Otley Science Festival 2020 is go
We have been working to deliver as full a “Covid friendly” Science Festival 2020 as we can and have a full schedule of events. Some events will be on-line only, with others planned to be “blended” with a limited live audience, socially distanced, in Otley Courthouse but also being transmitted on-line. In addition, instead of the usual Saturday Science Fair we will be having a Science Film Day.
With the news of West Yorkshire moving into Tier 3 we are reviewing our plans. Currently we believe the regulations will allow us to go ahead as planned however we will be looking at this on an event by event basis in conjunction with our speakers. There are more details on the home page, which we will keep updated.
This is how the week looks:
- Monday 9th, 19.30: Zap! with Marty Jopson (blended)
- Tuesday 10th, 19.30: Science Café (blended)
- Wednesday 11th, 19.00: Science Quiz (on-line only)
- Thursday 12th, 19.30: The World according to Physics with Professor Jim Alkalili (on-line only)
- Friday 13th, 19.30: An Evening With Professor Tim Benton, leading environmental scientist (blended)
- Saturday 14th: Science Film Day (Courthouse only)
- 10.00 and 14.00, family film – Wall-E
- 19.30 – Radioactive
Scroll down for additional details on each event.
There will be no charge for on-line participation in any events, but it will be necessary to pre-book to join. There will be a charge for attending in person in the Courthouse. Booking will close at 6pm on the day of each event.
As usual, there will also be shows for schools. These will run on Tuesday and Wednesday of the week and schools will be able to join the live shows on-line. Further details are here on the Schools page.
Monday 9th November, 19.30. Live and on-line.
ZAP! with Marty Jopson
It’s high-voltage time! Watch as Marty Jopson, local TV Scientist takes a sparky journey through the story of electricity. From the Ancient Greeks, through Faraday’s genius, this show aims to put the awesome back into electricity.
With a one million volt spark and the crack of a whip, you may think we have electricity tamed, but are you sure? A show chock full of demonstrations: the astonishing floating orb, a light bulb made from a pencil lead and a plucked chicken. There will be at least one explosion.
Live tickets £10 adult / £8 child – click here
On-line tickets free (pre-booking required) – click here
Tuesday 10th November, 19.30. Live and on-line.
Science Café
Now in its thirteenth season, the Otley Science Café promises to bring the usual eclectic mixture of scientific topics delivered in bite sized chunks for your entertainment.
We will have our traditional trio of speakers, each given a quarter of an hour and plenty of time for you to ask questions and quiz them afterwards. Join us for a relaxed and fun evening of science suitable for all ages and all interests.
Full details can be found on the Science Cafés page.
Live tickets £5 / under 18 free – click here
On-line tickets free (pre-booking required) – click here
Wednesday 11th November, 7pm. On-line only.
Do you enjoy a quiz?
Would you like to learn about life on the moon?
And what moves faster than light?
Join in the Otley Science Festival On-Line Quiz hosted by Otley Courthouse. The quiz will be loosely science-themed but being a clever scientist won’t help you! And you’ll learn some amazing facts, witness some astonishing sights and sounds, and have an outrageously good time!
On-line event only, free to participate, book for joining details – click here
Thursday 12th November, 7.30pm. On-line only.
The World According to Physics with Professor Jim Al-Khalili
Join Prof. Al-Khalili as he tells about his latest book, The World According to Physics that shines a light on the most profound insights revealed by modern physics. He will invite us all to understand what this crucially important science tells us about the universe and the nature of reality itself.
Physics is revealed as an intrepid human quest for ever more foundational principles that accurately explain the natural world we see around us, guided by core values such as honesty and doubt in the search for truth. The knowledge discovered by physics both empowers and humbles us, and still physics continues to delve valiantly into the unknown.
