS: IDENTICALLY DIFFERENT

THROUGHAM COURT GARDEN TOUR

EYES, LIES AND ILLUSIONS

S7 Winton Crucible 4.15 – 5.15pm £7 (£6) Res

S10 6 – 6.45pm S11 7.15 – 8pm £20 Througham Court Garden Exclusively for Members and Patrons Includes champagne and canapés

S14 Winton Crucible 6.30 – 7.30pm £9 (£8) Res

How can identical twins, with identical DNA, often turn out to be so different?

How are your genes influenced by your life experiences? Twin studies, like those run by Tim Spector, author of Identically Different: why you can change your genes? are telling us a lot about genetics.

Join him to find out how his research and the cutting edge field of epigenetics – hidden influences on your genes – are forcing us to rethink almost everything we thought we knew about our genes and heritability.

Christine Facer Hoffman, scientist turned landscape architect, gives an exclusive and personal tour of her spectacular gardens at Througham Court near Miserden, which are inspired by scientific facts and theories. A garden for the 21st century, it includes the Cosmic Evolution Garden, Fibonacci’s Walk, Chiral Terrace, the Six (Scientific) Pillars of Wisdom and much more.

Map will be supplied with your tickets

CAN SCIENCE SAVE THE ECONOMY? EAT YOURSELF HEALTHY

S12 ExperiTent 6 – 7pm £9 (£8)

S8 Pillar Room 5.15 – 6.15pm £9 (£8)

From high-tech manufacturing to preventative medical treatments, developments in British science and engineering can go a long way in making the UK money and saving it. But you have to speculate to accumulate! Will particle physics, space exploration and other blue sky research contribute to economic growth? What should the government prioritise with funding? Join a panel of experts who each state the case for how their fields will help save the British economy.

Will drinking orange juice stave off your cold? Are some foods more super than others when it comes to boosting your body’s ability to fight infection? Can vitamin tablets adequately supplement a poor diet? Dietician Catherine Collins, nutritional biochemist Jeremy Spencer and immunologist Catherine Hawrylowicz challenge some popular beliefs and uncover what your immune system is really hungry for.

From colours to perspective, we see with our brain, not with our eyes. But what does our brain see: the world as it is or something completely different?

Neuroscientist Beau Lotto explores how and why we see illusions and if it can offer us an answer. Illusions are not accidents or mistakes, but tell us that the brain evolved, not to see the world as it is, but to see the world in a way that’s useful to see. Understanding this is the secret that will change the way you look at yourself and the world around you.

Supported by the Leonora Society

A Member of the Society of Biology

SCIENCE QUESTION TIME

HP LABS WORKSHOP: PUZZLE SOLVING WITH COMPUTERS

S9 The Times Eureka Tent 5.30 – 6.30pm Free

S13 Area 42 6.30 – 8pm £10 (£8) Over 16s only

THE RE:GENERATIVE POWER OF SLEEP

Explore today’s biggest debates, newest discoveries and favourite Festival moments with a selection of the day’s speakers, The Times’ journalists and the Festival team.

Ever wonder how to program a computer?

Do you enjoy solving puzzles? Then come and join the HP Labs research team for a hands-on introductory workshop on programming, using easy to understand puzzles as examples. This workshop gives you a basic understanding of how to program computers to solve problems.

No previous programming experience is required.

S15 EDF Energy Arena 6.30 – 7.30pm £9 (£8) Res

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

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Independently produced by HP Labs

What is sleep and why do we need it? Do humans need more than other animals?

Are insomnia and mental health linked?

Neuroscientist Russell Foster explores these questions and more, and asks what can happen if we don’t get enough zzzz.

TUESDAY 12 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

CAN ROBOTS THINK? OR AT LEAST PRETEND TO? S16 Pillar Room 7.15 – 8.15pm £9 (£8) How close are we to robots that can think, make decisions or even love like humans? Or at least make you think they can? At a time when robots are increasingly working with humans – for example in the care of the elderly and on the battlefield – roboticists Alan Winfield and Murray Shanahan and legal expert Lilian Edwards explore our changing relationship with intelligent machines and whether we can trust robots to work with humans and make decisions affecting human welfare.

Go online to read an article by Alan Winfield about robots at cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

FOOD SECURITY S17 The Times Eureka Tent 7.30 – 9.30pm Free but ticket required How do we provide the world’s growing population with a sustainable, secure supply of good quality food from less land and using fewer resources? Join researchers for round-table discussions about the challenges of ensuring global food security and current research in this area.

ART WORKSHOP: COLOUR AND LIGHT S19 BBC Zone (not a BBC event) 8 – 9.30pm £15 (£13) How do you paint light and shade?

You could be forgiven for thinking that a black object is just black… but looking closer it could actually be white, grey or even purple depending on the light.

Award-winning artist Sarah Butterfield and neuroscientist Beau Lotto show you how to see what is really in front of you and how to transfer what you see to a piece of art.

All materials provided No experience necessary

ALAN TURING: PIONEER OF THE INFORMATION AGE S21 Winton Crucible 8.30 – 9.30pm £9 (£8) Res Alan Turing was the father of the modern computer, made famous by his work during the war cracking the German Enigma codes at Bletchley Park. His achievements during a life cut short were enormous. 100 years after his birth, Director of the Turing Archive Jack Copeland looks at the revolutionary ideas and troubled life of this quite brilliant mathematician, exploring his codebreaking work and ideas developed in both war and peace.

ORGANS FOR SALE? S18 ExperiTent 8 – 9pm £9 (£8) Emily Thackray had a life-saving lung transplant five years ago. But many like her are not so lucky and die waiting for a donated organ. How can we encourage more people to sign up to the donor register? Would the offer of waived funeral fees or a financial reward persuade you? Should we move to an opt-out system or should a donated organ always be a gift? Discuss these questions with Emily, surgeon Keith Rigg and ethicist Bobbie Farsides.

HOW THE BRAIN’S WIRING MAKES US WHO WE ARE S20 EDF Energy Arena 8.30 – 9.30pm £9 (£8) Res Where does human identity live?

Professor of Computational Neuroscience at MIT Sebastian Seung believes our identity lies not in our genes, but in our brains and their connections: the ‘connectome’. Join him as he explores the basis of personality, intelligence and memory and how each experience in our life moulds our brains, nurture shaping nature.

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WORKING ON VACCINES FOR CHILDREN. Pfizer is committed to improving health and well-being at every stage of life. Today, there are many vaccine preventable causes of death worldwide in young children. That’s why we’re working tirelessly to bring vaccines to every child, giving them a shot at preventing life-threatening infectious diseases.

AND THOSE WHO ACT LIKE THEM. Pfizer is working to keep every member of your family healthy. We discover and develop some of the leading vaccines and prescription medicines that help pets live longer and healthier lives. See how we’re putting our commitments to work at pfizer.com/vaccines

Working together for a healthier world™ Copyright ©2012 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN BRAIN

BUSINESS BREAKFAST CYBER SECURITY

S27 Pillar Room 3.15 – 4.15pm £7 (£6)

S22 Venue TBC 8 – 9.30am £20 As more business is done online, what action can your company take to protect itself against cyber threats?

Please see cheltenhamfestivals.com/ businessevents for more information

EVOLUTION: THE HUMAN STORY S25 EDF Energy Arena 2 – 3pm £7 (£6) Res

WIND POWER: THE GREAT DEBATE S23 Winton Crucible 12 – 1.15pm £7 (£6) Res An inefficient blot on the landscape for which landowners only profit because of tax payer subsidies? An excellent source of green energy that can cost-effectively contribute to powering the nation?

Debating the motion ‘This house believes that Britain should be a fan of wind energy’ are engineer Andrew Garrad, environmentalist Jonathon Porritt, economist Gordon Hughes and writer and independent political researcher Ben Pile.

Come face to face with our ancestors and discover how our species has developed from tree-dwelling primates to modern humans. Using our ancestor’s fossils, renowned paleoartists Adrie Kennis and Alfons Kennis construct life-like models to show the face of humanity as never before. With Alice Roberts they use evolution to tell the human story through the generations and the millennia.

AN ICEBERG AS BIG AS MANHATTAN S26 Winton Crucible 2.15 – 3.15pm £7 (£6) Res

CAN WE KEEP WARM AND STILL SAVE THE WORLD? S24 Pillar Room 1.30 – 2.30pm £7 (£6) The challenge: reduce greenhouse emissions by 80% by 2050. No small feat. Heating our homes accounts for a staggering 25% of current emissions.

The odd wind-turbine attached to your roof is just eco-bling – what we need is real change. Engineer Roger Kemp joins presenter Robert Llewellyn to share their thoughts on keeping warm the green way and how we can decarbonise our homes. Can we ‘do-it-ourselves’ or is it time to get in the professionals?

The BBC’s science editor David Shukman reports from the frontlines of science and the environment. These are the major stories of our day, which see him journeying up the North West Passage in the Arctic, battling through plastic waste in the Pacific or heading to the bottom of the sea to chart the effects of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He joins us with an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and an introduction to the environmental challenges facing the world today.

Why do we have such big brains?

Paleoclimatologist Mark Maslin delves way back in history to see how natural past climate changes in Africa – from very dry to very wet – may have caused our distant ancestors to evolve a huge brain to deal with the new challenges ahead.

He explores how this great evolutionary leap 2 million years ago provided the basis of smart modern day humans.

FROZEN PLANET S28 ExperiTent 4 – 5pm £7 (£6) Frozen Planet took us on the ultimate polar expedition and showed us the frozen Arctic and Antarctic wildernesses like never before. Producer Kathryn Jeffs shows clips of the series and shares behind the scenes experiences of filming challenging sequences with killer whales, polar bears and deadly ice stalactites.

Mark Brandon, the principle scientific advisor for the series, and glaciologist Andy Smith join her to explore how these regions are changing, what it tells us about Earth’s current condition and how it’s affecting the amazing survival strategies used by polar inhabitants.

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WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE POPULATION: HOW MANY IS TOO MANY? S29 Winton Crucible 4.15 – 5.15pm £7 (£6) Res Last year the world’s population hit 7 billion. Yet population debates remain polarised: some see the number as a distraction from the more urgent need to reduce consumption in wealthy countries, whilst others argue it is an issue that will solve itself as global population is projected to peak and then fall from the middle of the century. As the Royal Society publishes one of the most comprehensive global population reviews ever undertaken, Jonathon Porritt and other guests share its findings and recommendations.

This event is supported by a Patron of Cheltenham Festivals

PARKINSON’S S30 EDF Energy Arena 4.30 – 5.30pm £7 (£6) Res Parkinson’s disease affects 1 in every 500 people in the UK and there is no cure.

Pharmacologist Peter Jenner and stem cell researcher Richard Wade-Martins discuss the causes, current treatments and future outlook with a patient who tells us how Parkinson’s affects their life.

A Member of the Society of Biology

SCIENCE QUESTION TIME S31 The Times Eureka Tent 4.45 – 5.45pm Free Explore today’s biggest debates, newest discoveries and favourite Festival moments with a selection of the day’s speakers, The Times’ journalists and the Festival team.

PLAN YOUR PERFECT SCIENCE FESTIVAL USING OUR HANDY PLANNER IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS BROCHURE 12

LEARNING WITH LEGO®

SUPERCONDUCTORS

S32 LEGO® Education Zone 5 – 6.30pm Free but ticket required Includes wine and nibbles.

Over 18s only

S35 Winton Crucible 6.15 – 7.15pm £9 (£8) Res

An opportunity for teachers, parents, school governors and others to find out how the LEGO® Education team can support the delivery of fun, engaging and challenging lessons that help children to achieve their potential.

Independently produced by LEGO® Education

FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINAL S33 6 – 7.30pm S34 8.30 – 10pm ExperiTent £5 (£4) Like your science in bite-sized chunks?

Want to hear about science from all over the world? Then FameLab is for you. Over the last year, hundreds of scientists and engineers have been wowing judges in 20 countries with ‘three minutes of science’. Join Quentin Cooper as he introduces ten of the best, battling it out for a place in the FameLab International Final (p21).

Imagine an ultra-efficient world where electricity can be moved vast distances without losing energy to electrical resistance, or where you can travel from A to B without worrying about friction. Enter superconductors: materials that suddenly lose all of their electrical resistance and give out a powerful magnetic field when cooled below a critical temperature.

Steve Cowley, Stephen Blundell and Mark Lythgoe explore exciting possibilities from the cutting edge of physics.

In association with IOP South West Branch

HACKTIVISM S36 Pillar Room 6.30 – 7.30pm £9 (£8) Cyber terrorism or legitimate political protest? Hacktivists – like Wikileaks and Anonymous – target the online systems of governments, companies, law enforcement agencies and individuals to stage a protest in the name of free speech and civil rights.

Is this a good thing? In an age where state secrets, medical records and bank accounts are all stored online, Tim Jordan, James Lyne and Misha Glenny explore digital security and the future of hacktivism.

WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

HP LABS WORKSHOP: PUZZLE SOLVING WITH COMPUTERS

HOW IS A PLANE TREE LIKE A SACRED LOTUS?

S37 Area 42 6.30 – 8pm £10 (£8) Over 16s only

S39 The Times Eureka Tent 6.45 – 7.45pm £9 (£8)

See page 8 for details.

Plants, like people, belong to families, and one of the tasks of taxonomy is to understand and uncover these relationships. Botanist Sandy Knapp takes us on a tour of plant evolution and shows how some species are not as different from each other as it might first seem. How do scientists discover new species in a world where we think nearly everything has been found? How do we set conservation priorities if we don’t know something exists?

Independently produced by HP Labs

FUSION: THE HOLY GRAIL OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION?

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD: TOMORROW IS TOO LATE

S40 Winton Crucible 8.15 – 9.15pm £9 (£8) Res

S41 EDF Energy Arena 8.30 – 9.30pm £9 (£8) Res

In the hunt for alternatives to carbonbased energy, nuclear fusion could be the Holy Grail, and the evidence for its viability is really hotting up. Steve Cowley from the Culham Science Centre, home of the world’s largest magnetic fusion experiment, and plasma physicist Kate Lancaster explore the latest research and discuss whether we really can build a star on Earth!

Like many people, Vivienne Westwood is frustrated by the slow pace of government action on climate change.

So last year she took action herself, supporting the charity Cool Earth in their work to help the people of the rainforests protect their homes and livelihoods.

Here, the charismatic fashion designer and businesswoman talks with Jonathon Porritt about her belief that our inability to act on climate change is intimately connected to the financial crisis and our lack of culture.

TIM MINCHIN: TURNING SCIENCE INTO SONG

This event is supported by The Patrons of Cheltenham Festivals

S38 EDF Energy Arena 6.30 – 7.45pm £12 (£10) Res

HAPPINESS THROUGH SCIENCE

Songwriter and comedian Tim Minchin talks with Robin Ince about the joys, challenges and reactions of putting a tune to science and rationality. Known for his witty and eloquent songs on themes of environmentalism, rationalism and prejudice, he performs his celebrated 9-minute beat poem Storm, which tells the story of his encounter with an alternative-medicine-using, fairy-tattoowearing, psychic-consulting hippy at a dinner party.

S42 Pillar Room 8.30 – 9.30pm £9 (£8)

Robin Ince

Comedian Robin Ince continues his exploration of the human condition by asking whether you can be happy and rational at the same time. In a world of Schrödinger cats, multiverses and evolutionary conundrums, Robin orienteers through the craggy landscape of evolution whilst plumbing the depths of his own murky consciousness, all without the aid of a safety net.

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THURSDAY 14 JUNE BUSINESS EVENT We’re delighted to be hosting The Commercial Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility day this year. The day combines perspectives from scientists, businesses innovators and thought leaders to share knowledge, ideas and best practice about sustainability in business. Whilst aimed at a professional business audience, this session is also open to the public.

PEOPLE, PLANET, PROFIT?

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

GOING FOR GOLD: THINK LIKE A WINNER S45 Winton Crucible 2 – 3pm £7 (£6) Res Imagine… you’ve done your training, stuck to your diet and you feel physically ready to compete at the Olympics. But how will you cope with the emotional and psychological pressures? Will your nerves help or hinder your performance?

How will you react if you’re standing next to the bookies’ favourite at the starting line? Sport psychologists David Lavallee, Marc Jones and Iain Greenlees explore how athletes respond to and prepare for the stress of competition.

S43 ExperiTent 10.15 – 11.30am £7 (£6) Successful companies are increasingly measured on their ‘triple bottom line’ – not just financial profit, but also their environmental sustainability and social responsibility too. With many organisations experiencing financial constraints due to the current economic climate, can businesses really afford the luxury of being ethically and environmentally responsible or is sustainability actually fundamental to success? Bringing together expert panellists from business, environmental and ethical arenas this debate has been designed to challenge your preconceptions.

S44 EDF Energy Arena 12.15 – 1.15pm £7 (£6) Res From waste disposal and carbon capture to our psychological health and recreational activities, nature provides us value in the £trillions every year. But instead of appreciating it as a force for economic growth, our actions continually depreciate nature and its value. Environmentalist Tony Juniper explores how much nature does for us, and the consequences should we choose to ignore it.

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

S47 ExperiTent 3.30 – 4.30pm £7 (£6) A new form of IVF could help families affected by devastating hereditary disorders have healthy children.

But because the technique involves swapping a tiny amount of mitochondrial DNA from one woman’s egg to another it has provoked headlines about designer babies with three biological parents.

As the Government prepares to begin a public consultation, Doug Turnbull, who leads the research, and family psychologist Susan Golombok explore the scientific and ethical issues involved.

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: MARKETING THE APOCALYPSE S48 EDF Energy Arena 4.15 – 5.15pm £7 (£6) Res If you’ve got the right ad campaign you can sell anything, right? Our Guest Director Marcus Brigstocke is convinced that the environmental movement would be a lot more successful if they only had better marketing. He attempts to prove his theory by bringing together climate scientist Mark Maslin, environmentalist Tony Juniper and PR guru Mark Borkowski.

Please see cheltenhamfestivals.com/ science/businessevents for more information.

WHAT HAS NATURE EVER DONE FOR US?

THREE-PARENT BABIES: MYTH OR REALITY?

SURVIVORS: THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS THAT TIME HAS LEFT BEHIND S46 EDF Energy Arena 2.15 – 3.15pm £7 (£6) Res The history of life on Earth is far older – and far odder – than many of us realise.

Take a fascinating look at evolution, not through fossil records but through the variety of extraordinary organisms that have survived nearly unchanged for hundreds of millions of years. With material based on his recent book and BBC series, geologist, palaeontologist and Royal Society Fellow Richard Fortey is your guide.

ADDING QUALITY TO THE END OF LIFE S49 Pillar Room 4.30 – 5.30pm £7 (£6) As a person comes to the end of their life, symptoms such as pain and severe breathlessness can make them wish their lives away. Can we help them to do more with the time they have left? How can we help families care for those they love so that they can stay in their own home? Professor of Palliative Care Irene Higginson explores helping people to live well before they die.

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THURSDAY 14 JUNE ORBIT: EARTH’S EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY S50 Winton Crucible 4.30 – 5.30pm £7 (£6) Res Every cloud, every rain drop, every snowflake and every bit of weather we see and feel is influenced by our orbit around the sun. For their BBC series physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski and adventurer Kate Humble followed that epic journey over the course of a whole year. Join them as they discuss seeing tornados, diving for giant underwater stalactites and other incredible experiences.

ORGAN REGENERATION

GROWING UP TOO SOON?

S52 ExperiTent 6 – 7pm £9 (£8)

S54 Pillar Room 6.30 – 7.30pm £9 (£8)

If a salamander looses a limb it simply grows another. How do they do that and why can’t humans regenerate the same way? Is it possible to trigger a diseased heart or damaged liver to repair itself, preventing the need for organ transplants? Fiona Wardle, Paul Riley and John Iredale explore regenerative medicine and discuss whether you could one day ‘re-grow your own’!

In the 19th century the average age of the onset of female puberty was 15 but in the 21st century it has fallen to 10.

Recent research shows some girls are now starting as young as 7. Is something contaminating our drinking water or is the rise in childhood obesity, or other factors, to blame? Tabitha Randall, Richard Sharpe and Sadaf Farooqi ask what is causing this trend and whether we should be concerned.

ZOMBIE SCIENCE SF5 Winton Crucible 6.30 – 7.30pm £6 Res Age 11+ Enrol now for a spoof lecture on the real science behind the undead. Theoretical Zombiologist Doctor Austin, from the Zombie Institute for Theoretical Studies (ZITS), uses medical science and a crossbow to teach how a zombie outbreak might occur, its effect on humans and most importantly, how to stop it.

Helen Czerski

SCIENCE QUESTION TIME S51 The Times Eureka Tent 5 – 6pm Free Explore today’s biggest debates, newest discoveries and favourite Festival moments with a selection of the day’s speakers, The Times’ journalists and the Festival team.

Mike Gascoyne

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FORMULA ONE S53 EDF Energy Arena 6.15 – 7.15pm £9 (£8) Res One of the world’s most glamorous and fiercely contested sports also represents engineering at the extreme. Now in the third season of the team he helped grow from just four people in an empty factory to a fully fledged Formula One team, Caterham Group’s Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne joins commentator James Allen to talk about the very latest in F1™ design and technology and to look back on his long career in the sport.

FRONTLINE MEDICINE S55 The Times Eureka Tent 7 – 8pm £9 (£8) How does the extreme challenge of providing medical treatment on the frontline benefit civilian medicine?

How do you do a blood transfusion in the middle of a war zone? How do you prevent severe wounds getting infected when you have limited medical supplies?

BBC presenter Michael Mosley joins MOD pathologists Heidi Doughty and Andy Green as they discuss the challenges and innovations of frontline medicine.

THURSDAY 14 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY AND THE VOICE S56 Parabola Arts Centre 7.15 – 8.15pm £9 (£8) Res How do you make a musical instrument speak? How can you use Auto-Tune to make President Obama sing? In a special performance full of singing and scientific demonstrations, beat boxing tenor Greg Tassell joins scientist Wendy Sadler to show how musicians are mixing technology with the richness of the voice to create new sounds.

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty

John Ellis

Wendy Sadler

THE ECOSYSTEMS REVOLUTION: WETLANDS AND WATER QUALITY

HUNT FOR THE HIGGS BOSON

ROBIN AND JOSIE’S UTTER SHAMBLES

S58 EDF Energy Arena 8.30 – 9.30pm £9 (£8) Res

S60 Winton Crucible 8.30 – 9.30pm £9 (£8) Res

The Higgs boson – the so-called God Particle – is thought to be the last remaining building block in our understanding of matter. Three years after the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), was switched on in the hunt for the Higgs, physicists expect this to be the year it is finally found – or not. Either way, the conclusion to this gripping experiment is sure to throw up as many questions as answers. Joining us from CERN are physicists Tejinder (Jim) Virdee and John Ellis to discuss what this could mean for physics.

Robin Ince and Josie Long’s podcast achieves over a million downloads a year. Join them for a live recording at the Festival. More of a conversation than an interview, they meander through a wide range of topics, anything and everything from dark energy to the beginnings of life.

S57 ExperiTent 8 – 9pm £9 (£8) After all the other revolutions that have shaped our world, Mark Everard sets forth the Ecosystems Revolution: we must rebalance the interests of humans and wildlife so that we can all survive together. He’s joined by Rob Shore, from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge, who shows how wetlands can be used to treat water and remove pollutants, providing a safe natural habitat for wildlife as well as a valuable resource for humans. Could natural systems like this ever replace current treatment methods, without costing the earth?

THE RE:GENERATION GAME

STARGAZING S61 The Times Eureka Tent 9pm – late Free Look to the sky for an evening of stargazing with the Cotswold Astronomical Society. Join them for an introduction to our night sky before having a chance to observe the heavens for yourself, with the possibility of seeing Mars.

S59 Pillar Room 8.30 – 10pm £9 (£8) The bar will be open during this event Nice to see you, to see you...! Standup mathematician Matt Parker, experiments guy Steve Mould and geek songstress Helen Arney – aka Festival of the Spoken Nerd – invite you to join them for a night of science, comedy, points, prizes – and of course a cuddly toy! Working as a team to control a supersized video game or competing against each other to win a million pounds, everyone has a chance to play.

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FRIDAY 15 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

MODERN DAY MIRACLES: TO WALK AGAIN? S62 Pillar Room 10.45 –11.45am £7 (£6) Spinal cord injury and paralysis have always been considered severe and irreversible conditions. Even as we learned more about neurons, it was thought that damage to the spinal cord could not be repaired. Western Australia’s Chief Scientist Lyn Beazley and neuroscientist James Fawcett look at past attempts to grow and repair nerves and the new promise current research holds for helping the paralysed to walk again.

DEMENTIA S64 EDF Energy Arena 12 – 1pm £7 (£6) Res Is it possible to ‘live well’ with dementia?

What is it like to receive a diagnosis? Can we all be doing more to reduce our risk?

Left unchecked, and with one new case every 4 seconds, by 2050 there will be 115 million people living with dementia worldwide. Exploring the innovations and challenges for patients and global society are Professor of Psychiatry Martin Prince, Andrew Ketteringham from the Alzheimer’s Society and Marc Wortmann from Alzheimer’s Disease International.

WHAT IS THE CULTURAL VALUE OF SCIENCE? S66 Winton Crucible 2 –3pm £7 (£6) Res When people think of culture they often think of the arts – music, literature, theatre – but not science. Robert Winston believes that science is an essential part of our culture despite not being widely recognised as such. Join him as he argues how science is at the heart of our lives and calls us to action to make a cultural shift to put science on an equal footing with the arts.

BONES S63 ExperiTent 12 – 1pm £7 (£6) Skeletons might make us think of death and decay and evoke negative feelings and emotions. During life, however, they are a living dynamic organ constantly repairing and growing. What are bones made of and why do they last? How do they grow and mend? What goes wrong in osteoporosis and why is rickets back on the rise? Getting to the marrow of the matter are endocrinologist Neil Gittoes and bone expert Juliet Compston.

A Member of the Society of Biology

AGEING: HOW LONG COULD WE LIVE? S65 Pillar Room 1.15 – 2.15pm £7 (£6) A baby born tonight will live on average five hours longer than a baby born last night. Why and how is life expectancy increasing so quickly? How much of this extended life will be in good health?

What do we really understand about the mechanisms of ageing? Join Matt Piper and David Gems who research ageing to explore these questions.

ANNOYING NOISES S67 ExperiTent 2 – 3pm £7 (£6) There are some sounds that we find irritating such as the thumping music from next door’s party or the distant beeping of a car alarm. Even really quiet sounds can drive us mad, but current ways of measuring noise pollution do not take into account sound quality or its health and annoyance impacts – only loudness! Music scientist Harry Witchel and Managing Director of the Noise Abatement Society Lisa Lavia explore what we perceive as noise and what we can do to improve the future of our ‘soundscape’.