On-line only event, tickets free (pre-booking required) – click here to book
Friday 13th November, 12.30pm. Live and on-line. Science “Packed Lunch”
Yorkshire’s Traveller Through Time with Colin Speakman
A covid compliant version of our popular Science Lunch…
Enjoy a lunchtime talk given by local author, Colin Speakman on one of Yorkshire’s forgotten geniuses. John Phillips was not only a ground-breaking geologist but also a cartographer, astronomer, meteorologist, artist and railway guide writer.
Find out more, and bring along a packed lunch.
Regrettably, due to current restrictions food and drink will not be available from the Otley Courthouse.
Live tickets £5 – click here
On-line tickets free (pre-booking required) – click here
Friday 13th November, 7.30pm. Live and on-line.
Why becoming a more sustainable society matters: an evening with Professor Tim Benton
An opportunity to listen to and then get into discussion with one of the UK’s top environmental scientist on the most important issues of today.
Professor Tim Benton, Chatham House Research Director, Emerging Risks and University of Leeds Reserach Professor will talk about how climate change impacts are societies with more people movement, more anti-immigration, more nationalism – more societal risks.
From 2011-2016 he was the “champion” of the UK’s Global Food Security programme which was a multi-agency partnership of the UK’s public bodies (government departments, devolved governments and research councils) with an interest in the challenges around food.
He has worked with UK governments, the EU and G20. He has been a global agenda steward of the World Economic Forum, and is an author of the IPCC’s Special Report on Food, Land and Climate (2019), and the UK’s Climate Change Risk Assessment as well as publishing more than 150 other academic papers.
Live tickets £10 adult / £8 child – click here
On-line tickets free (pre-booking required) – click here
Saturday 14th November, in the Courthouse
Science Film Day
Matinee: 10.00 and 14.00
Wall-E
A machine responsible for cleaning a waste-covered Earth meets another robot and falls in love with her. Together, they set out on a journey that will alter the fate of mankind.
“If anyone doubted that Pixar is the most creative outfit in modern motion pictures, this movie should convince them. It is a genuine masterpiece, a word I don’t use often.” Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
“Among its many wondrous achievements, the animated WALL-E is a sci-fi trifecta: a vision of the future, a tale for our times and a blast from the past.” Joe Williams, St Louis Post-Dispatch
Tickets £5 – click here
Evening: 19.30
Radioactive
After the death of her beloved husband, Marie Curie’s commitment to science remains strong as she tries to explain previously unknown radioactive elements. But it soon becomes terrifyingly evident that her work could lead to applications in medicine that could save thousands of lives — or applications in warfare that could destroy them by the billions.
“Curie’s relevance shines through the film. She continues to pave the way for women to assert their intelligence and persist in gaining their rightful place in academia and research.” Sr. Rose Pacatte, St. Anthony Messenger
“A solid biopic, which foregrounds yet another towering performance by the terrific Rosamund Pike.” Tom Beasley, VultureHound
Also starts local hero Sam Riley, born and brought up in Menston.
Further information
and tickets:
Due to ‘Group of six’ regulations please only book seats for people from your household to any of the live events. Your friends can also, of course, book separately – but they will be seated separately from you.
Under Tier 2 restrictions the Courthouse was able to provide bar/café drinks at events. With Leeds raised to Tier 3 this will not be possible which will be a significant revenue hit for the organisation. You may bring your own drink for these events and please consider making a ‘corkage-donation’. Thank you
Tickets for joining in person or on-line are available now from the Otley Courthouse Science Festival page – https://otleycourthouse.org.uk/home/otley-science-festival/
All live events will be held at Otley Courthouse:
Otley Courthouse Arts Centre
Courthouse Street
Otley
West Yorks
LS21 3AN
01943 467466 (please note: due to Covid the phone may not be answered in person, but you will be able to leave a message).
You can email Otley Science Festival here: info@otleysciencefestival.co.uk
or follow us on Twitter @otleyscience
Otley Science Festival is supported by a number of sponsors whose help enables us to put on this great event. Our thanks go to all of them.
If you want to look back to pre-Covid days, you can find the record of last year’s Science Festival here