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FRIDAY 15 JUNE THE DEPRESSED BRAIN

AGEING: LIVE LONG AND PROSPER?

MENTAL HEALTH: GENES OR ENVIRONMENT?

Does the brain of someone with depression have a different structure or behaviour when they are depressed?

How can triggers like stress affect the brain and cause depression? How do antidepressants work? Catherine Harmer and Carmine Pariante research depression and the action of drugs on the small scale – studying cells and molecules – and large scale – imaging the whole brain. Join them to explore the latest research.

S70 Pillar Room 3.15 – 4.15pm £7 (£6)

S72 ExperiTent 4 – 5pm £7 (£6)

Why do we strive for longer life? Is there a point to extending life if we can’t afford it? How will society react to and cope with an increasingly older population?

Baroness Sally Greengross, philosopher and nonagenarian Mary Midgley and David Gems from UCL’s Institute of Healthy Ageing discuss our constant desire to live longer.

Some people are more susceptible to mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression than others. But how do genetics and life experiences – such as childhood trauma or drug use – combine to give rise to these conditions?

Could genetic tests help predict which treatments work best? Neuroscientist Gavin Reynolds and psychiatrist Jeremy Hall explore the genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors in mental disorders and their treatment.

A Member of the Society of Biology

BODY FAT: SCIENCE, MYTHS AND WISHFUL THINKING

S68 EDF Energy Arena 2.30 –3.30pm £7 (£6) Res

PLAYING GOD: THE SECOND CREATION S69 Parabola Arts Centre 3 – 4pm £7 (£6) Res With the Theory of Evolution being robustly shown to be correct, a major outstanding question concerns the origin of the first species, some 4 billion years ago. We are inching towards a picture of how genesis occurred, primarily via experiments that try to replicate it. Similarly, the fusion of evolutionary theory with modern genetics has gifted us an unprecedented ability to manipulate and create novel lifeforms.

This technology places us at the cusp of an industrial revolution, where the nuts and bolts are cells and DNA. Adam Rutherford describes the prequel, and the sequel to evolution.

Go online to read an article by Adam Rutherford about synthetic biology at cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

GET FESTIVAL NEWS & UPDATES cheltenhamfestivals.com

@cheltfestivals # cheltscifest facebook.com/ cheltenhamfestivals

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S71 Winton Crucible 4 – 5pm £7 (£6) Res Can you look thin, but be fat? Imaging scientist Jimmy Bell says you can and these people are called Tofi – ‘thin outside, fat inside’. MRI scans can show a Tofi’s fat hidden inside their bodies, layered around vital organs, streaked through muscles and wrapped around the heart. A Tofi might look slim, but internal fat can put outwardly healthy people at risk of diabetes and heart conditions. Find out why your BMI might be a big fat lie and what to do about it.

A Member of the Society of Biology

ALIEN HUNTERS S73 EDF Energy Arena 4.30 – 5.30pm £7 (£6) Res Searching for extraterrestrial life has created a new scientist: the astrobiologist. Curator of Astrobiology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science David Grinspoon, NASA’s Shawn Domagal-Goldman and UK astrobiologist and FameLabber Lewis Dartnell explore some mind-blowing discoveries and the future of hunting for life beyond Earth. Why is Mars so exciting? Where are other Earth-like planets? Could astrobiology save Earth?

Each works on wildly diverse topics in different disciplines, but they all ask the same question: are we alone...?

FRIDAY 15 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

THE LANGUAGE OF PLANTS

RUBY WAX

S74 Parabola Arts Centre 5 – 6pm £7 (£6) Res

S78 EDF Energy Arena 6.30 – 7.30pm £12 (£10) Res

‘This way to the nectar’ and ‘stay away’ are some of the messages that plants need to communicate. But how do they send these signals when they can’t move or even make noise? Join plant scientist Heather Whitney as she translates the secret world of plant communication and shows us the wonderful array of patterns, colours, shapes, textures, scents and even sounds they produce to get their messages heard.

At some point in our lives, one in four of us will suffer from some form of mental illness. Ruby Wax had it all – career, dream house, husband, kids... so when was the moment she realised she was the one in four? Her most recent tour, Losing It, explored the ups and downs of mental illness, its stigmas and the freedom you discover when you share the darkest moments of your life. It inspired her to launch blackdogtribe.com, an online community where people who are affected by mental illness, their carers and specialists come together. She joins us to share her story with you.

Last year’s FameLab winner Myrtani Pieri

FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL FINAL S76 Winton Crucible 6 – 7.30pm £10 (£8)

GENETIC SCREENING: WOULD YOU?

They’ve wowed the international judges and triumphed at the semi-finals. Now the remaining 10 contestants must, once more, step up and deliver three minutes of amazing science. Join Quentin Cooper for the nail-biting finale of the biggest FameLab competition yet. Who will you cheer on?

S75 ExperiTent 6 – 7pm £10 (£8) If you could have a genetic screen to assess your susceptibility to diseases later in life, would you take it? Could the results help prevent or delay diseases, or suggest how to treat you? Who could end up knowing your most intimate genetic details? Join Robert Winston, geneticists Caroline Wright and Kay Davies, and Lone Frank, who has had her genome screened, for the debate.

Take part in Caroline’s social science study at genomethics.org

SCIENCE QUESTION TIME S77 The Times Eureka Tent 6 – 7pm Free Explore today’s biggest debates, newest discoveries and favourite Festival moments with a selection of the day’s speakers, The Times’ journalists and the Festival team.

LOVE AND BETRAYAL S79 Pillar Room 6.30 – 7.30pm £10 (£8) Falling in love is wonderful, extraordinary and uniquely human, but what on earth is going on? What happens when our eyes lock across a crowded room? Why do we kiss, neglect life-long friends for new flames and try (and fail) to be monogamous? Psychologist Robin Dunbar explores romantic love and how our evolutionary programming still affects our behaviour. Can science help us, or are we better off turning back to the poets?

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FRIDAY 15 JUNE MORE THAN BABY BLUES? S80 ExperiTent 8 – 9pm £10 (£8) The first months with a new baby are an amazing, unpredictable and often scary time. For many new parents the sleeplessness and unknown are part of the challenge, for others it may seem never-ending with feelings of helplessness, postnatal depression and even psychosis. Psychiatrist Ian Jones is joined by Clare Dolman who suffered from postpartum psychosis to explore mood disorders that are linked to childbirth.

SCIENCE OF HONEY S82 Winton Crucible 8.30 – 10pm £10 (£8) Res How do bees make honey? What are all the different types of honey?

What are the health benefits? Three of our sweetest Festival favourites – pharmacologist Clive Page, chemist Andrea Sella and materials scientist Mark Miodownik – are joined by honey producer Daniel Basterfield to explore the wonders of this golden treasure. With the chance to try samples from Daniel’s Blackbury Farm in Devon.

BARRY MARSHALL: THE HUMAN GUINEA PIG S84 Pillar Room 8.30 – 9.30pm £10 (£8) Would you swallow a petri dish of dangerous bacteria to prove it caused stomach ulcers? That’s exactly what Nobel Prize winner Barry Marshall did.

His risky research saves up to 500,000 lives a year, but it could have cost him his.

Barry is joined by Quentin Cooper and pharmacologist Jeff Aronson to explore why doctors and scientists have been experimenting on themselves since the 16th century.

A Member of the Society of Biology A Member of the Society of Biology

ANIMATION MIGRATION S81 Parabola Arts Centre 8 – 9.15pm £12 (£10) Res Jazz meets science in this magical collaboration between British jazz star Kit Downes, animator Lesley Barnes and geneticist Adam Rutherford.

Originally commissioned and performed for the 2011 Cheltenham Jazz Festival, the response was so positive that we’ve brought it to the Science Festival. The story of evolution and genetic migration comes alive in this beautiful animation, set to a musical narrative performed by Kit and his trio. After the performance, the team reflect on the novel experience of working together.

BAD SCIENCE BOOK CLUB S83 EDF Energy Arena 8.30 – 10.30pm £15 (£13) Res Robin Ince’s Bad Book Club show was an underground hit and winner of numerous awards in 2006, eventually becoming a bad book all of its own.

Now it comes to life again to celebrate bad, weird and arcane science writing – from the books on how aliens built pyramids to Intelligent Design tracts on why evolution is rubbish because worms don’t evolve into beagles. Robin Ince and Alan Moore will be joined by a multitude of special guests.

The Oldham Foundation

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STARGAZING S85 The Times Eureka Tent 9pm – late Free Look to the sky for an evening of stargazing with the Cotswold Astronomical Society. Join them for an introduction to our night sky before having a chance to observe the heavens for yourself, with the possibility of seeing Mars.

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

Here at Cheltenham Festivals we run four festivals spanning the arts and science – Jazz, Science, Music and Literature. The combination is unique, and the creative spark that is generated when our festivals come together is precious.

Think these are interesting? Why not try LabOratory events at the Jazz and Music Festivals too:

Through the generous support of the Wellcome Trust we have been able to bring together artists, musicians, authors and scientists to develop LabOratory, a series of events with a biomedical theme across all four of our festivals.

Often hidden away in labs, biomedical scientists explore how the body works and find new ways to cure or treat disease. Each of our events brings biomedical science to life in a different way: some embracing cutting-edge research, others supporting new talent, all aiming to be thought-provoking and to stimulate debate. Go online at cheltenhamfestivals.com/laboratory

A NICE TOUCH Human emotions are at the heart of Paloma Faith’s new film.

The Jazz Festival’s Artist in Residence talks to jazz legend Guy Barker and neuroscientist Ray Dolan about the film and the science behind the sentiments it portrays.

(Saturday 5 May 2.40pm The Screening Rooms Cinema) Go online for more information at cheltenhamfestivals.com/screening-rooms

ANIMATION MIGRATION S81 8pm, Friday 15 June, Parabola Arts Centre Originally commissioned for the Jazz Festival in 2011, this highly creative piece explores the theme of evolution with jazz pianist Kit Downes, animator Lesley Barnes and scientist Adam Rutherford. See p22.

Musical Athletes is a series of four events exploring what it takes for the human body to sing or play a musical instrument.

HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES AND… Explores how musicians’ bodies cope with the intensity of a performance. (M21 2pm Saturday 7 July Town Hall)

EAR, NOSE AND THROAT… How musicians battle against hearing loss and voice injuries and train themselves to breathe properly. (M23 4pm Saturday 7 July Town Hall)

MY BODY IS A TEMPLE? An exploration of the science of placebo, pain and the role of alternative therapies often used by musicians. (M30 2pm Sunday 8 July Parabola Arts Centre)

FEAR AND FEARLESSNESS Aaron Williamon, Professor of Performance Science at the Royal College of Music, explores the pressures of performance with pianist Melvyn Tan, whose body responses were monitored during his concert earlier in the day. (M32 4.15pm Sunday 8 July Parabola Arts Centre)

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE INVITES… S124 12.30pm Sunday 17 June, Pillar Room Marcus Brigstocke met evolutionary geneticist Mark Thomas at last year’s Literature Festival, where he had taken part in our LabOratory event on human migration. Marcus found their conversation so inspiring he wanted to share it with you.

See p39.

12 At this year’s Literature Festival we will be launching a Year of Surgery. For more information and to sign up for programme updates as and when they are announced visit cheltenhamfestivals.com

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Visit our stand in the Discover Zone or go to our website at www.epsrc.ac.uk to find out more about us.

SUPPORTING THE CHELTENHAM SCIENCE FESTIVAL

EPSRC is the main UK government agency for funding research and training in engineering and physical sciences, investing around £800 million a year in research to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.

HANDS UP...

Can Robots Think?

Or at least pretend to?

Diagnosis: The Smart Way? Can Science save the Economy?

3D Printing Live:

Manufacturing the Future?

FESTIVAL GUIDE Your pull-out guide to all things Science Festival Including: Festival map and free activities All the happenings on site

p26

At a glance Plan your perfect festival with our event grid

p28

Finding our venues Cheltenham maps and travel information

p30

FameLab Pick your favourite science communicator with our competition scorecard

p31

CHELTENHAM EDITIONS Brand new for 2012, get a flavour of the Festival with Cheltenham Editions - a selection of short talks designed to whet your scientific appetite.

We’ve assembled some of the best Science Festival speakers for a series of inspiring short talks on a variety of topics from just £2. So if you’re planning to be around on Saturday 16 June and have a spare half an hour, why not join us for 15 inspiring and informative minutes of science.

The Cheltenham Editions programme is released in april, sign up at cheltenhamfestivals.com/subscribe to get Festival alerts.

FESTIVAL MAP AND FREE ACTIVITIES

SCIENCE IN THE SQUARE Experience all that the Festival has to offer in Cheltenham’s Town Hall and Imperial Gardens. From FREE interactive science in Discover Zone and Area 42 to informal scientific chat in The Times Café and The Talking Point and book buying in the on-site Waterstones tent.

PILLAR ROOM

DISCOVER ZONE

AREA 42 Interactive science for over 16s FREE 12 – 8pm Fri, Sat & Sun THE TIMES CAFÉ

Why should children have all the fun?

Area 42 is the Discover Zone just for adults. See and get hands-on with some of the best cutting edge research and technology science and engineering have to offer. It’s your chance to speak with the researchers involved and get more indepth information or play and act like a big kid. It’s up to you!

BBC ZONE

EDF Z

THE TIMES EUREKA

GE PAV

BOX OFFICE

cheltenhamfestivals.com/area42

EXPERITENT

LEGO® EDUCATION ZONE

DISCOVER ZONE Interactive science for all ages FREE 10am – 5pm daily The Discover Zone is open every day of the Festival, and gives kids the perfect opportunity to get hands-on with interactive technology and experiments.

AREA 42

LA PARABNOTRE E C S T AR

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty

cheltenhamfestivals.com/discoverzone

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OT N’S H

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LEGO® EDUCATION ZONE Suitable for all ages FREE 11am – 5pm Sat & Sun Challenges, experiments and games for children of all ages from the LEGO® Education team.

26

BOX OFFICE AND INFO POINT The Box Office and Info Point in Imperial Gardens opens on Tuesday 12 June and offers tickets and information every day from 9.30am until the start of the last event of the day.

WATER BOOK

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

EDF ENERGY ZONE

R

Suitable for all ages FREE Every day

SCIENCE ZONE

This year our ever-popular Discovery Trail is about energy. Come to the EDF Energy Zone to pick up quiz forms and stop a while to visit the fascinating interactive exhibits exploring the world of energy.

Suitable for all ages FREE Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun

TOWN HALL

ENERGY ZONE

EDF ENERGY ARENA

Meet the production teams responsible for some of your favourite BBC science programmes, explore the content further, get hands-on with science and have the opportunity to quiz their family of expert presenters in an informal setting.

Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ bbc-science-zone for more details on content and sessions.

THE TALKING POINT

VILION TALKING POINT

An event got you thinking?

Continue the debate with the speakers and other audience members at the Talking Point.

WINTON CRUCIBLE

RSTONES K TENT

GE PAVILION Suitable for all ages FREE Every day

SCIENCE EVENTS Our purpose built venues will be playing host to 100s of events on topics as diverse as health, technology, space, food and sport.

There are lots of free events too – look out for them in the main event listings.

Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ find-events to browse events

The GE team are offering things to do and see for all the family, including a Caterham Formula 1 racing car, and the hugely popular flight demonstrator.

FAMILY FUN DAYS Suitable for all ages FREE Sat & Sun from 11am

SCIENCE STORY ZONE Interactive science for under 7s FREE 11am – 4pm Sat & Sun Open daily 9.30am to Festival close. The Waterstones Book Tent stocks a wide range of science titles and will be hosting author signings throughout the Festival.

Hands-on science through stories for little ones.

With the support of Berkhampstead School and The Queens Hotel.

27

PLAN YOUR PERFECT FESTIVAL 10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

TUESDAY 12 JUNE ARENA

S3 DARK MATTERS S2 3D PRINTING LIVE: MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE?

CRUCIBLE EUREKA X-TENT S1 DOES THE SUN CAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE? SF3 SCIENCE STORY-TIME (A42)

PILLAR OTHER

SF1 SCIENCE STORY-TIME (A42)

SF2 SCIENCE STORY-TIME (A42)

S4 SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER: EMERGENCY RESCUE SF4 SCIENCE STORY-TIME (A42)

WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE S25 EVOLUTION: THE HUMAN STORY S26 AN ICEBERG AS BIG AS MANHATTAN

ARENA CRUCIBLE

S23 WIND POWER: THE GREAT DEBATE

EUREKA X-TENT

S27 EVOLUTION O THE HUMAN BRAIN

S24 CAN WE KEEP WARM AND STILL SAVE THE WORLD?

PILLAR OTHER

THURSDAY 14 JUNE S46 SURVIVORS: THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS LEFT BEHIND S45 GOING FOR GOLD: THINK LIKE A WINNER

S44 WHAT HAS NATURE EVER DONE FOR US?

ARENA CRUCIBLE EUREKA X-TENT

S47 THREE-PA MYTH OR

S43 PEOPLE, PLANET, PROFIT?

PILLAR PAC

FRIDAY 15 JUNE ARENA

S64 DEMENTIA

S68 THE DEPRESSED BRAIN S66 WHAT IS THE CULTURAL VALUE OF SCIENCE?

CRUCIBLE EUREKA X-TENT

S63 BONES S62 MODERN DAY MIRACLES: TO WALK AGAIN? SF6 UP, UP AND AWAY

PILLAR PAC

S67 ANNOYING NOISES S65 AGEING: HOW LONG COULD WE LIVE?

S70 AGEING: LIVE LONG AND PROS S69 PLAYING GOD: THE SECOND CREATION

SATURDAY 16 JUNE ARENA CRUCIBLE EUREKA X-TENT PILLAR PH

S100 FASTER THAN LIGHT SF15 THAT’S LIFE WITH SF7 THE SCIENCE AND NEUTRINOS ROBERT WINSTON FICTION OF DOCTOR WHO SF16 SIMON MAYO AND S96 SOLAR STORMS AND S92 FLY LIKE A BIRD ITCH THE ELEMENT HUNTER NORTHERN LIGHTS SF9 WORKSHOP: SF10 WORKSHOP: SF11 WORKSHOP: SF8 WORKSHOP: MAKE YOUR OWN MINI-HEAD MAKE YOUR OWN MINI-HEAD MAKE YOUR OWN MINI-HEAD MAKE YOUR OWN MINI-HEAD CHELTENHAM EDITIONS: S97 SO YOU WANT TO BE A SCIENTIST? PROGRAMME TO BE ANNOUNCED IN APRIL S98 ALEX’S ADVENTURES IN SF12 IS YOUR BRAIN S93 SWEET DREAMS NUMBERLAND PLAYING TRICKS ON YOU? S99 ADAPT: WHY SUCCESS S94 WHILE YOU WERE SF13 DINOSAUR ALWAYS STARTS WITH FAILURE SLEEPING SF14 SING ALONG: TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR VOICE

PAC SEC

S95 DOOMSDAY HANDBOOK

S101 CURIOSITY

S86-91 DIAGNOSIS FOR ON DUMMIES (CHECK LISTING FOR EXACT TIMES) SF17 FIRE: FRIEND OR FOE? (CLC)

OTHER

SUNDAY 17 JUNE ARENA CRUCIBLE EUREKA X-TENT PILLAR CCSC

S123 LEARN TO LIVE IN S126 BRAIN SCAN LIVE: THE MOMENT LYING AND DECEPTION S127 WHY ARE WE SF28 MY TOURIST GUIDE SCARED OF BUGS? TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM SF21 WORKSHOP: SF22 WORKSHOP: SF20 WORKSHOP: LIGHT, LASERS & ILLUSIONS LIGHT, LASERS & ILLUSIONS LIGHT, LASERS & ILLUSIONS S129 DIAGNOSIS SF27 GENERATION SPACE: CAN SF29 INDESTRUCTIBLE THE SMART WAY? WE REACH THE STARS? ENERGY S124 MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE S128 CALL MY SCIENTIFIC S121 MIGRAINE INVITES...

BLUFF SF25 WORKSHOP: WATER ROCKETS SF26 WOR

SF24 EXPLOSIVE SCIENCE SF23 BRAIN-POKING ILLUSIONS SF19 WORKSHOP: LIGHT, LASERS & ILLUSIONS

SEC

S115-120 HOSPITAL EMERGENCIES - THEIR LIFE IN YOUR HANDS (CHECK LISTING FOR EXACT TIMES) S125 THE FUTURE BY S122 OCEAN DRIFTERS: AIRBUS: 3D (CW) A SECRET WORLD (CW)

CW

10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

VENUES ARENA = EDF ENERGY ARENA CRUCIBLE = WINTON CRUCIBLE EUREKA = THE TIMES EUREKA TENT X-TENT = EXPERITENT PILLAR = TOWN HALL PILLAR ROOM PH = THE PLAYHOUSE PAC = PA

28

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science FAMILY EVENT

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

10pm

S20 HOW THE BRAIN’S WIRING MAKES US WHO WE ARE S21 ALAN TURING: PIONEER OF THE INFORMATION AGE

S15 THE RE:GENERATIVE POWER OF SLEEP S14 EYES, LIES AND ILLUSIONS

S6 THE OPTIMISM BIAS S7 TWINS: IDENTICALLY DIFFERENT

9pm

S9 SCIENCE QUESTION TIME S17 FOOD SECURITY S12 CAN SCIENCE SAVE S18 ORGANS FOR SALE THE ECONOMY? S16 CAN ROBOTS THINK? S8 EAT YOURSELF HEALTHY OR AT LEAST PRETEND TO? S19 ART WORKSHOP: S13 HP LABS WORKSHOP: COLOUR AND LIGHT (BZ) PUZZLE SOLVING WITH COMPUTERS (A42)

S5 FUTURE BUILDINGS

S30 PARKINSON’S S29 POPULATION: HOW MANY IS TOO MANY? S31 SCIENCE QUESTION TIME S28 BBC FROZEN PLANET

S38 TIM MINCHIN: TURNING SCIENCE INTO SONG

S41 VIVIENNE WESTWOOD: TOMORROW IS TOO LATE S40 FUSION: THE HOLY GRAIL OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION?

S35 SUPERCONDUCTORS S39 HOW IS A PLANE TREE LIKE A SACRED LOTUS? S33 FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINAL

OF N

S34 FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINAL S42 HAPPINESS THROUGH SCIENCE

S36 HACKTIVISM S37 HP LABS WORKSHOP: PUZZLE SOLVING WITH COMPUTERS (A42)

S58 HUNT FOR THE HIGGS S48 MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: S53 FORMULA ONE BOSON MARKETING THE APOCALYPSE S60 ROBIN AND JOSIE’S S50 BBC ORBIT: EARTH’S SF5 ZOMBIE SCIENCE UTTER SHAMBLES EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY S55 FRONTLINE MEDICINE S61 STARGAZING S51 SCIENCE QUESTION TIME S57 THE ECOSYSTEMS ARENT BABIES: S52 ORGAN REGENERATION REVOLUTION REALITY? S49 ADDING QUALITY TO THE S54 GROWING UP TOO SOON? S59 THE RE:GENERATION GAME END OF LIFE S56 MUSIC TECHNOLOGY AND THE VOICE S78 RUBY WAX

S73 ALIEN HUNTERS S71 BODY FAT: SCIENCE, MYTHS AND WISHFUL THINKING

S83 BAD SCIENCE BOOK CLUB

S76 FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL FINAL

S82 SCIENCE OF HONEY

S77 SCIENCE QUESTION TIME S72 MENTAL HEALTH: GENES OR ENVIRONMENT

S85 STARGAZING

S75 GENETIC SCREENING: WOULD YOU? S79 LOVE AND BETRAYAL

SPER?

S80 MORE THAN BABY BLUES? S84 BARRY MARSHALL: THE HUMAN GUINEA PIG S81 ANIMATION MIGRATION

S74 THE LANGUAGE OF PLANTS S108 MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: THE EARLY EDITION S109 GENERATION SPACE: S105 THE GEEK MANIFESTO HUMANS IN SPACE, WHAT NEXT? SF18 WORKSHOP: S110 EUREKA: LIVE GENES IN A BOTTLE CHELTENHAM EDITIONS: PROGRAMME TO BE ANNOUNCED IN APRIL S103 GENERATION SPACE: DO S107 PROJECT SUNSHINE WE NEED SATELLITES? S104 SPOOKLIGHTS S102 THE INFINITE MONKEY CAGE

S113 STAND UP MATHS 2012 S114 SPACE: 3D

S112 COCKTAILS

S106 EVOLUTION OUT OF AFRICA

S111 SCISCREEN: TAKE SHELTER

S132 PARADOX – GREATEST ENIGMAS IN SCIENCE S130 A GLIMPSE OF GREENLAND: THE DISAPPEARING ICE S133 HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? S134 THE STRATEGY OF S: BOARD GAMES ?

S131 HUMAN EXPLORATION

S139 MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: THE GOD COLLAR

S136 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PRAY? S135 THE OVER-AMBITIOUS DEMO CHALLENGE 2012 S138 ON DRUGS

S140 ENGINEERING FOR THE WIN!

S137 EMBARRASSING BODIES: MAKE YOUR GP WORK FOR YOU

RKSHOP: WATER ROCKETS

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

ARABOLA ARTS CENTRE SEC = SANDFORD EDUCATION CENTRE CCSC = CHELTENHAM COLLEGE SPORTS CENTRE CW = CINEWORLD A42 = AREA 42 CLC = CHELTENHAM LADIES COLLEGE BZ = BBC ZONE

29

CHELTENHAM

GETTING TO CHELTENHAM

M5

A435

Uckington

Train

A4

01

9

Prestbury A435

Cheltenham Spa is well served by First Great Western and CrossCountry trains, including direct services from many mainline stations. The railway station (GL51 8NP) is located approximately 1 mile from the town centre, and local buses depart for Cheltenham town centre every few minutes.

Street

Promenade Regent Street

High

High Street

Road

9

Bath

P&R Imperial

Lane

3

Oriel Road

7 St

Imperial Square

Bath Road

1

Walk

Imperial Sq.

5

College Road

Montpellier Montpellier

4 8

2 Montpellier Gardens

P&R Montpellier Terrace

Sandford

Road

6

Andover Road

Thirlestaine Road

Park Place

Suffolk Road

CHELTENHAM

A40

A40

A4

Charlton Kings

0

46

M5

A

Leckhampton

A435

National Rail enquiries: 0845 748 4950 Train tickets: thetrainline.com 6

A43

Bus and Coach

VENUES AND CAR PARKS

Stagecoach run regular services locally and to nearby towns and villages – for route maps and timetables, visit stagecoachbus.com/cheltenham National Express operate coaches between many major cities and Cheltenham Spa’s Royal Well bus station (GL50 3PD).

See nationalexpress.com for more details.

6

A435

Park & Ride

Prom enad Rege e nt St reet

St re et

oad

Hi gh

Bat

hR

P&R Imperi

al Lan

7

e

1 Imperial Square

Imp

8

eria

l Sq.

Montpellier Gardens

Parking

4

Oriel Road

Bath Road

Mont Mon pellie tpell r St ier W alk

5

If you’d prefer to use Cheltenham’s Park & Ride service, these are located at Arle Court (GL51 6SY, near M5 Junction 11) and Cheltenham Racecourse (GL50 4SH). Parking is free, and the service runs every few minutes into the Town Centre; but please note that times vary on Sundays. For more details on Park & Ride, visit gloucestershire.gov.uk/cheltenhamparkandride

If you are bringing your car into the town centre, please be considerate to residents when parking.

Car parks are situated in various locations around Cheltenham – some are shown on the Cheltenham map opposite.

College Road

Hig h St reet

2

VENUES

P&R Montpellier Terrace

Sandfo rd Roa

Town Hall GL50 1QA d

Sandford Education Centre GL53 7PY Andover Road

Park Place

Suffolk Road

Thirlestaine Road

3

Cheltenham College Sports Centre The Playhouse Theatre GL53 7HG Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA Cineworld GL50 4AA Princess Hall, The Cheltenham Ladies’ College GL50 3EP Queen’s Hotel GL50 1NN

30

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

WANT TO HEAR ABOUT SCIENCE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD?

THEN FAMELAB IS FOR YOU.

Over the last year, hundreds of scientists and engineers have been wowing judges in 20 countries with ‘three minutes of science’. Here at Cheltenham 20 of the best will go head-to-head in a bid to be crowned FameLab International Champion 2012.

FameLab was started by Cheltenham Festivals in 2005 to find and nurture scientists and engineers who might be the next Brian Cox or Alice Roberts.

Since then it has gone from strength to strength and, since being adopted by the British Council, has been exported worldwide- from Hong Kong to Egypt. In 2012 Cheltenham Festivals signed an agreement with NASA to run FameLab in the USA. 2012 is the biggest competition yet. Who will you cheer on? Turn over to get your own FameLab wall chart to help you keep track as the competition heats up.

THE SEMI-FINALS WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE AT 6PM AND 8.30PM £5 (£4).

THE FINAL IS ON FRIDAY 15 JUNE AT 6PM £10 (£8).

OVER 4,000 SCIENTISTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN FAMELAB SINCE IT STARTED IN 2005

MEET THE REIGNING CHAMPION Cypriot Myrtani Pieri won the 2011 final talking about the pregnancy paradox — how a mother’s immune system happily tolerates a baby even though half its genes are alien to her body.

What makes FameLab so great?

Famelab is the most intelligent and fun way of promoting science to the general public, and of identifying people that have the appetite and the talent to serve as bridge-makers between the scientists and the rest of the world. I totally recommend it to science and fun-lovers!

What have you been doing since winning the FameLab International 2011 competition?

Continuing my research, but I’ve also taken part in various science LIKE TED? communication events such as presenting at Cafe Scientific here in Why not try Cheltenham Nicosia and being a mentor for the Editions?

SchoolLab competition organised by See page 33 the British Council in Greece. I was also invited to give a TEDx talk at the for details. first ever TEDx Nicosia event.

What makes a good FameLab contestant?

You’ve got to love your subject and not be afraid or embarrassed to show off your passion and enthusiasm!

Any top tips for the contestants this year?

Make sure you choose a subject that made YOU say WOW! when you found out about it.

Practice your presentation with friends, demand constructive comments, and enjoy every minute of it.

What’s next for you?

I’ll continue doing science and make sure I spend the extra time communicating it! Scientific truth is so magical, I feel it’s a pity that people don’t have the chance to find out about it.

31

SCORECARD SEMI-FINAL 6PM

SEMI-FINAL 8.30PM

FINALISTS

FAMELAB 2012 WINNER Find out who the finalists are as they are announced at famelab.org/about-us/international-final-2012. Then follow them as they progress through the competition. Come along to the semi-finals on 13 June and cheer on your favourite speaker. You be the judge! At the International Final on 15 June you can vote for your favourite speaker. Score them on the scientific content of their presentation, how clear it was and how charismatic they were. The audience vote winner will receive a prize.

SATURDAY 16 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

CHELTENHAM EDITIONS ExperiTent £2 in advance £3 on the day Want a taste of the Festival? Want to hear some mind-blowing ideas? We’ve challenged some of the most inspiring speakers the Festival has to offer to stir your curiosity in just 15 minutes. Taking place throughout the day, hear a variety of subjects that will get you thinking and leave you wanting more.

Programme to be announced here cheltenhamfestivals.com/ cheltenhameditions in April.

FLY LIKE A BIRD S92 Winton Crucible 10.30 – 11.30am £8 (£7) Res

DIAGNOSIS FOR ON DUMMIES S86 10am – 12pm S87 10.45am – 12.45pm S88 11.30am – 1.30pm S89 12.30 – 2.30pm S90 1.15 – 3.15pm S91 2 – 4pm Sandford Education Centre £10 (£8) Over 16s only

How do planes fly? How could we fly faster, burn less fuel or land in thick fog?

Early pioneers of aviation sought to emulate the flight of birds in the design of their flying machines, often with disastrous consequences! But, a century on, could we be turning again to natureinspired design to overcome some of the great challenges of modern flight? Come aboard with engineers Sophie Robinson and Garnet Ridgway.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING S94 Playhouse 12 – 1pm £8 (£7) What is anaesthesia? To most people it’s just about sleep. But to the anaesthetist it is the art of manipulating consciousness and physiology in real time; of pitting machines and drugs against critical illness and injury; of resuscitation and intensive care. Join doctor Kevin Fong and a panel of his colleagues as they share their unique insight into this fascinating area of medicine.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your allocated time.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a doctor? Have you ever thought, yeah, I could do that? Now’s your chance!

With the help of surgeons, nurses, eye doctors and cancer and imaging experts, get stuck into the world of medical diagnosis at Cheltenham Hospital’s Sandford Education Centre. Explore and repair a footballer’s knee injury, simulate eye surgery, snake through the colon with a small camera and detect breast cancer with state of the art technology.

This is your chance to walk a day in the shoes of Dr Diagnosis.

A Member of the Society of Biology

SWEET DREAMS DOOMSDAY HANDBOOK

S93 Pillar Room 12 – 1pm £8 (£7) Join psychologists Richard Wiseman and Caroline Watt as they reveal the results of a mass experiment into dreaming, and delve deep into the science of nod. Why do you dream? Is it possible to control your dreams? Do your dreams predict the future? They reveal what happens when your brain goes to sleep, and explore the new technology that claims to be able to create your perfect dream.

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

S95 Parabola Arts Centre 12.30 – 1.30pm £8 (£7) Res Will the world end in a hail of asteroids or will we get sucked into a rogue black hole? Perhaps humans will be wiped out by a nasty virus or a super-intelligent computer that we ourselves created!

What if we came across a strangelet, the most frightening subatomic particle in the universe? There are countless myths about how the world might end but what is actually possible? Author and journalist Alok Jha guides you through the real science of doomsday.

33

SATURDAY 16 JUNE ADAPT: WHY SUCCESS ALWAYS STARTS WITH FAILURE S99 Playhouse 2 – 3pm £8 (£7) From the Spitfire to the ‘knockout mouse’, important technologies often begin by looking like crazy long shots. Yet today’s long shots are more complex and expensive than ever before. Tim Harford examines the evidence that technological progress may actually be slowing down. Using both the latest economic research and some unforgettable tales of creativity against the odds, he asks: What can we do to create and protect ideas that matter?

SOLAR STORMS AND NORTHERN LIGHTS

ALEX’S ADVENTURES IN NUMBERLAND

S96 Winton Crucible 12.30 – 1.30pm £8 (£7) Res

S98 Pillar Room 2 – 3pm £8 (£7)

The sun is not a quiet place; it is stormy and ever-changing. With beautiful images and videos solar physicist Pål Brekke from the Norwegian Space Centre introduces us to solar storms and the Northern Lights. Explore how the sun creates a light display so spectacular and yet hazardous for our technology-based society and for humans in space.

Alex Bellos spent a year travelling the world in order to discover where numbers come from and what we can do with them. He discusses his adventures – including encounters with Ayumu, who is the world’s most numerate chimpanzee, the Shankaracharya of Puri, one of the most sacred men in India and also with the spectacular abacus champions of Japan, whose feats of mental arithmetic are barely believable.

Alex was shortlisted for the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books last year.

The longlist for the 2012 Prize will be announced at the end of this event.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A SCIENTIST? S97 ExperiTent 1 – 2.30pm £3 Festival fee It’s not just scientists who have light bulb moments: anyone can have a brainwave that’s worth investigating. Since January on Material World, amateur scientists have been busy designing, measuring and concluding. Can you scientifically measure the price of art? Do annoying sounds change with age? Are vertical or horizontal stripes more flattering? Does your face shape your voice? Join Adam Rutherford as he invites the finalists to present their findings to the judges in the bid to be chosen as BBC Radio 4’s Amateur Scientist of the Year.

34

THE TIMES: LIVE FASTER THAN LIGHT NEUTRINOS S100 EDF Energy Arena 2 – 3pm £8 (£7) Res The physics world has been agog since an experiment late last year appeared to reveal neutrino particles travelling faster than the speed of light. Bursts of particles sent from CERN to Gran Sasso, 732km away, arrived unexpectedly all of 0.00000006 seconds early. Was one of Einstein’s most famous theories about to be dramatically disproved? It now appears that this incredible result may have been due to nothing more than a loose cable in the experiment. Physicists Jon Butterworth, Jim Al-Khalili and Giles Barr join us to share the story of the science and ask what if…? After all, if the results had been what was expected, nobody would have checked it.

SATURDAY 16 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

CURIOSITY S101 Parabola Arts Centre 2.30 – 3.30pm £8 (£7) Res There was a time when curiosity was condemned: it meant to delve into things that didn’t concern you, to have a shallow butterfly mind, perhaps even to defy divine limits on what we might know.

Yet as modern science began in the 17th century, it became acceptable to ask any question about anything. Why did that change happen? How did early scientists cope with the consequent avalanche of questions? And what does curiosity mean for science today? Author Philip Ball examines the history of our desire to know.

SIMON MAYO AND ITCH THE ELEMENT HUNTER SF16 Winton Crucible 2.45 – 3.45pm £6 Res Age 10+ Who needs a laboratory to do chemistry experiments when you have a bedroom!

At least that’s what Element Hunters Itch and BBC Radio 2’s Drivetime presenter Simon Mayo think. With great pictures and lots of demonstrations join them on their quest. Grab your radioactive Ruthenium (Ru), your metallic Magnesium (Mg) and your solid Silicon (Si) and prepare for chemical chaos!

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

GENERATION SPACE: DO WE NEED SATELLITES?

SPOOKLIGHTS

S103 Pillar Room 4 – 5pm £8 (£7)

Are you afraid of the dark? Folk tales are full of fleeting phenomena and ghostly glows that must have spooked our ancestors. Where do they come from?

Chemist Andrea Sella takes us on a tour of the strange lights we might see on a very dark night, recreating these strange phenomena with the tools of chemistry.

Can you cope with a total blackout?

Parts of this event take place in the dark.

What would we miss if there weren’t any satellites? We all know about Sat Navs, mobile phones and weather reports. But we also need satellites to prospect for oil, to know where to apply fertilizer accurately and even to tell trains when to stop at stations. Guest Director Maggie AderinPocock launches us into orbit to meet the satellites that are changing our lives.

S104 Playhouse 4 – 5pm £8 (£7)

THE INFINITE MONKEY CAGE S102 EDF Energy Arena 4 – 5.30pm £3 Festival fee Res We’re delighted to welcome back BBC Radio 4’s award-winning science/ comedy show The Infinite Monkey Cage to the Festival for a third year.

Hosts Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by special guests for a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. Guests will be confirmed nearer the time, for details check cheltenhamfestivals.com/science You can hear The Infinite Monkey Cage on Mondays at 4.30pm from June 18th or listen again at bbc.co.uk/radio4

35

SATURDAY 16 JUNE EVOLUTION OUT OF AFRICA

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: THE EARLY EDITION

S106 Parabola Arts Centre 5 – 6pm £8 (£7) Res

S108 EDF Energy Arena 6.30 – 7.30pm £10 (£8) Res

Throughout history, as humans migrated further away from the equator and nearer the poles, our ancestors were forced to adapt to the new environments they faced. How did humans evolve to cope with shorter days, less intense sun and new hunting (and farming) challenges? Psychologist Angela Clow, evolutionary geneticist Mark Thomas and dermatologist Jonathan Rees explore how we evolved and how these adaptations helped us survive.

How often do you read ‘scientists now believe...’ or ‘research has shown...’ in the news? Can these claims be believed, or have statements been exaggerated to make headline news? Guest Director Marcus Brigstocke scours the morning papers with Quentin Cooper, Andrea Sella and Robert Winston and questions what we should believe, what we should ignore and why?

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty

A Member of the Society of Biology

PROJECT SUNSHINE S107 Pillar Room 6 – 7pm £10 (£8)

THE GEEK MANIFESTO S105 Winton Crucible 4.45 – 5.45pm £8 (£7) Res There has never been a better time to be a geek: what was once an insult has increasingly become a badge of honour.

From public health and clean energy to education and crime, Mark Henderson argues that science matters to every aspect of society and politics. Hear his rallying call to all geeks and wannabe geeks to join together in a new force our leaders cannot ignore.

The sun is our most powerful source of energy. How can we use it more efficiently? Tony Ryan believes that instead of digging up the sun’s energy as fossil fuels after thousands of years we can find better ways to harness it directly.

The world needs radical new thinking in order to tackle one of our biggest global challenges: providing enough food and energy to sustain a rapidly growing population. Project Sunshine unites scientists, engineers and mathematicians in the hunt for solar solutions.

GENERATION SPACE: HUMANS IN SPACE, WHAT NEXT? S109 Winton Crucible 6.45 – 7.45pm £10 (£8) Res With the credit crunch and global recession is human space travel still a game for governments or will commercial enterprise be our ticket to the stars? Will we ever fly back to the Moon, step foot on Mars or even travel beyond? Guest Director Maggie AderinPocock invites science writers Piers Bizony and Philip Ball and other guests to join the debate. Is the era of people in space dead?

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

Scene from Take Shelter

36

SATURDAY 16 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

EUREKA: LIVE S110 The Times Eureka Tent 7 – 8pm Free but ticket required Exclusively for Members and Patrons In a Festival exclusive, The Times’ Eureka editor Giles Whittell and his team bring their regular editorial meeting to Cheltenham. Join them to plan a special edition of Eureka, to be published in October to coincide with The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. What science stories would you like to read about in the magazine? How would you like to see them featured? This is your unique chance to have creative input.

COCKTAILS S112 Pillar Room 8.30 - 10.30pm £20 Includes cocktails and nibbles. Over 18s only

sciSCREEN: TAKE SHELTER S111 Parabola Arts Centre 7 – 10.30pm £10 (£8) Res Special screening of the award-winning Take Shelter starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain Curtis, a young husband and father is haunted by visions of an apocalyptic storm. Are these delusions or premonitions? Driven by his fear, Curtis’ behaviour becomes erratic, stretching his relationships to breaking point as he questions whether he should be sheltering his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

After the film join a panel of experts in a wide ranging discussion exploring some of the themes and ideas raised within the film: the nature of psychosis, risk and uncertainty, family relations and the power of storms.

Complimentary refreshments will be provided between the film and discussion

Are all vodkas the same? Why should you put water in your scotch, but never ice?

What are the ingredients that make a good cocktail a great one? Join chemist and mixologist Noel Jackson to learn the answers to these questions and more.

Get hands-on to make the perfect Irish coffee, develop your own new cocktail and drink a few tried and tested classics.

If you’ve got a thirst for knowledge, quench it with science through the medium of alcohol.

Dress to impress and book your taxi home now!

SPACE: 3D S114 Winton Crucible 8.45 – 9.45pm £10 (£8) Res Journey through the solar system like never before: in three dimensions! Swoop along a deep Martian river canyon, peer into cavernous lunar lava tubes and experience the grainy texture of surface rocks so realistic you can almost feel the grittiness. It isn’t just for the movies; scientists are using 3D to learn more about our solar system than ever before with unrivalled detailed views of the Moon, Mars and Titan. Slip on your specs and join UK astrobiologist and FameLabber Lewis Dartnell in 3D.

STAND UP MATHS 2012 S113 EDF Energy Arena 8.30 – 9.30pm £15 (£13) Res Comedian and mathematician Matt Parker’s Festival shows have sold out every year and the probability of it happening again is 1. Who knew the combination of maths and jokes could be so hilarious? Funny in a statistically significant way, even the number-phobic will laugh at the man who’s right at the cutting edge (of the bell curve). He regularly appears on BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage and is a hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe so don’t be a zero and get your tickets now! “Not just for maths geeks” (Chortle)

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THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL DISCOVERY SCIENCE FOR HEALTH From molecular biology and clinical research to population studies, our focus is on funding science that improves human health. From identifying the flu virus to establishing the links between smoking and cancer, our scientistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; research has led to some of the most significant discoveries in medical history and benefited millions of people in the UK and around the world.

We are proud to support the 2012 Cheltenham Science Festival.

To find out more about the MRC go to

www.mrc.ac.uk

SUNDAY 17 JUNE HOSPITAL EMERGENCIES – THEIR LIFE IN YOUR HANDS S115 10am – 12pm S116 10.45am – 12.45pm S117 11.30am – 1.30pm S118 12.30 – 2.30pm S119 1.15 – 3.15pm S120 2 – 4pm Sandford Education Centre £10 (£8) Over 16s only Please arrive 15 minutes before your allocated time

We’ve all seen the hospital soaps on television, so why not step into the shoes of an actual hospital doctor and find out what emergencies are really like! Could you act calmly in a crisis?

Would you panic under pressure? Meet Simon the Patient Simulator (and his kid brother) at Cheltenham Hospital’s Sandford Education Centre for some hands-on emergency medicine. Like a flight simulator for pilots, doctors use Simon for practice. Watch out though, he’s prone to cardiac arrest and you may need to defibrillate him…

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

OCEAN DRIFTERS: A SECRET WORLD BENEATH THE WAVES S122 Cineworld, The Brewery 11 – 11.40am £6 (£5) In this new short film narrated by David Attenborough, explore the incredible unseen world of marine plankton. These tiny creatures – no bigger than a pinhead – underpin the whole marine food chain.

They shaped life on Earth and continue to influence our lives in many ways that you can not imagine. Marine biologist Richard Kirby joins us afterwards for discussion about the film.

Supported by NERC and Carl Zeiss Ltd

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE INVITES...

S124 Pillar Room 12.30 – 1.30pm £8 (£7) Guest Director Marcus Brigstocke met evolutionary geneticist Mark Thomas by chance at the Cheltenham Literature Festival last year, but now describes him as ‘one of the most fascinating people he’s ever met’. He invites Mark to the Festival stage to pick up their intriguing conversation about human evolution, genetics and ancient DNA, and whether it was ever possible for Adam to meet Eve...

MIGRAINE S121 Pillar Room 10.30 – 11.30am £8 (£7) Migraine affects 6 million people in the UK and can have a devastating impact on quality of life. Jane Smith is one of those people, but she now manages to keep her migraines under control. With Zameel Cader, who recently identified one of the genes involved, and clinician Anne MacGregor they discuss living and coping with migraine and new research into its causes, triggers and treatments.

LEARN TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT S123 EDF Energy Arena 12 – 1pm £8 (£7) Res In our busy and stressful modern lives we sometimes forget to live in the moment.

With its roots in Buddhism, mindfulness teaches us to become more aware of our thoughts, feelings and sensations.

In an event that could change your life, psychologist and Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre Mark Williams explores the real impact on health with BBC Arts and Culture Correspondent David Sillito who has benefited from learning to slow down the pace of modern life.

This event includes a ten minute mindfulness practice session

THE FUTURE

BY AIRBUS: 3D S125 Cineworld, The Brewery 12.45 – 1.25pm £6 (£5) People need and want to fly. But how can we make air travel better? Cheaper?

Greener? Airbus looks ahead to where aviation will be in 2050 in this futuristic 3D film. Join Rob Barlow-Kay from Airbus after the film to discuss what air travel might look like in the not too distant future.

Independently produced by Airbus

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SUNDAY 17 JUNE WHY ARE WE SCARED OF BUGS?

DIAGNOSIS: THE SMART WAY?

S127 Winton Crucible 2 – 3pm £8 (£7) Res

S129 ExperiTent 3.15 – 4.15pm £8 (£7)

Love them or hate them you can’t avoid ‘creepy-crawlies’. But why are we scared of them? And why are some people so in love with bees? Entomologist Adam Hart is joined by psychologist John May, Carlo Montesanti from the Global Bee Foundation, bug hunter Roger Key and spider expert Peter Smithers, as well as a few living examples to discuss phobias, bees, insects in our culture and bugs in general. The event will be followed by a chance to indulge in some entomophagy (eating bugs) with chef Peter Gorton... watch out for the stingy bits.

In association with National Insect Week

Imagine being able to monitor your health all day long, even while you sleep.

Imagine a bandage telling you when it needs to be changed, without needing to lift it. Imagine getting a diagnosis without giving a drop of blood. From nanorobots to microscopic biological computers, electrical engineers Patricia Connolly and Richard Kitney discuss technologies that will revolutionize health monitoring and diagnosis.

A GLIMPSE OF GREENLAND: THE DISAPPEARING ICE

BRAIN SCAN LIVE: LYING AND DECEPTION S126 EDF Energy Arena 2 – 3.30pm £8 (£7) Res What is going on in our heads when we lie? Radio 4’s Evan Davis would love to be able to read the minds of the guests being grilled on the Today programme each morning. Here he is joined by psychologist Richard Wiseman, and neuroscientists Mark Lythgoe and Derek Jones to see whether MRI scanners, hailed by some as the ultimate lie detectors, can spot whether people are telling the truth. We put the idea to the test live, with a link to Cobalt, the imaging centre in Cheltenham.

In association with Cobalt

CALL MY SCIENTIFIC BLUFF S128 Pillar Room 2.30 – 3.30pm £8 (£7) Another voyage into the murky waters of long-sunk scientific words and phrases. Captains Marcus Brigstocke and Maggie Aderin-Pocock plumb the depths of dishonesty and deception, while the crew of Quentin Cooper, Kathy Sykes, Robert Winston and Robin Ince do stuff with bilges. Expect a Titanic struggle. Host Marcus Moore rearranges the deck chairs.

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty

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S130 Winton Crucible 4 – 5pm £8 (£7) Res Greenland may seem remote, but its melting ice sheets could have serious implications for the Earth’s climate as more and more freshwater enters the Atlantic and interferes with global ocean currents. With startlingly beautiful images and videos from recent research expeditions, glaciologist Tavi Murray explores how and why Greenland’s ice is changing and the consequences for us all.

SUNDAY 17 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

HUMAN EXPLORATION S131 Pillar Room 4.30 – 5.30pm £8 (£7) 100 years on from Scott and Amundsen’s race to the South Pole, Kevin Fong asks what the future holds for exploration?

He looks back at the history of the 20th century pioneers who took us first to the heart of the Antarctic, on into the endless skies and then out into space. Is this the era when human space exploration comes to an end?

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? S133 The Times Eureka Tent 4.30 – 5.30pm Free An opportunity to give Festival Directors Kathy Sykes and Mark Lythgoe your views on the Cheltenham Science Festival and contribute your ideas for next year.

THE STRATEGY OF BOARD GAMES S134 ExperiTent 5.15 – 6.15pm £8 (£7)

PARADOX: THE NINE GREATEST ENIGMAS IN SCIENCE S132 EDF Energy Arena 4.30 – 5.30pm £8 (£7) Res Is Schrödinger’s cat dead or alive? Jim Al-Khalili helps us get our heads around some of the world’s most mind-boggling paradoxes. Using simple explanations, he helps us see that these problems are not paradoxes at all and can be solved easily if we apply logic. With fascinating concepts succinctly explained, this is mind-expanding fun.

Monopoly? Takes forever. Trivial Pursuit?

Soon gets repetitive. Snakes & Ladders?

Fine for kids. In the last decade a new generation of board games has begun to appear from a new kind of designer with a background in mathematics and other sciences. Perhaps the most successful of these is the multi award-winning Reiner Knizia who joins Professor of Mathematics Ian Stewart and board game lover Quentin Cooper to discuss the maths of game mechanics and design and how you engineer fun.

With the chance to play some board games after the event

THE OVER-AMBITIOUS DEMO CHALLENGE 2012 S135 Winton Crucible 6.30 – 7.45pm £10 (£8) Res The battle is on again as boys clash with girls in the popular annual Science Festival demo challenge. Steve Mould and Andrea Sella attempt to keep a tight rein over this year’s contestants Simon Watt, Ian Simmons, Fran Scott and Marieke Navin as they come face-to-face across the lab bench. Who will win your vote as they try to out-do each other with even more spectacular, impressive and show-stopping science demos?

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In the future, age will be no barrier to ambition.

In the new world earning longer could mean learning longer. The Future of Retirement is HSBC’s in-depth study into global retirement trends. Make sure it’s on your reading list. There’s a new world emerging. Are you ready?

There’s more on planning at www.hsbc.com/inthefuture Issued by HSBC Bank plc.

AC22967

SUNDAY 17 JUNE

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PRAY?

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: GOD COLLAR

S136 EDF Energy Arena 6.30 – 7.30pm £10 (£8) Res

S139 EDF Energy Arena 8.30 – 9.30pm £10 (£8) Res

Whether you are a believer or not, you can’t deny that prayer is a powerful thing.

Its effects can be calming, euphoric, motivating or even just reassuring. It allows believers to feel closer to their God, to feel that someone is listening and cares. Rev Richard Coles is joined by psychologist Chris French and author and former priest Mark Vernon to discuss the power of prayer from a spiritual, philosophical and scientific perspective.

In association with Greenbelt Festival

When Guest Director Marcus Brigstocke’s best friend died, it changed the way he felt about the world. It didn’t stop him being an atheist – if anything it galvanised his suspicion that we are, in fact, alone in the universe – but it made him think. He takes a comedic look at religion, his need for it, his lack of it, the myths surrounding it and the bits that he whole-heartedly disagrees with within it. You’ll be laughing out loud and examining your own beliefs in equal measure.

EMBARRASSING BODIES: MAKE YOUR GP WORK FOR YOU S137 Pillar Room 6.30 – 7.30pm £10 (£8) From abscesses, bad breath and cysts through to xanthelasma, yellow teeth and zits, Dawn Harper has seen it all.

As a practising GP and presenter of Embarrassing Bodies on Channel 4 she’s helped millions reach better health and knows how you can get the most out of your GP. Joining her is series creator Alexandra Fraser to discuss why people too embarrassed to speak to their doctor will bare all for the telly.

In association with Channel 4

ENGINEERING FOR THE WIN! ON DRUGS S138 ExperiTent 7.15 – 8.15pm £8 (£7) Is heroin more harmful than tobacco?

Are ecstasy and LSD less dangerous than alcohol? How do drugs become addictive? David Nutt – sacked from the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in 2009 for “political interference” – explores the medical, social and financial harms of legal and illegal drugs and how to minimize them.

S140 Pillar Room 8.30 – 9.30pm £10 (£8) Matt Parker and Timandra Harkness, the “exponentially funny” team that created the sell out death/maths based comedy Your Days Are Numbered, now bring you their working prototype of a brand new Edinburgh-Fringe-bound show. They turn their smart but silly comedy eye to how technology helps the human race defy Mother Nature’s limits. From time, space and gravity to darkness and cold, engineering shifts the odds in our favour. May contain audience participation and hastily-built props.

A Member of the Society of Biology

In association with a supporter of British Neuroscience Association

Dawn Harper

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Generating the engineers of the future

EDF Energy Education and Principle Partners of the Cheltenham Science Festival

FAMILY EVENTS

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

TUESDAY 12 JUNE SCIENCE STORY-TIME Area 42 £4 Age 2-5 SF1 10 – 10.45am SF2 11.15am – 12pm SF3 1 – 1.45pm SF4 2.15 – 3pm Bring your small ones along to hear some of their favourite stories and get hands-on with science-themed activities. Hear The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other tales while you and they explore the natural world through play and investigation.

In association with Gloucestershire Libraries & Information

THURSDAY 14 JUNE ZOMBIE SCIENCE SF5 Winton Crucible Res 6.30 – 7.30pm £6 Age 11 upwards Enrol now for a spoof lecture on the real science behind the undead. Theoretical Zombiologist Doctor Austin, from the Zombie Institute for Theoretical Studies (ZITS), uses medical science and a crossbow to teach how a zombie outbreak might occur, its effect on humans and most importantly, how to stop it.

FRIDAY 15 JUNE UP, UP AND AWAY SF6 Parabola Arts Centre 11.30am – 12.30pm £5 Age 4 upwards Kevin is a tiny spec of dust who wants to go places. Join him and his friend 2007 FameLab winner Nicholas Harrigan as they travel up into the sky to discover the dusty secrets behind rainbows, clouds, snow and beyond.

SATURDAY 16 JUNE THE SCIENCE AND FICTION OF DOCTOR WHO

WORKSHOP: MAKE YOUR OWN MINI-HEAD The Times Eureka Tent £7 All Ages SF8 10 – 11am SF9 11.30am – 12.30pm SF10 1 – 2pm SF11 2.30 – 3.30pm How will our heads evolve over the next 1000 years? Will we still need hair? How will our ears change? Will our eyes look different to deal with our new x-ray vision superpowers? Will we be plugging our brains straight into the internet?

Scientist and artist Lizzie Burns guides you through the different parts of your own noggin while you build a futuristic one from the inside out! All heads to be taken home.

SF12 Pillar Room 10 – 11am £6 Age 12 upwards Inside each and every one of us is a most marvellous structure: the human brain.

Besides the many amazing things it does for us, the brain also lies to us! Our brains have created an illusion that is so real, it’s impossible to imagine living without it. Join Bruce Hood, the 2011 Royal Institution Christmas Lecturer, as he reveals the truth about your brain and the greatest conjuring trick of all.

DINOSAUR SF13 Playhouse 10 – 10.45am £5 Ages 2–5

SF7 EDF Energy Arena Res 10 – 11am £6 Age 7 upwards Aliens and time machines, cyborgs and Daleks, utopias and killer computers: take a journey through the fantastic worlds of Doctor Who. With rap songs, scientific facts and lots of laughter and absurdity, author Mark Brake and rapper Jon Chase explore the science and fiction of time travel and alien biology.

IS YOUR BRAIN PLAYING TRICKS ON YOU?

Membe get 10% rs o Events ff

What makes a dinosaur a dinosaur? Meet puppets from TimeZone’s travelling museum and find out that not all prehistoric creatures were dinosaurs. The puppets are jumbled from the trip to Cheltenham and they need your help to get them back to their families. But how can you tell who is a dinosaur and who isn’t? Can dinosaurs swim? Can dinosaurs fly? Do they come out of eggs? Learn about each animal’s special characteristics to get everyone together again.

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FAMILY EVENTS SING ALONG: TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR VOICE

WORKSHOP: GENES IN A BOTTLE

SF14 Parabola Arts Centre Res 10.30 – 11.30am £6 All Ages

SF18 The Times Eureka Tent 4.30 – 5.30 pm £7 Age 8 upwards

In a sing song with a difference, find out how musical instruments can talk and why Auto-Tune makes President Obama croon. Bringing you all together in our first Festival choir, singing teacher Rachel Bowen and scientist Wendy Sadler show how musicians mix technology with the richness of human voices to create new sounds. Come prepared to sing along and explore some musical science! All abilities welcome.

Inside all of your cells is DNA. But have you ever seen it? What would it look like?

Get hands-on with your DNA as Adam Hart and University of Gloucestershire scientists help you make this normally invisible substance visible! Learn how DNA is useful in criminal investigations and even make a unique necklace to take home.

SUNDAY 17 JUNE

SIMON MAYO AND ITCH THE ELEMENT HUNTER SF16 Winton Crucible Res 2.45 – 3.45pm £6 Age 10 upwards Who needs a laboratory to do chemistry experiments when you have a bedroom!

At least that’s what Element Hunters Itch and BBC Radio 2’s Drivetime presenter Simon Mayo think. With great pictures and lots of demonstrations join them on their quest. Grab your radioactive Ruthenium (Ru), your metallic Magnesium (Mg) and your solid Silicon (Si) and prepare for chemical chaos!

FIRE: FRIEND OR FOE? THAT’S LIFE WITH ROBERT WINSTON SF15 EDF Energy Arena Res 12 – 1pm £6 Age 9 upwards What makes Earth an ideal place for life to survive? With incredible pictures Robert Winston takes us way back to Earth’s beginnings and shows us what life needed to live and survive and what it needs today. From the very big to the microscopic, meet the animals, plants, fungi and bacteria that nurture life on Earth. That’s life!

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SF17 The Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Princess Hall 3 – 4pm £6 Age 6 upwards Cooking fires, campfires, fireworks: we use fire for all sorts of things. It heats our food, lights our way and keeps us warm, but it can also be dangerous. See the spectacular chemistry behind burning, flames and the ‘fire triangle’ with lots of exciting and flashy demonstrations. Join Matt Chalmers from The Cheltenham Ladies’ College for some fuel-injected fun and see the explosive results! Is fire your friend or your foe?

WORKSHOP: LIGHT, LASERS & ILLUSIONS The Times Eureka Tent £8 Age 8 upwards SF19 10 – 11am SF20 11.30am – 12.30pm SF21 1 – 2pm SF22 2.30 – 3.30pm How do you spot a scorpion in the dark and detect counterfeit bank notes? UV shines a light on secrets like these and more. Enjoy the full spectrum of fun with Tom Ward from Tech Camp and make your own ultraviolet torch to take home.

Test how good your eyesight is, find out how well you really wash your hands, and experiment with credit cards, invisible inks and flowers to see what you’ve been missing.

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

GENERATION SPACE: CAN WE REACH THE STARS? SF27 ExperiTent 11.15am – 12.15pm £6 Age 4 upwards Long car trips can be so boring! So imagine what it would be like to travel for months to get to Mars or years to reach a star! Sleeping for some of the journey would make it feel faster, but how would you eat? And how do you go to the loo in space? Join Guest Director Maggie Aderin-Pocock and see how we’ll reach for the stars and when we’ll get there.

MY TOURIST GUIDE TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM SF28 Winton Crucible Res 12 – 1pm £6 Age 7 upwards

BRAIN-POKING ILLUSIONS SF23 Winton Crucible Res 10 – 11am £6 Age 5 upwards Think the world is a pretty normal place?

Think again! 2007 FameLabber Steve Mould pokes your brain with illusions so incredible you won’t believe your eyes!

See his favourite physics tricks, play some mental mind games and ogle at mindbending illusions! Steve shows us that the world is not always as it seems.

EXPLOSIVE SCIENCE SF24 EDF Energy Arena Res 10 – 11am £6 Age 8 upwards We all love explosions, but how are they made? With plenty of bangs and flashes, join Chris Bishop to find out the science behind explosives and ignite your curiosity with rainbow flares and water-proof fires. Bursting with fun and fireworks, this is your chance to witness a detonation shockwave travelling at a speed of over two thousand metres per second. It’s an explosive mix of science and fun.

WORKSHOP: WATER ROCKETS SF25 10 – 11.30am SF26 3.30 – 5pm Cheltenham College Sports Centre £8 Age 8 upwards Have you ever wanted to become a rocket scientist? Now is your chance! With some help from the National Physical Laboratory, come and design your very own water rocket. Test it at our launch site and make modifications to improve its flight. Whose rocket will hit the target?

Imagine walking into a travel agent and planning your next holiday in outer space! What are the hottest destinations and the coolest places to visit in our solar system? 2009 FameLabber Lewis Dartnell and Fran Scott show how rocket ships work, why you wouldn’t book a Martian ice skating holiday and why the moon Triton has liquid nitrogen geysers! Book your tickets now for this once in a lifetime trip.

INDESTRUCTIBLE ENERGY SF29 ExperiTent 1.15 – 2.15pm £6 Age 7 upwards Petrol, ping pong balls, calories and cookies – what do they all have in common? Energy! FameLabber Jamie Gallagher burns food, bounces balls and generates electricity as he shows us what energy is and why we can’t create or destroy it. Take part in his energy swap shop game, explore how your body is like a combustion engine and why cars burn petrol instead of eating cookies!

Both children and their guardians must each have a ticket for all events and workshops that they attend. For full terms and conditions go online at cheltenhamfestivals.com

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EDUCATION TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT

SCIENCE FOR SCHOOLS 2012

Welcome to Science for Schools 2012. The school programme brings a real vibrancy to the Festival weekdays, with hundreds of pupils buzzing around the site, getting stuck into science, interacting with scientists and engineers, and honing their curiosity.

At EDF Energy we are passionate about engaging young minds with science and are particularly pleased to have significantly developed our partnership with Cheltenham Science Festival.

Through a programme of year-round STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) activities that will grow in scope over the next three years, we aim to engage as many children and young people with STEM as possible, and to widen participation for all schools.

Choose from a wide range of workshops and events for Key Stages 1-4 to create your perfect day out.

Complement your visit with a free session in the Discover Zone or the LEGO® Education Zone. If you have breaks in your itinerary, have a go at the EDF Energy Trail in Imperial Gardens. Alternatively, let us organise your day for you – book a Day Package for KS3 or a Mini Package for KS1.

WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS Our exciting hands-on workshops are designed for class sized groups and last for one hour. Events are hour-long science shows for large audiences presented by top-notch science communicators.

Prices remain at 2010 rates, and teacher tickets are free.

Item

Price

Event

£5 p/p

Workshop

£6 p/p

KS1 Mini Package

£4 p/p

KS3 Day Package

£14 p/p

Discover Zone or LEGO® Education Zone

one FREE session per booking

EDF Energy Trail

FREE

See you in June.

Dr Andy Spurr Managing Director EDF Energy Nuclear Generation

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View the full programme online and make your booking at cheltenhamfestivals.com/education/ science-for-schools

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS Tuesday 12 June KEY STAGE 2 SS9-SS13 SS1 SS4

10am-3pm (times vary) 10am 11.30am

Workshop: Puzzles and numbers Event: Could it be magic?

Event: Science – the best bits

KEY STAGE 3 SS5-SS8

10am-1.45pm (times vary)

SS3

10am

SS2

12.00pm

Workshop: Keep it clean – detecting drugs at the Olympics Event: Electricity: the nearest thing to real magic Event: Could it be magic?

Wednesday 13 June KEY STAGE 2 SS22-SS24 10am-12.30pm (times vary) SS15 10am SS14 11.15am

Workshop: Cracking cold light Event: Robokids Event: Material world

KS3 DAY PACKAGES KS3 Day Packages are available Tues-Thurs and comprise: A 90 minute hands-on workshop An event A guaranteed hour in the Discover Zone (or LEGO® Education Zone, subject to availability) MINI PACKAGES FOR KS1 Friday 15 June KS1 Mini Packages consist of: the Three Little Pigs event a Discover Zone session exclusively for KS1 pupils.

SS51 SS52

9.30-10am 10.15-11am 9.30-10.15am 10.30-11am

Event: Three Little Pigs Discover Zone Discover Zone Event: Three Little Pigs

The full Science for Schools 2012 programme, together with booking information, is available online at cheltenhamfestivals.com/education/ science-for-schools, where you can also find out about the Young Scientists’ Day, Girls in Science Day, and a whole host of opportunities to engage your pupils in science throughout the year.

KEY STAGE 3 SS18-SS21 10am-1.45pm (times vary) SS17 10am SS16

12.00pm

Workshop: How fast can you go?

Event: Ask A Biologist - hosted

by Professor Alice Roberts Event: When is a gas not a gas?

Thursday 14 June KEY STAGE 3 SS30-SS34 10am-3pm (times vary) SS25 10am SS27 12.00pm

Workshop: It IS rocket science Event: The Supercool show Event: Zombie Science

KEY STAGE 4 SS26 10am Event: Zombie Science 1Z SS28-SS29 11.15am-12.30pm Workshop: In the zone (times vary) Friday 15 June KEY STAGE 2 SS37-SS41 10am-3pm (times vary) SS35 10am SS36 12.00pm

Workshop: Wiggly worms Event: Snot, sick and scabs Event: Glorious blood

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One University: 10,000 experiences www.glos.ac.uk 0844 801 0001

PATRONS Have you considered becoming a Patron?

Benefits include: • Dedicated Patron booking line • Invitations to special events at each Festival • Opportunities to meet the Festival Directors, performers and speakers • Public acknowledgement of your patronage if you wish Patronage starts from £800 a year and Life Patronage is £25,000.

To find out more please contact Arlene McGlynn, Patrons Manager, call 01242 775857, email arlene.mcglynn@ cheltenhamfestivals.com or cheltenhamfestivals.com/patrons.

We would like to thank our current Patrons for their generous support:

Life Patron Mark and Sue Blanchfield Peter and Anne Bond Charles Fisher David and John Hall Graham and Eileen Lockwood Fiona McLeod The McWilliam family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam John and Susan Singer Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sørensen Fiona and David Symondson The Walker Family

Platinum Patron Jennifer Bryant-Pearson Dominic Collier in memory of Karen Hood Michael and Angela Cronk Colin Doak Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Stephen and Tania Hitchins Simon and Emma Keswick Des and ChiChi Mills Howard and Jay Milton The Oldham Foundation Adrian and Lizzie Portlock Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust Ludmila and Hodson Thornber Peter and Alison Yiangou

Gold Patron Anonymous Jack and Dora Black Stephen and Victoria Bond Eleanor Budge Charlie Chan Martin and Tania Chisholm Clive Coates and Ann Murray Stuart and Gillian Corbyn Janet and Jean-François Cristau

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

Michael and Felicia Crystal Wallace and Morag Dobbin George and Cynthia Dowty Peter and Sue Elliott Simone Hindmarch-Bye Lord and Lady Hoffmann Elizabeth Jacobs Sir Peter and Lady Marychurch Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam Janet and Charles Middleton The Helena Oldacre Trust Mr & Mrs P Roberts Sharon and Toby Roberts Esther and Peter Smedvig Giles and Michelle Thorley Steve and Eugenia Winwood

Festival Patron Kate Adie Margaret Austen Mark and Maria Bentley Mr and Mrs Brenninkmeijer-McKenzie James and Angela Brown David and Jane Bruce Jonathan and Daphne Carr Robert Cawthorne and Catherine White Simon Collings Mr and Mrs Andrew and Jacqueline Coyle James Fleming Kate Fleming John Foster Jean Gouldsmith Skinner Maurice Gran Professor A C Grayling Huw and Nicki Gwynn-Jones Mike and Sally Hatcher Margaret Headen Marianne Hinton Stephen Hodge Anthony Hoffman and Dr Christine Facer Hoffman Richard and Peta Hoyle Keith Jago Emma Logan Lady Elaine Marriott Juliet and Jamie McKelvie Mark McKergow and Jenny Clarke Professor Keith Millar and Professor Margaret Reid Mary and Timothy Mitchell Professor Angela Newing Jonjo and Jacqui O’Neill Robert Padgett Sir David and Lady Pepper Leslie Perrin Maggie Phillips Hugh Poole-Warren Jonathon Porritt Patricia Routledge CBE Khal and Zoe Rudin Lavinia Sidgwick Phil and Jennifer Stapleton Meredithe Stuart-Smith Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett Jonathan and Gail Taylor Brian Watson Arthur and Ann Webb Professor Lord Winston Michael and Jacqueline Woof

Corporate Patron HSBC Willans LLP Solicitors

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are Joint Patrons of the 2012 Cheltenham Festivals Cheltenham Festivals Board Peter Bond - Chairman Susan Blanchfield Lewis Carnie Jonathan Carr Dominic Collier Christopher Cook Peter Elliot Prof. Russell Foster Diane Savory Prof. Averil MacDonald Dr Gill Samuels CBE Chief Executive Donna Renney Contact If you have any specific comments about any aspect of the Festival, please email science@cheltenhamfestivals.com With many thanks to all the staff at Cheltenham Festivals, those at each venue and the Festival volunteers, all of whom help make the Festival happen.

Registered Office 28 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1RH Reg. No. 456573 Charity No. 251765 Vat. Reg. No. 100114013 Science Festival Advisory Group Mark Lythgoe Kathy Sykes Russell Foster Jim Al-Khalili Andrew Cohen Quentin Cooper Timandra Harkness Mark Henderson Roger Highfield Averil MacDonald Mark Maslin Mark Miodownik Vivienne Parry Alice Roberts Gill Samuels Andrea Sella Elaine Snell Photography Credits Conor Cahill CERN Becky Matthews Martin J McGill Will Pascall Markus Reugels Pete Riley Christian Shambanait Peter Smithers

If you require a copy of this brochure in large print format please call 01242 774400 51

PLACES TO STAY AND EAT The George Hotel Cheltenham’s leading independent hotel. Prime town centre location.

Just a few minutes walk to the Town Hall and all festival sites. 31 stylish bedrooms, free parking and Wifi.

Home to award winning Monty’s Brasserie, one of Cheltenham’s most popular restaurants.

The George Hotel, 41-49 St Georges Road, Cheltenham, GL50 3DZ t: 01242 235751 www.stayatthegeorge.co.uk

Monty’s Bar & Brasserie One of Cheltenham’s most popular award winning restaurants. Prime location, few minutes walk to the Town Hall and festival sites. Monty’s is lively, offering stunning contemporary food, with an emphasis on seafood.

Its informal and vibrant atmosphere make it a great place for lunch or dinner. Early festival dining and lunch 2 courses £12.50, 3 courses £15.00.

Monty’s Bar & Brasserie, 41 St Georges Rd, Cheltenham, GL50 3DZ t: 01242 227678 www.montysbraz.co.uk

Queen’s Hotel The Mercure Cheltenham Queen’s Hotel is situated at the top of the tree lined Promenade. Our beautifully appointed rooms provide the setting and we promise a personal service with the guarantee of bespoke, quality hospitality.

Mercure Cheltenham Queen’s Hotel, The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1NN t: 01242 514754 www.mercure.com Beaumont House Within walking distance of the beautiful Montpellier Gardens, boutique shops and award winning restaurants, Beaumont House is a Five Star Luxury Guest House ideally located to offer tranquillity and accessibility for anyone seeking an alternative to the average hotel experience.

Beaumont House, 56 Shurdington Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 0JE, Tel: +44 [0] 1242 223311 Fax: +44 [0] 1242 520044 www.bhhotel.co.uk - with secure online booking facility Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@bhguesthouse) for our latest offers and last minute rates.

The Curry Corner Freshly ground spices are fused with best quality local produce, creating voluptuous flavours. Booking recommended, private dining available.

The Wheatsheaf 01451 860 244 www.cotswoldswheatsheaf.com

• Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word Best Local Restaurant, Finalist • WINNER Gold Taste of the West Award 2011 • Restaurant of the Year World Food Awards 2011, Finalist • WINNER Restaurant of the Year Cotswold Life • RICK STEIN “Great Food” • MICHAEL PALIN “the best curry from pole to pole” • GORDON RAMSAY “better flavours than in India” • SIR RICHARD BRANSON “The most amazing food” • JAMIE CULLUM “the best reason to come to Cheltenham”

‘While it may appear to be a pub with rooms, The Wheatsheaf has a brilliant, eccentric, incredibly British blast of theatre to it..’ Tatler Travel Guide 2012

The Curry Corner, 133 Fairview Road, Cheltenham, GL52 2EX 01242 528449 www.thecurrycorner.com

The Tavern - opening March 2012 Bar and restaurant in Cheltenham with award winning chefs.

01242 221 212 www.thetaverncheltenham.com

Festival Special: £20 3 course lunch or complimentary glass of wine with dinner. T&Cs apply.

Quote ‘Festival Special’ when booking.

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Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

Spice Lodge - Pan Asian Cuisine Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, GL50 1TY t: 01242 226300 www.spicelodge.com ‘Best Curry House in the South West’ British Curry Awards 2011. Luxurious surroundings, outstanding food, great service - and just a five minute walk from the Festival.

Traditional Indian Food Punjabi Style 81 The Prom - Bar & Restaurant Cheltenham’s newest Indian restaurant invites you to enjoy the finest Indian cuisine in Gloucestershire. Situated in the heart of The Promenade, 81 The Prom brings you high quality, authentic Punjabi Indian food at a reasonable price.

Enjoy lunch with a free glass of wine; and get 10% discount on your evening meals when you bring a ticket from the current day’s event at the Cheltenham Music Festival.

81 The Prom - Bar & Restaurant, 81 The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1PJ t: 01242 255776 e: 81theprom@gmail.com www.81theprom.co.uk

Jamie’s Italian The Jamie’s Italian menu is driven by what you’d find ordinary people eating over in Italy. Fantastic, rustic dishes, using recipes that have been tried, tested and loved!

The restaurant sits in one of Cheltenham’s finest buildings oozing Regency charm.

One lucky party will win their meal on Jamie every day during the Cheltenham Festival - just quote FESTIVAL when booking to be in the chance of winning.

Ts & Cs - Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

No cash alternative is available. Reservations booked must be within the Cheltenham Festvial weeks. One party will win a meal on Jamie each day and will be told upon arrival. Meal on Jamie will be to a maximum of £100.

Jamie’s Italian, County Court Road, Cheltenham, GL50 1HB t: 01242 500193 www.jamieoliver.com/italian/cheltenham

Montpellier Wine Bar Take a break between festival events and enjoy locally sourced fresh food, excellent wines and cask ales in the comfortable surroundings of our ground floor bar, intimate lower ground floor restaurant or south facing terrace for al fresco dining.

Montpellier Wine Bar, Bayshill Lodge, Montpellier Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1SY t: 01242 527774 www.montpellierwinebar.com

The Daffodil With the country’s most dramatic dining room, The Daffodil offers a full a la carte menu, a ‘Dailies’ menu and a fully licensed bar in the breathtaking surroundings of a 1920’s cinema.

The Daffodil, 18-20 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham, GL50 2AE t: 01242 700055 www.thedaffodil.com

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PARTNERS Associate Supporters

Promotional Partner

Individual Event & In-kind Sponsors Cheltenham Borough Council IES Nuffield Council for Bioethics Waterstones

Cheltenham College Leonora Society Oldham Foundation Yiangou Architects

The Daffodil Montpelier Chapter The Queen’s Hotel

BE A PART OF SOMETHING AMAZING

WITH CHELTENHAM FESTIVALS MEMBERSHIP

Ticket discounts Advance booking Exclusive events ... at Jazz, Science, Music and Literature “Membership’s encouraged me to attend more of a variety of events that I wouldn’t, necessarily, have gone to see. I thoroughly enjoyed them all.”

Audience Member

DISCOVER MORE: cheltenhamfestivals.com/membership 0844 880 8094 or visit Regent Arcade Box Office Terms and conditions apply

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Glide MRG Systems Ltd Reading University

BOOKING EVENTS

KEY DATES

Box Office: 0844 880 8094 cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

BOOK IN BOX OFFICE THREE WAYS… INFORMATION Pre-Festival (28 March – 11 June)

26 MARCH Members’ priority booking (online only) from 10.30am 28 MARCH Members’ priority booking (online, by telephone and in person) from 10.30am 2 APRIL Public booking (online only) from 10.30am 4 APRIL Public booking (online, by telephone and in person) from 10.30am

Online at

cheltenhamfestivals.com

Open 10.30am – 4.30pm Mon – Fri and 11am – 3pm on Saturdays (online only on Sundays).

Please note that the Box Office will be closed on the bank holidays of 9 April and 4/5 June.

By phone

During the Festival (12 – 17 June)

0844 880 8094

On-site in Imperial Gardens.

Open 9.30am until the start of the last event of the day (phones close at 6pm).

In person at our

Box Office

Regent Arcade Shopping Centre Cheltenham GL50 1JZ

Don’t have a computer? Visit your local library, where PCs are available on request.

Membership discounts are for full members’ sole use, do not apply to associate members or on events that include food or drink in the ticket price.

For full booking terms and conditions visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/terms-conditions

SUPPORT US Did you know that Cheltenham Festivals is a charity?

Only just over 40% of our income comes from ticket sales so we rely on our Patrons, members, sponsors and other supporters to put on the Cheltenham Festivals.

Please help us to • Attract the finest scientists from around the world to Cheltenham • Add bite and buzz to Cheltenham life • Involve the wider community through our education and outreach programme

No donation is too small and will help to ensure Cheltenham Festivals’ future development.

Please make a donation today by calling the Box Office on 0844 880 8094 or when booking your tickets online.

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PHOTO OR PHOTOSHOP? Photo. Taken by Markus Reugels, a 33-year-old German father of two who lays parquet floors for a living and defies traditional concepts of photography for fun. Markus used refraction to capture these astounding globe images by photographing a world map through a droplet of water. To see more of Markus’s work visit MarkusReugels.de

“My favourite genre of photography is the macro photography, especially the high-speed photography because with it I can show the beautiful things that we don’t normally consider in our life, or we are not able to see with our eyes.”

Do you see things differently? Visit Cheltenham Science Festival.

Official Car